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Events

Tri4Youth a Huge Success

August 14, 2017 by Molly Williamson

A child in a blue shirt holds up his Tri4Youth medal. He is smiling with what looks like pride.

What an amazing day we had! The first annual All Ability Tri4Youth, which was also the first EVER all inclusive triathlon in Oregon and the only the second in the country, was a huge success! On Saturday, August 12th, 95 athletes raced their hearts out and showcased their athleticism, enthusiasm and spirit! This event had it all- wonderful athletes, 75 incredible volunteers, good weather, and a family fun party!  We here at FACT Oregon left the day feeling inspired and excited for next year’s Tri4Youth!

We want to give a very special thanks to Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation Districtfor partnering with us on this event and to our sponsors, Minuteman Press of Beaverton, The Portland Trailblazers Foundation, Nike, OnPoint Community Credit Union, and Salem Health Hospitals & Clinics. We also want to give a HUGE shout-out to the incredibly talented photographers, Paloma Ayala and Ken Rumbaugh, who captured so many special moments during the tri featured in this email.

We will be posting more Tri4Youth photos and athlete race times on our FACT Oregon Facebook page throughout the week, so stay tuned!

Tri4Youth Award Winners

Spirit Award: Amanda Ankeny
Amanda supported two teams and completed the tri twice, not an easy feat! Go Amanda!

Fundraising Award: Team Minions
Team Minions fundraised $1,665.40! Bravo to Captain Benjamin Silverman, Ella Houston and Gordon Thomas!

Filed Under: Events

Sex Ed for Children Experiencing Disability

January 13, 2017 by christyreese

January 13, 2017

By Loreta Boskovic, Communication Specialist

I think we can all agree that our children experiencing disability are going to grow older, reach puberty, and push their way on through to adulthood. The question is, are YOU ready for this stage? Have YOU given thought to how your child is going to learn about their changing body and handle their attraction to others?

Presuming competence in our children means that we align ourselves with the belief that our children, given the right supports and information, can achieve a sense of self-identity and advocacy that is right for them. For ex., this can mean taking part (to whatever degree possible) in the IEP process; determining the activities in which they want to take part in the community; identifying employment that is meaningful and relevant to their interests and skills; and forming relationships with others that are deep, meaningful, and intimate.

This can be hard! Let’s face it: presuming competence often means that parents have to identify the learning steps that support a person getting from Point A to B in ways that parents of typically developing children don’t have to face. When it comes to human sexuality, that spotlight can center on questions that can be challenging for parents to answer:

  • How comfortable am I with knowing that my child will experience sexual desire?
  • Do I think my child will be prepared emotionally and physically to have a healthy sexual relationship when the time is right?
  • Can I support my child’s sexual orientation or gender identity if it differs from my own?

If you’re already thinking about these questions, you’re not alone. From FACT Oregon’s Facebook page:

Wondering if you are aware of any school districts who have developed curriculum for special education classrooms and are presenting information to students regarding Senate Bill 856 which requires developmentally appropriate education of all students (K-12) regarding prevention and understanding of sexual abuse. [Read the full post here.]

We contacted Oregon Department of Education [ODE] to get more information about SB 856. While focused on sexual abuse prevention, ODE’s approach to this bill is that sexual health promotion is sexual violence prevention. (There’s even a really cool Venn diagram explaining its approach.) This builds upon the existing human sexuality education that ODE has approved for Oregon students which is medically accurate, non-shaming, age appropriate, inclusive, and provided to all students, including those who receive special education services. You can read more about ODE’s sexual education information here.

Something to keep in mind: individual school districts are responsible for implementing sexual education curriculum, and whatever they choose does not need to be approved by ODE. If you have a concern, question, or comment about your child’s sexual education curriculum, you can contact Ely Sanders, MPA, ODE’s Sexual Health and School Health Educator, at [email protected] or (503) 947-5738.

If you want even more proof that sex ed is important for children experiencing disability, look no further than the following:

  • “Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities are 20 times more likely to experience early pubertal changes” (American Academy of Pediatrics, Sexuality of Children and Adolescents With Developmental Disabilities, 2005).
  • “Historically, this population has not been afforded the same sexual rights and freedom as those in the general population, despite the same human need for love, affection, and fulfilling interpersonal relationships. Restrictions on sexual activity have been based on the false and often contradictory belief that persons with developmental disabilities are either asexual or sexually aggressive, in the case of males; promiscuous, in the case of females; or too “childlike” to maintain healthy intimate relationships of their own” (Oregon Health Authority, How Developmental Disabilities Impact the Sexual Health of Young Adults, 2011).
  • “Children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely than children without disabilities to be sexually abused. Children with intellectual and mental health disabilities appear to be the most at risk, with 4.6 times the risk of sexual abuse as their peers without disabilities” (Vera institute of Justice’s Center on Victimization and Safety, Sexual Abuse of Children with Disabilities: A National Snapshot, March 2013).

When we presume competence in our children experiencing disability, this does not stop at the doorstep of their sexuality. If anything, data shows that parents and caregivers need to be aware of the ways in which their child’s developing sexuality can be supported and expressed in a safe, appropriate, and respectful way. Children experiencing disability need to have access to information about preventing sexually transmitted diseases and sexual abuse; learning about menstruation and pregnancy; and yes, about sexual pleasure. This information can and should be delivered as specially designed instruction if that is what’s appropriate for your student.


Is your student getting access to sex ed? Do you feel like you have the information you need to support your child? FACT Oregon invites you to attend “Let’s Talk About Sex” on Thursday, February 2. This will be a workshop with Leslie Walker-Hirsch, IMED, FAAID, national speaker, author of “The Facts of Life …and More,” and co-creator of the Circles® Curriculum Series. She will be covering the Circles® Curriculum series, a multi-media teaching curriculum designed especially for students receiving special education.


 

Filed Under: Events, General, News Tagged With: sex ed

Vote!

October 17, 2016 by christyreese

a show of hands raised with the word VOTE in the blue backgroundNovember 1, 2016

Next Tuesday, November 8, is election day, and never before has it been so important for people with disabilities and their loved ones to make their voices heard.

In this election cycle, the issue of disability has barely made it into the national discourse. It has not been raised in any of the debates; except for outrage over one presidential candidate’s alleged depiction of a person experiencing disability, the concerns and issues facing 56.7 MILLION Americans have gone largely unnoticed.

People with disabilities are the United States’ largest minority population. What are some our issues and concerns?

  • Equal access to general education: 6 out of every 10 school-age students served under the IDEA spend at least 80% of their day in general education. But what about the thousands of students who continue to be segregated in self-contained classrooms or schools with little access to a general education curriculum or typical peers? In addition, students with intellectual disabilities or multiple disabilities are least likely to spend the majority of their time in inclusive environments (Disability Scoop, February 2, 2016).
  • Graduation rates: Across the United States, 63% of students with disabilities graduated from high school in 2014 — a rate of graduation roughly 20% lower than the national average (Huffington Post, Jan 14, 2016).
  • Employment: In the last decade, only 41% of people age 21 to 64 with disabilities were employed, compared to 79% of those without a disability (US Census Bureau’s report, “Americans with Disabilities: 2010).
  • Independent living: Statistics vary by disability, but many people experiencing disability are not able to live independently in the community without suitable supports. For example, only about 17% of young adults with autism ages 21 to 25 have ever lived independently (Disability Scoop, September 3, 2013). Unbelievably, young people ages 31 to 64 make up 14% of the nursing home population (Oregon Public Broadcasting, December 9, 2010), and a Senate health committee report found that “a majority of states were using the more expedient and less costly option of sending them to nursing homes, many of which had empty beds and were eager for the business” (The Fiscal Times, May 3, 2016).
  • Poverty: Among people age 15 to 64 with severe disabilities, 10.8% experienced persistent poverty, compared to 3.8% of those with no disability (US Census).
  • Social services: Less than a decade ago, Federal budget and Census data showed that 91% of benefit dollars went to people 65 and over, the seriously disabled, and members of working households (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2012). Cuts to services our families often rely on like Social Security, Medicaid/Medicare, SNAP, and CHIP can have devastating effects. For families that rely on social services to provide attendant care for their adult children, state fiscal priorities can mean the difference between a person living independently or having to live in a nursing home.

These are but a few of the areas that affect the lives of families experiencing disability in very personal ways. If any of them speak to your family’s circumstances or include areas that you want to see changed, then:

  1. Research the candidates’ positions on disability related topics. Resources like the nonpartisan Respectability Report’s Oregon Voter Guide and Disability Rights Oregon’s Easy Voting Guide are great places to start.
  2. Confirm that you are a registered voter in Oregon, and that you or your loved one can access your right to vote. Oregon has an alternate format ballot that is available for people experiencing disability that allows them to access the ballot on a screen reader/tablet, use voice generated text tools, increase font size, and accommodate a person’s limited range of mobility.
  3. VOTE!

 

Filed Under: Events Tagged With: 2016 election, vote

Take a Moment

July 25, 2016 by christyreese

July 25, 2016

By Nicole Silverman, Field Program Assistant

self care? you ain't got no time for that!My one and only child just turned 8! His recent antics have included turning on the light switch in his bedroom at all hours of the night. My husband and I are exhausted. But it’s hard to get too upset with my son who wasn’t even supposed to be able to sit up, let alone crawl over to the wall, pull himself up to a stand, AND flip on the light switch!

“Maybe we need a social story on when it’s appropriate to use light switches?” I asked.

“I can build a special guard that we can put over the light switch at night,” my husband offered.

What great ideas – if only we weren’t so tired! Then it happened… it got really, really hot here in Portland. One evening, when I was putting Benjamin to bed, I decided I wanted the light to be off but his ceiling fan to be on. And that, my friends, is when I had my “AHA!” moment.

ceiling fanYou see those two strings hanging from the ceiling fan? That would be my answer to 6 months of missed sleep, getting up multiple times a night, putting my kid back in bed, and turning off the dang light. With one pull of that string, the light goes off, and until I pull that string again, no matter how many times my son flips the light switch… no light will come on. I started hysterically laughing. I called my husband up to the bedroom. “You are not going to believe this!” as I’m pulling the string with the light going off and on. We died laughing. I think there’s a label for this – something like, “Overwhelmed, Tired Parent Syndrome.”

That night as I was lying in bed still flabbergasted at what we didn’t see right in front of our faces for 6 months, I started thinking about other things we probably weren’t seeing. OKAY. Okay! Perhaps it is time to take some deep breaths, maybe a little more self-care, and just a remind myself to slow down and look at things differently from time to time.

I know you’re all thinking: who really has time or money for self-care? I recently attended a self-care session where the facilitator told us that sometimes the first step of self-care is the 5-minute list. In reality, most days that is all the time we have. The facilitator had us write a 5-minute list, a 30-minute list, and an all-day, dream-come-true list. My 5 minute list includes:snapchat

  • Taking a minute to put good-smelling lotion on my hands
  • Smacking on some bubble gum
  • Sitting down with my golden retriever for some snuggles
  • Taking a fun snapchat with my son
  • Stretching a few times a day
  • Sipping on hot (not reheated three times) coffee

This list might sound ridiculous, but some of these small things make me so happy. They reset me. The tension in my neck and shoulders reduces a few notches. I’m going to start integrating them into my day! This instantly reminded me of my son’s sensory diet. He needs sensory support throughout the day to help keep him regulated, and it seems I do too! Guess we are all more alike than we are different. But we all know that already, don’t we?

So what’s going on your 5-minute self-care list? Jot some things down right now! I have to go clean the bathrooms, tell my son to quit touching the TV for the 10th time, and call our insurance and figure out why they stopped covering my son’s medication. But first, I’m going to smack on some bubble gum, pet my golden retriever,  and take some deep breaths… then I’ll conquer the world!

The facilitator who got me started on my 5 minute list: Mara B’s website: www.belavidahealth.com

Filed Under: Events

Dream Big Dreams! 2016

May 26, 2016 by christyreese

May 26, 2016

DBD-logo-croppedWe’d like to thank everyone who came out on May 19, 2016 to support FACT Oregon at its annual happy hour event, Dream Big Dreams! Click here for photos from this fun evening.

We’re especially grateful to everyone who took part in our silent auction and golden ticket event. Our heartfelt thanks to all our generous sponsors and prize donors:

OnPoint Community Credit UnionSkype Live StudioPepe Caliente
Raptor Ridge WineryStephanie SneidermanAlpha Media
ahead of style salon and spaalbertsons-safewayCanas Feast Winery
forward stridethe four gracesHeron Lakes Golf Club
Hyland EstatesiFLY Indoor SkydivingKelsall Chiropractic
Laelaps WineryMassage and Spa at BethanyMurphey Family
New Seasons Marketlogo-noel-family-vineyardOcean Spa
Portland wine storageRachel Brookstein PhotographySampson Family Farm
Stone Tree VineyardTori Ava PhotographyTolovana Inn Cannon Beach
The Waves Cannon Beachcannon-beach-restaurant-driftwood-restaurantLibby Pattison / Handcrafted Jewelry

Here are some photos from the evening for you to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s Dream Big Dreams!

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Filed Under: Events Tagged With: Dream Big Dreams

How do we Message Attitudes about Inclusion?

May 23, 2016 by christyreese

May 23, 2016

By Loreta Boskovic, Information Specialist

13221471_10153521465437703_1565817237502758968_nAn incident made its way around the Portland Metro region last week which caught the attention of a state senator. Jade, a middle school student who experiences disability, was physically sidelined from the rest of the school choir as it practiced for a performance (shown here in a photo).  To make matters worse, even her name was sidelined in one version of the program; later school staff corrected it, but from the layout of the revised program, it was clearly added as a second thought (i.e., out of alphabetical order and the line spacing was off). The message? You may be here, but you’re not a part of this group.

The local disability community was, as one might imagine, outraged. Parents who know Jade’s mom, a long-time activist in the Retts syndrome community, felt her hurt. Families with children who rely on wheelchairs voiced their practical suggestions on how easily Jade could have been included with her peers. Oregon Senator Sara Gelser contacted the school board and superintendent, noting her concern and citing other cases she is working on in which students experiencing disability are being pushed out of their school community. In other words, a village rallied.

While it may be easy to focus on Jade’s wheelchair and make assumptions about her ability to participate, let’s not forget that wheelchair dancesport has been around for many decades, with the first competition held in 1975. Paralympians pack stadiums every four years, second only to the Olympics as the most popular world sporting event. And performance artist Sue Austin mesmerized millions with her piece “Creating the Spectacle!” where she choreographed deep sea diving in her powerchair. Strictly speaking, Jade was not pushing boundaries by expecting to be an active participant in her school’s choir.

How did the community at large respond?

  • Even though Senator Gelser contacted the district’s school board and superintendent, the only person to contact Jade’s mother after the incident was the head of special education. Again, this event was an extracurricular activity open to all middle school students. The message? It is up to the special education department to create inclusive settings, not school staff.
  • The story made the local news. Here the message was conflicted. For every comment like this one: “Awful. Put all the kids TOGETHER on a surface each of the kids can access. If they have to perform on the floor, in front of the stage, so be it. That picture makes my heart hurt”, there were twice as many opposite viewpoints: “so what, not like she could dance … come on … seriously …. everybodies (sic) life doesnt (sic) have to change to adjust for one … life is hard … stop being a bunch of whining pansies and deal with the hand life left you.”

Was Jade blatantly excluded, or was her family expecting too much inclusion?

According to a district spokesperson, “For any kid whether they have a disability or not, we want them to feel welcome and invited.” Likewise, neither the parents nor Senator Gelser believe school staff intentionally sidelined Jade out of malice – rather, they believe it was out of ignorance about inclusive practices and a reliance on long-held beliefs about the lack of competence in people experiencing disability.

Let’s take another example of how attitudes about inclusion are messaged to a child’s community.

imageAt FACT Oregon’s recent Dream Big Dreams fundraising event on May 19, event organizer and board member Coleen Carey shared a photo she snapped last fall at her daughter Julia’s elementary school open house. Coleen was disheartened to discover that Julia, who is in a general education classroom, was separated from every single one of her typical peers both literally and geographically (Hello, Team Antarctica??) for a class reading program. Instead, she and her educational assistant, a middle-aged woman, were their own team.

Would it really have been that difficult to include Julia on one of the other teams? More importantly, what is the message her classmates are learning about their peer who happens to have a disability?

Basically, it all comes down to one thing: how is one’s attitude about inclusion messaged? 

As many families have experienced firsthand, it’s not enough that a child experiencing disability is in a general education classroom. Inclusion is not just physical proximity to typical peers, but a philosophy that shapes one’s attitude about that person’s intrinsic right to have a place in their community. And attitude, as they say, is everything.

Clearly, we have a ways to go before inclusion of children experiencing disabilities is a natural practice successfully implemented by general education teachers and special education staff. “Can you imagine,” wrote Senator Gelser in response to the school district, “if the student in the photos was a student with a hijab or a student of color instead of a student with a disability? I imagine the response would be more vigorous and more appropriate. Exclusion of a student with a disability is as shocking and immoral as exclusion of a student of color.”

Evidently, many in the community at large continue to believe that disabled means different/less than, and that families shouldn’t expect their children to be fully included because that means the status quo would have to change. Sadly, these sentiments have been around for decades, and were aimed at students of color. It wasn’t until Brown v Board of Education that the disability rights movement found its footing and started to initiate change.

We have a ways to go still. FACT Oregon will continue to work relentlessly to educate, empower, and equip families and caregivers to change the world around them. Thankfully, there are many who seethe value of transformative change:

I can’t imagine the pain of seeing my child this marginalized, literally – on the very margin of the action frame– when there is so much that could be done to bring her into the group while enlarging the humanity of the other students, the teacher, and the audience for whom they performed.

Let’s keep finding each other in the crowd and transform attitudes about disability together! We’d love to hear your stories of inclusion below in the comments.

Filed Under: Events

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