“Une Histoire Vertebrale” (A Backbone Tale) is an award-winning animated short film by the French filmmaker Jérémy Clapin, which in the classic comic tradition manages to be sadly touching, romantic and funny at the same time. In our eternal race to find love and happiness, some unfortunate souls start with a handicap, as is the case of the sad little man we join in this film. A malformation of his backbone forces our hero to walk with his head held low, permanently fixed toward the ground.
How on earth is he supposed to search for happiness, to find his loved one, when all that his eyes can see are his own little feet? And who’s going love him, someone who looks so sad, terribly lonely, and very different from other people? The emotional state of this poor little fellow, his loneliness and quest to find another human being like him, reveals a profound analysis of the alienation and frustration of people: man needs to live with other men.
This piece includes a number of colorful illustrations from the film, as well as the wonderfully touching animated short, “A Backbone Tale.”
Please visit my website to view the colorful pictures and watch this beautiful animated short film:
The Department of Defense is financing a $300,000 study that will pair dogs with soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan that are trained to recognize when they are about to have a panic attack by nudging them or nuzzling them. Service dogs have been helping those with mental illnesses since the late 1990's.The Department of Defense is financing a $300,000 study that will pair dogs with... more
Riam Dean, 22, was prevented from working on the shop floor at Abercrombie & Fitch in London because her prosthetic arm didn't match the store's 'look policy'. Now an employment tribunal has awarded Riam £9000.
Riam was sent to work in the stockroom at the store after a manager objected to her wearing a cardigan to hide her disability.
A panel at Central London Employment Tribunal found Riam was “unlawfully harassed for a reason that related to her disability” under the Disability Discrimination Act. The tribunal also found that the firm “failed to comply with its duty to make reasonable adjustments” for her disability.
She was awarded £7,800 for injury to her feelings, £1,077.37 for loss of earnings and £137.75 for wrongful dismissal.Riam Dean, 22, was prevented from working on the shop floor at Abercrombie & Fitch in... more
Google’s Book Search program will help the blind and wheelchair-bound read more, a disability group told a federal judge Wednesday, giving Google some much needed support in its attempt to create the online library and bookstore of the future.Google’s Book Search program will help the blind and wheelchair-bound read more, a... more
President Barrack Hussein Obama is set to sign the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities on July 24th, 2009. There are many greatly important ramifications contained in this convention; I have only begun to understand them. When I first began to read this lengthy document, the first thought that crossed my mind was, 'Finally! We will finally gain the recognition and rights that we deserve in America!” As I continued to read through the convention, I was stunned at the clarity and thought that has gone into the production of this convention. The points covered in it are incredibly valid, giving people with disabilities the very respect, honor, and place in societies they deserve.President Barrack Hussein Obama is set to sign the Convention on the Rights of People... more
We're very happy that this slideshow represents crossing the 1.1 million photo views from our Flickr photo collection. The Diabetes Junior Camp from the Southeastern Diabetes Education Services and Camp ASCCA earns the honor of crossing this milestone.
The Junior Camp is the final in our three week run of diabetes camps from Seale Harris, Southeastern Diabetes Education Services. It is one more example of Camp ASCCA's therapeutic recreation in a disability camp for special needs populations.
These tweens and early teens are two days into a week of therapeutic recreation and education sessions. From the high adventure ropes course to our splash pad and other aquatics activities, the
This series of camps and our longtime relationship with Seale Harris is a perfect example of the "umbrella organization" philosophy of Easter Seals.
Camp ASCCA cooperates with local, regional and national organizations to create residential camping sessions for all disabilities. From our adventure recreation weekends for Iraq and Afghanistan returning disabled soldiers with the Lakeshore and Shepherd centers to week long camps with local high school special education classes and various disability advocacy groups, Camp ASCCA works with all groups.We're very happy that this slideshow represents crossing the 1.1 million photo views... more
Margaret Ann Medley, Dothan, started coming to Seale Harrs diabetes camps 15 years ago. To say the camp experience has been a remarkable part of her life is an understatement.
I don’t think anyone is surprised that Margaret Ann has flourished in college. A 2008 inductee into the Brevard College Institute for Women in Leadership, she has turned into quite the campus leader. Margaret Ann has also been active with the Brevard College Department of Theatre Studies and a participant in Brevard’s Voices of the River (VOR) program.
Read more at campascca.org/journal and asccafriends.orgMargaret Ann Medley, Dothan, started coming to Seale Harrs diabetes camps 15 years... more
f you know your history, President Franklin Roosevelt (the first and only U. S. president to use a wheelchair) was a strong advocate of recreation as therapy. The Post-Polio group also serves as a reminder of the long history of therapeutic recreation that eventually gave birth to Camp ASCCA in 1976.
They refer to themselves as survivors. A strong, tight-knit group of friends and supporters, the group meets throughout the year in the Mobile-Pensacola area.
Read more at www.campascca.org/journalf you know your history, President Franklin Roosevelt (the first and only U. S.... more
Kyle Maynard is the first amputee MMA fighter. While watching this video, I was at first like, "WTF?!" but after a few minutes, I realized this guy makes me look like a wuss. He's got no limbs and he tries to take down another fighter. Maynard doesn't win a lot, but he goes into the ring like he will.Kyle Maynard is the first amputee MMA fighter. While watching this video, I was at... more
Otto Baxter is 21 and has Down's syndrome. His mother Lucy thinks he should have all the experiences that other young men of his age have - including sex.
Otto attended mainstream school and has mates that don't have disabilities, so when he goes out with mates to nightclubs some of them inevitably get lucky, but he hasn't been able to get any more than a snog. Otto wants a girl and wants to do the normal things that guys and girls do but has trouble meeting anyone suitable. He's tried dating agencies and even special dating agencies to meet other girls with down's but finds the girls too institutionalised or has his attempts to get frisky scuppered by carers.
What should Otto do?
Should it make us look at the way we care for and treat people with disabilities?Otto Baxter is 21 and has Down's syndrome. His mother Lucy thinks he should have all... more
A morning of conversation about engaging children with special needs and their families in Jewish life.A morning of conversation about engaging children with special needs and their... more
When most of us think of assistant animals we think of seeing eye dogs or perhaps a helper monkey. But now you can get seeing eye horses, therapy cats, consoling parrots and much much more. I myself have two friends with dogs registered as Service Animals because they have severe anxiety and other mental disorders (bi polar, depression, etc) and having their dogs has helped them either significantly reduce or completely stop their medication. At the same time I used to work at a hotel with a no animal policy (with the exception of Service Animals of course) and people used to always come in claiming that their animals were Service Animals which caused a lot of arguments since most of them where actually Therapy Animals and not Service Animals. So what is the difference between a Therapy Animal and a psychiatric Service Animal?
This story is a bit long but a really interesting read on changes in Service Animals as well as the issues being raised as new types emerge. Who is abusing this law and who is truly benefiting from it?
On a side note, Panda is the most awesome name for a seeing eye horse ever.When most of us think of assistant animals we think of seeing eye dogs or perhaps a... more
A children's show host who was born with one hand is facing criticism from parents over her disability.
BBC spokeswoman Katya Mira said the corporation has received at least 25 "official" complaints recently about Cerrie Burnell, new host of two shows on the BBC-run CBeebies television network, which is aimed at children younger than 6.
The official complaints do not count the dozens of negative comments lodged in Internet chat rooms, Mira said.
In one chat room, a father lamented that Burnell being on the show forced him to have conversations with his child about disabilities.
I'm not quite sure how having a conversation with your child about disabilities can be turned into a bad thing. Did I miss a taboo or something?A children's show host who was born with one hand is facing criticism from parents... more
Bree Walker is a progressive talk show radio host , news anchor, investigative reporter, actress and warrior for disability rights and progressive causes. She inherited a rare genetic condition called ectrodactyly. Her fingers and toes are fused together. She hid the condition with a pair of glove-like prosthetic hands early in her career but has since gone public with her condition and has continued to have a successful broadcasting and acting career.Bree Walker is a progressive talk show radio host , news anchor, investigative... more
Dr. Amy JL Baker has co-authored with Katherine Andre, PhD. a new book entitled I Don't Want to Choose: How Middle School Kids Can Avoid Choosing One Parent Over the Other.
The book will teach children how to manage loyalty conflicts by: Using Critical Thinking, Considering Options, Being true to themselves, developing coping skills, and more.
The book can be read by children alone or with Parents, School professionals, individual therapists, divorce educators, family mediators, and other caring adults.Dr. Amy JL Baker has co-authored with Katherine Andre, PhD. a new book entitled I... more
"A bus driver's helper is facing criminal charges after she allegedly overlooked a 22-year-old special needs student, who spent New Year's Eve alone in a freezing bus depot, police said.
A cerebral palsy patient spent Wednesday night inside a frigid bus in a New York transportation depot.
Temperatures in New York plummeted to 15 degrees before he was found early Thursday. Rivera was taken to Brookdale University Hospital, where he was recovering Friday, according to hospital officials.
When he was found, Rivera was "cold, very cold," his sister, Leslie Rivera, told CNN affiliate News 12 Long Island. "His fingers were blue.""A bus driver's helper is facing criminal charges after she allegedly overlooked a... more
"Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorders may be linked to factors other than genetics, despite widely held beliefs otherwise, according to a study published Wednesday in the American journal Neuron.
The findings of the study, led by researchers at New York University's Center for Neural Science and the Baylor College of Medicine, may enhance scientific and medical understanding of disorders such as autism, which affects about one in 150 children in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"Our results suggest that FKPB12 regulates neuron signaling that curbs the manifestation of traits observed in several neurological disorders including autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia," said NYU neuroscientist Eric Klann, the study's lead researcher.
These disorders are widely believed to be "determined in utero by genetic hormonal and environmental factors," he adds.
But "because our study indicates that postnatal release of mTOR activity can result in certain perseverative behaviors, it challenges the idea that some aspects of these conditions are developmentally predetermined.""Autism and obsessive-compulsive disorders may be linked to factors other than... more
Local ordinances are quite a pain, especially where local officials think they can encumber your deed without a contract as if you are part of some new property owners association. I have to put my stance out there that if you want to manage my property, you have to buy my property. Simple as that.Local ordinances are quite a pain, especially where local officials think they can... more
Does Obama plan to make his administration more accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing?
A good question from bigdialog.Does Obama plan to make his administration more accessible to the deaf and hard of... more
