May 14th, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
I recently became a part of a collective of writers with disabilities who collaborate on a WordPress blog project entitled Disability Right Now.
The blog consists of our thoughts and musings about disability issues ranging from the history of institutionalization to our daily bouts with ablism. We each switch off writing blog posts each week and, even though we only started the blog this year, are gaining popularity online by promoting ourselves through social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
How I became a part of the Disability Right Now is a funny story. My friend added me to a Facebook group entitled “You Know You Have CP When” where people tell about their experiences living with cerebral palsy. I was in one of their group chats when I mentioned that I was a writer. The next thing I knew I was added to another Facebook group entitled Disability Right Now and launched into discussions about participating in the blog as a contributing writer. I was definitely ecstatic about being a part of the group because my fellow writers, led by our tireless organizer Erin Lewy, were serious about making this project a success and we shared a political vision of how this blog should portray the disability community.
A main focal point of that political vision is to illustrate the severe marginalization of the disabled community within mainstream society. My fellow writers and I hope that exposing the challenges that we face every day will lead to further activism and organization and affect change around some of these issues. Disability Right Now is doing this important media work to give voice to the stories and issues that are important to the disability community.
I encourage you to read my and my fellow writers’ articles on the Disability Right Now blog and tell me what you think.
That’s my view of the Bay.
Posted on May 14th, 2012 | No Comments »
May 7th, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
Contributed by Mariana Ruybalid
The novel’s protagonist, Martín, is a boy of mixed raced heritage who has cerebral palsy. Set in a futuristic time, Martín discovers he has special abilities to assist his community in fighting the external oppression they face. At the beginning of the book, Martín is five years old and has just moved with his mother to his grandfather’s home in Berkeley. Martín’s uncle, his wife, and four cousins are also living in the house. His grandfather runs a kung fu school and life has become difficult for people of color.
We watch Martín grow up, get an electric wheelchair, deal with a cousin who doesn’t like him as he becomes aware of his own gifts and of his family’s role in ‘The Resistance.’ Martín also has a very active fantasy life with a character named Super Boy who can do heroic things that Martín would like to be able to do. Martín goes through various adventures and the book is full of action.
It took me ten years to write this novel. I wanted to write a book that brought healing to readers. I also wanted the main character to be mixed race and have severe cerebral palsy. I feel that we, people with cerebral palsy, often get bad press because we either don’t speak or don’t speak clearly so we are seen as inferior.
One theme in the novel is that people of color and people with disabilities are just a few of the “disposable people” in our society. Many of these “disposable people” have gifts that society misses out on by not encouraging them to develop to their full potential. Another theme is resistance. Martín’s friends and family take part in battles and various actions where some are wounded and even killed and we watch Martin resist his physical limitations by enjoying a full life. The book also values human relationships and connections and shows that healing does take place as a result of those connections.
**Editor’s Note** Mariana Ruybalid, a friend of mine, is an author with cerebral palsy who wrote Coyote Healer, Coyote Curandero. You can purchase this novel at the author’s site: www.MarianaRuybalid.com or on Amazon.com.
Posted on May 7th, 2012 | 1 Comment »
April 30th, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
Cristina Rubke is blazing along in her law career. As a young attorney with Shartsis Friese LLP (www.sflaw.com), a prominent San Francisco law firm, she has worked seven years in the area of commerce-based litigation. In her role at the law firm, Rubke works to set up patents, mediate partnership disputes, and other complex negotiations. As someone with a physical disability, Cristina is exemplifying the hard work and dedication it takes to achieve career goals. Her commitment to achievement is especially noteworthy given the extra challenges lawyers with disabilities must endure to succeed in their career field.
Cristina decided to go to law school after obtaining a Bachelors of Arts in English from UC Berkeley because she thought that a law degree would be practical in any career that she decided to pursue. While at law school, she kept a level head and worked hard to pass all of her classes. She learned to not overreact if she didn’t get straight A’s and found her niche in school. Christina studied for and took the California bar exam after completing law school, and now practices here in the Bay Area. Some of her accommodations to take the bar included her own room with her own proctor even though she only requested a writing level (or height) of at least thirty-five inches since she writes by using a pen or pencil to type on a laptop with her mouth. Since she was proactive about requesting her accommodations and did things like apply for them a year in advance, she did not experience many challenges in getting what she needed. One thing we can learn from her experience is the need to be clear about our accommodation needs and make requests for them in a timely fashion.
Cristina arranges all the accommodations for her work. For example, if she is in a litigation meeting she notifies the other participants that she may need to step out sometimes to meet someone to assist her with her personal needs. Since Cristina is in their work environment, other attorneys can become familiar with a few of the needs of the disability community and hopefully be more willing to and apt at advocating for those needs and accommodations. Having attorneys that advocate for the disability community is tremendously important because, as Cristina pointed out, people with disabilities are “the most marginalized minority” in terms of dealing with laws harmful to our community. That is why Cristina encourages people she knows with disabilities to become lawyers and grow the ranks. She is also in the process of organizing a National Bar Association for Attorneys with Disabilities, which will organize among that small but potentially influential community.
She most enjoys that being an attorney allows her a chance to solve problems in society every day. She is living her dream.
That is my view of the Bay.
Posted on April 30th, 2012 | No Comments »
April 23rd, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
In November of last year, I had the chance to go to Halleck Creek Ranch to check out their facility and their accessible horseback riding program. The ranch is located in the city of Nicasio, California, which is about an hour drive from the East Bay.
The ranch provides horseback riding lessons to people of all ages who have a wide range of disabilities. Since Irving and Joyce Goldfield founded the program in 1977 by hosting a group of children with disabilities from the Napa State Hospital for a weekend of horseback riding, the program has grown to serving upwards of seventy-five riders a week in the summer and having approximately one hundred fifty riders enrolled in the program annually.
The program has three permanent staff members and tons of volunteers. Barbara Hill is their executive director, Christine McBride is their ranch manager, and Molly Scannell (who I interviewed for this blog) is the program manager. All the staff members have years of experience dealing with horses and people with disabilities.
The ranch offers two types of volunteering opportunities: facility volunteering and program volunteering. Facility volunteers mainly do ranch maintenance work like feeding the horses and cleaning their stalls while program volunteers are trained to assist participants in the horse riding program. Most of the ranch’s horses are donated from outside entities and go through ninety days of training where they have to pass a series of requirements before giving rides to people with disabilities.
The Halleck Creek Ranch remains dedicated to giving everyone the chance to horseback ride even with the financial constraints of today’s economy and conducted a fundraiser with the goal of raising $15,000 by the end of 2011. I am happy to report that they exceeded their goal and generated over $47,000 by year’s end. Some of the funds raised contributed to the ranch’s Breaking Barriers program, which helps families with economic challenges participate in the program.
For questions about Halleck Creek Ranch contact Barbara Hill at bhill@halleckcreekranch.org.
That is my view of the Bay.
Posted on April 23rd, 2012 | 2 Comments »
February 15th, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
Like most Americans I find it exhilarating to go to live sporting events to cheer on my favorite teams. Whether it’s watching my Cal Bears beat Stanford in the annual Big Game or going with my dad to watch the Golden State Warriors, watching it unfold live provides a sensation that I don’t get from watching games on television. Arena accessibility is an essential element in making live sports a thrill that we can all share.
This past football season I had the opportunity, along with my dad and a couple of friends, to watch the San Francisco Forty-Niners play the New York Giants at Candlestick Park. Candlestick is an older facility which is not as accessible as some of the newer venues. When we entered the stadium we had to go up a long hill to get to an elevator that would take us to the level with our seats. The length and degree of the incline along with the size of the crowd made this a very cumbersome way to go. Once we reached our seats the view was great. Several fixed stadium seats were removed to accommodate wheelchairs and there was plenty of room. We had a great view of the 49er’s regular season victory over the Giants and besides the difficulty experienced in getting to our seats the only regret is that their regular season win wasn’t followed up with a win later in the NFC Championship.
The Oracle Arena which is home of the Golden State Warriors is a very accessible venue. Regardless of where you park there are “lot level” entrances to the arena and elevators that take you to every seating level. The arena is designed with special accommodation areas, at every seating level, with plenty of room to maneuver a wheelchair and allow you to enjoy an unobstructed view of the games. Another venue that is coming on line soon is the home of my favorite team the Cal Golden Bears. The new memorial stadium on the UC Berkeley campus has been designed with the idea of providing the greatest level of access and accommodation. The old stadium had wheelchair seating high atop the stadium at the furthest point from the field and was really difficult to gain access to. The new stadium will not only have easier access but will provide seating areas that are a lot closer to the action. I can’t wait!! To learn more about the new home of my Golden Bears visit http://stadium.berkeley.edu.
Going to a sporting event is a great way to spend your leisure time in the Bay Area. All of our local teams try their best to accommodate all their fans. If you are interested in going, don’t hesitate to contact them to find out how they can help you enjoy the game. See you at the game!! That is my view of the Bay.
Posted on February 15th, 2012 | No Comments »
January 3rd, 2012
by Lateef McLeod
On Saturday December 10th United Cerebral Palsy of the Golden Gate held its ninth annual Ultimate Holiday Party at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco. This year’s party had an overflow crowd of over 1,000 guests, including 300 special needs VIP’s ranging in ages from 1 to 16.
When I arrived at the party the line to get in filled the hotel lobby and the energy level was high with the VIP’s and their families anxiously waiting for their turn to visit with Santa. Inside the party, in addition to Santa, there was plenty of entertainment and attractions, including face painters, balloon making clowns, a magician, and a performance by the Alphabet Rockers. AAC device makers (Dynavox and PRC) were also on hand to demonstrate and allow the VIP’s to sample their latest products, including eye-gaze software. Seeing the expressions on the kid’s faces as they received their gifts was a heartwarming sight.
This Holiday Party was definitely one of the highlights of the holiday season. It has grown each year and next year will be its 10th anniversary. I understand there are big plans to highlight the occasion. Can’t wait! That is my view of the Bay.
Posted on January 3rd, 2012 | No Comments »
November 7th, 2011
by Lateef McLeod
Adopt A Special Kid (AASK) is a Bay Area adoption and foster care agency, which also provides free legal assistance to families who are interested in fostering or adopting special needs children.
AASK was founded in 1973 by Robert and Dorothy DeBolt, who wanted to share the joys of adopting a child with special needs. The couple adopted their own daughter, Suni, who was paralyzed with polio, and subsequently adopted nine other special needs children. In the process, they became familiar with the challenges presented by government and adoption agencies, which led them to begin their own referral and advocacy service out of their home in Piedmont. AASK quickly became a leading advocate for special needs adoptions. They also helped develop the concept of providing state reimbursements for adoptions completed by private agencies, which made it financially viable to offer their services at no cost to families.
AASK’s executive director, Don Morgan, said about the agency, “AASK inspires change in the lives of children in foster care by promoting and sustaining permanent families. We identify and train competent, caring foster care and adoptive parents, provide education and support services, and nurture stable homes for foster kids.”
One of the unique programs provided by AASK is Camp ALWAYS, a summer camp for adoptive families that combines all of the traditional camp experiences for children with training and workshops for parents in areas like special education.
The Bay Area is an exciting, diverse, and interesting place to live. Although known globally for its technological innovations, organizations like AASK, which help special needs children become part of loving families, demonstrate that Bay Area innovation extends well beyond technology. For more information about AASK, see their website at: www.aask.org. That is my view of the Bay.
Posted on November 7th, 2011 | 2 Comments »
October 3rd, 2011
by Lateef McLeod
On October 27th at 10:00 p.m., PBS will air the documentary, Lives Worth Living. It chronicles the history of the disability rights movement, from its beginning after World War II, through four decades, to its culmination in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by the federal government in 1990. I recently had the opportunity to interview the producer and director, Eric Neudel, to gather what inspired him to take on this project, and what he would like the audience to take away from it.
Eric has always been interested in and concerned about civil rights for all citizens, especially those with disabilities. In 2005 he met the late Fred Fay, a trailblazer in the disability rights movement. Fred shared his experiences in trying to advance disability rights, and introduced Eric to dozens of other activists and disability rights pioneers. Their stories serve as the basis for this documentary.
Lives Worth Living also contains interesting historic video footage obtained from local sources such as the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, as well as national sources including: the Library of Congress, CSPAN, CNN, NBC, and ABC. This footage of street marches and building sit-ins really helped me to appreciate how much effort others have made to create opportunities for people with disabilities.
Eric hopes that this documentary, “is a good story that people fall into, and that it has a meaning and a message for people, not just for now, but for a long time to come.” He is also writing a book about the disability rights movement based on his research for the documentary.
Since seeing Lives Worth Living, I’ve thought a lot about the difficulties experienced by those who came before us, who did not have the benefit of growing up with the basic accommodations afforded by the ADA. Although our struggle is far from over, seeing where it began gave me a renewed appreciation for how far we have come, and has inspired me to follow the lead of these activists, and to try to make things better for those who will come after. That is my view of the Bay.
Watch an excerpt from Lives Worth Living.
Posted on October 3rd, 2011 | 2 Comments »
September 20th, 2011
by Lateef McLeod
This past Labor Day weekend, I had the opportunity to go sailing on the Bay with the Treasure Island Sailing Center, as part of their Adaptive Sailing Program. On both Saturday and Sunday, I was able to sail the Bay on one of their special access dinghies with my sailing instructor, Tyler. After adding a little extra weight on the bottom of the boat (ballast in sailing terms) to stabilize it, Tyler and I spent over an hour sailing around the Bay.
Tyler taught me how to sail the boat, with and against the wind. I quickly got the hang of it and was able to navigate for most of our trip. I enjoyed learning how to control the boat using the rudder (at the rear of the boat) and the direction of the wind. I was amazed at how easily we were able to tack through the water regardless of the wind direction. There were a couple of places around Treasure Island where the winds were calm, especially under the Bay Bridge, which required us to maneuver the boat to a place where there was more wind. However, most of our trip was smooth sailing.
The Treasure Island Sailing Center’s Adaptive Sailing Program is a wonderful experience. It not only provides people with disabilities the opportunity to experience the joys of sailing, it teaches them how to do it themselves. Specific programs offered by the TISC include: the Summer Co-Able Program, which pairs youth sailors with and without disabilities; Adaptive Private Lessons (which I participated in), which provides private lessons on an access dingy or one of the larger J24 boats; and the Blind Sailing Program, which teaches groups of visually impaired students to sail and navigate on large boats. Through their Adaptive Sailing Programs, the TISC is helping to expand the opportunities for disabled people to fully participate in recreational activities. I certainly enjoyed my sailing experience and plan to do it again soon! I encourage everyone to do the same. Lessons can be arranged by emailing the TISC at: programs(at)tisailing.org. That’s my view ON the Bay.
Posted on September 20th, 2011 | 4 Comments »
August 24th, 2011
by Lateef McLeod
On a cool evening in late July, I was fortunate enough to see a performance by the AXIS Dance Company entitled, “The Dislocation Express.” The AXIS Dance Company is a dance collective that incorporates the talents of dancers with mobility challenges and able-bodied dancers into seamlessly choreographed and beautifully performed dance routines. This particular performance was especially unique in that it was being performed on the street, therefore open to anyone who happened to be passing by. Another interesting feature of this performance was that it was in two parts, the first part was performed in Berkeley in front of the Ed Roberts Campus, and the second part was performed at the Powell Street BART station (as soon as the cast could get across the Bay). The entire audience was encouraged to make the BART trip over to San Francisco to see the rest of the show.
To go along with this show’s traveling theme, the performers were dressed as marauding hobos. This outdoor performance was inspired by their first outdoor work commissioned by the Yerba Buena Gardens Festival in 2010, which was a tremendous success. AXIS wanted to produce an outdoor work because it was site-specific and would stretch AXIS dancers as artists. One of the most inspiring aspects of the performance was the main character, played by Christina, who performed in her wheelchair. The other characters, who were both able-bodied and had disabilities, performed their routines all around and sometimes over Christina in a very entertaining and, at times, thrilling way, in a slow build up leading to a dramatic finale.
The founding artistic director of the AXIS Dance Company, Thais Mazur, started the organization in 1987. She wanted to bring together a group of dancers with and without disabilities, who would explore dance and create performances. Another founding member and the artistic director, Judith Smith, described the founding of AXIS this way, “Thais Mazur was teaching a movement class for women who use wheelchairs. Through this class, Thais and some other people, disabled and not, were creating a dance piece based on the story of a young dancer who becomes disabled, but begins to dance and perform again – in a wheelchair. Though we didn’t know it, this was the beginning of the AXIS Dance Company. We performed the piece at a local dance festival and received a standing ovation. We weren’t sure whether the ovation was for our dance or because some of us were disabled. Immediately, there were requests to create works for other performances. Twenty-four years later, we have performed and taught locally, nationally, and internationally, as far away as Siberia, in a wide variety of venues and situations, and have commissioned some the nation’s best choreographers to create work for us.”
AXIS Dance Company is currently an internationally renowned dance company performing in other countries such as: Germany, Siberia, Slovenia, and Croatia. The company is both redefining dance and the capabilities of people with disabilities. Judith says she likes being part of AXIS and being a dancer because of, “the freedom it’s given me to explore who I am, to be creative with my mind and my body, and to move in ways in and out of my chair that I never imagined. Dance also brought discipline, focus, and direction back into my life. I love doing things that are unusual and push the boundaries of what most people think is possible.”
I encourage all of you to visit the AXIS Dance Company website and to go see one of their performances. That’s my view of the Bay.
Posted on August 24th, 2011 | No Comments »
