More than 1.6 million lose medical coverage in Michigan in decade

Michigan led the nation in the number of workers who lost medical coverage from their jobs between 1999 and last year, a study released Tuesday (9.17) found.
In 1999-2000, 76 percent of Michigan’s under-65 population was covered by employer-sponsored insurance. However, that number fell to 62.5 percent of the workforce as 1.6 million state workers lost employee-sponsored coverage.
“Fewer and fewer employers offer insurance,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president & CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy, a research and advocacy entity.
“Right now, when hardworking people lose their job-based coverage, most have nowhere else to turn,” Jacobs said. “The good news is that the Affordable Care Act will make a difference, offering lower cost medical care to folks who otherwise would have to seek expensive emergency room care and making affordable health insurance available to those who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid.’’
Michigan became the 25^th state to expand eligibility for Medicaid on Monday when Gov. Rick Snyder signed HB 4714.
Two major provisions of the Affordable Care Act will dramatically reduce the number of uninsured Michigan residents, starting in 2014.
First, an estimated 470,000 uninsured people in Michigan are expected to gain health insurance coverage through the state’s acceptance of federal funds to expand Medicaid.
And, starting on Oct. 1, 2013, those in Michigan who can’t get affordable health insurance through their jobs but earn too much to qualify for Medicaid can sign up for coverage for 2014 through the state’s new Health insurance Marketplace.
Many people will be eligible for new federal subsidies to help them pay their premiums and reduce their out-of-pocket health costs. More than 1 million Michigan residents are expected to gain coverage through the Marketplace, Jacobs said.
“Health reform means that all Michigan families will have the security and peace of mind that comes with quality, affordable health insurance,” Jacobs said. “That’s good for our state’s families, businesses, communities, and economy.”

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate-at-large/writer-in-residence at The Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

MORC to host exhibition pairing poets with artists with disabilities

The Macomb-Oakland Regional Center (MORC) is pleased to present “My Vision, Your Voice:  An Artistic Duet” from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 at the Scarab Club at 217 Farnsworth St. in  Detroit.
With a theme of “Portals,” the artistic event features an interdisciplinary collaboration between photographers with a developmental disability and 10 nationally acclaimed Michigan poets.  Through this project, renowned poets chose a photo taken by a MORC artist that inspired him or her and wrote a poem based on the photo, in effect giving a voice to the work. The resulting exhibition consists of 30 combined pieces featuring a photograph alongside the poem it inspired, creating an innovative artistic experience.
“The combined works are amazing,” says Patty Sunisloe, Project Development Director at MORC. “To be able to collaborate with professional poets and have the general public be able to see and appreciate this work on a large scale is a dream come true for many of the individuals in our program.”
“My experience was extremely positive,” says S. Kay Young, a local photographer MORC hired to teach the photography classes. “We need to find ways to continue to not only support artists with disabilities, but to integrate their work into the formal art world. This first of its kind exhibition is a great step towards that goal.”
Suzanne Scarfone,  a well published, local poet who serves as a creative writing professor with the Afghan Women’s Writing Project as well as a writer-in-residence with InsideOut Literary Arts Project in Detroit, coordinated the poetry aspect of the project.
“As Poetry Editor, I chose poets who were keenly attuned to the nuances of sensory images," she says. "Each poet worked to give exquisite voice to the beauties of the MORC photographers’ visions and to do justice to their artistic sensibilities. This experience has deepened the creative perspectives of all involved,” said Scarfone.
Other Michigan poets participating include: Alise Alousi, Scott Beal, Norene Cashen, Robert Fanning, Rachel Harkai, Zilka Joseph, Peter Markus, John Rybicki, Kristine Uyeda and Anca Vlasopolos. 
The event is open to the public. Cost is $10 per person, payable at the door. Proceeds will benefit art programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. For more information, call 586-265-4627.

 

New Gateways to hold three fundraisers, including one for hockey players

WEST BLOOMFIELD -- New Gateways, Inc., has announced three fundraisers to be held during the next few weeks.
The first is Friday, Sept. 20, and is the Drakeshire Lanes Bowling Fundraiser at Drakeshire Lanes at 35000 Grand River in Farmington. The event begins at 6 p.m. and includes bowling, raffle items, a silent auction and a 50/50 raffle. For more information donate or call New Gateways at 248 538-7830.
The Fowler Center for Outdoor Living in Mayville is having its annual fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 21 at Stahl's Automotive Foundation. There will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, antique auto showroom, hors d'oeuvres and more, says client services coordinator Zach Cardinell. For more information, call 248 249-2938 or the Fowler Center at 989 673-2050.
The Special Needs Street Hockey League is back by popular demand for a second season. The season starts at 10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 5 at Borden Park in Farmington Hills. Hockey will be held on Saturdays. At the opener, players will run drills and play games. For information, call 248 249-2938.
All the public support is greatly appreciated.

School aid spending cuts will harm state’s recovery

Extensive cuts by the state to fund schools has deepened the recession, slowed the recovery and will make Michigan less prosperous in the future, a study said Thursday (9.12).

Michigan has cut investment in K-12 schools by 9 percent since 2008, a deeper cut than 33 other states, according to a report released by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan policy research organization based in Washington, D.C.

“It’s very clear that states that have good schools and educated workforces reap the benefits through stronger economic growth,” said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “We are moving in the wrong direction by reducing our investment in our schools and students. These cuts have weakened our ability to educate our state’s kids. There will be consequences for Michigan’s economy,”

State revenue declined sharply during the recession. But instead of addressing budget shortfalls by taking a balanced approach that includes new revenues, Michigan relied very heavily on cuts to state services, including education, the study said.

Even as revenues have begun to recover, Michigan has continued to cut education funding leaving spending per student $572 below pre-recession levels, taking inflation into account.

Michigan’s K-12 education cuts hurt the state’s economy in the short- and long-term. The cuts slowed the economic recovery by causing both public- and private-sector job loss as school districts throughout Michigan laid off teachers and support staff, reduced pay for the remaining staff, and canceled contracts with private businesses.

“At a time when the nation is trying to produce workers with the skills to master new technologies and adapt to the complexities of a global economy, states should be investing more — not less — to ensure our kids get a strong education,” said Michael Leachman, director of state fiscal research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and co-author of the report.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate-at-large and writer-in-residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8700.

Suicide information offered by Common Ground at Open House

Common Ground, 1410 S. Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills, is opening its doors to the community to share information about its suicide prevention efforts from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday.
Guests will get the chance to meet staff and volunteers, learn about programs and services and trainings, and walk away with a suicide prevention packet with helpful information for suicide prevention efforts and tips for supporting survivors of suicide loss.
Light refreshments will be served.
For more information or to RSVP, contact Amelia Lehto, crisis line and suicide prevention specialist, at 248-541-2613.

Nearly one in seven Michigan households face hunger

More than a half-million Michigan households reported serious problems affording adequate nutritious food at some point last year, according to new data released Thursday (9.5) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Those included some 200,000 Michigan households that experienced very low food security – meaning that one or more household members had to reduce their food intake at least some time during the year.

Overall, the number of Americans facing food insecurity in 2012 stayed the same this year with 17.6 million households, 14.5 percent, of the total population, nationwide.

In Michigan 13.4 percent of households was food insecure in 2010-2012, the same as 2007-2009. Food insecurity, however, has jumped dramatically from 9.2 percent of households in 2000-2002.

Data for Oakland and Macomb county residents was not broken out by the researchers.

“Too many Michigan families struggle to make ends meet with nearly one in every seven households experiencing food insecurity,’’ said Karen Holcomb-Merrill, policy director of the Michigan League for Public Policy.

“We’ve had more than a 45 percent jump in food insecurity over a decade. Despite a slow economic recovery, it’s clear that food assistance is so very vital to millions of families, seniors, people with disabilities and unemployed Americans.”

One of the most powerful weapons against hunger is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also called the Food Assistance Program in Michigan. Some 1.8 million people in Michigan participate in SNAP and use its benefits to help put a basic diet on the table each day.

SNAP benefits are modest, providing less than $1.50 per person, per meal. Even so, they have a significant impact in reducing poverty. In 2011 alone, SNAP helped to lift 5.7 million Americans, including 2.1 children out of poverty, based on the federal government’s Supplemental Poverty Measure.

The new data are yet another indication that the economy still has not yet fully recovered from the deep recession and that millions of families continue to struggle with job loss, reduced wages, and poverty.

Jerry Wolffe is the Advocate-at-Large/Writer in Residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.

Grants turn wishes into reality for those with disabilities

Bretton Robb and his brother, Gregory, both of Pontiac, couldn’t believe it when they learned their shared dream of going to a WWE event and seeing wrestlers compete in Joe Louis Arena was to come true.

Bretton and his pre-teen brother, Gregory, “stared at the tickets in disbelief when they were shown to them,” said Teri Donaldson, the executive director of The Futures Foundation, which provides grants to people with disabilities who receive services from the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center which has office in Clinton Township and Auburn Hills.

“GG (Gregory) clapped and laughed and Bretton just stared at the tickets with a big smile,” Donaldson said. “Bretton promised to send me a video of the Sept. 15.”

Recipients of Futures Foundation grants – which are given out the first of May, August and November -- are chosen by a committee made up of MORC employees.

Bill Barron of Holly, never went fishing. He received money to go to Camp Skyline in Almont in Macomb County where he’d had the chance to catch the first fish of his life.

He attended camp from June 9 to June 13. Besides fishing, Barron did crafts, sang songs around the campfire and made lots of new friends.

“It was the best time of my life,” he said. Barron can’t wait to return to camp next year.

Amy DeKeyser of Waterford Township competed in the Michigan Victory Games at Michigan State University from May 16 to May 19 via a grant.  Among the 60 athletes from several states, DeKeyser won a first-place ribbon in Bocce ball, second place in precision discus throw and third in a relay race which tests a wheelchair user’s skill in running an obstacle course.

DeKeyser is a mentor to others with disabilities at MORC. She also volunteers three days a week at the senior community of Canterbury on the Lake in Waterford, working with patients in hospice and with Alzheimer’s.

Other grant recipients include Victoria Danyluk, 10, and her brother, Corey, 8, of Troy who learned to swim at Aqua-Tots in Rochester. The process was slow. They first put their faces in water, then were taught to float and succeeded in swimming in the pool.
Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950. To Donate to The Futures Foundation, call 586-464-2610.

 

Senior Bill Barron of Holly holds crafts he made while attending Camp Skyline in Almont where he had the chance to fish for the first time in his life.

Troy resident named to Oakland mental health board

AUBURN HILLS -- Troy resident Adam Fuhrman, a counselor and peer mentor at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, was appointed to the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.

Fuhrman’s duties include developing and coordinating peer mentor programs for those served by MORC, Inc. He also is a certified Supports Intensity Scale interviewer and trainer, and a trainer for the Oakland County Peer Mentor Training Program.

Fuhrman earned Bachelor and Master degrees from Oakland University.

He has volunteered his counseling expertise at Faith Lutheran Church in Troy. As a volunteer, he facilitates group counseling using GriefShare curriculum, co-facilitates group counseling using Divorce Care for Kids curriculum, and uses empathetic listening to encourage member participation.

In the past, Fuhrman, who was born with cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user, has served as an Alternate Member of the Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities in Troy and was a member of Golden Key International Honour Society.

Jerry Wolffe is the writer-in-residence/advocate at large at MORC. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.

 

System to alert MORC employees of emergencies

Macomb-Oakland Regional Center has implemented, as of Sept. 1, an alert system to notify employees of “an urgent or emergent nature.”

The Mass Notification System provides an automated progressive alert system to be utilized to send to multiple device notifications of an emergency involving the community.

The system will be used to notify staff at both the Clinton Township and the Auburn Hills offices of emergency situations such as weather warnings, weather delays or closures, as well as emergency preparedness notification and drills. The system will be tested on a quarterly basis.

Once a staff member receives an alert by office telephone, email or cellphone, the staffer must respond by sending an email or telephone call as soon as possible. The system will keep sending alerts until the MORC worker responds.

The system “will prompt a MORC employee and instruct them on how to respond by either email or phone to acknowledge receipt of the emergency message,” said Human Resources Manager Cathy Gibson.

“This will be yet another building block toward maintaining a safe, happy, and healthy work environment,” she said in an Aug. 20 email to MORC workers.

Initial data such as phone numbers, email address, and personal telephone number from MORC employees will be loaded into the Mass Notification System. A form accompanied the email in which workers provided all contact information which will be kept confidential, Gibson said.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence/Rights Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center.

Labor Day report finds troubling trends in Michigan wages

Michigan’s low- and middle-income workers are more squeezed than their counterparts 30 years ago with a decline in inflation-adjusted wages over the years, a new Labor Day report found.

Workers in Michigan made the least progress in wages over the period than all states except for Alaska, and the report finds a startling 24 percent decline in the median wage for black workers over three decades compared with 1 percent decline for white workers, when adjusted for inflation.

Increasing the state’s minimum wage and making post-secondary education and training more accessible are ways to turn the trends around, according to the Labor Day Report: Paycheck Blues, released by the Michigan League for Public Policy.

“Wages are an important gauge of the health of an economy. We all want Michigan to be a state where hard work is rewarded,’’ said Gilda Z. Jacobs, president & CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “When wages are low, the economy suffers, putting a strain on public assistance programs while generating less revenue to maintain public structures and needed services.’’

Only those workers at the top have experienced gains since 1982. Workers earning the most (those in the 90th percentile earning $38.25 an hour) are able to purchase 22 percent more than workers in the 90th percentile in 1982.

Workers in the 50th percentile, or the median wage, however, saw a 7 percent decline in purchasing power between 1982 and 2012.

Those workers experiencing the worst decline were black workers. In 2012, white workers earned $4.20 an hour more on average than black workers, the largest disparity over three decades.

Gaps in education levels and the concentration of black residents in high-poverty areas with little access to employment are among reasons that may be driving the growing disparity.

“For us to prosper we need an economy that works for all. Growing wage disparities threaten the economic health of all of us,’’ Jacobs said.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer-in-Residence/Advocate at Large for the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

Common Ground hosts open house on suicide awareness, prevention

In recognition and support of National Suicide Prevention Week Sept. 8 to Sept. 17, Common Ground is opening its doors to the community to share information about its suicide prevention efforts on Friday, Sept. 13, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the agency’s administrative offices at 1410 S. Telegraph Road in Bloomfield Hills.

Guests will get the chance to meet Common Ground's staff and volunteers, learn about programs, services and trainings, and walk away with a suicide prevention packet filled with helpful information for suicide prevention efforts and tips for supporting survivors of suicide loss. 

The free open house is just one of the agency’s planned activities aimed at increasing community awareness during National Suicide Prevention Week.  
A new Common Ground suicide prevention website will be unveiled, which will provide information on suicide prevention, intervention and follow-up, as well as tips and resource links, all in one place at www.suicideprevention.commongroundhelps.org .
Common Ground also is launching the new one-day edition of Mental Health First Aid training.  Previously a two-day commitment, this one-day training saves participants time but still provides all the information needed to provide the initial help to someone showing symptoms of mental illness or in a mental health crisis.
The next session, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 26, will be held at Common Ground’s administrative offices in Bloomfield Hills from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Register online at www.commongrounddhelps.org by clicking the MHFA button in the lower right corner or call Joan Roberts at 248 451 3733.
To RSVP for the open house, or for more information, contact Amelia Lehto, Crisis Line and Suicide Prevention specialist, at 248 451-2613.
Jerry Wolffe is the Advocate at Large/Writer in Residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

 

MORC to host three overview sessions on Supports Intensity Scale

To reserve a seat for the overview sessions, call Diane Mills at 586 263 8663 within five days before the event or email her at diane.mills@morcinc.org

Ryan Leininger, the Supports Intensity Scale Training Coordinator at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, will present three overview sessions of the SIS in September, October and November.
Leininger will be assisted in the training sessions by Katie Kramer, an SIS trainer.
The SIS is a technique to evaluate an individual with a disability and then design a rehabilitation program specifically tailored to the person with a disability.
The SIS sessions are scheduled on Sept. 10 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Conference Room C103 at MORC's Clinton Township office; Oct. 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Conference Room 400A at the Clinton office and Nov. 14 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in Conference Room C101 at the Clinton office.
Topics will include the history and background of the SIS; what is measured and how; what is expected from an SIS interview and how the SIS is used in a Person-Centered-Plan for a person with a disability.
The SIS was developed by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, based in Washington, D.C., and is broadly used across the United States and internationally.
It is considered a reliable and standardized way to consider the types of supports an individual with a disability requires for daily living activities.
It also considers how often support is needed. An AAIDD-trained interviewer works with you and those you trust to consider your individual supports if you have a disability. The meeting usually lasts between 90 minutes and two hours. Participants can include a guardian, family, friends, or an advocate. Others involved could include a Support Coordinator and Case Manager.
Areas focused upon in an SIS include home and community living, lifelong learning, employment, social life, health and safety, protection and advocacy and medical and behavioral conditions.
To maximize the success of a SIS evaluation consider your daily supports and how often you need support, what type of support is needed and how much time it takes.
Also consider what you would need to successfully complete a task, keep an open mind, if you are unsure, ask questions and if you are uncomfortable during the interview or need a break, just ask the interviewer and he or she will help resolve the immediate situation.
The interview also is designed to generate a consensus among you and your caregiving stakeholders about your supports.
Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence and Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

Joy of horseback riding day set for mid-September

For more information, reservations or directions, call Linda at 248 634-7276 or email info@prettyponypastures.org. Information is also posted on the Website www.prettyponypastures.org/Riding.htm.

Pretty Pony Pastures is hosting “The Joy of Horseback Riding” for persons with disabilities on Saturday, Sept. 14 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Parents are invited to bring the entire family for an afternoon of horse-related activities that include grooming a horse, horse games and a short horseback riding lesson. These activities will give parents an opportunity to find out if horseback riding can be beneficial for their child.

When you think of a horseback riding, you picture a gentle trail ride with the riders enjoying the scenery, but for a child with autism or other special needs, horseback riding may be his or her mode of becoming more independent, learning social skills, and becoming comfortable with the sensory and tactile activities of grooming and riding. With the start of the new school year, most children are registering for sport activities that many children with disabilities cannot participate in. Therapeutic horseback riding gives these children an opportunity to learn new skills while actively participating in a sport.

Although therapeutic horseback riding is not new, its benefits, which include strengthening muscles, improving balance, and increasing confidence, have only been realized in the past 50 years.

“Therapeutic horseback riding helps level the playing field for persons with disabilities. Our riders not only learn a skill, but also compete in our annual show. The have a sense of accomplishment that they may not be able to attain in any other sport,” said Linda Watson.

On Sept. 14, all riders can take advantage of the horseback riding lessons, which are scheduled every 30 minutes. The cost is $10 per rider and must be scheduled in advance. There is a weight restriction of 175 pounds to ride. All other activities that day are free.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large for the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

College tuition costs closing door on upward mobility for all but rich

My primary goal as a child was to become financially independent even though I was born with cerebral palsy.

I knew I could not be a policeman like my father, a fireman like my Uncle Del or Teamsters like my Uncles Tom and Danny because I was a child with a disability.

Acquiring a marketable skill and knowledge by earning a college degree was my only pathway to independence.

So even though I went to segregated orthopedic schools in the 1950s, I did well enough in school to be sent to non-segregated Osborn High School for the 10^th grade in 1960. At that time, I told Principal Harlan Holt I would not go into a room that said: “Handicapped.” He gave me an elevator key and let me leave my classes five minutes early to get to the next class. So I suspect I began what later was called “mainstreaming.”

I did well enough in high school to win a scholarship to Wayne State University. I was on my way.

But now, some 50 years later after being a wordsmith at AP, UPI, and The Oakland Press and a rights advocate, I have seen that children with disabilities are not getting the chance I had to attend college.

And sadly, the same is true for those students who are able-bodied and in the lower or middle class because the cost of college tuition and room and board per year for in-state freshmen is between $15,000 to above $20,000 at MSU, U-of-M and Wayne State. Even Macomb County Community College charges in-county students $89 per credit hour or nearly $1,100 per semester for 12 credits to be a full-time student.

Fewer are acquiring the knowledge needed to emerge as the next Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, or Bill Gates because colleges have turned into profit centers and not necessarily places primarily of higher learning.

In so doing, we have eliminated not only the next generation of innovators and workers needed to keep society humming but made it impossible to achieve upward mobility, the concept that brought millions to our shores.

For those students with disabilities, only 50.6 percent graduate, according to a September 2012 Kessler Foundation study while the graduate rate for able-bodied students is nearly 90 percent. In addition, the jobless rate among America's 54 million people with disabilities is at least triple the rate of the able-bodied, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.

Sadly, far too many students often are saddled with $80,000 to $100,000 in student loan debt that can never be erased by a bankruptcy filing and will hang around their necks like millstones forever.

Someday a scourge such as polio will reappear, killing and paralyzing tens of thousands and it will go unabated because a potential Jonas Salk, who developed the polio vaccine, wasn’t around because he couldn’t afford to study medicine and virology. This is hardly what my father and uncles fought for in World War II.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

Blind attorney named outstanding disabled vet of year

Disabled American Veterans has named John Todd, an injured Army veteran from the Fraser DAV who teaches at Rochester College, as the 2013 Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year.

Todd served as a Cobra attack helicopter pilot from 1968 to 1969 during the Vietnam War, and after being shot down twice his injuries left him legally blind.

Todd was presented the Outstanding Disabled Veteran of the Year award by National Commander Larry Polzin at the organization’s 92nd National Convention at a ceremony in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month.

“John Todd’s entire life has been about service to others,” said Polzin." Life presented him with immense challenges, but he didn’t miss a beat. He just continued to move forward serving veterans and the members of his own community.”

After his recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1970, Todd moved to New York City to work as the National Coordinator for Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. He later worked for President Richard Nixon’s staff where his work twice earned him the Freedom’s Foundation award for Excellence in Political Communication.

He earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in the late 1970s and served as the National Legislative Director of the Blinded Veterans Association. There, he authored legislation that provided for a rebuttable presumption of service-connection for permanently and totally disabled veterans so their spouses and dependents could qualify for benefits. The bill was passed into law and Todd’s work continues to affect veterans and their families today.

“The legacy of John Todd’s work in the veteran’s community is profound,” said DAV National Adjutant/CEO Marc Burgess. “The contributions he has made in his lifetime will better the lives of veterans and their families for many years to come.”

Todd joined DAV Chapter 19 in Fraser in Macomb County in 2010, where he serves as the Judge Advocate. He is currently a professor of business law and American legal studies at Rochester College in Rochester Hills in Oakland County. He lives in the village of Oxford with his wife of 38 years, Joyce.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

Stay hydrated to stay healthy

There are a few more days, hopefully, of warm weather until summer turns to fall at 4:44 p.m. (EDT) Friday, Sept. 22 so we still must be mindful to drink enough liquids -- and not of the fermented type – to stay hydrated.

It is especially important for people with disabilities to drink enough water. People with certain types of disabilities, such as spinal cord injuries, are unable to regulate their body's internal temperature, making them prone to health stroke.

One of the best sources of water can be found in fruits, leading physicians to tell patients to “Eat Your Water.” Fruits and vegetables are great, healthy sources of water.

Cucumbers, lettuce, zucchini, cantaloupe, blueberries, grapefruit, watermelon, spinach, tomatoes, and strawberries are types of fruit that are more than 90 percent of water by weight. In addition, popsicles, smoothies, coconut water and chia seeds are all high in water content. Chia is a flowering plant in the mint family that grows in southern Mexico and Guatemala.

The key to staying hydrated is to drink water – before and after exercise, after using the restroom and before each meal, experts say. By the time you are thirsty, your body already is in the first stages of dehydration.
In some cases, carry a large refillable bottle with you to so you can drink whenever you feel thirsty. 

Other ways to stay hydrated throughout the year, not only summer, include:

n  Set alarms on your phone or watch to help remind you to drink a glass of water each hour.

n  Stay hydrated while at work.

n  Drink extra water when the temperature and humidity are both higher than 70. These weather conditions are when you are at the greatest risk of becoming dehydrated.

n  If you’re bored of drinking water, flavor it with citrus, cucumber, crushed mint of even basil.

n  Swap out pop for sparkling water – it has the same fizziness as pop, but is much healthier and more hydrating.

A person’s blood if more than 80 percent water so if you don’t replace what’s lost every day, blood thickens, forcing the heart to work harder and raising the risk of a heart attack, experts said.

New wave of advocates needed to retain rights won

We stand on the shoulders of giants in the field of civil rights for people with disabilities.

But we need parents of the children born recently with disabilities to again organize and push for greater access to jobs, economic independence, and political power. New and younger advocates also are needed to retain the rights won by those who started in the 1940s to lobby for laws that allowed their children with disabilities to get a public education, the right to drive vehicles with hand-controls, to participate in sports, receive accommodations and pass the Americans with Disabilities Act.

I knew some of these pioneers who taught and motivated me to be fearless in speaking about injustice. In a speech I once said if you had a disability you must be your own advocate. However, if needed you must advocate for those who cannot be their own voice.

I had the privilege of knowing the late Justin Dart Jr., the father of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I used to send him stories I wrote about being disabled in America. He would fix the terminology, edit them, and send them back. Basically, he eliminated any words that reflected negatively on a person with a disability.

One of my all-time favorite advocates was the late Tony Filippis, the co-founder of Wright and Filippis which grew from a small storefront on Woodward Avenue in Detroit to one of the largest durable medical equipment companies in the nation, now headquartered in Rochester Hills.

I recently reminisced with Tony’s secretary Mary Ann Woodward on how Tony would have her call the governor on a moment’s notice and the next thing we knew is ex-Gov. Jennifer Granholm would be on the line.

Tony, who amassed a fortune in business, gave away much of that fortune in his later years by creating the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame, donating $30,000 to Steve Peck to start the Michigan Miracle League in Southfield 10 years ago and quietly building ramps and making structures accessible to those who had disabilities. He was a dreamer who made dreams come true.

A couple of weeks ago, Brent Wirth, president and CEO of Easter Seals, told me the Miracle League was to be a program of Easter Seals which will give the league financial stability.

I can never forget the late Roger McCarville of Ortonville, the host of the TV and radio program, “Disabilities Today.” That show spread powerful images of people with disabilities playing basketball, working as reporters, teachers at universities and athletes in both snow and water skiing. McCarville, who had his legs amputated after a boating accident, always showed people with disabilities in a positive light.

There also is Liz Bauer, a former member of the Michigan Board of Education and current member of the Board of Directors of the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center, who fought for the rights of her daughter and, thus, expanded the rights of all.

So to the parents who are in their 20s to 50s, I say you must unite with other parents of children with disabilities and fight for greater rights. If not those who are born different could lose the right to be educated, live in their own homes, receive 24-hour help if needed, and dream of achieving their version of the American dream.

If not, Dart, Filippis, McCarville and my late father, Vincent, and mother, Carol who is in the twilight of her life but was a dynamic voice for her son, will find a way to haunt your souls.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate-at-large and writer in residence at the Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

 

White Lake Township girl thrilled with gift of Bieber concert tickets

Tanae Houston of White Lake Township celebrated her 11th with the surprise of her life.

When her mother, Malissa Shaw, presented Tanae tickets before her birthday on Sunday to the Justin Bieber concert in front of the Joe Louis in Detroit, Tanae cried. 

Tanae, who uses a wheelchair, was one of eight girls with disabilities, all diehard Bieber fans, who received tickets donated by AON Insurance to Macomb-Oakland Regional Center for a suite at the sold-out Bieber concert.

Shaw, like several other mothers of daughters with disabilities who received tickets, kept the tickets a secret until they got to downtown Detroit.

"If I told Tanae that we received tickets she would have been imploding and exploding for days," said Shaw. “She would not be able to contain her excitement.”

Shaw would have purchased tickets but like many families with children with disabilities served by MORC she could not afford them. So when the concert was announced in March, Shaw tried desperately to win tickets.

"I was on two phones in both hands all the time trying to win some contest," said Shaw.

"Our people often don't have the same opportunities for things in life that others do," said Gerald Provencal, executive director of MORC, which serves 5,000 people with disabilities in Oakland and Macomb counties. "We are thankful that businesses and people in the community have joined with us to help our people with the economic challenges of disability by providing food, clothes, and furniture and by providing meaningful opportunities, this time, Bieber tickets."

One challenge for the Shaw family was to find a way to get to the concert. They no longer have a car so Malissa Shaw spent three days trying to find a ride. Eventually, a neighbor let them borrow a car. In the meantime, the Shaw family is organizing fundraisers for Aug. 21 with Applebee's in White Lake Township and possibly Buffalo Wild Wings to help them purchase a van with a wheelchair lift.

Shaw and other parents of children who received tickets said the event was a big emotional boost for the children

Another child with a disability, Anna Perantoni, 14, of Royal Oak, recently had an injury that prevented her from attending a much anticipated therapeutic horseback riding week at Camp Fowler in Mayville. She would be unable to attend another one until next year.

"Before Anna had a chance to become really disappointed our MORC social worker brought us Bieber tickets," said mom Jackie Perantoni. "It was a blessing and made her so happy.”

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence & Advocate at Large at MORC. He can be reached at 586 263 8950.

Pioneer in fighting for services for disabled dies

Joseph R. Erwin, a resident of Commerce Twp., and a pioneer in obtaining services for children with developmental disabilities, has died after a long illness. He was 82.
 

Erwin, a native of Birmingham, Ala., died on July 29. He is survived by his wife, Betty, and his sons, Bradford and Joey Erwin.
 

Funeral services will be held at Bessemer Brown Service Funeral Home in Bessemer, Ala. at a date to be determined.

Erwin and his wife, Betty, were a team that “has given so much on behalf of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said John Torrone, former public relations director at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center which has offices in Auburn Hills and Clinton Township.

While their goal was to retire in the South, they decided that they could not because the services for their son Joey were so bad compared to services he was receiving in Michigan.

Together, the Erwins devoted themselves to becoming advocates for all those receiving services. For many years, they served together on the AMORC Board of Directors -- Joe as president and Betty as secretary.

Joe set the bar high for AMORC and lobbied hard for pay increases for direct care workers. Erwin also talked to legislators, community mental health boards, and others to win greater services for those with developmental disabilities in the state. Because of his efforts, direct care workers received several pay increases.

As part of the AMORC Monitoring Committee, the Erwins actively monitored group homes, Torrone said.

They also encouraged other AMORC monitors to also monitor homes on behalf of Recipient Rights for the Oakland County Community Mental Health Authority. The husband and wife and other AMORC monitors received special training in recipient rights for those with disabilities who received services from various agencies.

The Erwins were involved for years on the MORC Citizens Advisory Panel. Joe was also involved with Oakland County CMH Authority's Citizen's Advisory Committee.

Erwin also was on the Board of Directors for The Futures Foundation, the fund-raising entity of MORC. He also was chairperson of the MORC, Inc. Holding Company Board of Directors until he became ill.  For years Erwin was chairperson of the Springhill Housing Authority.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Futures Foundation. The web site is http://www.thefuturesfoundation.org/.

Jerry Wolffe is the advocate at large & writer in residences at MORC. He can be reached at 586 263-8950.

 

 

League continues performing miracles after 10 years

There’s nothing as great as baseball. It can lift the heart of a city from the depths of the aftermath of racial riots as the World Series champion Detroit Tigers did in 1968 to making a child with a disability become an athlete by rolling across the foul line onto the field of green.

The Michigan Miracle League, founded by Steve Peck who also is director of the league, celebrated its 10^th anniversary on Saturday (7.27).

It was in 2004 that Peck and his son came into The Oakland Press to talk to this columnist about the idea of building an accessible baseball field in the Southfield Municipal Center where children with disabilities could play baseball.

After receiving donations of some $250,000 from Wal-mart and Pepsi, the league began operating that summer with Peck, a broadcaster, doing the pitching.

In the decade since, hundreds of lives have changed and children who were just sideline observers became ballplayers.

Physically and mentally challenged children are paired with able-bodied volunteer “buddies” who assist them, if needed, in batting, catching, throwing and running.

Every child gets a turn at bat and in the outfield and the “point of the game is less about baseball and more about fun,” says Peck who asked this columnist to throw out the first pitch on the 10^th anniversary. The writer also was the first batter in the first game a decade ago.

Benefits gained by playing at the field at 26000 Evergreen in Southfield are tremendous. The child’s self-esteem grows; they make friends, become less isolated, and just become a regular kid, not a kid with a disability.

The players come from all over southern Michigan, including Wayne, Macomb, Oakland, and other counties.

Vic Doucette, 56, of Southfield, who has cerebral palsy, is the official announcer of the games which are both competitive for those who are more able and noncompetitive for those who just want to play and be part of a team.

“I was so moved by what I saw, I wanted to become a part of it,” said Doucette, who went to see a game after a column was written about the new Miracle League. “I brought my checkbook with me. I tracked down Steve, but I told him when the money runs out, I just don’t want to just walk away.”

So Doucette became an announcer and since has collected 1,000 songs and different sound effects to make it feel like a major league park for the players.

“This is the best thing I’ve ever done and without wanting to get all melodramatic on you, if I were to die tomorrow and that were to be my legacy, I’d be happy about it,” said Doucette.

As for the miracles, they happen every time a game is played. Noncompetitive games are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and Sunday at Noon and 1:30 p.m. Competitive games are 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays.

Doucette tells the story of a lad named Caleb and how playing baseball changed his body and mind.

When Caleb started he needed a wheelchair to get around and he would bat from his knees, Doucette said. Once he hit the ball, he’d struggle back up into the wheelchair and roll toward first. Eventually Caleb learned to use a walker, crutches, and canes and then walked independently as his body grew in strength from playing baseball.

“Now he plays in the competitive league wearing leg braces and getting around without and wheelchair, unaided except for the braces,” Doucette said.

And, there are dozens of stories about healing of both the heart and body from children with disabilities playing baseball on a team with a little help from their friends. Visit some Saturday to see a miracle unfold.

Jerry Wolffe is the Writer in Residence/Advocate at Large at Macomb-Oakland Regional Center. He can be reached at 586-263-8950.