Butte, Glenn and Tehama County’s Association of Regional Centers was recognized for diverting an estimated 250,000 pounds of trash from landfills.

The organization also recycles all in-house office paper and promotes recycling among employees (who are allowed to use the recycling profits for their own activities).

Additionally, green waste from landscaping at ARC facilities is delivered to a compost facility. While the measures help the environment, Tom Leonardi, ARC’s associate director, noted they also help the organization’s finances.

Congratulations to those counties in their appreciated effort to keep an eco-friendly environment.  Read the whole Chico News and Review article here:  ARC Awarded

There was a memo posted earlier regarding these cuts, but this is the more verbose message from Marty Omoto of the California Disability Community Action Network.

SACRAMENTO (CDCAN) - Two bills containing proposals by legislative Democrats to cut spending by $8.1 billion and raise new revenues also by $8.1 billion over 18 months, were defeated in the Assembly, failing to win any Republican votes. Both Democrats and Republicans in both houses remain far apart on how to solve the budget deficit. A bill to cut spending in the Assembly was defeated 40 to 30, falling 14 votes short of approval. And a bill to raise taxes and other revenues, failed to win approval by 41 to 31, falling 15 votes short. Democratic Assemblymember Nicole Parra of Hanford, who is termed out, voted against both bills, defying Assembly Speaker Karen Bass.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass said if the Assembly Republicans would have given their votes for revenues, Assembly Democrats had been prepared to consider other spending cuts and even the idea of a spending cap. She urged members to put ideology aside and to put their futures “at risk” .and warned that doing nothing and that California was headed for a economic “train wreck”.

(more…)

California State Budget

Yesterday the Legislature failed to pass the Democrat budget-balancing plan. This Democratic proposal called for $8.1 billion in cuts and $8.1 billion in new revenues over the next 19 months.

AB 7xxxx, the Spending Reduction Bill, would have made $600 million in cuts to SSI/SSP over the next two years by eliminating cost-of-living increases. This bill was defeated in the Assembly 40 to 30.

AB 6xxxx, the Revenue Bill, would have raised $8.1 billion in new revenues by reinstating the vehicle license fee to the level it was at when Governor Gray Davis was in office and temporarily freezing the state’s income tax tables to last year’s rates. This bill was rejected by the Assembly 41 to 31.

The Senate never took the bills up for a vote, but Senate Republicans are opposed to any increases in taxes.

The Legislative session officially ends on Sunday. On Monday, December 1, 2008 the newly elected and re-elected members of the Legislature will be sworn in. It is expected that the Governor will call the new Legislature into another special session.

Recently expelled from privately owned and operated New Hampton School, parents of a 15 year old girl are fighting the expulsion based on the grounds of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While the new ADA Amendments Act do not go into effect until January 1, 2009 the parents are wishing to have either the expulsion overturned or a prorated refund given to the parents.

The eating disorder of the girl, anorexia, was cited as a disability under the ADA which maintains three requirements to be covered:

1. Whether she has an impairment
2. Whether that impairment affects a “major life activity”
3. Whether the impact was substantial

Under the most recent rulings of the Supreme Court regarding disability cases and the ADA, the Supreme Court has ruled to narrowly interpret the meaning of impairment and disabilities. It would also seem that precedents would have been already set under the current interpretation of the law; however, these interpretations surely will change come January 1, 2009 when the ADA Amendments Act goes into effect.

Read the whole story here: Mother fights private school expulsion with lawsuit

In a story out of Malaysia, the Society of the Blind held a press conference on how to interview those with visual impairments. The focus of the conference was to raise awareness for employers, employees and providing proper contact information to the relevant organizations. According to Dr. Wong Huey Siew, 1% of the public sector employment must be allocated to people with visual impairments to ensure they have equal employment opportunities.

“Many people do not know how to interact with disabled people. At an interview, it’s wrong for interviewers to keep quiet just because they have no experience in interacting with PWDs,” said Wong.

“Get to know the candidate. Some interviewers tend to focus on the interviewee’s disabilities instead of their capabilities and strengths. They should access the candidate’s skills, motivation level, past working experiences as well as ask them how they can contribute to the company,” he said in the interview at the society’s headquarters in Brickfields, KL.

Read the whole story here: Don’t turn a blind eye to them

In a related story, this was also posted:  Working beyond their limitations

For the past decade and a half, the Center for Enriched Living has gathered on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving Day in order to prepare a meal.  Not only do people get to hone their kitchen skills, but also to allow those with physical disabilities to participate in something like stirring cranberries on a stove.

“It’s become very well-loved tradition around here,” explains Randi Frank, director of development for the center, which serves people with developmental disabilities.

But there is more to it than that. The best part, according to Frank, is spending time together and sitting down to break bread with friends. For some of the older members of the center, it’s the only chance they have to do so.

Read the full story here and look at a few pictures:  Giving thanks, with friends

iRun Magazine has recently named Alex Bain as Canada’s most inspirational runner, not because he’s 20 years old, but because he was diagnosed as autistic at age three. Being diagnosed with autism is not the sole reason for his recognition, rather that he runs for autism awareness. In preparation for his most recent marathon, Bain ran 20k-25k per day, running from tip to tip of Prince Edward Island.

Today, a huge part of Alex’s motivation each time he laces up his shoes is to promote awareness about autism – and the fact that he, and many others like him, wish for acceptance, not a cure. “Autism makes me different from my friends,” says Bain. “That’s OK.” As his trademark yellow race t-shirt spells out, Bain is “Running For Autism, Not Against It.”

Read the whole iRun Magazine article here: iRun for Autism Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion

Last year we posted a story relating to Clay Aiken appearing on FOX’s “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” in order to raise money for the charity he helped co-found.  Little know this, but Clay Aiken was actually a special education teacher before winning American Idol.

The foundation raised a half a million dollars in one night at a recent gala titled “Champions of Change” for supporting inclusion programs nation wide to allow children with disabilities to participate in all the activities along with their peers.

The whole press release can be found on the Bubel/Aiken Foundation’s website at the “Champions of Change” link above.

Parents and caregivers alike gathered in Hartford, Connecticut at the state capitol to advocate for those most in need.  They gathered on the steps of the capitol hoping that lawmakers inside would hear their pleas.  Due to the looming budget issues, funding cuts are spreading across state run facilities and group homes, which could cause these facilities to close.

“One, it’s the right thing to do. You’re talking about the health and safety of over half-a-million people. This is about lives and that’s very important. But also, it’s the fiscally responsible thing to do because by maintaining our investment and by keeping people well and meeting their needs we actually in the end save the taxpayers’ dollars,” says [State Senator Jonathan] Harris.

Read the whole story here:  Parents rally for children with disabilities

Amanda Peet and Jenny McCarthy recently had a battle of words over whether or not vaccination is the cause of autism. Peet, advocating for the sciences conducted relating to autism research, commented on followers of McCarthy’s philosophies calling them “parasites.”

Recently McCarthy made an appearance on Chelsea Lately to promote the book and said the frequency and number of vaccinations given to children has increased significantly in the past few years as well to ask for cleaner vaccines, removing mercury. She said on her appearance that she does not advocate for no vaccination, rather changing the scheduling of the shots.

Vaccine advocacy groups (like familiesfightingflu.org) have recently recruited Amanda Peet who wishes to advocate for the sciences. The story also outlines some experiences of families both with and without vaccinations having different results.

Read the whole story here: Debate rates over need for vaccines and autism controversy

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