World Austin Awareness Day Observance 2018

Guyana joins the “Light it up Blue” World Austin Awareness Day Observance 2018. By Karen Hall -FEH Autism awareness celebrates the achievement of families and persons on the spectrum annually in April. The United Nations set aside April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day. Suzanne and Bob Wright co-founders of Autism Speaks launched Light it up Blue up movement in honour of their grandchild with Autism. Since then 150 countries participates each year. The University of Guyana in collaboration with Sorsha Foundation joins in the Light it up Blue movement on April 2 and 6, 2018. The buildings sparkled in unified acknowledgement internationally from the White house in the US to the UG Registry here in Guyana. UG did it twice. In a simple yet profound ceremony on Friday 6 the Public Relations Department, Faculty of Education and Humanities and Sorsha Foundation co hosted The light up. Speakers were Karen Williams, Sorsha Foundations and final year student Monique Perdroo. One of the highlights of the speeches was the need for more local recognition and training for teachers within the education sector. The media was also present. A rudimentary research showed that Autism is a neurological exceptionality first diagnosed by 1887- Dr. John Langdon Down and the term Autism Spectrum Disorder was first used 1940s by Leo Kanner from the United States and Hans Asperger from Germany. Although the origin is still largely unknown the identification procedures which currently exist could recognise children on spectrum from as early as 18 months. At the University of Guyana, the Faculty of Education and Humanities offers two courses in special education one of which focus on teaching students with specific learning difficulties such as Autism and Dyslexia. The faculty is proposing to also launch both the degree and masters programs in Special Education. The University thanks the organisation(s) and media who partnered with us the launch our Autism month awareness program and look forward to working with you in the ongoing quest to bring to Guyana appropriate supports for families’ members who are autistic. Finally, some tips we should know when interacting with children and adults on the spectrum. They would like those around them to realise that they mean what they say, prepare them for changes, be patient when awaiting replies to questions, find out their interest to start the conversation with what they know. The Light up Blue April 6

P-Levels 2017 A UK document on Inclusive Ed.

It is a document that assist teachers in mainstream school to assess the level at which a student with special education needs are at. the last update was done in 2017.

Critical of Subtle Sabotages which hinders disability policy and project implementation -ongoing

Quotes" intelligent people ignore" yet "silent people agree" I am sharing my experiences because I recently learned that these foolishness are still happening to persons with disabilities in 2018. It is time for a revolutionary speak out!!!!. Ruler of my world? What a gimmick! Disability friendly or not you judge Thank you To the allies, friends and co-workers who supported me in spite of the bad mouthing Thank you! Protocols, Projects and Policies There are saboteurs who hide behind excuses and boast of years in the field yet upon closer scrutiny turn out to be the biggest deterrent to progress. While in the Education sector I learned that the PS at the time was happy to approve special Ed proposals. However her adviser, before she signed, was the Commission Chair who was a colleague that positioned herself as a respected person within the disability community, so many of the proposals are left on her desk and never returned to the PS. I wonder if she was even conscious that she was the largest saboteur for progress in disability progress. In my opinion it is personal feelings masquerading as breaches in protocols and proposals not approved based on lack of statistical data. Correctable situation used as excuses. Statistics are easily achievable. Protocols breaches happens and could be situational and justifiable. Some of the excuses over the years were: Emails lost excuses in the 21st century unacceptable. An international funding agency rep blistered me in public for not applying for the funding her agency offered. I said to her the proposal is awaiting approval. She said, "send me a copy". I did so carbon copying it to the approval personnel. I was accused of breaching protocols. A screen print of the cc Emailed was my strongest defense. Seed money When funding is offered organsations should be given access to seed money to bring themselves in alignment with funding requirements.Be it audits minutes organisation etc.Given a timeline to carry out the process then submit their proposal. It is done for grants in the medical and scientific fields Service providers despicable treatment of pwds Living in a vicious cycle of monopolistic services. One centre serves the nation and few prosthetic techs qualified. Injuries blamed on users and years before a limb is completed seems to be norm. I have lost trust in the system after going through the same thing for four decades. The so called professionals have literally become the bullies and abusers. Personality clashes Coveted Selection once I was sent a ticket to attend a conference in the US. Unbeknownst to me I made a lifelong enemy over something I had no control over. The realty was that the conference organizers selected eleven people from around the world to sponsor and sent us all tickets. Years later a local person of the community organisation I once worked at took it upon himself to target me negatively whenever the opportunity arose. Training conflicts When organisations try to sabotage your degree, project progress and you resigned from the job and suddenly you are the bad person. The ungrateful person and face attempted isolation. New employers are used as scrutiny agents looking for opportunities to prove negative hearsay Refunds Insurance scheme refund ''slap in the face' treatment, no provision for congenital disabilities and benefits conflicts Airport Security TSA lack of disability info and equity lousy treatment processional i was told a few times I am now a professional so I needed to think as one when delivering support to my peers. What does that mean? Employment Disability, in my experiences, is preconceived as weaknesses from the standpoint of someone of the one with one. So fear and discomfort trumps laws and policies supporting our employment. I had several weird experiences to that nature. A businessman offered me a job his staff refused to interview me. He later met me and asked what went wrong? At that time I wasn't even aware of the background attitude. Year later someone in the clique heard me assisting one of the persons who was so vehemently against me and blurted out" you helping her girl why you so stupid you ain't know she cost you a job?" By then I'd moved on and it didn't matter. Upon reflection the critic at that time was also there and stayed quiet. The disability desk at manpower and recruitment sent me out on some jobs in the public sector. One at the Finance Ministry and the other at the telephone company. I will post on the telephone company first. I saw people coming out and peeping at me then returning to their office. I grew up with the curiosity so as they passed I smiled and nodded. I waited all morning the interviewer passed me and ignored me. At lunch time I went to his door and said i came for an interview" he looked up shuffle some papers and said "come back tomorrow". I went back for five days straight. He came out for lunch on the fifth day and said, "eh you are here? I will see you after lunch" he never came back to work. Well after five days I got the picture.

Community Service Award

To celebrate the Guyana independence jubilee the Gender Equality Commission honoured 50 women. i was one of those women.

A 2007 project idea proposed :(

Note: this was a course purchase I proposed to Continuing Ed in 07 FRP comprises of pwds and family members who have combined our expertise to address a social issue and have designed a course in disability studies. The course an outcome from various surveys, training and research that members of the committee has participated in within the past decade. We have seen that these researches ect have failed to progress beyond a report, a document and a launching ceremony. The issues revealed with them still exist e.g. marginalization of pwds through ignorance and negative attitudes. As a result of societal isolation most still live in poverty and endure discrimination. This sordid treatment undermining pwds dignity and human rights came primarily from professionals and family members. In solidarity and in a quest to change this situation FRP was formed. Our goal is to change attitudes and behavour through a evolutionary course that emphasizes that pwds can be initiators of change through education and technology. we use the course as an incubator to transform minds fill with prejudices towards pwds to participants becoming empowered members of society, who as change-makers within their sphere of responsibility, will join us in promoting the equal rights of pwds, as stated in the UN convention and other declarations and policies. We have been able to access a limited amount of funding to begin the process and with financial support from your organization we could further strengthen the programme and improve the quality of the course so as to meet the goal of full inclusion of pwds in society. Module 1: Program Orientation -- Getting Most from This Program · Guidelines for You to Get Most from Program · Tips to Improve Your Reading and Studying Skills · Extensive Free, Online Resources About Business · Designing Your Best Approach to Completing the Program Module 2: Starting and Understanding Your Business Organization · Conduct Feasibility Analysis About Starting an Organization · Key Roles in Your Organization · Basic Structures in Your Organization · Life Cycles of Your Organization · Culture of Your Organization Module 3: Understanding Role of Chief Executive · What is a Chief Executive Officer (CEO)? · Major Functions of CEO · Core Knowledge and Skills for CEO Role · Early Preparation for Building Board · Early Preparation for Strong Board-Staff Relationships · Avoiding "Founder's Syndrome" Module 4: Developing Your Basic Management & Leadership Skills · Basic Skills in: · · · Problem Solving/Decision Making · · · Planning · · · Delegation · · · Internal Communications · · · Meeting Management · · · Managing Yourself · Optional -- Advanced Topics in Management and Leadership · Optional -- Designing Your Management and Leadership Development Plans Module 5: Building and Training Your Board of Directors · Understanding Board Roles and Responsibilities · Building Policies and Committees · Building Committees · Recruiting New Members · Ensuring Strong Participation · Board and CEO Evaluations · Board Calendar and Operations · Organizing Board Manual · Training Board Members Module 6: Developing Your Strategic Plan · Understanding Strategic Planning · Writing Your Mission, Vision and Values Statements · Conducting Strategic Analysis · Setting Strategic Direction · Conducting Action Planning · Developing Operating Budgets · Writing and Communicating Your Plan · Monitoring and Evaluating Your Plan Module 7: Marketing Your Products/Services and Promoting Your Organization · Conducting Market Analysis for Each Product/Service · Developing Your Public and Media Relations Plan · Developing Your Sales Plan · Developing Your Advertising and Promotions Plan · Organizing Your Marketing and Promotions Plans Module 8: Managing Your Accounting and Finances · Basics of Bookkeeping · Budgeting · Cash Management · Financial Statements · Financial Analysis Module 9: Staffing and Supervising Your Employees · Defining New Job Roles · Recruiting Job Candidates · Screening Applicants · Orienting New Employees · Delegating to Employees · Ensuring Strong Performance · Firing Employees · Personnel Policies and Handbooks Module 10: Practical Guide to Managing Ethics in the Workplace · What is Business Ethics? · Myths About Business Ethics · 10 Benefits of Managing Ethics · Ethics Management System · 8 Guidelines for Managing Ethics · 6 Key Roles and Responsibilities · Ethics Tools: Codes of Ethics · Ethics Tools: Codes of Conduct · Ethics Tools: Policies · Ethics Tools: Resolving Ethical Dilemmas · Ethics Tools: Training

on call disability style -on going

This is how we roll. In the last decade or so I've embraced the concept of 'on call' because I realized services loopholes are frustrating families with members who have disabilities. These programs consistently fail.They loose the path where they were initially created to therefore,the result is that they reach fewer persons than was intended. Families are dismayed and have lost confidence in the so called 'supportive' systems. I have taken the roll of offering one on one free consultation to individuals, parents of members living with exceptionalities. They call me to vent,to complain and to seek advice. Being the go to person for them not only is personally satisfying it also reinforced my understanding that services and supports to persons with disabilities are only effective when they are individualized. For example in 2011 I stated a meeting day, once a week,and though it never advertised, it took off via word of mouth. during that time I eventually met students with various challenges in the school system. In my quest to never let them leave my office empty handed. I taught myself the specific ideas/skills so as to be able to offer some support with what they struggling with. I also cautioned the parents to understand that this is for life. Together we are looking for management strategies matching the child's needs as there are no cures.

People first -why? ongoing

I had an interesting conversation with some of my students over the year. Segregation and inclusion are opposites.the impression I received was that segregation is comfortable and convenient. Including students with various disabilities is an uncomfortable concept. in this blog though i want to focus on language effects. Guyanese in general speak broken English. the hafa man, one eye lady funny foot ole man ate some of the ways people are refereed to. if they protest against the call name they are laughed at or considered picky, touchy etc who likes to be viewed by their weakness first? South African wrote a book called people first. in it he talked of perception of a person based on disability. the argument could be inferred as 'one eye lady' what will people be looking for first? you guessed it if she has one eye. the lady maybe a great seamstress or mechanic but, she is never referred to as the lady who sews coats well or repairs car engines yet people will casually call her the one eye lady. which one sounds more positive? the one eye lady or the efficient mechanic lady?

A Commentary-Inclusive Education

Wednesday, 3 October 2012 A Commentary-Inclusive Education as it applies to the child with special needs The Education moth 2012 theme is 'transformation the nation through Inclusive education'. As the Subject Specialist, Special Education I would like to highlight what this year’s theme means for the children with disabilities or with a learning needs or both? We all have some basic conception of what that term means. It serves as a reminder to us to put the term in perspective through the provision of appropriate and effective services at varying levels specific to children with these needs. The inclusion process is more than a slogan; it is a philosophy that demands a paradigm shift in thinking where we ask and answer the question “ how can we build an inclusive education system that benefits every child?” Since as a country we are still evolving, it places us in an opportune position to set a task force whose goal it is to examine the inclusive practices already in existence and to tailor them to the local structures. It also demands that we attach funding to needs. Additionally we need to revise the communication structure throughout the layers in the Ministryof Education, a necessary task to enable us to achieve the national goal of delivering quality education to all our children. Some ways we could work to find a holistic approach to successfully meet the needs of our children with disabilities are to waiver the teacher allocation to schools with children identified as having learning needs and allow in classrooms, when it is necessary, para- professionals such as interpreters. The goal of any education system is to provide basic primary education that would grant children a future, enabling them to function within their abilities. Some economically sound executions of the inclusive process for children with learning needs are: 1. Automatic supports within the school system – the Districts’ education personnel are cognizant of a child with needs in specific schools because the communication process from placement to headteacher operates to benefit the child. 2. Inclusive education is placing the student at the centre of education and other support services. It’s emphatically supporting the children with an “eye” on their future. Posted by Special Ed Guyana Ministry of Ed at 10:01 No comments: Email This Monday, 3 September 2012 Janice O’Neill a volunteer from Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO) has spent a year in Guyana coaching teachers in Primary and Special Schools. Janice has become a friend to the Special education Unit. We will fondly remember her pleasant and gregarious personality. Professionally she has contributed to building the professional acumen and confidence of trained teachers who were practicing principles of good teaching but were unsure they were on the correct path. On behalf of the students, teachers and Special Education Unit I say heartfelt thank you to Janice and wish her great achievements in her forward journey. Friday, 13 April 2012 In the quarter Jan-March 2012 the SEN Unit Welcomed a New PCRV Susan Steinberg who will be working at St Barbarnas Assessed 14 children referred from mainstream school for evaluation for a disability Prepared national assessment forms for mainstream primary schools Carried out 15 Coaching sessions in Special Schools Completed the module on Autism Monitoring visited SEN schools 2 Headteachers training on curriculum adaptation and teaching reading to students with learning disabilities SEN schools participated in Mash celebrations Congrats to NA Special School and Sophia Special School who won prizes Posted by Special Ed Guyana Ministry of Ed at 09:35 No comments: Tuesday, 17 January 2012 Generic materials put to educational use The SEN Unit hosted a series of workshops in 2011. In April 2011 the unit hosted the teaching materials workshop where the participants were parents and teachers. They hailed from Regions 3, 4,6,10 and Georgetown. The participants made teaching aids from generic materials such as rice, flour, boxes, newspapers etcetera. Items made were: White board slates Beans/rice bag The hidden answer plaque Sewing cards Matching/rhythm dominoes Paper toy Play dough Reposted from http://specialeducationguyana.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2012-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2013-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=5

I was born Karen Anne Hall to a wonderful family comprising of my mother and grandmother and uncle and assorted number of friends and relatives.who accepted me as I am. A child born with a congenital disability.

The life journey was stormy, often riddled with eruptions of volcanic proportions. Hemmed in from every side all I could do was wade through until I find a flickering light. Change was my constant, here today,and there tomorrow.

My flickering light was education. Free education I embraced then struck out paid ones I could not afford. Acceptance in society was limited and sporadic just like that flickering candle in the wind they were short and quickly burned out. Many scholarships I applied for until one was approved.

Ear to the ground I listed for opportunities. Ones people told people never me though. viewed as half a woman- a spoiled identity ignored when it truly mattered.

Volunteer a bit here and volunteered a bit there -labour in exchange for training and work experience. Slowly and painfully struggled to carve my path through the the tsunami of discrimination, ignorance and segregation.

Today I stand before you a qualified educator, an advocate and a warrior for social revolutions where I join with like minded souls to scroll back the waves of poverty and lack of equity as it dissipates in the face of determination, self assurance and endurance.

Articles- revisited.

I laughed and laughed while re-re-reading my previous posts. I have grown so much  since then and as I reflect on those experiences I realize gutsiness, faith and  determination were  my greatest allies.

The]masters degree? I got it! looking at the  next one now. Fingers crossed and prayerfully seeking avenues to make it happen.

The prosthetic woes continue, unfortunately, that area of my life is a serious affliction. A useful way to I found as a helpful compensation is dance to be fit exercises. They give me the  buoyancy and balance I need to survive/avoid falls.

I am still living pay check to pay check though on the  other hand I am working. I am even repairing an old  building in preparation for the non-profit project for persons with disabilities.

The well meaning but visionless relatives and friends I realize what they think is 'none of my business'!

So with pleasure I introduce the new serene and self assured me.

Discrimination base on disability -a reprint

I call myself a visionary, my idea of personal success was based on the things I learned as a youth in church and read along with my family however when I voice these goals the reaction I get is absolute silence -is that silence I wonder from shock? Dismay that this disable child and later woman dare to dream big or just plan judgmental based on disability?
Well I was born in the late 60's with three incomplete limbs and one fully formed hand so based on reaction from relatives and family friends not much was expected from me. "Ahh if she doesn't die before age five well she will just be a burden but is we own so we gaffa try wid she". This was the common tone of referral to me, "hey I wanted to shout I ain't gat much limbs but I'm not deaf. I could hear your dismal pronunciation on my life"

But thankfully I am from a family that love to read and I was a sponge, before I was age 11 I'd read books by Norman Vincent Peal, Herbert W Armstrong on the power of the mind and seven laws of success, I'd read Malcolm X and a series of books on the power of affirmation by Charles Fillmore from Silent Unity. These were the ones that stood out.

I began strategizing for my life, advocating to my mother and using arguments to swing her thoughts and attitude from the negative to positive. I was campaigning for my life! Well I did a reasonable job. For after attending special school and learning kinder garden work for the first eight years of my life and being bored. I manage to finally cross over and enter mainstream school at age 13. I just wanted the foot in. There began the route to my academic goals.
25 years later I have a degree and am about to pursue a masters, I have 15 years working experience in teaching in mainstream school, working in clerical and accounting projects and currently manages projects. All this I did wearing prosthesis and sometimes from a wheelchair. Same mostly limbless child turned mostly limbless women has began to achieve my vision of academic and professional successes.
In this journey I battled abuse - both psychological and physical. My parental team have all died and I live one paycheck away from poverty. I live in a developing country where real enabling services for disabled people are still absent.
My secret to achievement lie in focusing on my vision irrespective of what others predicted or whether they fail to support or encourage me. It lies in my belief in my creator that he brought me here for a purpose and its evolving. It lies in actively seeking opportunities and building allies, it lies in letting go of some of allies and in reconnecting with others after a while. It lies in my willingness to go it alone when all others around me fail to visualize a successful future for me.

I endured depression, low blood pressure, financial and housing woes, lost of assets and opportunities, high cost of accessing a pair of prosthesis. Yet through it all my strong faith and my tireless pursuit of a life of independence has continues and is ongoing.
My next goal is to in partnership with my disable peers and other stake holders build hotel access and an employment integrative village in my country Guyana to minimize the struggles of persons with disabilities who could live independently but are being forced to accept charity and welfare because of the attitude prevalent in society of “low expectations for persons based on disability.
(first appeared on disboom.com)

Death,loneliness and the relationship trap

Death

My beloved uncle recently died, he was the last person in my parental team to do so. Do I miss him -everyday I do for I wakeup planning to call him and tell him something. Then I remember technology cannot assist me here. Then the grieving begins.

I remember him being a great listener and showed loving concern for his family. But death came calling and fragile humans can only answer. So on the dreadful morning in September 2007 was his turn to answer the call.

Left behind is his loving niece, relatives, co-worker and friends. We mourn all him. I feel his loss.

Loneliness

A few years, even a few months ago I would say what is that? But since September 07 it’s been my bedfellow. I feel the loss of love, care and attention that radiated from the soul of my parental team to me.

Relationship trap

A few well meaning acquaintances are trying to coerce me into looking for a husband, boyfriend and man. Depends on which one of them is doing the persuading. These folks rationale is that now I'm alone I need a man to take care of me.Would the many women who thought this way and did go out and get a man hoping to be "taken care" off please standup. It’s a ridiculous delusional thinking that both genders have that statistics and experiences of relationship don’t support-Ask any psychologist. Ask the many divorced couples.

Being "taken care" of by a man or by anyone was never my life goal. Furthermore my psyche rebels against such advice. My soul deplores resorting to such a pathetic option. Are these people advising me see no other way of existing? You know I cannot even recall asking them for advice.

What about what I want? I sure know what I don't want. I don't want to be another woman who wades her way through an unhappy relationship just to operate under a facade of care. Hey I experienced the care and the real deep healthy loving from my team. As a result I could recognize the fake a mile away.

My greatest fear is becoming a stereotype; actually my sense of survival, self appreciation and self awareness -that deep instinct that we often ignore - says "no way" whenever I hear the platitudes.

In my humorous mind frame I think as I listen -ha where to I go find the paragon of manhood that that I being advised to look for? In jail? The rubbish heap? In another woman's home?

I conclude that some advice is ment for the wayside and this one just found its home.

I solute you my parental team, I remember you, I miss you and I love you for you love support and guidance while I was in your care has assisted in identifying the connections and the differences between loneliness and the relationship trap. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I love to Dance

No one (man) wanted to dance with me, for I didn't fit into the mode of fit and hot on her feet woman. It would take a little more effort to get this heavy footless woman to move on the dance floor. And no one was interested in taking time and effort to dance with the disable.

Who ladies dance within the western society? Men? well yes men. Often impatient men, more concerned with showing off their skills or lack of it than in being gracious and caring,whose apparent urge is to have it easy with women. But the disabled woman calls for too much patience, to much effort and too much time. Better to go take a beer for there is no reward here why challenge myself says the man- the able body man.

So no one danced with me, technology was no assistance and couldn't stand against plain old attitude - human attitude and technology don't mix well.

Well being me, I danced with myself and learned to have fun dancing with me; I also learned to value myself and not to sit around waiting to be noticed by inconsistent and/or inconsiderate men or people on the whole. So I taught myself to dance within my ability, my pace and my style.

In the long term I thank those men who refused to dance with me for that experience taught me that I'm resilient and I could have fun sans men and sans people if they choose to reject me based on disability.

Now I dance, the tango, the waltz,get down groovy n funky and just gyrate for fun be it with people or alone; upright on my knees or when wearing prosthesis -my form of technology- ooh how I love to dance!!! So play that Soca mon!!!

Glitches

I go to the prosthetic centre and the technician gives me a new supposedly custom built strap for my artificial limb. I am a serious walker so after leaving the clinic feeling relatively secure that I would not encounter no mishaps as I go along on my business. Lo and behold as my foot sink into an unexpected pot hot hole or should I say cup size hole I loose my balance and I am down for the count “1. 2.3.4.5, and like the determined boxer in the ring I struggle to my feet denying the referee and my opponent (in this care the cup hole drilled into the road) the satisfaction of counting me down and out. During all this commotion I have garnered some spectators, most of whom seem to think. "This is live TV and the show is for free"! Anyway eventually someone will yell "yuh alright?” and I'm thinking sure yes I'm alright, as alright as any woman could be after enduring the indignity of unexpectedly falling on her butt as a result of trusting the strap on her a/limb to endure the rigors of any unexpected terrain. "Yeah I'm alright" I reply.