Spotlight: Jeremy Haynes

At the end of last week, we observed Veterans Day in the United States. On October 30, Army Maj. Jeremy Haynes was the guest speaker at a National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) event sponsored by the Multicultural Committee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) in Bethesda, Maryland. He became paralyzed from the waist down after being shot four times while serving as an assistant to Army Maj. Gen. Harold J. Greene, who died in the attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2014. (Maj. Gen. Greene is the highest ranking American officer to die in combat in the Global War on Terrorism.) Beating the odds, Maj. Haynes was able to stand again three months later and now can walk a few steps with a cane, thanks to medical professionals at WRNMMC to which he was transferred after initial treatment at a medical center in Germany. Regarding NDEAM, he told his audience that people with disabilities want an opportunity to show their capabilities. For more details on this story, go to http://www.dcmilitary.com/journal/features/walter-reed-bethesda-celebrates-disability-inclusion/article_905d1427-b68e-5899-8ff4-9fc2389dc9da.html.

Girl with Special Needs Released from Custody

Rosa Maria Hernandez, a ten-year-old girl with cerebral palsy and the mental capacity of a five-year-old, was released from a children's home last Friday. On October 24, an ambulance was taking Hernandez (accompanied by an adult cousin who is a US citizen) to the hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas, when it was stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint. Originally from Mexico, Hernandez arrived in the United States when she was three months old, so she is technically an undocumented immigrant. Hernandez and her cousin were escorted to the hospital where she had emergency gallbladder surgery before she was discharged into US Customs and Border Protection custody. Although she has reunited with her mother, it's possible Hernandez will be deported. This case is something to be considered in immigration debates. For more details on this story, go to http://kfor.com/2017/11/05/undocumented-girl-with-special-needs-in-federal-custody-is-released/.

 

Cerebral palsy awareness ribbon

Hydrocephalus Association Walk

Derived from two Greek words that together mean "water head," hydrocephalus is the rapid collection of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. This makes a person's head larger than normal. The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is implanting a shunt, a tube that transfers some CSF from the brain to another part of the body. I was born with hydrocephalus, but fortunately, it corrected itself quickly, so I didn't need a shunt. Last Saturday, the 2017 Orlando Walk to End Hydrocephalus took place at Dr. P. Phillips Community Park. The Walk raised over $19,000, which will go toward research, education, advocacy, and community support networks. For more information about hydrocephalus and its Association, go to www.hydroassoc.org.

Spotlight: Brett Leake

Brett Leake is a "sit-down" stand-up comic with muscular dystrophy. He uses humor as a way to deal with problems. The first comedian with a physical disability to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Leake has also appeared on Entertainment Tonight and the American Comedy Awards. He is a National Humor Treasure Award winner along with comedians such as Gilda Radner, Bob Newhart, and Leno. He participated in the Brevard Achievement Center's inaugural E2A (Employ, Empower, Achieve) Community Awards at the Hilton Rialto last Wednesday. To learn more about Leake, go to http://brettleake.com/.

 

Brett Leake

Ohio Casino Hosts Poker Tournament for the Deaf

A month ago, Hollywood Casino Toledo hosted the Ohio Deaf Poker Championship, which consisted of two tournaments. After being asked to do so by regular players who are deaf, the casino held its first poker tournament for people with hearing impairments on March 11. Communicating through sign language, the players were appreciative of the opportunity to participate in a poker tournament tailored to them. There are very few poker tournaments held for deaf people in the United States. The Ohio Deaf Poker Championship is a friendly poker event that makes the deaf players comfortable. As a recreational poker player, I appreciate Hollywood Casino Toledo's efforts at inclusion. For more details, go to http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2017/09/16/Local-casino-s-deaf-poker-tournament-gives-players-feelings-of-community.html.

Pocket aces and poker chips
(image via www.pokernews.com)

New Medicare Cards

Due to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is in the process of removing Social Security Numbers (SSN) from Medicare cards. The SSN-based Health Insurance Claim Number will be replaced with a Medicare Beneficiary Identifier. This change is being made in an effort to prevent medical identity theft of recipients. The new cards will be sent in April 2018. You may have recently seen a commercial about the new Medicare cards. For more information, go to https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/New-Medicare-Card/index.html.

 
The new Medicare card
(image via AARP)

2017 Disability Equality Index Results

With October being National Disability Employment Awareness Month, this is a good time to review the results of the 2017 Disability Equality Index (DEI), which lists 68 of the best places to work for people with handicaps. Companies that scored 100% on a set of criteria include AMC Theatres, ManpowerGroup, and Walmart. I can see why they received such high scores, for I have friends with disabilities who work at AMC Theatres and Walmart. I went to ManpowerGroup when I was looking for a job four years ago. Other companies that scored high on the DEI are MetLife and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. My parents bought insurance from MetLife. Whenever we go on a cruise, it's with Royal Caribbean. This is the third year the DEI was conducted. To see other companies on the Best Places to Work list, go to https://disabilityequalityindex.org/top_companies.

  

DEI Logo

(obtained from aapd.com)