If you are looking for a summer fun  in NYC, Wheeling Forward.org and the NYC Department of Transportation are collaborating on an adaptive power soccer clinic at Foley Square (Centre St between Pearl and Worth Streets in Manhattan) from  7 am to 1 pm tomorrow, Saturday, August 1st as well as on the following two Saturdays.   Manual wheelchair users are welcome too.    There will be loaner power wheelchairs available.    If you don’t have a physical disability, you are also welcome.  Bring along a friend or a family member who uses a wheelchair for mobility and discover how much fun power soccer is for everyone.  

Disney is looking for High School students with Dreams  Disney Dreamers Academy is looking for high school students from ages 13 to 19 years to apply for their class of 2016!  The Disney’s Dreamer Academy’s mission is to “unlock the potential in young people, and enable them to imagine their futures anew through inspirational leaders who show them how to set goals, make plans and dream big.”   Research supports the notion that if youth articulate their dreams and then seek resources for achieving them, they are more likely to make a dream or something close to it, a reality.   In our quick review of the class of 2015 Disney’s Dreamers, we didn’t see a teen with a disability.   Are you a teenager who happens to have a disability and also has a dream for your future?  Are you a parent, friend, advocate, or therapist of a teen with dreams and abilities that need nurturing?    Check out the Disney Dreamers Academy and its application process.   Disney is accepting applications for its class of 2016 until October 30, 2015.   We previously highlighted the story of Matthew Walzer, a high school student who happens to have cerebral palsy  and who had a dream of putting on his own sneakers independently without worrying about finding someone to tie them.  He wrote a letter to Nike about the problem and his dream  and Nike’s newest sneaker is the Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease which provides the support that youth with cerebral palsy need in a sneaker while also not requiring the shoe tying that is not physically possible for youth like Matthew.  We at ThisAbilityNotDisability.org celebrate the Matthew Walzers of the world and the companies who reach out to them in meaningful and motivational ways that support their dreams and full participation in their communities.   Let’s work to turn “what if?” into “why not?”  

Today is the 25th anniversary of the American with Disabilities Act - A day to celebrate all that has changed because of this day in 1990 with President George H. W. Bush signed this Act. The physical accommodations required by this act make US communities accessible in ways that couldn’t have been imagined by prior generations of persons with disabilities. The changes that it propelled in communities and businesses changed the views of all of us about people with disabilities. People with disabilities have the right to belong and with that are entitled to accommodations needed to allow that their communities, schools and places of employment to be accessible instead of being experienced as a person imposing on the rights of others when they just requested equal access. In today’s NY Times, there is a thoughtful opinion piece by Ben Mattlin about the Americans with Disabilities Act. (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/26/opinion/sunday/an-act-that-enabled-acceptance.html?emc=eta1&_r=0) An anniversary is also a time for reflection about the road already travelled and the road ahead. In October 2011, the late Roger Ebert wrote a wonderful blog entry that reviewed the PBS Independent Lens documentary, Lives Worth Living (http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/lives-worth-living/), which succinctly and powerful shares the history of the disability rights movement in the USA. It is worth tracking down. In the meantime, check out the late Roger Ebert’s 2011 review of it (http://www.rogerebert.com/demanders/the-promised-land-will-be-wheelchair-accessible). It is a powerful piece that not only moved me to track down the documentary and deepen my understanding of the disability rights movement, but it also provides an engaging and thoughtful commentary on the media and persons with disabilities. Thank you, Roger Ebert! Through your words, you live on and provoke the thinking of people beyond your years on this earth. There is still a long way to go so that persons with disabilities can develop and be recognized for their abilities. We all need to do our part to make that happen for the well-being and success of all of our communities.

The 2014-15 Inclusive Art  Program will begin weekly Sunday afternoon classes in October.  It is a great place for children whose only barrier to full participation at school and their wider community is their physical disability.   This program provides a structured group experience where children learn about and create art  including animation and claymation  alongside of peers with physical disabilities and a sibling or friend whom each child may bring.  Participation in structured groups is a key developmental experience for all children for building skills and friendships.  This class/group is led by CMA teacher artists and an occupational therapist.    CMA is located on Charlton St in New York City.   

To learn more about Debra's thoughts on how innate curiosity can lead to sustainable solutions for children and adults with physical disabilities.