Introducing DNMM's New Executive Director: David Emmel

David Emmel has been named the new Executive Director of the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan.

Emmel has served on the adjunct faculty at Northwood University teaching Entrepreneurship and in the MBA program for six years. He was also an active business and professional consultant focused on economic development, business strategy and innovation. Emmel spent ten years at MidMichigan Medical Center as the business manager for nursing and surgical services.

"As a non-profit agency servicing twelve counties, we have committed ourselves to having strong ties to our consumers and our communities," said Board President Jerry Pritchett. "David Emmel's extensive experience in the both the entrepreneurial and health and human services fields reaffirms that commitment."

"I'm excited and eager for this new opportunity to work with people in communities throughout mid-Michigan," said Emmel. "Ours is a 'quality of life community,' and as we seek to promote greater independence and accessibility for people with disabilities, that quality of life and our sense of community is greatly enhanced."

David Emmel holds a Masters in Business Administration from Northwood University. He and his wife, Georgia, are long-time Midland residents. David is an avid skier and musician. He can be reached at (989) 835-4041 ext. 220 or e-mail at emmel@dnmm.org.

 Piano Palooza 6: A Huge Success!  

A crowd of 230 people attended the sixth annual Piano Palooza fundraiser on Saturday, February 4th at the Midland Country Club. It was the most successful DNMM fundraiser to date. The event included a candlelight dinner, dancing to dueling pianos and a silent auction.

"There's a Chinese proverb that says, 'If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day. But, if you teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime,'" said Sara Grivetti, CEO of Disability Network/Michigan. "And that's what we do at Disability Network and the Centers for Independent Living. We teach people to fish."

"Our philosophy is helping people to be independent and not dependent on the public. It's not about charity; it's about empowering people to be everything they can possibly be and to have equal access to our communities, "added Grivetti.

Money raised at the event supports the STAGES program, which assists youth with disabilities one-on-one or in small group settings during school hours. The program helps students to be able to live and work independently after leaving school.  

Saturday marked the first day on the job for DNMM's new Executive Director, David Emmel.   "It's an incredible turnout for a good cause," said Emmel. "The people of the Great Lakes Bay region are always generous."

Betsy MacPhee, of Midland and Philadelphia, said she attended because she and her husband wanted to give back to the community. "We are major believers in this cause and the mission of the STAGES program," she said.  MacPhee added that her daughter is in graduate school pursuing a degree in rehabilitation counseling. "She has really exposed us to the need for people to give to organizations like Disability Network, " MacPhee said.

Why the STAGES program? "We want to help the STAGES program because they help high school kids with disabilities transition into fulfilling lives," MacPhee said. 

 Scott Joins Disability Network Staff

Muriel Scott has joined the staff of the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan's Nursing Facility Transition (NFT) program.

"The goal of the NFT program is to provide an opportunity for an individual to consider community-based living as a viable alternative to nursing facility residency," said David Emmel, Executive Director of the Disability Network of Mid-Michigan. "Muriel's dedication to, and passion for, the independent living philosophy will prove an invaluable asset to the program and to our consumers."

Scott brings an extensive and varied background to her new role in the NFT program. She worked in the Human Services field for over 17 years before becoming involved with Disability Network. A certified MMAP counselor, she assisted individuals to qualify for Medicaid assistance and particularly enjoyed helping clients and their spouses obtain nursing home Medicaid while still sheltering their assets.  When she learned of the MI Choice Waiver program opening state wide she decided that she wanted to be in on the ground floor and work with that program. She pursued an interview with a local waiver agent and has worked in one form or another with that program ever since. Her career focus continues to be assisting individuals to remain living independently, as opposed to in a nursing home facility.  

Muriel enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, children and husband, Mike,  her two Shih Tzus and her cat.  She loves anything artistic from decorating to crafts of any kind.

The NFT program provides an array of services to those seeking a better, more independent, quality of life. The benefits to the consumer of transitioning out of a nursing facility are many, but can be as simple as being able to cook for one's self or simply having a place to call "home." Transitioning out of a nursing facility also benefits Michigan as taxpayers save an average of $14,869 per person receiving NFT services.  

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Give Back:  Ruby Tuesday Restaurant Dining for Disability Network 

Join us for lunch or dinner at Ruby Tuesday restaurant in Midland on Thursday, March 15th.  

Ruby Tuesday is extremely proud to be a part of our hometown and they believe in giving back. As part of their Community Give Back Program, Ruby Tuesday will be donating 20% of all table receipts to Disability Network of Mid-Michigan on Thursday, March 15th, from 11am until 10pm.

If you would like to attend, please present this certificate to your server. 

The restaurant is located in the Midland Mall, at 6800 Eastman Avenue. For directions or to view the menu, please visit www.rubytuesday.com.  To make a reservation, please call 989-631-4050. 

 Julie Montgomery Conquers the Slopes 

Saginaw native Julie Montgomery has been alpine skiing since she was 12 years old. Julie recently competed in the State Special Olympic Winter Games at Shuss Mountain Ski Resort in Mancelona. Julie's smile and her competitive fire both surface when asked what she likes most about skiing. "The medals, I like them the best," Montgomery said.  "I got a silver [on Day Two of the Games], but I'm going to get a gold tomorrow!" 

"I've been coaching Julie for 25 years," said Sandy Van Haaren, one of Montgomery's coaches. "She does an awesome job and she's an awesome athlete. It's great to have this competition. It's just a great time for all of us."

Tam Premo is an Independent Living Support Coordinator at Disability Network. She's worked with Julie since she first started working at DNMM over a year ago. "I'm certainly proud of what's she accomplished but I'm not surprised at all," said Tam. "Julie's a hard worker and if she says she's going to win a gold...she will."

Julie made  good on her prediction, taking home a gold medal in the alpine downhill.  

Julie Montgomery On the Slopes in Mancelona

Video and portions of article courtesy of NBC 25 and miNBCnews.com.   

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Building Windows 8: Enabling Accessibility 

From Microsoft.com:  Microsoft wants all users to be able to experience Windows 8 Metro style apps on their desktops, laptops, or the new touch-capable devices. This includes people with disabilities who rely on assistive technologies to use their computer.

Building 'Windows 8' - Enabling Accessibility

Windows 8 is a product Microsoft designs for an incredibly broad spectrum of people around the world. One of the areas where Microsoft has worked to deliver an even greater level of innovation is in ensuring that Windows 8, particularly the new Metro style experience, is accessible to everyone regardless of their physical abilities. In this article, Microsoft talks about the engineering work that goes into the features they refer to as "accessibility" - though many of these features are broadly applicable and just make the product better for everyone. If you are interested in Microsoft's overall efforts in accessibility and related topics, please be sure to check out www.microsoft.com/enable.  

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 Life Changer: Invisible Wheelchair Control & More via iPhone Accessory  

By Stella Violano - www.appadvice.com

Last weekend at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, Georgia Tech unveiled a Tongue Drive System which works with an iPod or iPhone to control electric wheelchairs and computers. The system uses a specialized dental retainer with embedded magnets to send wireless signals to an iPhone or iPod specially programmed to operate the wheelchair. 

Currently seven basic sensors are being tested to control wheelchair movement and computer commands. However, many more sensors are expected to be added in the future. Future sensors could even be programmed to perform specific functions for each user.