ACDD Advocate Fall 2012

ACDDAdvocateA L A B A M A C O U N C I L O N D E V E L O P M E N T A L D I S A B I L I T I E S

Volume VII Number 3, Fall 2012

in ALABAMA

Autism AwAreness and AcceptAnce

2 A l A b A m A C o u n C i l 0 n D e v e l o p m e n t A l D i s A b i l i t i e s

Developmental Disabilityd

T h e F e d e r a l d e F i n i T i o n o F

From the Developmental Disabil-ities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act, 2000 Reauthorization, Public Law 106-402, S. 1809-7(8).

A. The term “developmental disability” means a severe, chronic disability of an individual that is:

•attributabletoamentaland/orphysicalimpairment

•ismanifestedbeforetheindividualattainsage22

•islikelytocontinueindefinitely

•resultsinsubstantialfunctionallimitationsin3ormoreofthefollowing

areasofmajorlifeactivity:

(1) self-care

(2) receptive and expressive language

(3)learning

(4)mobility

(5) self-direction

(6)capacityforindependentliving

(7)economicself-sufficiency

•reflectstheindividual’sneedforacombinationandsequenceofspecial,interdisciplinary,or

generic services, individualized supports, or other forms of assistance that are of lifelong or ex-

tendeddurationandareindividuallyplannedandcoordinated.

B. Infants and young children:

Anindividualfrombirthtoage9,inclusive,whohasasubstantialdevelopmentaldelayorspecific

congenitaloracquiredcondition,maybeconsideredtohaveadevelopmentaldisabilitywithoutmeet-

ing3ormoreofthecriteria(listedabove)...iftheindividual,withoutservicesandsupports,hasahigh

probabilityofmeetingthosecriterialaterinlife.

1T h e A C D D A D v o C A T e F A l l 2 0 1 2

ACDD AdvocateVol.VII,No.3

Fall 2012

The ACDD Advocateispublishedquarterlybythe

Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities.

Letter from the Governor .................................. 2

Letter from the Council Chair .......................... 3

Letter from the Executive Director ................. 4

BluffParkPromiseHome .................................. 5

Special Connections.......................................... 8

Barbara Newman Leads Conference. ........... 10

George Neal Becomes an Advocate ...............12

AlabamaAutismSociety ................................. 14

SenatorCamWardContinuesAdvocacy ...... 16

BraswellandAssistiveTechnology ............... 18

HousingMarketEvolves .................................22

Veterans, Students Collaborate .....................25

DISCLAIMER:Alldirectquotationsandotherinformationrepresentedthroughinterviewsinthismagazinearetheopinionsofthespeakers,anddonotnecessarilyrepresentthepositionoftheAlabamaCouncilonDevelopmentalDisabilitiesortheAlabamaDepartmentofMentalHealth.

14 Autism Society of Alabama (ASA) works to improve services for persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder through education and advocacy.

25 Veterans, Students Collaborate Partnership to develop customized assistive-technology for veterans with disabilities.

16 Senator Cam Ward State senator continues to work for treatment and insurance reform for Alabama families affected by disabilities.

8 Special Connections Faith community in Alabama reaches out to include people with disabilities.

COUNCIL OFFICE:

RSA Union Building 100 North Union Street P.O.Box301410Montgomery,AL36130-1410(334)242-3973or1(800)232-2158FAX:(334)242-0797Website:www.acdd.org

ACDD STAFF:Elmyra Jones, Executive DirectorSophia D. Whitted,FiscalManager COUNCIL MEMBERS:

Dr. Dave Martin, Chair, Parent AdvocatePeggy Givhan, Department of Senior Services(Designee)Johnna Breland, Parent AdvocateRuth Brewbaker, Parent AdvocateVivian Brown, Self AdvocateSue Berry, DepartmentofHumanResources(Designee)DaLee Chambers, ALSDE – Special Education(Designee)Michael Collins, Self AdvocateWendy Dean, Self AdvocateKaren Driver, Parent AdvocateStefan Eisen, Vice Chair, Parent AdvocateJoe Eversole, Self AdvocateAmy Floyd, Department of Children’s Affairs(Designee)Mitchell Garrett, EpilepsyFoundationEllen Gillespie, AlabamaDisabilitiesAdvocacyProgramCarolyn Greene, Parent AdvocateReginald Guilford, Self AdvocateLinda Hames, Rehabilitation Services (Designee)April Ikner, Self AdvocateCharlie Jordan, Parent AdvocateAcquanetta Knight, DepartmentofMentalHealth(Designee)Walden Lechner, Self AdvocateJacquline Harris, DepartmentofPublicHealth(Designee)David Lowry, Self AdvocateAngela Jones McNeal, Parent AdvocateFrances Murphy, FamilyMemberLatonda Cunningham, AlabamaMedicaidAgency(Designee)Gaylen S. Pugh, LocalAgencyNancy Rhodes, Parent AdvocateSylvia Richey, Self AdvocateGraham Sisson, Governor’sOfficeonDisabilityShelia Smalley, FamilyMemberJoan Smith, Self AdvocateScott Sligh, Parent AdvocateCindy Sweeny, Center for Excellence (Designee)

AL

AB A M A C O U N C I L O

N

DE

VE LO P M E N T A L D I S A B I L I T

I ES

5 Bluff Park Promise Home Church builds residential facility for adults on autism spectrum.

Contents

ACDD Mission StatementTopromoteandsupportindependence,advocacy,productivityandinclusionforAlabamianswithdevelopmental disabilities.

AUTISM AWARENESS& ACCEPTANCEin Alabama

CoverphotoofRSATowerindowntownMobile,withspecialbluelightingforAutismAwarenessMonth,byEdwardFieder.

STaTe oF alabama

Letterfrom the Governor

2 A l A b A m A C o u n C i l o n D e v e l o p m e n T A l D i s A b i l i T i e s

Greetings

InmymostrecentletterintheACDD Advocate, I emphasized the importance

of housing, noting that “no matter where we are in life, we all need a place to

live.Formanyofourmostvulnerable

citizens, safe, affordable housing is a major challenge.” I was writing in

referencetotheCouncil’sverysuccessfulandinclusivecollaborativehousing

databaseprojectentitledALHousingSearch.org.

InthisissuewecontinuetoseethemanywaysthatcaringandconcernedAlabamians

reachouttohelptheirneighbors,includingthemostvulnerableamongus.BluffParkUnited

MethodistChurch,alongwithitsseniorministerReidCrotty,havelongbeenbeaconsof

inspirationandhopetothousandsofworshippersinHoover.Withvisionaryleadership,

generousfinancialdonations,andlotsofvolunteerlabor,BluffParkhasrecentlycompleted

anddedicatedBluffParkPromiseHome,aresidentialfacilityonthechurchgroundsthatwill

be a permanent home to six adults with disabilities. These residents will be welcomed as part of

BluffPark’schurchcommunityandwillliverich,independentlivesinthebeautifulfacility.Bluff

ParkPromiseHomewillbeoperatedbyGlenwood,anationally-recognizedmodelfortreatment

of people with behavior disorders.

IhavealwaysknownthatAlabamaandherpeoplewerecaring,creative,generous,and

enterprising.BluffParkPromiseHomeisasterlingexampleofwhatcanhappenwhenpeople

cometogetherandfigureouthowbesttouseresourcestoreachouttothoseinneed.

Iamverypleasedthatourchurchescontinuetoshowushowbesttoincludeallofour

citizensinourdailylifeandwork.InadditiontoBluffPark,wearealsoabletoreadinthis

issueaboutBriarwoodPresbyterian’sSpecialConnectionsministryanditswonderfuloutreach

efforts.Theseexamplesarejusttwoamongmanygoingonallaroundusthatemphasize

people’s abilities rather than their disabilities. I want to encourage each of us to continue to

workforabetterAlabama,andindoingsotothinkofwaystoincludeallofourcitizensinevery

partofoursociety.

Dave Martin, Council Chair

alabama CounCil on developmenTal diSabiliTieS

Council Chairfrom the


Ithasbeen43yearssincethefederallawsuitWyatt v. Stickneywasfiledon

behalfof16-year-oldRickyWyatt.Wyatt,whodiedjustlastyear,wasayoungman

withoutamentalhealthdiagnosisofanysort,whowasbasicallyincarceratedat

BryceHospitalinTuscaloosa.ThelandmarkrulinginfederaljudgeFrankJohnson’s

Montgomerycourtroomestablishedcertainminimumtreatmentrequirements

forpeoplewhowereinstitutionalizedinBryceandPartlowHospitalsinAlabama.Byextension,this

federal law affected all 50 states, and placed Alabama in the forefront of what has become an entire

movementawayfrominstitutionalizationandtowardcommunityliving.

Thismovementhasnotalwaysbeenfast,orsmooth,orpretty,butforthepeoplewhowerelivingin

whatJudgeJohnsonfamouslycalled“warehouseconditions,”movingintothecommunitywasaGod-

send. The Alabama Council on Developmental Disabilities promotes and supports the independence

andinclusionofAlabamianswithdevelopmentaldisabilities,andboththeDepartmentsofMental

HealthandRehabilitationarefocusedonverysimilar,consumer-drivengoals.Whenthelawsuitwas

filedonOctober23,1970,thefar-reachingresultsthatweseetodaywerelargelyunimaginable.

So how do these historical results relate to this issue of the ACDD Advocate? The goal is still to

have an independent life as opposed to one of dependence and institutionalization. The goal is still

personalfreedominthecommunity,andinthisissuewereadaboutsomethingthatismakingthese

idealspossibleinboldnewways:assistivetechnologyanduniversaldesign.

Theinter-relatedstoriesinthisissueshowcasethewaysbuildersandengineersandteachersand

researchersareworkingcloselywithpeoplewithdisabilitiestomakelifemoreinclusiveandopenfor

everyone.Fromthewaywedesignnewconstructionorretro-fitolderhomes,tothecomputerand

wireless devices that operate our living environments, to the innovations we can forge for individual

situations–includingthoseforthemilitaryveteransfeaturedhere–wecanseethatATandUDare

thenaturalevolutionofwhatitmeanstobelivingindependently,andlivinginthecommunity.

Ican’tsaywherewewillbeinanother40years,butit’srewardingtoseehowfarwehavecomeand

howfasttheseinnovationsaremovingusforward.ATandUTaremakingitpossibleformoreand

moreofourcitizenstobeincludedinthehome,intheworkplace,andinthecommunityatlarge.

Thesetechnologiesgiveusallanotherwaytodowhatweshouldallbedoing:seeingpeople’sabilities

rather than their disabilities.

A Letterfrom the

A L A B A M A C O U N C I L O N D E V E L O P M E N T A L D I S A B I L I T I E S

Elmyra Jones, Executive Director

Executive Director

alabama CounCil on developmenTal diSabiliTieS

4 A l A b A m A C o u n C i l o n D e v e l o p m e n T A l D i s A b i l i T i e s

OneofthebestpartsofmyworkasExecutiveDirectorofthe

Councilisseeingthemanygreatprojectsthatwefundthroughour

grant-makingprocess.OvertheyearsIhaveseenthedifferencethese

successful collaborations have made in individual lives and in the lives

of entire communities.

Ontheotherhand,asIworkwithourfamiliesandstakeholdersIstillseethatthereistoo

muchstigmaandtoomuchprejudice–usuallybasedonfearandignorance–towardour

citizenswithdisabilities.Thingshavegottenmuchbetterovertheyears,ofcourse,butthisis

stillabattlethatfamiliesandindividualsarefightingeveryday.OnJune2,PresidentObama

hosted a conference that explored insurance coverage for mental health care and substance

abuse,theimportanceofrecognizingthesignsofmentalillnessinyoungpeople,andimproved

access to services for veterans. The overall goal of the conference was to reduce the stigma of

thesedisabilitiesandtoencouragethosewhoarestrugglingtogethelp.Thisinitselfspeaksto

theprogresswehavemadeasasociety.

Ilikeseeingthingslikethisonanationallevel,butIalsoenjoyseeingwhatourpeopleare

doing right here in Alabama to ensure that we are focusing on people’s abilities rather than

their disabilities. In this issue of the ACDD Advocatewearepleasedtoshowcaseeffortsbytwo

Birmingham-area churches that are doing just that.

BriarwoodPresbyterian’sSpecialConnectionsministryhasawide-rangingprogramof

inclusion for people with disabilities as part of its church life, with a special focus on including

children.Thechurchrecentlyheldaconferencetoshareitsideasandsuccesseswithother

churchesfromacrossthestate.Theconferencewasledbynationally-renownedchurchand

schoolconsultantBarbaraNewman.It’slikearippleeffectwhenthesegroupscometogether

andthentakewhattheyhavelearnedbacktotheirhomechurchandcommunity.

Likewise,BluffParkUnitedMethodistChurchdedicateditsPromiseHomeresidentialfacility

onthesamedayPresidentObamawasholdinghisWhiteHouseconference.Thehomeforsix

adultsontheautismspectrumislocatedonthechurchproperty,andtheresidentsareincluded

ineverythingthechurchdoes,fromworshiptoconcertstosocialevents.Gettingtoknow

peopleforwhotheyare–seeingtheirabilitiesinsteadoftheirdisabilities–isthebestwayto

overcomethefearandignorancethatleadstostigmainthefirstplace.

It’s a slow process, but it’s good to see progress being made on both a national and local level.

ThankstoourCouncilmemberswhoarepartofthegoodfighteveryday.

T h e A C D D A D v o C A T e F A l l 2 0 1 2 5

BluffParkPromiseHome,aresidentialfa-

cilityforsixadultswithdisabilities,was

dedicatedJune9onthecampusofBluff

ParkUnitedMethodistChurchin

Hoover.Thefacility,whichchurch

member Bill Pearson said “will be a

blessingtomanypeopleforyearsto

come,” has been a long time in the

making.

“The idea of some sort of group

home has been around for a while

since we had some nice space on

our church campus that wasn’t being used,” said

BluffPark’sretiringseniorministerReidCrotty.

“Welookedatwaystodosomethingsimilartothis

with other organizations and for various reasons

theyjustdidnotworkout.Butourchurchmem-

bersraisedthemoneyandwehadlotsofvolun-

teerlaborandbuildingskillsunderthecapable

Bluff park promise Home‘We knew it would be a blessing to many people for years to come’

a p r o j e c t o f G l e n w o o d , I n c .

“...our church members raised the money and we had lots of volunteer labor and building skills under the capable leadership of Bradley Word, so what we really needed was to find the right group to operate the home. The church wanted to provide this sort of ministry, but at the same time we did not to own or manage the home.”

A l A b A m A C o u n C i l 0 n D e v e l o p m e n t A l D i s A b i l i t i e s6

leadershipofBradleyWord,sowhat

wereallyneededwastofindtheright

group to operate the home. The church

wantedtoprovidethissortofministry,

but at the same time we did not want

to own or manage the home.”

Asafirstbigstep,thechurchcreated

an independent, separate board called

BluffParkUnitedMethodistCommuni-

tyMinistriesFoundationanddonated

thepropertytotheFoundation.The

board then began its search for the

rightmanagementfitandfinallyfound

it right here in Birmingham.

“WeofcourseknewaboutGlenwood

AutismandBehavioralHealthCenter,

and we sought their advice on how to

proceed,” said church member Pear-

son, who is also involved in the lead-

ershipoftheAlabamaAutismSociety.

“Tomakealongstoryshort,itbecame

increasinglyobviousthatthebestpos-

sible group to operate the home was

Glenwood.”

Crottysaidwhentheboardrecom-

mendedthatthefacilitybeoperatedby

Glenwood, the church held meetings

togatherinputandfeedbackfromits

members.

“Itwasextremelypositive,”Crotty

recalls.“Ourmemberstalkedaboutthe

importance of welcoming the residents

aspartofourchurchfamily.Wehave

music programs and all sorts of activ-

ities.Wecanhaveabirthdaypartyfor

aresident.Wecandosomanythings.

While we don’t want to force the res-

idents to join us in our activities, we

welcome them in all that we do, includ-

ingourthreeSundayservices.”

BluffParkUnitedMethodistChurch

has about 2,000 members, and is a

popular site for music concerts be-

causeofthesanctuary’sexcellent

acoustics.

Glenwood a perfect fit“Thiswasagreatopportunityfor

us,” said Lee Yount, President and CEO

ofGlenwood.“Wehadtalkedtothe

church about their hopes for the prop-

ertyandwhenwewereinvitedtoseeit

for ourselves we just realized this was

anincredibleopportunityforusand

formany,manypeopleintheyearsto

come.Reallythishomeisagreatgiftto

Birmingham’sdisabilitycommunity.It

isauniqueopportunityforus.We’ve

neverhadanythinglikethiscomeour

waybefore.”

“Wehaveverywell-plannedresiden-

tial facilities on our Glenwood campus.

But when we go into neighborhoods

to establish a group home, accessi-

bilityandtechnologyareoftenreal

problems,especiallyinolderhomes.

Thishomeisverywellconstructedand

plannedperfectlyforresidentswith

autism or other disabilities. Plus, it has

adefinite‘welcoming’feelingfromthe

church.”

“We of course knew about Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center, and we sought their advice on how to proceed,” said church member Pearson, who is also involved in the leadership of the Alabama Autism Society. “To make a long story short, it became increasingly obvious that the best possible group to operate the home was Glenwood.”


JoeCarter,Glenwood’sVicepresident

of Adult Services, agreed.

“Therearealwayschallengeswhen

yougointoaneighborhoodtoopena

group home or an apartment building.

ButBluffParkisawelcomingplace.

Herethereisalargecommunityready

to embrace the residents, and that in

itself is a unique and wonderful gift.”

Glenwood will operate the

4,000-square foot, six-bedroom, six-

bath home, with a 24-hour onsite man-

ager. In addition to the large private

rooms,thereisalsoadelightfullylarge

sunroomnearthebackofthehouse,

and a screen porch that sweeps across

the entire rear of the home.

The home was also completed with

suggestions from Glenwood based on

its own residential experiences. The

home includes sound-insulated walls,

hardwood floors as opposed to carpet,

lever-action door hardware, adaptable

showers,andavarietyofsafetyand

comfort features.

A model program for other churches“Glenwood is a perfect partner for

this excellent venture,” Pearson said.

“WehopethatPromiseHomecanbea

model program for other areas or other

churches.”

Crottyagreedthattheprojectcould

become a model for other churches.

“Weknowthatotherchurchessome-

whereouttherehavepropertythat

theyarenotusingbutwanttoputto

gooduse.Ifyouhaveanacreofproper-

ty,useitforthegreatergood!Ofcourse,

wewereespeciallyfortunatetofind

Glenwood,sincetheyarethenation-

ally-recognizedexpertsinthisexact

area. But we hope this can become a

model program. It’s a new venture for

usandweareveryexcitedabouthow

it can help our church members learn

andgrow,aswellasthemanylivesthe

homewillenrichastheyearsgoon.”

The home was also completed with sug-gestions from Glenwood based on its own residential experiences. The home in-cludes, sound-insulated walls, hardwood floors as opposed to carpet, lever-action door hardware, adaptable showers, and a variety of safety and comfort features.

In addition to the large private rooms, there is also a delightfully large sun room near the back of the house, and a screen porch that sweeps across the entire rear of the

home.

“We know that other churches somewhere out there have property that they are not using but want to put to good use. If you have an acre of property, use it for the greater good! Of course, we were especially fortunate to find Glenwood, since they are the nationally-recognized experts in this exact area. But we hope this can become a model program. It’s a new venture for us and we are very excited about how it can help our church members learn and grow, as well as the many lives the home will enrich as the years go on.”


The Alabama

Council on De-

velopmental Dis-

abilities believes that all

Alabamians – including

those with disabilities

– should be included in

everyaspectoflifeinthe

greatercommunity.To

that end, the ACDD Ad-

vocate has written several

times over the past few

yearsaboutthemany

waysfaithcommunities

in Alabama reach out

to include people with

disabilities. Briarwood

PresbyterianChurchin

Birmingham has been an

exemplaryleaderinthisregard,espe-

ciallythroughitsSpecialConnections

ministry.JoelWallacewasthefounding

directorofthisministryandhisgood

workledhimtoasimilarpositionon

anationalscaleforthePresbyterian

ChurchNorthAmerica.Theministryis

nowdirectedbyJuneCork.

AccordingtoCork,“SpecialConnec-

tionsisaministrytopeopleofallabili-

ties.Ourdesireistoseesocietyandthe

BodyofChristshowequalconcernfor

people with disabilities and their fami-

lies as is shown for others.”

Totranslatethatphilosophyinto

action, Special Con-

nections ministers, in

both word and deed,

both to and alongside

peopletouchedby

disabilityandworks

to include them and

their families in the

lifeofthechurchandthecommunity.

Although Special Connections is based

fromBriarwoodPresbyterianChurch

(PCA) in Birmingham, people involved

inthisministryarefrommanydifferent

churches, denominations, religions or

havenoreligiousaffiliation.Alloppor-

tunitiesareopentoeveryoneinthe

community.

Last month, Special Connections

held a unique training session entitled

“God’sAmazingSpectrum:Including

ALL Children and Youth in our Com-

munities.”Approximatelythreedozen

participants turned out from several

area and regional churches to hear

Barb Newman deliver the inspirational

and informational program. (See relat-

ed story on the conference in this issue.)

“Theconferencewentverywell,”

Corksaid.“Weareespeciallypleased

that representatives came from so

manychurchessincethatitisareal

opportunitytospreadthisimportant

message of inclusion.”

“The purpose of the conference of

course was to help church leaders learn

moreandbetterwaystoincludeevery-

one in their worship services and in the

Special connectionSministry seeks inclusive worship and play

Briarwood Presbyterian Church

June Cork and other conference attendees welcome Barbara Newman to Birmingham

“Special Connections is a ministry to people of all abilities. Our desire is to see society and the Body of Christ show equal concern for people with disabilities and their families as is shown for others.”


largercommunity.Thatisourparticu-

lar focus in Special Connections where

wehaveseveralwaysthatwetrytodo

just that.”

“Theconferencewasopentoany-

one, not just for church leaders or

SundaySchoolteachers.ThewayBarb

presentsitisforeveryonetoaskques-

tionslikethis:‘Whatismyrole,and

how can I include a person with special

needsinourchurchcommunity?’We

wantourchildrenandyouthandadults

tobeembracedbythechurchinstead

of being compartmentalized. We be-

lieve that everyoneispartofthebody,

and that everyone is created in God’s

image. We all have our strengths and

weaknessesandwealllookthesame

in that respect. So people with special

needs or disabilities should not be set

aside. We need to include their gifts as

partofthelargerbody.AtBriarwood

andmanyotherchurchesthatIknow

about,wetrytolookatabilityinstead

ofdisability.Weallhaveskills.Wehave

one child here who is a great artist, and

ayoungadultwhocansingallthevers-

esofhundredsofhymnsandpraise

songs and is a great lover of music

-- just a range of talent and abilities as

diverse as the individuals themselves.

And that was what Barbara came to

helpusdo–findwaystoincludethose

talents and those individuals.”

CorksaidNewman’spresentation

wasdynamiconmanylevels.

“Barbara was just great,” she said.

“Notonlyissheawealthofinforma-

tionbutwhenshewalksintotheroom

youfeelthatyou’veknownherallyour

life. She has such wisdom and com-

passionandsuchawonderfuldiversity

ofknowledgeshewantsyoutoknow.

Sheisgreat.Everyonetherewastrans-

formedinapositiveway.”

In addition to sharing its experiences

withotherchurches,Briarwoodalready

hasaterrificprogramofinclusion

throughouttheyear.

AtSundayworshipservices,Briar-

wood has two rooms – one has older

teensandyoungadultsandanother

roomisforyoungerchildren.Depend-

ingontheperson,thechildmaybein

the worship service until the preaching

beginsandthentheyretiretotheirdes-

ignated rooms.

“Fortheyoungerpeopleit’slikea

playtime,butwealsoworkonsocial

skills,”Corksaid.“Nineofourchil-

drenrightnowareinatypicalSunday

Schoolclasswiththeir‘ATeam’bud-

dies,whoarethehighschoolkidswho

wetraintoworkwiththeyouth.Most

oftheseyoungerchildrenareonthe

autism spectrum but some have Down

syndromeaswell.Forthosethataren’t

quiteready,ourroomisafallbacksafe-

tynettheycanalwayscometo.Andin

both rooms we have praise and wor-

shiplessonsaswellasplayandsocial

skillsdevelopment.”

Briarwood also has a mother’s group

thatenjoysfellowshipandtimeto-

gether, respite care, social outings,

fieldtrips,familyservices,aswellasits

CampBriarwoodforyouthandadults.

For more information on Briarwood’s

rangeofprograms,andtofindout

howyouandyourfamilycanbecome

involved, visit the Special Connections

website at www.briarwood.org/minis-

tries/special-connections. You can also

contactJuneCorkdirectlythroughthis

website.

“The conference was open to anyone, not just for church leaders or Sunday School teachers. The way Barb presents it is for everyone to ask questions like this: ‘What is my role, and how can I include a person with special needs in our church community?’ We want our children and youth and adults to be embraced by the church instead of being compartmentalized. We believe that everyone is part of the body, and that everyone is created in God’s image. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we all look the same in that respect. So people with special needs or disabilities should not be set aside. We need to include their gifts as part of the larger body. At Briarwood and many other churches that I know about, we try to look at ability instead of disability. We all have skills. We have one child here who is a great artist, and a young adult who can sing all the verses of hundreds of hymns and praise songs and is a great lover of music -- just a range of talent and abilities as diverse as the individuals themselves. And that was what Barbara came to help us do – find ways to include those talents and those individuals.”

For more information on Briarwood’s range of programs, and to find out how you and your family can become involved, visit the Special Connections website at www.briarwood.org/ministries/special-connections. You can also contact June Cork directly through this website.

http://www.briarwood.org/ministries/special-connections





BarbaraJNewman is a well-

knownchurchandschool

consultant associated with the

CLCNetwork(www.clcnetwork.org).

Sheistheauthorof“HelpingKidsIn-

cludeKidswithDisabilities,”“Autism

andYourChurch,”and“BodyBuilding:

Devotions to Celebrate Inclusive Com-

munity,”amongseveralotherworks

and curricula. In addition to writing

andspeaking,Barbenjoysworkingin

her classroom at Zeeland Christian

School.

“IgrewupinMichigananddidall

myschoolingthere,”Newmansaid.“I

had several sisters who were in educa-

tion, and I wanted to be different, so

in college I chose to major in Special

Educationprettymuchatrandom.Of

course, now I realize that was God’s

designformylife.”

Newman began her career teaching

students with Intellectual Disabilities

in both schools and churches and

eventuallybuiltarelationshipwiththe

CLCNetworkaswellasZeelandSchool

(inZeeland,Michigan).

“We launched the Zeeland School in

1989toworkwithchildrenandyoung

peoplewithautism,Downsyndrome,

andreallyanyphysicalorintellectual

disabilities,” she said. “It was one of the

firstinclusionprogramsintheentire

country.Ibasedmyvisionon1Corin-

thians12:12:Just as a body, though one,

has many parts, but all its many parts

form one body, so it is with Christ. For

we were all baptized by one Spirit so

as to form one body. Iguessyou’dsay

thatsincetherewerenotmanymodels

ofinclusionbackthen,wejustsortof

madeitup!”

The school grew and flourished and

drew visitors from around the world.

It was a new concept to have inclusive

rather than segregated classrooms.

“This all had a huge impact on the

skilllevelofteachersinourbuilding

as well as on the students themselves,”

Newmanremembers.“Thedaywe

started inclusion it was no longer all

aboutmoneyandcuteclothes–the

students clamored to sit next to some-

onewithadisability.It’shardtoexplain

buttheybecametherockstars.Inclu-

sion just turned our social structure

aroundinagreatway.”

Newmanwasatleastpartiallymoti-

vatedtofigurethisoutbecauseshesaw

Barbara NewmanBarbara Newman leads conference on inclusion at Birmingham’s Briarwood

The school grew and flourished and drew visitors from around the world. It was a new concept to have inclusive rather than segregated classrooms.

“This all had a huge impact on the skill level of teachers in our building as well as on the students themselves,” Newman remembers. “The day we started inclusion it was no longer all about money and cute clothes – the students clamored to sit next to someone with a disability. It’s hard to explain but they became the rock stars. Inclusion just turned our social structure around in a great way.”

8

7

http://www.clcnetwork.org


kidswithdisabilitiesessentiallygetting

kickedoutofchurchservices.

“Because of that, I wanted our best

practices from the school to also be

inchurch.Thereareobviouslylotsof

similarities.Myfirstbookonthissub-

ject came out in 2001 and I am glad

toseethatnowtherearelotsofbooks

trending toward including people with

autism in church.”

“It’s more important now than ever

tofindchurchesthetoolstosay‘Yes!

You are welcome here.’ There were just

somanyterriblestoriesIwashearing.

Churches said the problem was that

theydidn’tknowhowtoincludeevery-

one. That launched the ideas and the

speakingpartofmycareer,sonowI’ve

beenrunningaroundcountryfor20

yearsspreadingthismessage.ButIal-

wayscontinuetomanageaclassroom

oraprograminadditiontospeaking.

If I’m not in the classroom I will stop

learning.”

In her presentation at Briarwood

Newman had the room decorated in

greenandpink.

“It’s the puzzle pieces,” she said.

“Weareallacombinationofpinkand

green. Green is for the areas of gifting,

andpinkisforourhotspots,orweak-

nesses. The bad thing is that all too

oftenwhenweareworkingwithpeople

withdisabilitiestheyareseenasall

pink.Butthat’snotright!Godhasgiv-

en gifts to all people in his image, and

everyoneisacombinationofpinkand

green.”

“JustasitsaysinCorinthiansthat

Godhasarrangedthepartsofthebody,

it’s clear to me that God has arranged

our puzzle pieces. That concept is cen-

tral to me.”

Newmansaidinherworkwith

churchesthemostcommonmistake

sheseesiswhentheytrytostartamin-

istryfortwoorthreedistinctmembers

of the congregation.

“Thisisahugemistake,”shesaid.

“Foronething,itisnotaministryfor

a person or persons – it needs to be a

ministrywith people – we are all to-

gether, we are with one another.”

“HereisthewayIseeit:ifit’strue

that God arranged the person and then

thechurchsendsthepersonawayI

ask–wholoses?Theansweristhatev-

eryoneloses.Thechurchlosesthegift

that individual brings. Our role must

be to create spaces of welcome for ev-

eryone.”

To learn more about Newman’s work,

and especially to access the tools she

and the CLC Network have developed to

help facilitate school and church inclu-

sion that really works, visit the CLC Net-

work website at www.clcnetwork.org

8

7Newman said in her work

with churches the most common mistake she sees is when they try to start a ministry for two or three distinct members of the congregation.

“This is a huge mistake,” she said. “For one thing, it is not a ministry for a person or persons – it needs to be a ministry with people – we are all together, we are with one another.”

“Here is the way I see it: if it’s true that God arranged the person and then the church sends the person away I ask – who loses? The answer is that everyone loses. The church loses the gift that individual brings. Our role must be to create spaces of welcome for everyone.”

http://www.clcnetwork.org

A l A b A m A C o u n C i l 0 n D e v e l o p m e n T A l D i s A b i l i T i e s12

AstheDirectoroftheOfficeof

Self-AdvocacyServicesinAla-

bama’sDepartmentofMental

Health,GeorgeNealisresponsiblefor

providing leadership to individuals

with intellectual disabilities to pro-

mote being active and participating in

governmental and civic activities. Neal

came to the Department following his

tenure as president of People First of

Alabama,anotheradvocacygroupfor

people with disabilities. Neal is certain-

lyarolemodelforself-advocates,yet

theroledidnotcometohimnaturally.

“I grew up in Birmingham and grad-

uatedfromBerryHighSchoolin1987,”

Nealsaid.“Ineverreallyhadaname

puttomydiagnosis,butIhadsome

sortofseriouslearningdisability.My

classes were all in what was then called

Special Education, and lots of the stu-

dents there called me stupid, retarded,

all of that. It was upsetting as I grew up,

but as I got older I learned to handle

thehecklers.”

A huge

part of

learning

to “handle

it” came

from Neal’s

mother

and grand-

mother,

both of

whom

taught him

through ex-

ample what it meant to be an advocate.

“Ineverknewwhatanadvocatewas

until I became one,” Neal said. “But I

alwayshadalotoffamilysupport.My

motherandgrandmotherwerealways

tellingmetostickupformyself.Inever

knewuntillaterthatmygrandmother

advocatedformewithmymother,con-

vincing her to let me learn to drive a car

andgetmylicense.Shetoldmymom

I’d be handicapped if I didn’t learn, and

so she taught me how to drive.”

Neal got his drivers’ license in 1988

andinMarchof1989gothisfirstjob,

workinginsupportedemploymentat

AncoClutchandBrakeinFairfield.

“Itwashardanddirtyworkremoving

clutch covers and pushing out the riv-

ets,” Neal recalled. “I had a job coach

which was a good thing for me. After a

coupleofyearsIgotadifferentjobin

amailroominIrondale,andjustkind

ofmovedintodifferentjobsingrocery

stores and retail establishments.”

A turning point for Neal came when

SusanEllisoftheArcofShelbyCounty

helpedNeallandajobatBaptistHos-

pitalinShelbyCounty,becauseitwas

therethatNealfirstencounteredPeo-

ple First of Alabama.

“This was in about 2001, when some

of our members went to a state con-

ventionandcamebackandstartedour

local chapter,” Neal said. “From that

organizationIlearnedaboutmyrights

andreallysawpeopleadvocatingfor

me. I became a local vice president but

wanted to become even more involved

so I became a board member of the

stateorganization.Tomysurprise,I

wasaskedtorunforpresidentofthe

state People First organization in 2004

and was elected.”

Neal described the experience as

“overwhelming.”

“Thatopportunityopenedupa

whole new world for me,” he said. “I

From People First to Self-Advocacy Services—

grows into advocate role

George NealGeorge Neal

“Being an advocate and a self-advocate really matters because if you don’t stick up for yourself and your peers, you will never get what you need,” Neal stated. “People who cannot speak for themselves have the same needs as everyone else. I know that if I wasn’t an advocate, if I hadn’t had these many great opportunities, I’d be sitting at home watching TV right now.”


keptlearning.IwenttoWashington

D.C. and lobbied the Senate staff and

toldthemwhythedisabilitymovement

was so important. While I was serving

mysecondtermaspresidentIwasable

toapplyforthejobIaminnow.When

theycalledandtoldmeIhadthejob

Iwasinmycar.Iaboutdroveoffthe

road.Icouldnotbelieveit!Itwasthe

greatest thing that had ever happened

to me.”

WorkingundersupervisorByron

White, Neal has been visiting with

people from Partlow, educating them

abouttheimportanceofworkfor

self-esteem, and the real power that

cancomefromlivingonyourownand

havingyourownmoney.

“My self-esteem over the past few years has gone from zero to just feeling great about life,” he said. “My work at Anco was hard and dirty but I kept pushing myself with the help of my job coach. I kept on working and moved up and look at me now. I have a great job, I’ve learned to use a computer, and I have a car with a GPS that I have learned to use. I have my own place in Prattville. I love to travel to see and help people around the state. The world is my office.”

George Neal and Scott Renner

“Being an advocate and a self-advo-

catereallymattersbecauseifyoudon’t

stickupforyourselfandyourpeers,

youwillnevergetwhatyouneed,”Neal

stated.“Peoplewhocannotspeakfor

themselves have the same needs as

everyoneelse.IknowthatifIwasn’tan

advocate,ifIhadn’thadthesemany

great opportunities, I’d be sitting at

home watching TV right now.”

“Myself-esteemoverthepastfew

yearshasgonefromzerotojustfeeling

greataboutlife,”hesaid.“Mywork

atAncowashardanddirtybutIkept

pushingmyselfwiththehelpofmyjob

coach.Ikeptonworkingandmoved

upandlookatmenow.Ihaveagreat

job, I’ve learned to use a computer,

and I have a car with a GPS that I have

learnedtouse.Ihavemyownplace

in Prattville. I love to travel to see and

help people around the state. The

worldismyoffice.”


According to its mission statement,

theAutismSocietyofAlabama

(ASA)workstoimproveservicesfor

persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD) and their families through education

andadvocacy.ASAmaintains35Network

Support Group across the state. These Net-

workGroupsareoftenledbylocalparents

At a recent event Anna McConnell, Alabama's Autism Coordinator met with the Autism Society of Alabama staff L to R: Autism Coordinator Anna McConnell, Policy and Program Advisor Bama Hager, Community and Program Advisor Angel Loewen, Community and Program Advisor North Alabama Debbie Bumbika, Executive Director Melanie Jones and Fundraising and Events Manager Lauren Reid. Bama Hager and Debbie Bumbika are parents of children who have autism. Bama works part time in the Birmingham office and Debbie works part time in the Huntsville office.

Alabama Autism Societyworks for improved services, awareness

and are resources in dozens of towns and

cities for families living with ASD in the area.

ASAcontinuallyworksonstatewideaware-

ness activities. ASA collaborates with numer-

ous organizations, state

agencies and service pro-

viders to improve the lives

of Alabama families living

withASD.Additionally,

ASA coordinates confer-

ences for parents, teach-

ers and providers, and

supports families with

familycampsandfamily

enrichment activities around the state.

Two main areas of focus for ASA efforts are

continued expansion of insurance coverage

forASDtherapyandexpansionofadultjob

Hager said many Alabama families are financially ruined by ASD. Families are making decisions about foregoing basic needs to pay thousands of dollars per month for recommended ASD therapies. Many families experience great stress paying for ASD therapies. If parents forego therapy, they experience distress because they feel they are not able to provide the therapies prescribed for their child.


CDC reports increased prevalence of parent-reported autism cases

The prevalence of parent-reported cases of autism is

significantly higher now than it was just five years ago,

according to new data from the Centers for Disease Con-

trol and Prevention in Atlanta.

From 2011 to 2012, 1 in 50 school-age children had a

diagnosed autism spectrum disorder according to their

parents – up from 1 in 86 in 2007.

“[This] study provides growing evidence that [the] U.S. is underestimating the prev-

alence of autism spectrum disorder,” said Michael Rosanoff, associate director of public

health research and scientific review at the non-profit Autism Speaks. Rosanoff did not

work on the new report, but he had reviewed it.

The new figures came from the 2011 to 2012 National Survey of Children’s Health, a

national telephone survey conducted by the CDC. In this most recent survey, parents

reported that two percent of six - 17-year-olds had a diagnosis for an autism spectrum

disorder, which is higher than the 2007 estimate of 1.16 percent.

Overall, the increase was greater for boys than for girls, and among 14- to 17-year-olds

than in younger children.

The report’s authors largely attribute the change to doctors identifying the disorder

more often now than they did just a few years earlier.

“Much of the prevalence increase from 2007 to 2011 [to] 2012 for school-aged children

was the result of diagnoses of children with previously unrecognized ASD,” they wrote.

Last year, the CDC revised its go-to estimate of the prevalence of autism in the U.S.,

saying it now affects 1 in 88 children, up from 1 in 150 in 2002. That is the estimate most

widely used by health care providers, public health officials and media outlets when

quantifying the prevalence of autism in the U.S., and came from the CDC’s Autism and

Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, which collected data from health and

special education records of eight-year-olds living in 14 communities across the country

in 2008.

Because the two estimates used different approaches to identify cases, they are not

directly comparable, but Rosanoff believes the new parental-report data suggests that “1

in 88” figure is low.

Getting a clearer picture of autism’s true prevalence will help researchers set a bench-

mark that allows them to better understand if the disorder is simply being identified

more by doctors; if actual risk has increased – or both

training, job coaching and educational

opportunities.

AccordingtoBamaHager,ADAPolicy

Advisorandparentofa13-year-old

son who has autism, insurance reform

isgreatlyneededinAlabama,which

iswhytheorganizationendorsedlast

year’sRileyWardAct,sponsoredby

State Senator Cam Ward (see related

story in this issue).

“Although the recommended treat-

mentforASDusuallyincludesspeech

therapy,occupationaltherapy,behav-

iortherapy,andsocialskillstraining,

minimaltherapyiscoveredbyinsur-

ance,”Hagersaid.“Familiesareoften

allowed30combinedspeechtherapy

andoccupationaltherapysessions

duringtheyear.Familiesoftenex-

haustthose30sessionsinthreetosix

months. The rest of the recommended

therapiesarepaidoutofpocketbyAla-

bama families.”

HagersaidmanyAlabamafamilies

arefinanciallyruinedbyASD.Families

aremakingdecisionsaboutforegoing

basicneedstopaythousandsofdol-

lars per month for recommended ASD

therapies.Manyfamiliesexperience

greatstresspayingforASDtherapies.

Ifparentsforegotherapy,theyexperi-

encedistressbecausetheyfeeltheyare

not able to provide the therapies pre-

scribed for their child.

“I hope and expect that private and

public insurance will continue to ex-

pand coverage for ASD therapies in

ourstateandotherstates,”Hagersaid.

“ASAwillcontinuetoworkwithfam-

ilies, businesses and government to

request expansion of ASD coverage.”

Another area of focus for ASA is job

training, job coaching and educational

opportunities for adults with ASD. The

prevalence rate for ASD is 1 in 88 chil-

dren born in the United States.

“Oursocietyshouldplanforadult-

hood for thousands of Alabama citi-

zenslivingwithASD,”Hagerconclud-

ed. “There are too few job training and

job coaching programs for adults with

ASD. We need more programs that sup-

port adults with ASD in jobs.”

http://www.autismspeaks.org/

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm.html

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/addm.html


Cam Ward

For those on the autism spectrum—

continues to work for treatment and insurance reform

Ashedidlastyear,AlabamaStateSenator

Cam Ward (R-Alabaster) has introduced a

bill to address the broad topic of autism

treatmentandreform.Hislatesteffortseeksto

establisharegulatoryboardforappliedbehavior

analyst(ABA)professionalsinAlabama.

“This legislative session offers a lot of opportuni-

tiesfortheautismcommunityinAlabama,”Ward

said.“OnebillbeingconsideredbytheLegislature

wouldestablisharegulatoryboardforbehavior

analystprofessionalsinAlabama.Comingonthe

heelsoftheRileyWardActwhichwassignedinto

lawlastsession,thisbillwillmakeiteasierforABA

therapytobeofferedtothoseontheAutismSpec-

trum in Alabama.”

Inlastyear’ssession,

Ward sponsored and

passedTheAlabamaRiley

Ward Autism Insurance

Reform Act of 2012. Ward’s

daughterRiley,whoison

the autism spectrum, gave

the act its name. Accord-

ingtotheAutismSociety

of Alabama, the bill “in-

cludesanofferingbyprivateinsurersinAlabama

toofferemployerstheopportunitytopurchase

coverageforemployees’familymembers’ASD

therapiesincludingABAtherapy.Theofferingby

“This legislative session offers a lot of opportunities for the autism community in Alabama,” Ward said. “One bill being considered by the Legislature would establish a regulatory board for behavior analyst professionals in Alabama. Coming on the heels of the Riley Ward Act which was signed into law last session, this bill will make it easier for ABA therapy to be offered to those on the Autism Spectrum in Alabama.”

SenAtor


Under the new proposal, which was

craftedbytheinsuranceindustry,Ala-

bamafamiliesarenotguaranteedany-

thing.”But Ward said it was a step in the

right direction.

“While the bill was not perfect, it is

another step down the road to provid-

ing adequate insurance coverage to

those on the autism spectrum,” Ward

said.“Thisbillwillgiveemployersthe

opportunitytoofferinsurancecover-

agefortheiremployeesthatisunprece-

dentedinAlabamatoday.”

Ward said his new bill will add to the

progressachievedthroughlastyear’s

legislative success. “In addition to

increasingtheavailabilityofservices,

thisnewbillwillalsomakeiteasierfor

insurance providers to cover these ABA

therapiesthatsomanypeopleinour

state need.”

Cam Ward

Ward’sbillisnottheonlyoneinthe

current legislative session that address-

es autism awareness.

“Anothermeasuremakingitsway

through the legislative process is a bill

that will allow individuals who have an

autism diagnosis to have their diagno-

sis listed on their driver’s license should

theysowish,”Wardsaid.“Thisbill,

sponsoredbySenatorArthurOrr,will

makesurethatpublicsafetyofficials

are aware of an individual’s diagnosis

shouldtheyencountersomeoneon

thespectrumduringtheirlineofwork.

Thiswillbeapublicsafetybenefitfor

manyonthespectrum.Thesetwobills

are coming up for votes at a time when

the nation celebrates Autism Aware-

nessMonth.Icannotthinkofabetter

time to bring attention to these two

important bills.”

private insurers includes coverage of

AppliedBehaviorAnalysisBehavior

Therapyuptoanannualmaximum

benefitcostof$36,000peryearfora

childnineyearsoldandyoungerwho

has been diagnosed with ASD. The

legislation coincided with a Blue Cross

and Blue Shield decision to triple the

amount of Speech and Occupational

Therapies covered for children with

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) for

familiescoveredbyunderwrittenor

state regulated insurance policies.”

AppliedBehaviorAnalysisisdefined

as“ascientificallyvalidatedapproach

to understanding behavior and how it

isaffectedbytheenvironment.”(The

ACDD Advocate provided a thorough

examinationofbehavioranalysisinan

actual autism treatment environment

in its Winter 2012 issue. This and other

backissuesareavailableatwww.acdd.

org.)

Lastyear’sbillwasheartilyendorsed

bytheAutismSocietyofAlabama.

Butnoteveryonewaspleasedwith

theRileyWardAct’sfinalimpact.Ac-

cording to a press release from Autism

Speaks,thecountry’slargestautismad-

vocacyorganization,thebillfellshort

of meaningful reform.

“The problem with this new proposal

is that it doesn’t require coverage but

requiresonlythatinsurers‘offer’the

benefit,meaningthecostwillnotbe

spread over the entire insurance pool.

SenAtor“Another measure making its way through the legislative process is a bill that will allow individuals who have an autism diagnosis to have their diagnosis listed on their driver’s license should they so wish,” Ward said. “This bill, sponsored by Senator Arthur Orr, will make sure that public safety officials are aware of an individual’s diagnosis should they encounter someone on the spectrum during their line of work. This will be a public safety benefit for many on the spectrum. These two bills are coming up for votes at a time when the nation celebrates Autism Awareness Month.“


Kevin Braswell was born in Birming-

hamandgrewupMobile.Asastudent

atAuburnUniversity,hedeveloped

intoaself-described“techieguy.”Hebegan

his professional career in Information Tech-

nologyatAccenture,wherehedeveloped

software.

“Asdomanypeople,Ireachedapointinmy

careerwhereIdecidedIwantedtoworkon

myown.Ialsowantedtocontinuetousemy

technologyskills,”Braswellsaid.“Ibecame

interestedinsmarthometechnologywhere

youcancontrolvarioussystems,suchas

lighting,security,andHVACfromatouchpad

or panel.”

Asachild,Braswellhadastrokeandspent

time in rehabilitation since he experienced

moderateparalysis.Ofcourse,backthen

therewerenoAssistiveTechnologydeviceson

themarket.Aftersufferingasecondstrokea

fewyearsago,Braswellwasabletotakeare-

newedlookatsmarthometechnology.

“Atthispoint,Itookastepbackand

thoughtthatmaybeIcouldre-purposesome

ofthesmarthomeequipmentinmyhouse,”

hesaid.“AtheartIwasstillatechieguy,butI

Braswell implements Assistive Technology in residential settings

Part of Alabama’s Universal Design revolution—


alsoknewdeepdownthatalotofpeo-

plecouldbenefitfromthistechnology.

So now I customize equipment to meet

variousAssistiveTechnologyneeds.It

isagreatfitforme.Ihavesortofbeen

in the shoes of people with various dis-

abilitiessoIknowhowmuchfreedom

can be won through the often-simple

applicationsofAssistiveTechnology.

From there, Smart Care was born.”

Auburn resident Eric Peebles is one

ofmanypeoplewhohavebenefitted

from Braswell’s innovative Smart Care

designs. (See sidebar on Peebles in this

issue.)

“TheiPhoneisEric’s‘go-to’device

sowefirstfashionedamountthatpo-

sitioned his iPhone on his power chair

sothatEriccouldeasilyuseit.The

iPhone runs an application, software

that controls his environment. We have

installed eight lights, a programma-

ble thermostat, and a motorized door

lockthatinterfaceswithhisautomatic

door opener. For example, when Eric is

readytoleavehishomefortheday,he

can push a button on his iPhone that

isprogrammedfor‘GOODBYE.’The

systemwillthenunlockthedeadbolt,

open his door, set the thermostat to

the desired level, turn off the lights and

the television. Once Eric is outside, the

systemautomaticallyclosesandlocks

his door. With Smart Care, we can build

unlimited automated programs. For

instance, Eric was worried about high

utilitybillsbecausehehashadcaregiv-

ers leave the window open with the air

conditioning on. We programmed Eric’s

SmartCaresystemsothatifawindow

or door is open for a certain period of

time,thesystemwillturnofftheHVAC.

TheSmartCaresystemhasgreatly

reduced Eric’s power bill. The possibili-

ties are endless.”

Braswell has integrated Eric’s Smart

Caresystemwithhistelevisionand

DVDplayersothathecanalsocontrol

that equipment with his iPhone.

“Standard remote controls can be

challenging for someone with a dis-

abilitybecausetheyrequirelineof

sight.Forinstance,itcanbedifficult

for someone in a power chair to point

aremotedirectlyatatelevision.Smart

Care, however, does not require line

of sight. Instead, it uses a home net-

workandinfraredemitterssothatthe

television(oranyAVequipment)can

becontrolledfromanyroominthe

house. With Smart Care, a person can

also turn off the den television from

thebedroomusingaGOODNIGHTor

ALL OFF command. With that same

command,thesystemcanalsobepro-

grammed to turn off the lights, adjust

thethermostat,orlockthedoors.We

can also add cameras so that when the

doorbell rings, the person at the front

door can be viewed. What we did in

Eric’s case was to customize Smart Care

tomeetEric’sspecificgoals.Thatis

what AT is all about.”

BraswellrecentlyreceivedanACDD

grant to promote awareness of AT and

Universal Design in Alabama. The grant

hastwocomponents:UniversalDesign

andSmartHometechnology.

“A central goal is to create awareness

through an educational campaign. The

grantwillallowustounitestakeholders

such as Independent Living Resource

Centers and other organizations that

focus on assisting people with disabil-

ities with members of the Alabama

housingindustry,topromotetheben-

efitsofUDandAT.Theultimategoal

of educating our landlords and home-

builders is to produce housing units for

people with disabilities. The coalition

couldcreateahousingcertification

thatmeetscertaincriterialikeLEED

(LeadershipinEnergyandEnviron-

mentalDesign),whichisavoluntary,

consensus-based,market-drivenpro-

gramthatprovidesthird-partyverifica-

tion of green buildings.”

“Wewanttoestablishguidelineslike

LEED for accessible and smart homes.

Thistypeofcertificationshouldleadto

a‘stampofapproval’sothatsomeone

withadisabilitycouldeasilysearch

for a home or apartment that meets

their needs. We hope to develop a

searchterminMultipleListingService

(“MLS”)and,ofcourse,wewantto

leverage the Council’s excellent AL-

HousingSearch.org program.”

“With universal design and smart

hometechnology,independentliving

forpeoplewithdisabilitiesisdefinitely

achievable. At Smart Solutions, our

mottoissimple:SmartHomes,Smarter

Living.”

“The iPhone is Eric’s ‘go-to’ device so we first fashioned a mount that would hold his iPhone on his power chair and make it accessible by his remote. The phone runs an application, which is software that can control his home environment. We have wired seven or eight lights, a thermostat control, automated door locks, and interfaced the app with his door opener. For example, if Eric is ready to go and leave for the day, he can run the app on his iPhone that is programmed for ‘GOODBYE.’ This app will then unlock the deadbolts, set the thermostat, and turn off the lights and the television.”

http://alhousingsearch.org/

http://alhousingsearch.org/


Eric Peebles is a believer in Smart

Hometechnology.Peebles,who

has severe disabilities to go

alongwitharesilientspirit,recently

workedwithKevinBraswellandSmart

Care to upgrade his Auburn condo-

miniumwithsmarthometechnology.

“Smarthometechnologyingeneral

isgoodforpeoplewithsignificantdis-

abilitieslikemyselfbecauseitleadsto

greater independence,” Peebles said.

“As a result of the innovations we made

inmyhome,Iamnowwithoutacare-

giverforfourtosixhoursadaybecause

Icanusethetechnologytocontrol

muchofmyownenvironment.Just

to be able to go outside and turn the

lightsonandoffbymyselfisamajor

seachangeinmyhomeenvironment.”

Peebles said that in addition to the

greater freedom and independence

Eric Peebles is living proof—

provides quality of life, cost controls

Smart Home Technology

thesmarthomeprovides,theremay

be other advantages to the emerging

technology.

“Fromapolicyperspective,Ithink

that in the long run this could save

healthcareprogramsalotofmoney,”

hesaid.“IhadknownKevinasaven-

dor from our AlaTec conference and

webegantalking.Theyoungkidswho

workformemightsometimeleavea

windowopenandrunupmypower

bill,somethinglikethat.Sothereare

simple, practical reasons for this. But

weagreedthatweshouldtrytoturn

this into more than just installing a

dooropener.Iknewthiswouldhavea

large up-front expense, but I am willing

totakethatriskbecausemytheoryis

all about providing a positive model for

people with disabilities. If this could

helppeoplestayintheenvironmentof

“Smart home technology in general is good for people with significant disabilities like myself because it leads to greater independence,” Peebles said. “As a result of the innovations we made in my home, I am now without a caregiver for four to six hours a day because I can use the technology to control much of my own environment. Just to be able to go outside and turn the lights on and off by myself is a major sea change in my home environment.”

Smart Home Technology


their choice for longer than it otherwise might, this

is good. This is a game changer.”

Peebles said most programs for people with dis-

abilitiesacrossthecountryallowtheintegration

ofITintothemarketandhome.Hewantstosee

more of that.

“Ifwecangetthemedicalcommunitytobuy

into this and help support people with disabilities

tofrontthatone-timecost,itmayverywellpay

foritselfinthelongrun.Oncethetechnologyis

inplace,it’stheretostay.Theexpensegoesaway

and the supports remain in place. Fewer care-

giverhourswilladdupovertheyears.Andthis

isn’tjustforpeoplewithdisabilities.Thiskindof

technologycouldalsohelppeopletoageinplace.

Itimpprovesqualityoflifeformanydifferentpop-

ulations.”

Peeblesexperiencesthatqualityeveryday.

“WhenKevinandIhadmostoftheprogramin

placeandhewaspreparingtocomebackthenext

weekandfine-tuneeverything,Isenthimatext.I

hadopenedupmydoor,goneoutontomyporch,

andreadthemorningnewspaperonmyiPhoneall

bymyself.Littlethingslikethatmatter.It’sabout

qualityoflife.”

“If we can get the medical community to buy into this and help support people with disabilities to front that one-time cost, it may very well pay for itself in the long run. Once the technology is in place, it’s there to stay. The expense goes away and the supports remain in place. Fewer caregiver hours will add up over the years. And this isn’t just for people with disabilities. This kind of technology could also help people to age in place. It impproves quality of life for many different populations.”


Using the Huntsville area as an example—

Thefutureofthehousingmarket,

both in new construction and

intheremodelingindustry,is

moving toward a focus on universal

design and aging in place. The concept

of “universal design” is the adaptation

of a house design to existing and future

physicalneedssotheownerscanlive

there as long as possible. Another term

used with universal design, is “aging in

place.”

Housing market evolves with aging population

ByJohnAllen

These features must be considered

bybuildersanddevelopers,especially

astheBabyBoomergenerationbegins

toimpactthismarketsegmentwitha

desireforthesefeatures.Itmaycome

asnosurprisethatBabyBoomershave

foundtheHuntsvilleareaanattractive

placetolive,butitappearstheyare

alsofindingitagoodplacetoretire.

Boomers are a substantial segment of

theareamarket,andtheyarecontinu-

ing to reinvest in older subdivisions

wheretheyraisedtheirchildrenand

further contributing to the area growth.

TheHuntsvillejobmarketoftenpro-

videstheconnection,bringingmany

Boomers to the area, and some retirees

fromthemilitary.Manywhoworked

at the Arsenal, but relocated, often

return and others locate here to follow

childrenemployedinthearea’sstrong

technologyindustry,orjusttobecloser

to grandchildren.

Knowingthattheprocessofaging

is continual, and that the cost of long-

termcareisstaggering,manycost

effective options exist that can be im-

plemented into new construction or a

remodeling project that will allow aging

inplace.Specifically,withaveragecosts

of long-term care in the average range

of$5000-$7500permonth,areturnon

investment can be calculated rather

easilytoanswerthequestionofim-

plementing these features up front in

thebuildingprocess.Typicalfeatures

include light automation, in-house au-

dioandvideo,accessiblecabinetryand

bathrooms,accessibleentrypoints,

hardsurfacefloorsystems,in-house

vacuums, and even appliance selec-

tions. If a person opts to “age in place”

byremodelinghisorherhouseinstead

of new construction, popular options

include creating accessible bathrooms

andkitchens,andaddinganaccessible

masterbedroom/bathonthemain

level. All of these options should be

investigatedwithaneyeonthebudget

andaneyeonthefuture.

Manypeoplearealsomakingtheir

homesmoreenergyefficientasthe

costofenergycontinuestoriseasan-

otheroften-overlookedaginginplace

feature.Manydounderstandthecor-

relation between the opportunities that

greenbuildingyieldtheconsumerin

energyandresourceefficiencyinares-

idence.Theyknowthatgreenbuilding

is an investment up front and does cost

additionalmoney,butthepayoutover

the long term is acceptable for that

investment.Optionssuchasenergy

efficientHVACsystems,superiorin-

sulationsystems,andenergyefficient

water heating and lighting all contrib-

utesignificantlytoalowerutilitybillin

the future.

Currently,therearemanyuniversal

design features in existing choices that

canbemadeinthemarketplacetoday.

For instance, the simple choice of lever

handle sets versus round or oblong

handlesetsisaneasychoiceforacces-

sibility.Otherchoicesexistinlighting

fixtureselectionsaswellaslighting

John Allen, president of Southern Construction & Design, Inc.

Knowing that the process of aging is continual, and that the cost of long-term care is staggering, many cost effective options exist that can be implemented into new construction or a remodeling project that will allow aging in place. Specifically, with average costs of long-term care in the average range of $5000-$7500 per month, a return on investment can be calculated rather easily to answer the question of implementing these features up front in the building process.


locations. Areas such as counter-

topsinthekitchenandlaundry

needtobetargetedwithspecific

tasklightingwithunder-cabinet

lightingfixturesorspotlighting.

The proliferation of touchless bath

andkitchenplumbingfixturesis

a great example of off-the-shelf

technologyavailablethatcanim-

mediatelybringlevelsofuniversal

designintoanyprojectnewor

remodel.

The National Association of

HomeBuildershasaneducational

designation available for profes-

sionalsintheindustry.Thisisthe

CertifiedAginginPlace(CAPS)

designationandisathree-day

training course in aging in place

and universal design implemen-

tation. Local experts that have

achieved this designation can

be found at www.nahb.orgorby

callingtheHuntsvilleMadison

CountyBuildersAssociationat

256-533-2602.Theseprofession-

alscanassistyoufromdesignto

selectionoffeaturesforyournext

home project.

John Allen, president of Southern Construction & Design, Inc., has been building cus-tom homes and providing remodeling services to the Huntsville/Madison County area for over 15 years. SCD has been awarded 13 statewide awards in the Alabama Remodeling Excellence Awards program, and in April of 2011, won the National Universal Design Ac-cessibility Award from United Cerebral Palsy. In August of 2011, SCD received the Building/Construction/Development Award from the Tennessee Valley Green U Festival. Mr. Allen is an Alabama licensed residential homebuilder, a Graduate Master Builder (GMB), Certi-fied Graduate Remodeler (C.G.R.), a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (C.A.P.S.), Certified Green Professional (C.G.P.), and NAHB National Green Building Verifier. He is also a li-censed professional engineer (P.E.) in the State of Alabama.

Side mounted motion sensing flush operators

Sensor operated plumbing faucets

Hands-Free Devices

New Building TechnologiesAppliances/Cabinetry

New Building TechnologiesPlumbing

Front Mounted Controls

Range Top, Induction

Surface

DrawerDishwasher

DrawerMicrowave

http://www.nahb.org/


New Building Technologies (Continued)

Upper Cabinet adjustable height technology

Accessible Storage

• Manifold Plumbing

Systems

• PEX Piping - ‘Freeze’

Proof

• Instant Fixture

Water Control

• Flush Mount

Exterior Faucets

Walk In Tub/Shower

Video Surveillance

Infrared, 0 lux, DVR recordable, Internet accessible, Stream to mobile devices, iPhone, iPad, etc.


Goal is Universal Design and service to others—

By Dr. Doris Hill

develop customized assistive-technology

Veterans, students collaborate,

assistive technology (at) is defined as “any item or piece of equipment

or product system acquired commercially, off the shelf, modified, or

customized, and used to increase, maintain, or improve functional

capability for an individual with disabilities” that enhance an individual’s ability

to perform everyday life activities. Unfortunately, at devices are not always

designed and developed using an individualized, holistic, psychosocial approach.

for the past four years, the department of Special education, rehabilitation, &

counseling’s center for disability research and Service at auburn University has

collaborated with the department of Industrial and Graphic design to generate

conceptual solutions to the needs of those with disabilities in the areas of

employment, education, independent living, recreation, and transportation.

These efforts meet the needs of the individual with

adisabilitybyprovidingacollaborativeinterfacebe-

tween researcher, rehabilitation student, designer, and

thepersonwithadisability.Theparticipantsinthis

year’suniquecollaborationareUnitedStatesmilitary

veterans with disabilities. The products generated this

yeararefundedthroughtheAuburnUniversityIntra-

muralGrantProgram(AUIGP),enablingmanyofthe

concepts to be brought to completion. Participants

were recruited through various organizations, such as

theArmyWoundedWarriorprogram,Veteran’s

Affairs Prosthetics Unit, and the Warm Spring

Rehabilitation Center. Six participants were

screenedbasedondisability,challengesand

opportunitiesfornewAT.Participant’smilitary

servicerangedfromtwotoover21years.All

participantsmadeitclearthattheyaremotivat-

ed to provide service to other veterans through

their participation in the project.


Identifying the ChallengesAt the start of the project, under the

supervisionoffacultymembersJerrod

Windham,ScottRennerandDorisHill,

eachgroupidentifiedthreespecific

challenges (opportunities) to address.

Theteamsmetagaintwoweekslaterto

address these challenges and present

possible solutions. Following are some

of the ideas and products that were

earmarkedforprototypedevelopment.

1. Earl DanielsisanArmyveteran

with21yearsofmilitaryservice,

losthisrightlegbelowtheknee

inamotorcycleaccidentandhas

been using a prosthetic for three

years.Earlstillserveshiscountry

asacivilianArmyTrafficSafety

Program instructor. Challenges

for Earl included limited range of

mobilityintheprosthetic,which

restrictshispropermotorcycle

riding position. In addition, when

he is in the riding position on the

motorcycle,thebackofthepros-

thetic will pinch his leg, cutting off

circulationandpinchingtheskin.

2. Andrew Wiessenberger is an

Armyveteranwhoservedasa

combat engineer and medic, and

hadbeenqualifiedasacombat

lifesaver.Hisdeploymentsinclud-

ed service during the Gulf War,

Afghanistan, and three tours in

Iraq.HewasinvolvedinsixIED

explosions during his tours and is

a wheelchair user with injuries to

his spine and legs as well as a trau-

maticbraininjury.Heexpresseda

desiretostartanon-profitforvet-

erans living alone. Andrew would

benefitfromastand-upassist,

andbelievesthistypeofdevice

would help others with limited

strength move to a standing posi-

tionindependently.Healsonoted

that the control panel for the chair

obstructshisabilitytonavigate

sinceitsticksout,limitinghis

abilitytogetclosetoadesk,and

requireshimtopullthestickall

thewayback,whichisuncom-

fortable.Andrewenjoysfishing,

hunting, and shopping, but his

chairhasnoframe,basket,orbag

fortransportingitems.Hewould

likeauniversalcarrierthatcould

befoldedandputawaywhennot

in use to save space.

3. Henry Harris,alsoknownas

“Sonny,”isaVietnamveteranwho

usesabelow-the-kneeprosthetic

as well as a wheelchair to navigate

throughhisdailylifesincelosing

hisleg.Heexperiencesbalance

issues,butsayshe“keepstrying”

so that he won’t lose his other leg.

Hesaidhewouldlikealighter

temporarylegtogetaroundfor

short periods of time at home.

Whileinhischair,Henryoftenhas

difficultyreachingitems,plugging

and unplugging electrical cords,

getting mail from the mailbox, and

pickingupdroppeditems.Hehas

difficultynavigatinghillswithhis

currentchair.Headmitsthechair

he uses is a less expensive version,

butwouldlikeATtomakeupfor

some of the more expensive fea-

tures included in other chairs.

4. Marshall Nelson,alsoknownas

“Mac,”isaVietnamveteranwho

stepped on a land mine in 1967,

resulting in the loss of his left leg

belowtheknee.Hesincegraduat-

ed from Auburn and retired from

USDepartmentofAgriculture.He

hasusedaprostheticfor40years.

Helikestofishandhunt,andwill

oftencarryheavyitems,witha

resultingsorekneeatthebaseof

theprosthetic.Heusesa“regular”

hotel room when he travels, but

said a portable accessible travel

bar would help him navigate the

shower when traveling.

5. Robert StrappisaNavyveteran.

Hisrightlegwasamputatedseven

yearsagoandheusesaprosthetic

aswellasawheelchair.Heis6’2”

inchestallandfindsmostcrutch-

es do not support his large frame

when navigating on his prosthetic

leg.Hewouldlikeacustomized

crutch-likedeviceforbalanceso

that he can have his hands free

forotheractivities(e.g.,makinga

sandwich, getting something out

of a cabinet).

6. Jesse Upshawisa70-year-old

Vietnam-era veteran with a career

ofpublicservice.Hehasadegen-

erativeInclusiveBodyMyositis

(IBM)oftendiagnosedasALS

whenfirstacquired.TheNational

InstituteofHealthiscurrently

conductingastudytodetermine

whether this disease is higher in

militarypopulations.Becauseof

the degenerative nature of the dis-

ease,supportsforJesseatvarious

stageswouldbebeneficial.He

needstheabilitytoaccesshisown

technologyandbeabletoutilize

personal items and electronic de-

vicesfordailyliving.

Prototype DevelopmentEquipment for this part of the pro-

cess included visual concept drawings

andresearchoftheexistingmarketbe-

forethemovetowardprototypedevel-

opment. For some individuals, the pro-

cessoffindingexistingATandlearning

howtouseexistingtechnologybecame

as important as developing something

new.Betweenthefirstandsecond

meeting, three to four hours were spent

teaching several veterans how to access

and use existing voice recognition soft-

wareandtoolscurrentlyavailableto

increase independence.

Twoweeksaftertheinitialmeeting,

the six collaboration teams met to pres-

ent, discuss, and narrow down poten-

tial AT devices for further development.

Projected development timelines were

considered in the selection process,

with less expensive, short timeline

items given weighted consideration,

due to funding constraints and the de-

sire to provide the AT device at the end

of the project. Other ideas were identi-

fiedtopursuebeyondthecollaboration


studiotimeframeoffivemonths,with

continued input from the veterans.

1. Earl. For Earl Daniels, consider-

ationofhisuseofamotorcycle

drove the innovations of this team.

The team focused on addressing

thesocketfortheprostheticand

attachment to the residual limb

as well as redesign of the foot peg

forthemotorcycle.Aprototype

inflatable sleeve and flexible edge

forthebackoftheprostheticwere

developed for the mid-project

presentations. Earl donated extra

prosthetic parts to the project in

order to assist the research project

and to help other veterans.

1. Andrew. The team focused on an

assist to move from the chair to

astandingposition.Theythen

lookedataleverattachmentfor

the footrest, since Andrew found

kickingupthefootrestannoying

andinefficient,asitwouldoften

fallbackdownandcreateasafety

riskasheattemptedtostand.He

also found that the control panel

wouldgetinthewaywhenhe

tried to maneuver under a table.

Theteamlookedatadaptingthe

holder for the control panel so

that he could stow it to the side

when maneuvering under a table.

Aprototypelaptraywasalsode-

velopedandtestedbyAndrew.He

indicated that the device would

workwellandsuggestedafewre-

finementssuchasaleveling“leg”

to rest on his exiting wheelchair

arm to stabilize and level the writ-

ing surface.

1. Sonny.Henry“Sonny”Harrisand

histeamidentifiedbathroom

assist bars, and several versions

of wall plug adapters to assist in

removing plugs from the wall.

Duringtheprototypephase,sev-

eral “grip” attachments were test-

ed.TheVelcroTMcompanydo-

natedsomefireproofVelcrostrips

foruseinprototypedevelopment,

enhancing the collaborative na-

ture of the project.

1. Mac.ForMarshall“Mac”Nelson,

the focus was on hunting and lei-

sure time. These included an all

terrain cart or carrier for hunting.

Theyalsowereinterestedinapor-

table grab bar for traveling since

Macdoesnotrequestaccessible

accommodations when traveling.

PrototypesforMacfocusedona

moveable portable transfer tub

attachment to facilitate move-

ment from floor to inside the tub.

Input from other veterans present

includedmakingthefinalprod-

uct more universal so that those

withabilitytoresttheirweight

on the residual limb could do so,

while those who needed to sit and

transfer could use the device as

well. Incorporating universal fea-

tures and thoughts regarding the

balance and motor issues of aging

individuals was inherent in the

design process.

1. Robert. Challenges included those

encounteredbytheveteran,as

wellasthoseencounteredbyhis

spouse as she assisted him in his

dailyroutine.ForRobert,awalk-

er without wheels that was high

enoughtoprovidestabilitywith-

out leaning over was an important

goal. Another idea involved a

backpackcarrierdevicetocarry

his lightweight but cumbersome

walker,whichoftenmadeitdiffi-

cult to push the wheelchair while

carrying.Thebottomofafour-

prong aluminum cane was adapt-

ed to a set of existing crutches to

constructa“hybrid”devicetoen-

hancebalanceandstabilityaswell

asincreasetheheightofthefinal

device.

1. Jesse.Mr.Upshawoftenspends

some time alone in his house

duringtheday,withsomeofthat

time spent in his bed. The team

lookedatATtoprovidechoices

whileinbed,bydevelopingade-

vicewithapinchingmouthstick

to operate his electronic devices.

ATfacultyalsospenttimewithJes-

se outside the collaboration studio

to familiarize him with existing

devices that could serve as AT as

hisneedschanged.ATprototypes

for the mid-collaboration presen-

tations included a switch activated

bythewheelsofhischair,aswell

asquickreleasemouthsticks

andadockingdeviceforvarious

mouthstickattachments.

Equipment for this part of

the process included visual

concept drawings and research

of the existing market

before the move toward

prototype development.

For some individuals, the

process of finding existing

AT and learning how to use

existing technology became

as important as developing

something new. Between the

first and second meeting,

three to four hours were spent

teaching several veterans

how to access and use existing

voice recognition software and

tools currently available to

increase independence.


Impact of the AT Collaboration Model

Participants included spouses and

caregivers, which was a new addition

to the collaboration model. All par-

ticipantswereactivelyinvolvedinthe

discussionfromthefirstintroduction

totheiruniversityteamofrehabilita-

tion and industrial design students.

The focus and perspective of the par-

ticipants and student veterans was a

little different than past sessions. These

participants, while open about the na-

tureandscopeoftheirdisabilityand

oftheirservicetonation,werequick

tostatethattheywantedtohelpother

veterans and found that to be a critical-

lyimportantpartoftheirparticipation.

The project teams dedicated time and knowledge to the project. Their energy and attitude made the project a success.

Group and Participant Industrial Design Students Rehab Student(s)Group 1Earl Daniels

Jonathan DunnRyan Freeman

Brian DaileyRyan Marcoupolos

Group 2Andrew Weissenberger

Tianyu CuiChristopher WilliamsMarcus Crawford

Samantha Holland

Group 3Henry Harris

Zhe MeiYing Su

Duane Kirk

Group 4Marshall Nelson

Nathan KinneyKai Selvon

Emily Merriman

Group 5Jesse Upshaw

Alex SzczepaniakPatrick West

Angela Moorer

Group 6Robert Strapp

Emmie MayneHailong Piao

Jared Rehm

Iftheypersonallygainedfromthe

collaboration that would be great, but

just as important was that it might help

otherveterans.Theyvaluedthatidea

highly,inthespiritofservicetoothers

andthetrainingtheyreceivedwhile

servingtheircountry.Theideaofmak-

ing a difference through participation

inthis“livinglaboratory”andcontinu-

ing a tradition of service to others was a

strong theme. All participants thought

abouthowtomakethedevicesappli-

cable to other populations of veterans

through universal design.

With the number of veterans with

disabilitiesgrowingexponentially,and

reductions in force pending, innovative

programstosupportveteransasthey

transitionfromthemilitary,including

those new to their disabilities, is im-

portantwork.Inthismodel,thevet-

eran is an integral part of the research

and design process. The interaction

with students and communication with

otherveteransgreatlyenhancedthe

project. The value and importance of

the collaborative effort is worthwhile

notonlyfromatechnologystandpoint

butbecauseitisinkeepinginthetra-

ditionofteamworkcentraltomilitary

training. This collaboration effort is

alsoinkeepingwiththetraditionof

“MissionFirst,PeopleAlways,”and

these veterans and their student teams

lived this ethos through the entire AT

Design process.

The following organizations and people gave their commitment and support to the research project and deserve acknowledgement.

Joellen Sefton- Auburn University Department of Kinesiology

Michael Oviedo, prosthetist, Central Alabama Veteran’s Healthcare System,

Jackie Collins (works with Mike Oviedo in CAVHS)

LTC Veronica Kouassi, Warrior Transition Battalion Commander

CSM Thomas LaGare, Warrior Transition Battalion Command Sergeant Major

Hakim Muhammad, Alabama Wounded Warrior Coordinator

Alabama Council on Developmental DisabilitiesRSA Union Building 100 North Union Street P.O.Box301410Montgomery,AL36130-1410

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ACDD Advocate Fall 2012

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