The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Disability Services and the New Jersey Coalition on Women and Disabilities have developed important resources to address violence against women with disabilities. Unheard Voices is a manual for Healthcare Providers to recognize and address possible abuse. Spot the Signs is a handy brochure for healthcare professionals. Ask the Questions is a poster that summarizes the major signs of possible abuse against women with disabilities.
This initiative was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 remains the most compelling and influential law supporting the rights of people with disabilities. Twenty years later, however, plenty of work remains in getting the fitness industry to reach a similar standard of accessibility as office buildings and public facilities.
You can read more about efforts to make fitness centers more accessible to people with disabilities in the January 2010 newsletter of the National Center of Physical Activity and Disability.
The National Institutes of Health has developed a research plan to advance the understanding of fragile X syndrome and its associated conditions, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome and fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency. Fragile X syndrome causes intellectual and developmental disabilities and results from a mutation in a gene on the X chromosome.
The plan puts forward goals to guide future research, setting research priorities for each of the conditions. A major priority of the plan is to investigate the biological processes underlying all three disorders and how to better diagnose and treat them. Other priorities are studying how widespread the gene variations are in the population and how the three conditions affect families.
Although the three disorders have very different symptoms, all result from variations in the same gene, known as the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Full mutation of the gene means that cells do not produce a protein involved with communications between neurons in the central nervous system. The resulting disorder, Fragile X syndrome (FXS), occurs in approximately one in 2,500 births. People with FXS often have intellectual disabilities ranging from mild to severe. They may also have emotional and behavioral problems, including attention problems, hyperactivity, anxiety, aggression, and autism or autism spectrum disorder.
The report also highlights ongoing research, including collaborative efforts from several NIH institutes: the NICHD, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the National Institute on Aging. The NIH funds a network of centers devoted to Fragile X syndrome and its associated conditions, as well as studies by independent scientists.
The report is available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs_details.cfm?from=&pubs_id=5729
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liveAble: A Project of the University of Texas at Austin – School of Nursing
Are you a cancer survivor who had limitation in activities of daily living prior to your cancer?
The University of Texas at Austin – School of Nursing invites you to participate in a study to help them understand how cancer survivors who had a functional limitation or disability prior to being diagnosed with cancer take care of their health. This study is funded by the National Cancer Institute. You can earn up to $25 by completing a questionnaire packet about your health status, health-promoting behaviors, and quality of life. This information will help health care providers work more effectively with survivors with pre-existing disabling conditions. Reseachres are particularly interested in reaching members of minority ethnic and/or racial groups, who may be less likely to participate in such studies. You must have completed active treatment to participate.
If you are over the age of 21 and interested in participating in this study, please contact:
Heather Becker, Ph.D., Research Scientist
The University of Texas at Austin
School of Nursing
1700 Red River
Austin, TX 78701-1499
512-471-7311 or 800-687-8010
512-471-4910 (fax)
heatherbecker@mail.utexas.edu or maxhealth@mail.nur.utexas.edu
Please pass this information along to others who may be eligible to participate!
The June Newsletter of the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD) is now available.
- A Note from Our Friends at NCBDDD: October 21 Event with Julie & Katie Beckett
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Disability and Health Program at CDC, NCBDDD will present “A Focus on Disabilities” with guest speakers Katie Beckett and Julie Beckett on Tuesday, October 21 at 3 p.m. EST. The event takes place at CDC’s Roybal Campus, Tom Harkin Global Communications Center, in Atlanta. Julie Beckett currently serves as director of national policy for Family Voices. Her daughter is Katie Beckett, in whose name a Medicaid home and community-based waiver program was developed.The Becketts will share details on bringing families and communities together to obtain services for children with special needs/disabilities. There is no fee, but registration is required. Audio conferencing is also available. For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/ncbddd or contact Marcia Miller at mfv9@cdc.gov.
- A Note from the Executive Committee: October 23 Quarterly EPG Call
Mark your calendar for the Quarterly EPG Call scheduled for Thursday, October 23 at 3 p.m. EST (2 p.m. CST). One of the items for discussion will be our partners’ observance of National Disability Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for each of us to increase visibility of our issues. Please be sure to be on the call to let us know how you’ll be marking the observance! To dial in, call 877-921-3911. Participant passcode: 2800039.
- SAMHSA Awards $27.5 Million in Grants to Promote Wellbeing of Young Children in Communities Nationwide
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced that more than $27.5 million in Project LAUNCH (Linking Actions for Unmet Needs in Children’s Health) grant funds will be awarded to state and tribal programs over the next five years. Project LAUNCH is a new grant program promoting the wellness of children ages birth to eight years by addressing the physical, emotional, social and behavioral aspects of their development. Project LAUNCH grantees will implement a range of evidence-based public health strategies to improve coordination among child-serving systems, build infrastructure and improve methods of providing services. Most funds will be passed from the state and tribal level to an identified locality, where the grant will support local community services. To learn more, click here.
- October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month & National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
Among October’s national health observances are National Down Syndrome Awareness Month and National Spina Bifida Awareness Month. Related resources and materials for use by practitioners/advocates and in local communities are available from the National Down Syndrome Society at www.ndss.org and from the Spina Bifida Association at www.spinabifidaassociation.org. For more about 2008 national health observances, and to make sure your organization’s observance is included in the Healthfinder.gov calendar, click here.
- CDC Public Health Conference Grant Opportunity
CDC Public Health Conference Support Program grant opportunities for FY 2008 have been announced, with a due-date of December 8. One hundred awards totaling $2,600,000 will be given to provide partial support for specific non-federal conferences in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention, educational programs and applied research. The program addresses “Healthy People 2010″ focus areas of access to quality health services; disability and secondary conditions; educational and community-based programs; maternal, infant and child health; and others. The RFA number is CDC-PA-HM09-901. For more information, click here.
- Innovative Robotics Project Benefits Babies with Special Needs
Important and innovative research underway at the University of Delaware could have a positive impact on the cognitive development of infants with special needs. Using special kid-sized robots that provide mobility to children who are unable to fully explore the world on their own, babies with Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, autism and other disorders are able to have developmental experiences they might have otherwise missed. To learn more, click here.
- Job Opportunity: MHA Seeks Bilingual Resource Specialist
Mental Health America (MHA) is looking to hire a bilingual resource specialist (Spanish/English) to respond to public inquiries on mental health resources and referrals. Qualified candidates must have excellent communication skills in both Spanish and English, as well as strong computer skills. Candidates should be detail-oriented, well organized and comfortable dealing with a variety of callers. BSW or BA degree in psychology/related field required. Two years work experience in a mental health setting preferred. Experience with mental health information and referral service or crisis line a plus. The position is based in Alexandria, Virginia. For more information, click here.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise us to “Choose wisely within a food group.” When we’re faced with each day’s array of food choices, what does “choosing wisely” mean? Researchers at The University of Montana Rural Institute created the Wise Choices Food Pyramid as a tool to help individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and others have healthier diets by making better choices within food groups.
The Wise Choices Pyramid ranks foods based on recommendations from the USDA MyPyramid, the American Heart Association, the American Dietetic Association, and other scientific organizations. Then, within each food group, the ranked foods are placed according to their nutritional benefits.
For more information, please read our latest Practice Guideline: The Wise Choices Food Pyramid: What if We Did Compare Apples and Oranges? at http://mtdh.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Publications/WiseChoices.htm
Also, please visit http://www.goodnutritionideas.com for free education materials and full-size posters to help consumers and students learn to make wise diet choices.
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