Youth Employment & Recreation Program Begins 2nd YEAR in Saginaw

DNMM has once again received a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, to provide an at-risk youth employment and outdoor recreation program in the city of Saginaw.

In partnership with several area agencies and non-profits, the program will employ 90 at-risk young people, ages 16-19, in the city of Saginaw.  During the summer, participants will spend 20 hours per week in pre-employment training, career planning, leadership skill building, work experiences, current events & issues discussions, and outdoor recreational opportunities.

Parishioners on Patrol of Saginaw, S.T.R.I.V.E, Victorious Believers Ministries, the Mexican-American Council, and The Michigan Banner are returning as community partners for this employment and recreation project. The American GI Forum will be added as a new partner for this year.

"Disability Network became the lead partner in this program because of our commitment to helping young people prepare for careers, for college, and for living independently," said David Emmel, DNMM Executive Director.

"Summer jobs are an important component in the process of preparing today's young adults for tomorrow's workforce," said Lowell Gisel, Skill Development program manager at DNMM. "Meaningful employment helps young people develop the work habits, attitudes, and skills needed for continued success in work and in life. "

"During his State of the State address, Governor Snyder cited this program as 'a key priority' and we're excited to once again be a part of this opportunity for the Saginaw community," said Pastor Larry Camel of Parishioners on Patrol of Saginaw. "These experiences will teach young people about work ethic and about employer expectations. In addition, the program will provide participants with knowledge and skills that will enable them to make positive, life-long contributions to the Great Lakes Bay region."

One Woman's Inspiring Life Underwater

Multimedia, performance, and installation artist Sue Austin keeps a fascinating mission at the center her work: to challenge the idea of "disabled" and to represent her experience as a wheelchair user in a brighter light. She does this by creating quirky, unexpected juxtapositions -- bringing a sense of whimsy and empowerment to the discussion of disability.

Austin is the founder and artistic director of Freewheeling, an initiative aiming to further the genre of Disability Arts. In 2012, she was asked to be a part of the Cultural Olympiad in Britain, a celebration of the arts leading up to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The work she created for the event, called "Creating the Spectacle!," is a groundbreaking series of live art and video works of an underwater wheelchair.

Deep Sea Diving ... With a Wheelchair

Sue Austin began experiencing rare neurological problems 16 years ago after contracting cytomegalovirus and she eventually lost all her mobility. It bothered Austin to be perceived by others as limited and confined because of her wheelchair. "It was as if they couldn't see me anymore, as if an invisibility cloak had descended," Austin said.

Wanting to show the world the device she uses in a whole new way, Austin used imagination and engineering to create an underwater wheelchair.  

"I have the freedom to move in 360 degrees of space and an ecstatic experience of joy and freedom," she said. But the technology behind it took a little doing. "I started talking to engineers and they said, 'No you're not going to be able to do it,'" she said. "Which was probably the best thing that anyone could have said to me."

With the help of fellow divers, Austin invented a wheelchair with propulsion thrusters, custom fins and an air tank. Then, she took her first plunge on a ride that no one had ever taken before.

"I now call the underwater wheelchair 'Portal,'" Austin said. "Because it's literally pushed me through into a new way of being, into new dimensions and into a new level of consciousness."

DNMM Hosting FREE Social Security Seminar

• Disability (SSDI)
• Medicare
• Retirement
• Survivors
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

It's Social Security Made Easy! A free informative seminar hosted by DNMM!

WHEN: July 9th, 2013 - 2:00pm - 3:30pm

WHERE: Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency, 1574 E. Washington Rd., Farwell, MI 

For more information about the event, contact Disability Network at 1-800-782-4160 or visit www.dnmm.org.

Access America:  "Summer S.T.A.G.E.S."

In this month's episode of Access America, 

The Summer S.T.A.G.E.S. program kicked off its 11th year this month and the summer calendar is filled with job tours, work experiences, skill-building exercises, and various recreational opportunities.   

Access America: Summer S.T.A.G.E.S Program

Access America airs on Midland Community Television (Charter Channel 99 and Charter Digital Channel 994 ), Tuesdays at 7:30pm and Thursdays at 4:00pm. The show is also broadcast on public access television in Bay, Clare, Gratiot, Isabella and Saginaw Counties.  Check your local listings for air times.

Want to view our show online? Visit our Vimeo Channel at: www.vimeo.com/dnmm.  

Deaf Rapper Sean Forbes Brings Music and Message to Saginaw

While Sean Forbes is definitely def, the Detroit rapper is also deaf and he's knocking down stereotypes of what those with disabilities can do if they make up their mind to succeed.

The national recording star whose story has appeared in Parade magazine plays an outdoor show from 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 22, with MI Liebler, The Ruiners and DJ Snakes at White's Bar, 2609 State in Saginaw. And here, he talks about his amazing journey.

Q: How did growing up with musicians bring you to where you are today?

Forbes: When my parents found out I was deaf, they didn't say, "Oh no, how can we share the one thing that we're truly passionate about with him?" They actually turned the volume up. I grew up feeling the music. My parents and my Uncle Denny shared everyone from the Stones to the Beatles to Neil Young with me. When I got a little bit older, I started discovering my own music, listening to everything from Motley Crue to Snoop Dogg. And I'm really good at reading lips. If I didn't find a career in the music business, I might be working in the CIA.

Q: Has D-PAN, the Deaf Professional Arts Network, encouraged others to follow your example and make music?

Forbes: When we started D-PAN there were no American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation music videos online. Signing to songs is something that has been around for ages, but D-PAN was the first to bring it mainstream. Now there are millions of ASL music videos online, though only 5% of them are really awesome. When I was a student at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y., I met many other deaf and hard-of-hearing people who loved music but weren't able to follow the lyrics to songs. This was what propelled me to start a nonprofit that made music and music culture accessible to the deaf community.

Q: When did you realize you had a passion for music?

Forbes: I always knew I wanted to be a drummer and I wouldn't take no for an answer. But it wasn't until I took a leave of absence from college, came home and attended the Detroit Music Awards with my dad that I met Joel Martin, Eminem's publisher and owner of 54 Sound Studios, and my D-PAN co-founder. I instantly knew that he was someone who just might give me a chance, and boy, did he. At the time I still wanted to be a drummer but was actively writing lyrics and really getting into hip-hop because the music and the way a rapper delivers a message really spoke to me.

Forbes: I have another nationwide tour this fall, traveling to major cities across the country performing in nightclubs and schools. I love performing for the kids and then telling them my story of how I got into the music business. I'm in this for the long haul and more than anything I want to change perceptions, not just of deaf people but of anyone who should never let their disability define them.

Community Feedback: Question of the Month

We need your input! Here's an easy way for your voice to be heard!

As part of our on-going efforts to make our communities accessible, we'll be asking our readers questions each month.  We'll use your answers, your suggestions, and your opinions as a basis for determining what we can do, in terms of services and advocacy, to build fully-inclusive communities.

June 2013 Question:   

Healthcare has been a hot topic at both the State and Federal level with issues ranging from implementation of the Affordable Care Act to Michigan's Catastrophic Claims insurance coverage.  

We'd like you to weigh in on the healthcare needs of you, your family, and/or your friends with disabilities? What needs, if any, aren't being met?  

Click here to submit your answer(s) to the question.  Your responses will be anonymous and we will not share your name or email information with any third party.