Disabilities Category

For General Mills, Wheat-Free Items Are Tricky to Make, Cheap to Market

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Mass marketer General Mills Inc. is carving out a niche in gluten-free food after realizing it could reach eager customers without costly ad campaigns, says today’s Wall Street Journal.
The company’s Betty Crocker brand is rolling out gluten-free mixes for cookies, brownies and cakes. The mixes are the first gluten-free offering from a major, mainstream [...]

Overwhelmed Sierra needs calming, loving, tracking service dog

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Sierra Bland is 10 years old. In her 10 years she has endured more medical tests, procedures and hospitalizations than most people do in a lifetime. She can tell you in detail how to start an IV, replace her colostomy bag, or what needs to be done prior to surgery.
The most amazing thing about [...]

Chris haunted by sensory overload, sleepwalking, and poor social interaction

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

Written by Beverly Wallrauch. Chris Wallrauch is an incredible eight-year-old boy with Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Although he is very bright and loves to be silly, very few know it because he has such a hard time interacting with people. He has managed to capture the hearts of the few people who know [...]

Becca the Beautiful: an Ultimate Survivor Needs Assistance

Tuesday, June 9th, 2009

Written by Nancy Tally. Becca Tally’s life can be summed up in the word traumatic. If Becca’s life had been different I believe she would currently be standing right beside Elizabeth, her twin sister, in the ranks of the US Air Force.
But Becca’s energy since infancy has been consumed in different kinds of life-threatening [...]

ACDL Board/Staff Retreat

Friday, June 5th, 2009

Just returned from a valuable retreat at the Grace Inn in Phoenix. The Arizona Center for Disability Law had its annual Board/Staff Retreat. Speakers:

Jennifer L. Nye and JoAnn Sheperd, attorneys, providing Healthcare and Special Education updates
Greta Mang, Elder Rights Specialist, DES/Division of Aging and Adult Services, discussing Legal Services for Seniors
Lynne, Pomasa, [...]

Shenandoah soothes during Tonic Clonic Seizures

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

This is Kira, who has Autism and a Seizure Disorder and her Multipurpose Assistance Dog, Shenandoah, a Goldendoodle bred at 4 Paws. Her Dad, Bart, sits nearby. Kira is in the hospital following a cluster of Tonic Clonic Seizures.
Note: I highly endorse 4 Paws for Ability as a source for extremely well-trained service dogs. [...]

Anxiety haunts little Isaac Egan

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Written by Melodie Robinson. When my son, Isaac Egan, was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of high-functioning autism) and Attention Deficit Disorder a year ago, the daily struggles we faced with him finally began to make sense.
Isaac deals with paralyzing anxiety and an inability to adjust to change.
Last year, when most [...]

Sweet, lonely Caitlin needs special service dog

Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009

Caitlin Wentzel is a six-year-old girl diagnosed with a genetic disease called Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a disease that affects the collagen in her bones and causes her bones to break with little or no trauma. She walks very short distances with the assistance of a walker and uses a wheelchair [...]

Tiny tot will need service dog

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

Cassandra or Cassie to her family is a beautiful three-month-old girl. Unknown as to exactly what occurred, Cassie went into distress and suffered trauma at birth. Cassie spent the first two weeks of her life on a ventilator, and the next four as well in Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Upon leaving the hospital, [...]

Dravet’s Syndrome holds family in its grip!

Tuesday, May 5th, 2009

Written by Marvel McAmmond
Didsbury, Alberta, Canada – May 5, 2009  Seven-year-old Dawsyn Harke of Didsbury, Alberta has a rare form of Epilepsy called Dravet’s Syndrome. The seizures Dawsyn endures, often many per day, have caused a variety of developmental delays that make her life challenging. Dawsyn has very little awareness of personal safety. She [...]