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Wednesday, March 3rd is End the 'R' Word Day

Why a whole day's focus on ending the use of the "r" word?

As Chairman and Chief Executive of the Special Olympics, Timothy Shriver points out in a recent article in The Washington Post:

 ..."Retard" is a symbol of a pain few realize exists. Even when it's not directed at people with intellectual disabilities, it perpetuates that pain and stigma. We hope that the discussion about ending it will awaken millions to the hope of ending the discrimination it represents.

If we're successful, the world will discover the joy, hope and sparkling individuality of millions of people. With that, real change will come.

It can't come soon enough.

Read the full article - and go to http://www.r-word.org/ today for more information, and to pledge your support for Wednesday, and for the cause.

Letters to the International Herald Tribune - Respect for Disabled Athletes - NYTimes.com

As we approach the close of the Winter Olympics,  an article from The New York Times on Disabled Athletes  delivers a compelling message:  why segregate the Paralympians? Why not run the Paralympic Games alongside the Olympics, instead of two weeks afterwards, when the celebratory spirit and media coverage has dimmed?

But for now, the Paralympics go forward as scheduled with great enthusiasm from thousands of supporters and viewers.  Read about Whistler's accessiblity upgrades that await athletes and spectators alike - in the Park, in Whistler Village and at lodging facilities.  The good news is that these improvements will remain in place year round, to be enjoyed by visitors of all abilities!   

 For late-breaking news on accessibility at the Paralympics, go to http://www.whistlerforthedisabled.com - the official Organization for Accessible Tourism and Whistler's Accessibility on the Official 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic website, and for the Tourism Industry in BC.

Update on actors with disabilities: the LA production of 'Proof', featuringTeal Scherer

From Backstage, an online and print publication, February 10, 2010: 
Teal Sherer is an actor. She also uses a wheelchair, on stage, on screen, and in real life. That fact "adds a layer of vulnerability" to a production of "Proof" at the NoHo Arts Center in Los Angeles "that brings the play to life," a reviewer wrote in LA Weekly. David Auburn's Tony Award–winning play doesn't specifically call for an actor in a wheelchair to play Catherine, the troubled daughter of a deceased mathematician.

"Nobody cares," Sherer said about audience response to her nontraditional embodiment of the role. Her acting is what they notice. "Make no mistake," the LA Weekly review continues, "Sherer's accomplished performance stands on its own; it's the material that's been enriched."  Click to read the rest of this article by Michael P. Ventura, Working Miracles with Disabled Actors ...