The Color Orange by Me’Chele Sevanesian

My main character, Robbie, surrenders to a lot of changes. While his Autism is something that encompasses his everyday perspective and processes, it is no different from someone having their culture or their background affects their perception.

LOS ANGELES (PRWEB)
September 10, 2021

Los Angeles native and rising junior at California State University, Northridge, Me’Chele Sevanesian has meshed her love for literature and disability advocacy in her freshman works, “The Color Orange.”

Sevanesian noted a tremendous void in the young adult genre catering to disabled children and their families. These stories comprised inspirational people with disabilities conquering all odds, a traditional model of disability called ‘super-crip’ where a person with a disability exhibits superhuman strength for typical things because they are disabled. Also, parents or medical professionals who were either too emotional or scientific and dry were the sources who harvested these stories. Sevanesian took it upon herself to combat this disillusion by writing her own story with Autism as the background catalyst to bring about a fresh perspective on a type of disability narrative. She wanted her main character to embody a cyclical change through self-discovery and immense support versus challenging a single bully.

“My main character, Robbie, surrenders to a lot of changes. While his Autism is something that encompasses his everyday perspective and processes, it is no different from someone having their culture or their background affects their perception. The best way for him to understand life is through color. In everyday neuro-typical culture, most things are black and white and frequently bleak and depressing. Robbie’s perception allows his world not only to be more digestible but also malleable, where he can change, bend, and reshape things that are colorful and constantly changing. In this way, we can all take a page out of Robbie’s book (no pun intended),” said Sevanesian.

Sevanesian held a 30-day pre-sale, crowdfunded campaign to ensure market interest for her novel and raised five-thousand dollars toward its publishing. This success led to New Degree Press, an independent publisher and distributor dedicated to empowering authors, moving forward with “The Color Orange.” On Friday, August 27, 2021. Sevanesian became the proud author of her freshman work beneath its community-powered umbrella.

Sevanesian set out to find the perfect artist to illustrate both the front and back covers. After arduous searching, she was introduced to a young artist diagnosed with Ullrich Muscular Dystrophy, a genetic and rare disease affecting 1 in every 13 million people named Myranda Gereau. Gereu and Sevanesian clicked instantly upon meeting. They collaborated visions of art and writing to accomplish the goal of the novel’s final illustrations. While Sevanesian could not be happier with the outcome, the result was not as important as it would have been to most. What was critical was having a true disability community member create character images representation was accurate. Also, she wanted to add another level of assurance to her audience that her main goal was to uplift and highlight the immense talent within this community that is often ignored or patronized.

For the future, 19 year old Sevanesian plans to continue her undergraduate degree in English Literature and Creative Writing with a minor in Communicative Disorders. After that, she hopes to attend graduate school for Speech-Language Pathology, continuing on the path to helping others overcome challenges.

“The Color Orange” is now available for eBook ($0.99) and paperback ($15.99) purchase on http:// Amazon.

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CHESTER, N.Y. (PRWEB)
September 09, 2021

The New York State Occupational Therapy Association’s (NYSOTA) Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee is hosting a virtual event for occupational therapy educators and students on September 12, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 4:30 PM EST. NYSOTA’s How to Embed JEDI Concepts & Principles into OT Education: A Forum for Educators and Students is a virtual event located on ZOOM where attendees will discuss, plan, and work together to design elements of occupational therapy curricula for both coursework and fieldwork. Incorporating JEDI concepts and principles into OT education will support historically excluded students and the future of the OT profession.

“Dominant narratives and systemically oppressive pedagogies highly influence the current state of OT Education.” Says Gabriella Vasquez, Board Member and JEDI Committee Co-Chair, “BIPOC student and practitioner voices urge the need to re-shift curricula to be more historically accurate and carefully consider cultural humility rather than competency. An event like this is necessary to bring students and educators together and lay foundational steps to build an equitable and inclusive OT profession.”

The event will include a Keynote Address by AOTA Vice President of Education and Professional Development Sabrina Salvant, EdD, MPH, OTR/L, as well as a presentation by NYSOTA Vice President, David Melchionne-Martinez, MA, COTA/L. The goal of this half-day course is to work together in groups to close a gap in OT education, and create more equitable and inclusive experiences for students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as those from other historically excluded backgrounds.

Founded in 1959, the New York State Occupational Therapy Association (NYSOTA) is the primary professional organization representing over 22,000 occupational therapy practitioners and students in New York State. Occupational therapy is a profession that works with individuals of all ages to empower them to participate in the activities of their daily lives as well as activities that bring them joy. NYSOTA collaborates with national professional organizations, New York State professional associations, and New York State governmental agencies to protect the integrity of the occupational therapy profession and assure consumer access to quality occupational therapy services. NYSOTA supports occupational therapy professionals through advocacy, professional development, networking opportunities, and resources. For more information or to become a member, visit nysota.org.

For more information on NYSOTA’s JEDI Educator event and other upcoming NYSOTA events, search and follow NYSOTA on Facebook and Instagram. This virtual event must be registered for in advance and costs $25 NYSOTA Members; $40 Non-Members; $10 Student Members; $15 Student Non-Members. Registration will close on September 11, 2021 at 11:59 pm. For further questions please contact NYSOTA at (518) 301-9187 or by email at info@nysota.org.

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ROCKVILLE, Md. (PRWEB)
September 02, 2021

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) announced the recipients of the organization’s 2021 Media Awards today.

The awardees include nine media outlets and two communication sciences and disorders professionals. Annually, the awards recognize outstanding coverage by print, broadcast, and digital outlets and outreach by ASHA Certified Member audiologists and speech-language pathologists (SLPs).

“The essential work of communication professionals has taken on a new urgency during the pandemic,” said ASHA 2021 President A. Lynn Williams, PhD, CCC-SLP. “As our members have risen to address new risks to communication health, these awardees have helped spotlight those issues, as well as the efforts to alleviate them. We at ASHA are happy to honor them.”

ASHA’s 2021 Media Award recipients are:

Print Media

The Washington Post: For “Some people think they have to lose their accent to get ahead. Is that fair?,” by Rachel Hatzipanagos, published March 24, 2021. Hatzipanagos consulted various SLPs when writing her article that explored the social issues behind accent modification.

Parents: For “Creative Ways Parents Can Increase Their Child’s Language Skills at Home,” by Samantha Lynch, published May 27, 2021 and “Tools to Get Them Talking,” by Rebecca Rakowitz, published July 2021. Both articles offered advice to parents on how to encourage speech and language skills in infants, toddlers, and preschoolers at home.

Digital Media

Healio: For “Poll: Many Americans forgo treatment for hearing loss,” published May 28, 2021. Healio expanded upon a recent ASHA poll that shows the extent of unaddressed hearing loss among American adults.

POPSUGAR: For “Why Is My Toddler Stuttering All of a Sudden?,” by Leeny Sullivan, published July 15, 2021. Sullivan spoke to ASHA member Rita D. Thurman, MS, CCC-SLP, BCS-F, for an article that offers suggestions for supporting a child who stutters.

Healthy Children (from the American Academy of Pediatrics): For “Do Masks Delay Speech and Language Development?” This article addressed parental concern about whether mask use by preschool teachers, daycare providers and other adults will delay their toddler’s speech and language development. It included tips for families about how they can boost their toddler’s speech and language skills at home, as well as information about how speech/language therapy is being conducted during the pandemic.

Children’s Screen Time Action Network: For their January 12, 2021, webinar “New Baby, New Year: Resolve to be a Tech Wise Parent.” A panel that included ASHA member and Media Outreach Champion Samah Saidi, MA, CCC-SLP, and ASHA Fellow Carol Westby, PhD, CCC-SLP, discussed the impact of popular technology on an infant’s development as well as how to boost a baby’s communication skills.

Broadcast Media

Doctor Radio – Sirius XM: For three interviews broadcast in 2021:

• 
      February 10, 2021, interview with ASHA Chief Staff Officer for Audiology Donna Smiley, PhD, CCC-A, on pandemic challenges for people with hearing loss
•     March 17, 2021, interview with ASHA Board member Sharon Sandridge, PhD, CCC-A, on hearing aid challenges and solutions
•     April 28, 2021, interview with ASHA member Luis F. Riquelme, PhD, BCS-S, CCC-SLP, on swallowing disorders.

Univision 41 – New York: For its March 9, 2021, broadcast about hearing loss. ASHA member Keidy Sánchez Pereira, AuD, CCC-A, spoke about the signs of hearing loss and how to address them.

NewsWatch TV: For its airing of ASHA’s Act Now on Hearing public service announcement (PSA). In the first 2 months of the PSA’s release, the station aired it 241 times and reached an audience of 3.7 million.

2021 ASHA Member Media Outreach Champions

Ianthe Dunn-Murad, ScD, CCC-A: Dunn-Murad has long been a champion for hearing health in the media. This year, she participated in multiple broadcast outlet interviews related to World Hearing Day (March 3) and promoting hearing protection from fireworks used to celebrate July 4th.

Samah Saidi, MA, CCC-SLP: An advocate for healthy and balanced use of popular technology, Saidi served this past year as a panelist on the Action Network Live! webinar New Baby, New Year: Resolve to be a Tech Wise Parent. Saidi provided expectant parents with guidance for prioritizing a newborn’s speech and language development amidst the strong societal pull to overuse popular technology. In the past, Saidi has also helped ASHA spread the word about healthy popular use to groups like the National PTA.

About the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

ASHA is the national professional, scientific, and credentialing association for 218,000 members and affiliates who are audiologists; speech-language pathologists; speech, language, and hearing scientists; audiology and speech-language pathology support personnel; and students. Audiologists specialize in preventing and assessing hearing and balance disorders as well as providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. Speech-language pathologists identify, assess, and treat speech and language problems, including swallowing disorders.

View all ASHA press releases at http://www.asha.org/about/news.

TINLEY PARK, Ill. (PRWEB)
August 19, 2021

To ensure that people with disabilities such as blindness, dyslexia, low vision, or mobility impairment have access to high-quality education, G-W has partnered with Benetech’s Bookshare initiative to make reading easier. Through Bookshare, the world’s largest accessible ebook service, G-W can offer accessible titles in a wide variety of formats, free of charge, to all qualifying students in the United States through the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).

Students using G-W accessible resources can read in the way that works best for them—whether it’s listening to a book; using word-level highlighting; adjusting reading speed, font, and color; or using other tools that customize the reading experience for their particular learning needs.

“Preparing students for life and career is our goal, and part of that process is working to eliminate any barriers to learning,” said John Flanagan, President of G-W. “Our partnership with Benetech’s Bookshare initiative helps us meet the needs of all students by providing accessible materials that build skills for their future success.”

G-W is also working toward its accreditation as a Global Certified Accessible™ (GCA) publisher.

“Benetech is committed to ensuring that every student regardless of ability can access the books and information they need to read, learn, and achieve,” said Brad Turner, VP and GM Global Education and Literacy at Benetech. “Schools can choose G-W textbooks with the peace of mind that they will be able to easily provide learning materials in alternative formats for their students with dyslexia, vision loss, and other reading barriers through Bookshare. G-W’s work towards becoming a Global Certified Accessible publisher further underscores their commitment to serving the learning needs of all students at the same time and with equal importance.”

About G-W Publisher

Established in 1921, G-W publishes print and digital instructional materials for Career and Technical Education and Health Education. G-W collaborates with outstanding authors, trustworthy reviewers, and industry-focused trade associations to provide quality, standards-based content with effective pedagogy.

Learn more at http://www.g-w.com and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About Benetech and Bookshare

Benetech is a nonprofit that empowers communities with software for social good. Benetech’s work transforms how people with disabilities read and learn and enables human rights defenders and civilians to pursue truth and justice. Benetech is constantly pursuing the next big social impact. Visit http://www.benetech.org.

Bookshare®, a Benetech initiative, is an ebook service that makes reading easier. Members can access a huge collection of ebooks and read their way with the most customizable ebooks for people with reading barriers.

Learn more about Bookshare at http://www.bookshare.org.

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DETROIT (PRWEB)
August 11, 2021

Paul Landry has cerebral palsy. He also has a wife, two children and for the past 25 years has been assisting people with disabilities find paths to independence as a staff member at MI-UCP (Michigan United Cerebral Palsy).

Currently, Landry serves as a Director of Employment Programs and manages the Work Incentive Planning & Assistance (WIPA) Project covering Livingston, Oakland and Wayne counties. He has established the Fee for Service with Michigan Rehabilitation Services & the Bureau of Services for Blind Persons. Paul is also involved in Michigan’s Employment First initiative subcommittee, aiding Benefit Counseling services at a statewide level and making recommendations regarding the state’s Medicaid – Freedom to Work program.

“I’ve been fortunate to enjoy my work at MI-UCP for the past 25 years, assisting people with disabilities with options so they can make an informed choice regarding their own life,” said Landry. “Thank you Elmer Cerano and Leslynn Angel for your leadership and allowing me to advocate in my own unique way.”

Landry earned his master’s from Central Michigan University in Public Administration, with a strong emphasis on Nonprofit Management. Within the community, he serves as a board member for Community Housing Network and Arc Livingston, and is also actively involved with Leadership Oakland as a past board member. In the spring of 2014, Landry received a Leader of Leaders award for Personal Leadership from Leadership Oakland.

Leslynn Angel, President & CEO of MI-UCP said, “I have known Paul for 25 years through the agency’s ups and downs and he has been a major contributor to helping close the disability divide.”

Paul is celebrating his 25 years by asking others to contribute to: http://www.mi-ucp.org/donate

Background:

Paul wasn’t born with cerebral palsy. However, he stopped breathing at four months old. His father gave him mouth to mouth resuscitation, but in that short amount of time he developed cerebral palsy. This has led to many challenges, all of which Paul has successfully faced head-on. In the fall of 1991 while attending GVSU, Paul wanted to begin a career in city government. This led to the study of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which was just signed into law the previous year.

Paul completed an internship for the County of Ottawa in the spring of 1993. During that time, he was introduced to the disability community via the Center for Independent Living (CIL), Hope Network. He has helped Leadership Oakland and MI-UCP build an accessible ramp to support a young woman become more independent within her community. In 1996, Paul joined the UCP/Detroit (now MI-UCP) staff where he’s made significant strides in the disability community ever since.

Youtube link: https://youtu.be/_hCNx_PIA9I

About MI-UCP

MI-UCP was founded in 1949 as United Cerebral Palsy Association of Metropolitan Detroit (UCP/Detroit). This included Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. That same year, United Cerebral Palsy Association of Michigan (UCP/Michigan) was formed to serve the needs of constituents throughout the remainder of the state of Michigan.

 

In 2020, these two organizations merged into MI-UCP (Michigan United Cerebral Palsy). The goal is to expand our scope of service reach. In reality, more than 65 percent of the people we serve have a disability other than cerebral palsy. These include autism, spinal cord injuries, intellectual disabilities, visual impairments and many other disabling conditions.

 

By unifying as MI-UCP, we are able to operate more efficiently and effectively as one of the state’s leading sources of information, referral and strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations. And by having offices in Detroit and Lansing, we can continue to be a leading advocate for all 1.4MM of Michiganders with disabilities. For more information or to contact MI-UCP, please visit the web site at mi-ucp.org

For media inquiries, contact:

Leslynn Angel

langel@mi-ucp.org

248-557-5070 x154

Paul Landry

plandry@mi-ucp.org

248-557-5070 x113

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NEW YORK (PRWEB)
August 09, 2021

The Safr team is proud to announce our partnership with We Lift, a non-emergency medical transportation platform for improving accessibility and quality of life for wheelchair users in rural areas.

Safr is a ridesharing platform built specifically with the needs of women in mind. Safr’s expansion into non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) with Safr Care supports vulnerable customers, such as women who have experienced a history of abuse, children, and older adults.

We Lift is a NEMT Rideshare platform that provides on-demand access to individuals that require wheelchair transportation in Louisiana. With the goals to supply affordable, comprehensive on-demand wheelchair transportation service to the public, to decrease hospital discharge wait times, and to provide elderly and disabled individuals more independence. We Lift offers non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) including hospital discharges, nursing home residential relocation, disaster evacuation services, delivery/courier services, and transport to doctor’s appointments, as well as airport pick up/drop off and leisure trips.

In Louisiana’s population of 4.6 million, over 16% are individuals over the age of 65, many of whom require wheelchair-accessible transportation. Over 7.4 million NEMT rides are completed in the state annually.

As a platform driven by safety and empowerment, Safr is proud to join We Lift in support of our most vulnerable communities.

About We Lift

Established in 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the vision of providing on-demand access to individuals that require wheelchair transportation, We Lift is a NEMT Rideshare platform specializing in courier services and wheelchair transportation. We Lift wants to encourage wheelchair users to safely live outside of their homes and experience what life has to offer. For more information, please visit https://www.weliftrideshare.com.

About Safr

Safr is a ridesharing service focused on the safety and empowerment of women. Built with the needs of women in mind, Safr aims to improve the lives of women everywhere through safe transportation, job creation, and financial security. Safr’s drivers are personally vetted and undergo comprehensive background checks so that riders can have peace of mind knowing they meet Safr standards. Safr’s multiple in-ride app features aid in the protection of your safe arrival. For more information, please visit http://www.gosafr.com

About Safr Care

Safr Care is a healthcare technology platform focused on the Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) market. The mission of SafrCARE is to help improve the healthcare transportation market while empowering women. Safr has been at the forefront of transportation technology since 2017. See https://gosafr.com/care/web; https://youtu.be/ZuSmZ7hv7vQ

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