Inclusion is an important part of our mission; we hire individuals with developmental disabilities and offer them meaningful, paid, year round employment. These employees are referred to as Growers here on the farm and they are an integral part of our workforce.  In addition to our paid Growers, Left Foot also serves individuals with disabilities from our community in other ways. We partner with organizations such as Morningside to offer a variety of volunteer experiences for people with disabilities. Lannes Frazier is one  such individual. Lannes was raised on a farm and had a strong desire to work in a farm environment. Lannes comes out every week with an aide and assists with preparing our eggs for sale and does some cleaning in our farm kitchen. Lannes, who volunteers with two other organizations as well, told me he absolutely loves to come to the farm and work around the chickens. Lannes has been volunteering with us for over a year now, and we certainly enjoy his smiling face and enthusiasm.

Another way we impact individuals with disabilities is by offering educational opportunities through our partnership with the Thurston County Parks and Recreation’s Specialized Recreation Program. Last week we hosted a group of seven individuals who came out to learn about organic farming practices and our employment program. The group toured the farm learning about chicken care, composting, and starting, transplanting and weeding crops. Joe Hocker, one of our experienced Growers, discussed his job duties and answered questions. Participants then went into the fields to harvest three varieties of beans, zucchini and to dig up a some red potatoes. We then prepared a farm fresh meal from their harvest and shared lunch outdoors. Everybody received a lovely bouquet of flowers to take home with them.

Though we can only hire a limited number of Growers, through programs like these we are able to impact a greater number of individuals with disabilities. We believe it is crucial to emphasize the value of local, organic food while demonstrating a work environment that is truly inclusive, but we cannot do it without the greater support from our community.  How can you support our program?  We always need volunteers to work with us, and we also take cash and in kind donations. Call the farm for more information (360)754.1849

And stay tuned for details on our upcoming Fun Farm Formal on September 29th; we would love to include you among our supporters! Until then, keep eating your veggies!

by Sky Myers, Volunteer Program Coordinator

]]> http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/st-louis-center-aktion-club-hosts-3rd-annual-fun-run/ Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:07:00 +0000 stlouiscenter http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/st-louis-center-aktion-club-hosts-3rd-annual-fun-run/ http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/st-louis-center-extends-fitness-for-life-to-community/ Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:47:03 +0000 stlouiscenter http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/st-louis-center-extends-fitness-for-life-to-community/ http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/joes-top-dog-serves-up-coneys-and-golf/ Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:36:06 +0000 stlouiscenter http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/joes-top-dog-serves-up-coneys-and-golf/ http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/memorial-golf-outing-celebrates-25th-year/ Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:30:02 +0000 stlouiscenter http://stlouiscenter.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/memorial-golf-outing-celebrates-25th-year/ http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/08/06/oc-man-23-sentenced-30-years-for-raping-developmentally-disabled-woman/ Tue, 07 Aug 2012 03:48:03 +0000 neilajamee http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/08/06/oc-man-23-sentenced-30-years-for-raping-developmentally-disabled-woman/ SANTA ANA (CBS) — A 23-year-old man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Monday for raping a mentally and developmentally disabled 19-year-old woman at a community college last year.

Raul Barrientos of Anaheim pleaded guilty to two counts of forcible digital penetration and one count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, rape and kidnapping, which are all felonies, according to Deputy District Attorney Mark Birney.

On April 29, 2011, Barrientos assaulted the woman in a men’s bathroom stall at Fullerton College. The victim is at the developmental level of a 5 to 6-year-old child, wears leg braces and has a speech impairment.

A teacher later found the victim in the bathroom.

A security guard, who was responding to another Fullerton College student about a suspicious man, found Barrientos on campus.

The victim’s parents told the judge how the attack has left her with difficulty trusting others, Birney said.

Through his attorney, Barrientos has expressed remorse to the victim and her family, according to Birney.

Barrientos must serve at least 85 percent of his sentence and register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

RELATED STORIES:
» OC Man Charged In Rape Of Developmentally Disabled Woman
» Man, 22, Stands Accused Of Kidnapping, Sexually Assaulting Developmentally Disabled Woman

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

The dogs are both wonderful and hard work. I can’t reasonably say they are very hard work. I’ve worked very hard before. The Youth Conservation Corp in Yosemite was difficult physical labor. We wore hard-hats and work shirts and leather gloves and everything. We sweated a lot.

Teaching the severely developmentally disabled high school kids (now called ‘intellectually disabled’) was deadly hard. Full of surprises, one day a kid would bring me a box of chocolates. The next day a kid would put me in a headlock. He would also take off his pants. I ate the chocolates. Eventually they transferred the assaultive, pants dropping kid in to another school where there wasn’t a young, auburn haired teacher to wrestle.

Being pregnant was extremely hard work. I’m sure it didn’t help that I had a job with little support – most of the time I taught a group of kids who all had the same probation officer because they had gotten caught breaking into houses. They were a likeable bunch of hoodlums. I got pregnant late November, so I started January with morning sickness. I would get everything ready for class, hear the morning bell ring and go throw up in the staff’s restaurant. I’d be ready to go again by the time the second bell rang. I impressed myself with my tenacity later that day, though I was pretty weak. One of the boys would frequently come and do his classwork in my room during my prep period. (This is common in Special Ed programs). One day I got so nauseas I went ahead and threw up in my trash can in my office. The boy came over and patted my back until I stopped vomiting. It is still one of the sweetest gestures I can remember, even more so than those chocolates I loved. Little memories like that make me remember the time as being filled with joy, wonder at the creature growing within me and ease. If I am realistic about things, though, I will admit that there was little fun about it. Nausea and vomiting went on until the day before I delivered. (I threw up in labor, too). Thank you to the arrogant PTA president (not here in the valley- you can’t try and guess who she was) who, when I confided about the multiple times of vomiting a day “reminded” me, that this was something I wanted. Sure, I did want a baby, but who signs up for the kind of pregnancy I had? Honestly, I thought that women who did things such as vomit all the time, get rehydrated and slept fourteen times a day were just doing it for attention. I knew I’d be one of those active, cute pregnant ladies in tennis skirts with dark stretch marks I’d call my Stripes. No stretch marks, though, but I learned my lesson – those assumptions were stupid.

Although I really had nothing to do with how the baby turned out, she was fine – all nine pounds of her. (Nine pounds is on the high end of the spectrum – an average baby is 7.5 pounds). You also do have to deal with idiots while you are pregnant or have a child. Less with older children, but especially with wee-ones. In a swirl of hormones I just became staunchly against and angered by dudes who advocated allowing a vulnerable, little new born baby to howl for his mama for forty-five minutes. That is not how I want my child to view his world and the idea that a little baby girl can be manipulative points out the lack of agency of parents. What harsh thing can a seven pound human influence you to do? Are you that gullible? When I think of it I still get angry. Anger sucks me dry. I will try to put this baby time out of my mind so I can be effective now. My feelings were what made pregnancy hard, and guilt. My good friend Anna, mother of three fantastic girls, warned me, “motherhood is a great big helping of guilt.” She’s right; it can be. Before my daughter was two, though, I started wanting another one so I could do things, “right”. I am unable to have more children and I found this out one month before we were going to try to conceive. This brought on so many tears. I didn’t even stop to think about how I still have years with my daughter, and disappointment is a part of everyone’s life. I hadn’t yet accepted there isn’t a right way to parent. I may owe my little girl an apology, and she might become a better woman for accepting it.

The youth pastor at LPW spoke right after his baby was born about how every baby is so different, and none of those books were written about his baby. I don’t know his young family very well, but I like to think about them shuffling through their minds and hearts, trying to understand their baby and figuring out just how to nurture and care for her. This gives me peace.

In some situations, that may be true. 

But if it is not and your child requires a court-appointed person to make those decisions (including housing, Medicaid programming, etc.), a legal proceeding called 17A guardianship – Section 17A of the Surrogate’s Court Procedures Act – is essential. 

The hallmark of the proceeding is not a court trial or hearing; it is the medical forms required to ‘certify’ the adult as either retarded or developmentally disabled. 

Multi-disabled, dual diagnosis with mental illness or other related disorders do not count.  The court needs either two medical doctors, or a medical doctor plus a licensed psychologist, to certify the disability based upon having administered tests or reviewed the tests of another practitioner.

The hurdle? Increasingly, doctors are reluctant or refuse to complete the forms for their patients. 

Why? There are several possibilities.

Perhaps it’s not covered by insurance payment. In one case, the child’s lifetime physician asked the family for advance payment to complete the form. The family simply could not afford the fee. 

Perhaps the doctor/psychiatrist does not understand that by checking a box to indicate she/he reviewed the psychologist’s certification and test results, it does not mean they are questioning those results or the other professional’s judgment. In one case, the psychiatrist – despite repeated explanations – refused to check a box indicating he either did testing or reviewed prior testing. This was the last step required to complete the form for submission to the court. In yet another case, the long-time primary care physician for the young adult was not comfortable completing the form because it asks about the physician’s experience in treating persons with developmentally disabilities. 

Fortunately, these hurdles have not been the norm.  But they point to the need for an important discussion with your child’s medical team.  

As you begin to prepare for your child’s transition from school to Medicaid/SSI and OPWDD, remember to bring the physician and psychologist into the 17A guardianship discussion early.  Start to discuss the need for medical certifications and ask your medical team how they plan to handle the completion of this form and what you can do to help facilitate that certification. 

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The resource itself is an open discussion group CFDDMinistry, where participants can discuss the opportunities and challenges of being a family member or being a concerned member of the church.  This is an appropriate place to refer people and families currently dealing with these issues, as well as for clergy and others ministering with the families.  It is hoped that families will be able to connect with each other, and that all will be able to share ideas, strategies, and resources for reaching out to these special kids and their families.

How do you participate?  Just go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CFDDMinistry/ and click on the “join this list” button.  OR send an email to CFDDMinistry-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

The money has been set aside for the fiscal year that began this month.

“We’re going to be able to bring in almost 500 people off of different waiting lists who have not been receiving community services,” said Chuck Milligan, a deputy secretary of health care financing with the state health department.

In the first 11 months since it went into effect, Maryland’s 50 percent increase in the alcohol tax has raised about $68.6 million. The increase in the sales tax on alcohol from 6 percent to 9 percent is expected to raise about $75 million for the year, shy of the $85 million projected when the bill was passed in 2011.

Critics say the tax increase has hurt businesses, particularly ones located near borders with other states where taxes are lower.

John Binau, owner of Castle Liquors in Williamsport and president of the Maryland State License Beverage Association, noted that business owners in Cecil County have felt the effect, because consumers can easily go to Delaware to buy cheaper alcohol. He also said merchants in Ocean City have been complaining, too, because of the resort town’s proximity to Delaware.

“I can tell you in general, in some parts of the state, it’s been bad,” Binau said of the effect on businesses.

Binau also said Maryland businesses that sell alcohol are particularly concerned about how the tax will continue to have an impact as Virginia and Pennsylvania consider privatizing alcohol sales.

About $64 million of the money from the increase is now set aside for the current fiscal year for health-related initiatives, including aide for the developmentally disabled.

Initially, lawmakers included $47.5 million in the last fiscal year for a one-time allocation to schools. Now, however, most of the money is being directed to health needs.

“It worked out exactly as we wanted, that it’s being used for these purposes through the regular budget process,” said Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative. “Now, it has to be redone every year, but these are becoming like normal budget items, so they’ll be in the budget every year.”

The alcohol tax increase money is being directed in the following ways:

–$27.3 million to support progress for people with developmental disabilities, including $15 million to reduce a waiting list for people seeking community services.
–$18.4 million to support a variety of community health services such as the Primary Adult Care program that covers outpatient primary care, substance abuse and pharmacy benefits.
–$14.3 million to expand community-based services for elderly and disabled.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Designing for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Special needs providers sometimes differ on the approach to designing for those who are visually impaired, autistic, deaf, disabled, or otherwise atypical.   On the one hand, if you create an environment that is so special and customized, you risk making the individual dependent on the building and send the wrong message to society that this person can’t function without “crutches”.    On the other hand, if you say the best policy is to ask the individual to adapt to any building situation without changing the current building norms, you do no service to those with limited adaptation skills and you don’t advance the design practice as a whole.  Unfortunately, I have been in the middle of this argument many times by the various representative constituent groups I bring together for design retreats at the outset of a new special needs building design.   It has been our firm’s skill at walking this fine line that has led to our acceptance in the special needs community as an advocate and friend.

If a building is a training center or rehabilitation center, then a variety of building experiences with various levels of customization are in order.    In this way, the training center can prepare an individual for any level of outside world experience.  If the building is a permanent residence, then more customization can contribute to an improved daily experience.  For example, in our design for a residence of Adults with Autism, the users told us that the two most important considerations for them were light and sound.  While Autism is complex and can’t be narrowed down to two senses, it is sometimes helpful to at least address the most significant requests of the users.   The Autistic often can’t separate stimuli such as the background noise of an exhaust fan from music on the radio.  The overload would be comparable to trying to hear your cell phone while standing on the yellow line in the middle of a six lane highway.  Your only thought might be “Just get me out of here!”  So a place to retreat from too much light, too many sounds, or any overload, is not a crutch as much as a necessity.

A gazebo serves as a focal point for the therapy flower gardens and a place for informal peer interaction.  The arrival experience is much like any of the estates in the area.	.                                  .	Understanding the mind of the those who are developmentally disabled or have Autistic Spectrum Disorder requires letting go of preconceptions, re-thinking common design practices, and being guided by the needs of the user.

Unfortunately, much has been written about designing for special needs, but very little fact-based, post-occupancy research has been done on buildings designed for the Autistic.  That is why, we begin every design by visiting the best completed projects and interviewing the users to learn what works and what doesn’t.    I can remember a mistake I made twenty five years ago when my proposed townhouses design had two entry doors that were designed for Adults with Autism face each other under a cute little arched portico.  My Autistic friend (and an informal plan reviewer) balked at having to face someone else should they both leave their apartments at the same time on a bad day.  What was a delightful combined breezeway for me, was a potential threat for someone else.

Dennis Kowal Architects  designs for those with special needs.

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Click here to read the story by Danny Hakim including continued doubts about the proposal by at least one advocate.

Click here to read the press release from Governor Cuomo and the legislative leaders announcing this agreement and summarizing key provisions.

The Vanilla Extract, my Bay Area ’60s band (I’m at upper right) performed for The Cedars in Marin County, California.

On May 25, The Vanilla Extract performed for another audience of developmentally disabled adults at The Cedars’ facility in Ross, California, for Bread & Roses. We look forward to these shows, as the audience is unfailingly enthusiastic and generates tremendous amounts of energy and appreciation. Following is a write-up of our show by Bread & Roses’ Lucia Whitney:

Vanilla Extract came on like a bombshell with an opening of “Hang on Sloopy, Sloopy Hang On” and the room sprang to life with dancers.  The room was small for this many people wanting their space to gyrate, swing arms, sway and jump and feel their rhythm with elegant movements. The entire audience got up to dance and enjoy except two who were in wheelchairs, however they participated closely with their friends and danced in their chairs with the same gusto.

Each of the band members has their own special talent. Anne on guitar did great renditions of “Get Together” and ”Woodstock”. Dan on bass, was fantastic on “Time Is On My Side”. The lead singer, Joe Paulino is almost difficult to describe because he does everything you can imagine with a song. Each word of the lyrics has a movement and Joe’s whole body and facial expressions interprets each song. His body and face dramatize the lyrics while the fast paced movements draw you in. Each song is a performance and for one hour Joe danced and belted out the songs.

Vanilla Extract was a fantastic match for The Cedars as the people who live here abound with energy. The band gave them that and more in spades. They rocked wildly, loudly, titillating and, vibrating the room with fantastic numbers.

Bread & Roses is a wonderful organization who brings music to audiences who normally don’t have access to it. You can visit their website at www.breadandroses.org and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/bread.roses.1

Check out The Vanilla Extract at www.thevanillaextract.com and www.facebook.com/TVEbass

I just bought a new bubble sword, a bubble gun, and a giant container of miracle bubble! I was so excited; even though it was for memorial day weekend I brought it to work for our monthly fishing trip. (I’m an activities coordinator for a drop-in-center for DD and MI consumers.) Well the guys loved it. I had 3 guys running around trying to pop the bubbles, including a new consumer who doesn’t do much more than play wii bowling. I had men dancing with the bubble sword. One man was making bubbles land in the water so they wouldn’t pop. A young lady just loved it and plans to get the gun to play with her cat. It was so much fun I had to track my stuff down before it went home with them, at the end of the day! It felt really good being passionate about my bubbles with my guys at work.

Then came my weekend. The day was dying down, barbecue over, friends and family leaving… It felt good being outside, so I grabbed my bubbles. My friends Scott and Kristi quickly absconded my bubble sword and gun. We danced around the yard and attacked each other with a swarm of wonderful bubbles. Scott was making bubble towers. Kristi was chasing the bubbles hither and yon. Who could ask for better company.