Maggie's Light is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization helping Maryland families help their children & young adults with special needs create lives they love - lives filled with friends, new experiences, and opportunities to grow and to be active in their communities. Maggie's Light is excited to assist families in navigating local and state resources to make this possible. They help families obtain funding for respite services and identify caregivers. Click here for more information.

Don't forget that Pete Wright will be in Bowie on April 22, 2010 for an all-day conference! Pete will cover material from his new book, All About IEPs as well as special education law. Participants receive 3 of Pete's books, including this new book. Click here for more information and to register.

 

The Youth Leadership Forum is conducted annually at Bowie State. YLF provides an opportunity for young people with disabilities to attend an intensive forum emphasizing leadership, independence & personal and career goal setting, encourages youth to pursue their academic and career goals by exposing them to successful role models, helps youth learn about resources that can help, and teaches youth about the history of struggle for disability rights. Click here to apply now!

Family Voices invites YOU and/or your organization to become a member today!  Support the work of a national grassroots network of families while receiving discounts, early notification of events, inclusion in a members-only listserv, and much more. Read the complete information by downloading the membership form. Individual members may sign up instantly and securely online! To share your membership status with others, individual members will receive a member decal for use on a car, home, or office window, and organizational members will receive a certificate suitable for framing. The Parents' Place is the Family Voices State Affiliated Organization in Maryland. We look forward to welcoming you as a member of Family Voices soon!

My name is Katy Meissner and I am a seventh grader at Lime Kiln Middle School. One of my older sisters has disabilities and attends Cedar Lane School. My experiences having a sister with disabilities have brought me here tonight to speak with you.
 
Imagine that you have to use a wheelchair. Maybe you can't hear, speak, or see. You wheel down the halls or street with people constantly staring at you. People may laugh at you behind your back or walk up to you asking, "What's wrong with you" when in fact there's nothing "wrong" with you. Sadly this is a reality for many kids and adults who have disabilities especially in schools. This can be avoided. It starts with understanding, education, and People First Language.
 
In the past, people with disabilities have been treated horribly by society, though people often times did these things or used the language they did with the best of intentions. Often these people were defined by their disability - they were called mongoloids, idiots, lunatics, imbeciles, freaks, crazy and retarded. Today some of these terms are still being used though not necessarily to refer to people with disabilities, but rather as derogatory slang. Some people use terms or phrases like "wheelchair bound", handicapped, "he's a sped", "...suffers with autism", "....is a victim of epilepsy" without realizing how offensive they may be.
 
There are also a lot of names and labels these people are given such as Downs kid, he's autistic, midget, CP kids, the deaf, the blind, and many others. What makes this terminology offensive is that it defines the person by their disability and often takes away the fact that they are people altogether. When using these terms others can often have difficulty seeing the person's personality traits or unique characteristics because they are too focused on "what is wrong with them" or what their disability is.
 

I have spent the last couple of months doing research around the treatment of people with disabilities and through that research I have learned about a concept known as People First Language. Essentially, People First Language is putting the person first and then their disability if at all necessary. For example instead of saying "the disabled" you might say "people with or who have disabilities," or instead of saying "wheelchair bound girl," you can say "the girl who uses a wheelchair." Another example would be referring to "regular" education instead of saying general education because it indicates that someone not in "regular" education is irregular or not normal.

 

I believe it is important for all people to get the respect and dignity they deserve.

 

Listed below are a sampling of summer camp and recreation programs. Plan now for a fun summer!

The Arc of Prince George's County offers a comprehensive summer camp guide.

Southern Maryland Online offers a list of summer camps.

Anne Arundel County Parks and Recreation offers a variety of programs.

Play Sports Plus offers year-round sports and swimming programs in Montgomery County.

LINC's 2010 Computer Art Camps are week-long inclusive day camps that expose children to different computer programs, assistive technologies, and experiences in a barrier-free, inclusive and fun environment.

Summer Camp Guide 2010 Annapolis includes a long list of possible camp options for all children.

The Arc of Baltimore offers a Summer Camp Vacations Program 2010 resource guide.

Maryland's Get Health Care website provides information to families on statewide health care initiatives that can help uninsured Marylanders get health care. The website offers information on a variety of health care programs including county health coverage and services. Check it out today and share it with your neighbors and friends. Link