LIFE UNBOUND: “Gimp’s Night Out – To each his own foibles and life mishaps”
Barton and Megan Cutter
A monthly series by S. Barton Cutter
It was only supposed to be dinner, a drink, and home at 10, just in time for my help to arrive – no big deal. I knew when we made the plans that the evening was to be an adventure.
Jen arrived promptly at 6:30 p.m., a feat for any of my friends, and asked what we needed to do before leaving. I replied, “I need to get into my manual wheelchair.” And as timidity crept to her hair follicles, she looked somewhat trepidatiously around the room.
“The chair is over in the corner,” I said. “Bring it over here and back it up against the wall. Okay, now move my footrests by pushing in that button.” I pointed to a small black object on the side of my wheelchair with the halting, jerky movement of my chicken-ankled wrist. After several wrong guesses at locating what I was pointing to, she stumbled upon the button and the footrest swung free. “Alright, now undo my seat belt, put my feet on the floor and grab me under my arms while you pull me toward you and I will stand up.”
“Okay, B, but I’m not sure I’m doing this right” — hence the whole process of talking her through it. Soon I was on my feet without any problem. I felt her biceps quivering as we did a short two-step before she found her balance.
“Now for the pivot,” I said. “All you have to do is turn to your left and then set me down in the other wheelchair.” With a grand flourish and a swoosh of the limb, I landed like an unbalanced seesaw on the edge of the seat. We were nearly there. “Just come around behind and haul me up.”
“Like this?” she queried as she reached from behind, clasped her hands, and thrust them in proper Heimlich maneuver fashion.
“Perfect.” We were off after only 15 minutes, — record time for a beginner.
A few moments later we were at the restaurant. We parked and she put my chair together, attaching two wheels to the frame with a push of a button. Such a simple design should allow for quick assembly by a chimpanzee, but on this chair the design has dumbfounded psychologists, astronomers, and more often than not the engineer. I had started to think that my entire conception of common sense was being revealed as a complete illusion. Yet not a four-letter word formed in her mouth. Amazing.
“That was easy.”
“Of course it is,” I said. “Not that I’ve ever done it. But all you have to do is push that button and the wheel pops on. From here it’s just a reverse of what we did earlier.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
When the food arrived, I received another hesitant glance from Jen.
“Just cut it up and shove it in my mouth,” I said. “It’s just like feeding yourself.”
“Is this too big?” she asked, balancing a crumb on the fork.
“Yes, it is. A mouse would most assuredly choke on that. I can not allow any deadly objects to enter my body.”
“Your sarcasm is overwhelming. Is this better?”
“Well, at least that’s chewable.”
As the meal progressed and my chastising subsided, I became aware of the bites growing from miniscule tastebud-teasers to mouthfuls suitable only for a sumo wrestler. By this time, however, I was not about to draw attention to such bites. We managed to finish dinner with the majority of the food reaching my mouth and, except for the occasional airplane imitation from Jen, I had no complaints.
Soon we were out the door and on our way back to the car. A block from the car, however, Jen failed to see the rapidly approaching curb.
“Oh sh**!”
“Don’t worry,” she said. “I’ve got you.”
The right front wheel of the chair was dangling six inches above the street yet the other three wheels were halted before meeting the same fate. Catching the collar of my shirt, Jen aborted my body’s attempt at flight while at the same time allowing me a unique sympathy for all dogs wearing choke chains. After retrieving the lost wheel, we located a curb cut and made it to the car.
We found the car and began reloading. Once she hauled me to my feet, I felt a formidable draft beginning at my sockline and climbing its way up the back of my legs into my boxers. A siren of laughter exploded from my mouth.
“Oh, God!”
“What?”
“Look down.”
“Why?”
“You’ll see.
“You have no pants on!”
“What a keen observation. Could you help me put them back on before we draw an audience?”
She leaned over and hauled them up as I careened backwards into the passenger seat. Then she swung my legs into the car, collapsed my wheel chair, and we were on our way home.
After I was buried under my blankets, the evening’s events had me chuckling, every foible replaying in my mind. It pleased me to know that Jen took the same pleasure in these mishaps as I did. As I dozed off, a Cajun two-step drifted through my head.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )LIFE UNBOUND: Discovering the Unbound Life
Barton and Megan Cutter
The first in a series of monthly posts by S. Barton Cutter
What possibilities exist when you believe you can surpass any barrier?
I’ve never defined myself by my disability. Despite having spastic cerebral palsy and being told from an early age what was and was not possible, I’ve shattered almost every expectation others and even I have placed on myself.
While I grew up in Chicago, I realized that in order to find my own sense of independence, I would need to be far from the barriers that the cold, mid-western climate imposed. With that, I dismissed nearly all of the people who insisted that, because of my disability, I would not succeed on my own and journeyed to Tucson to attend my top school of choice, the University of Arizona.
During college, I began training in martial arts and discovered I could go further than I ever thought possible by using its physical, mental, and spiritual training to move through assumptions and deeply held beliefs about what I thought was possible.
That’s when I met my wife, Megan. In fact, martial arts training brought us together, both in terms of how we met and, more importantly, how it provided Megan with an opportunity to see who I was and what I stood for independent of my disability.
We learned we had other common interests and forged our relationship over a love of writing, emailing poetry across the country to one another for nine months before we were engaged.
On our wedding day, I walked Megan out of the church using a specialized walker. Since then, we’ve had many crazy adventures, such as being evacuated off Hatteras Island during our fifth year anniversary. Imagine trying to use a power chair as a hovercraft.
Our secrets to a phenomenal marriage: laughter and flexibility. We have experienced the excitement of moving into our own home and using our gifts of life coaching and writing to serve others.
Personally, we have navigated the struggles of work, creating support networks, and sometimes losing hope only to rediscover our passions. We are still working towards dreams yet to be realized, such as adopting a child. And we have found that our journey has inspired others along the way.
At the same time I have dedicated my life, professionally and otherwise, to empowering others with and without disabilities by translating many of the lessons I have learned for them. I have served as communications director for The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities and as co-coordinator for the Lifetime Connections Program with First in Families of North Carolina. From 2011-2012, I was a monthly columnist for the News & Observer’s “Our Lives” column. Today, I continue to work with various organizations while offering coaching and mentoring to private clients.
Together, Megan and I work to break barriers by being open about our relationship and by speaking nationally about: inclusive leadership; creating healthy relationships; relationships and disabilities; and self-defense for people with disabilities.
Our book, Ink in the Wheels: Stories to Make Love Roll, delves into such themes as: family influences and dynamics; creating external and internal support networks; direct support staff and the balance of care giving; and losing faith in one another then finding it again.
Through this blog, I hope that the stories I share will inspire and motivate you to live your dreams and embrace life to the fullest!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )Tar River’s Barbara Spell Honored as Exceptional Direct Support Professional
The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) has named Barbara Spell of RHA Howell’s Tar River residential care facility in Greenville, NC, as an “Exceptional Direct Support Professional” with a high standard of performance in the state.
Madison Mozingo, an RHA Howell client and Tar River resident,
Direct Support Professional Barbara Spell
nominated Spell. As a result, the NCCDD is recognizing her and other Exceptional Direct Support Professionals on its website, www.nccdd.org, and through social media.
“Direct Support Professionals play a very important role in providing an improved quality of life for people with disabilities, including individuals with intellectual and other disabilities,” wrote NCCDD Chairman Ronald D. Reeve in his letter to Spell. “You and your colleagues help make it possible for individuals with disabilities to live fuller lives, participating more completely in the community or by enabling them to live in community settings with assistance on some tasks.”
The NCCDD is an independent organization within the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
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Greensboro Duo To Walk 500 Miles For Children and Adults with Disabilities
Mother and daughter will walk the ancient Camino de Santiago to raise funds for RHA Howell.
October 2, 2013 (Greensboro, NC) — On October 30, 2013, Greensboro, NC, mother and daughter Deborah and Brenna Berman will fly to Madrid, Spain, to embark on a grueling 500-mile hike across northern Spain to raise funds for RHA Howell, a state-wide non-profit organization that serves children and adults with disabilities.
A Berman family members lives in RHA Howell’s group home in Greensboro.
“We have asked friends, family, and the public for donations to RHA Howell,” the Bermans say on their blog, www.trailjournals.com/HikingForHowell, where anyone interested can follow them on their journey and share their experiences. “A pledge per mile will help this worthy organization. Even as little as a penny per mile, multiplied by 500 miles, equals five bucks.”
It will take the mother-daughter team six weeks to hike the Camino de Santiago, or Saint James Way, a pilgrimage route that culminates at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Tradition holds that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried there.
This marks the second time the Bermans have hiked Camino de Santiago. They did so six years ago and remember that “challenging days are inevitable and we will need help to get through them.” They say they found that help by deciding to make this second hike a “Hiking For Howells” fundraiser.
“On those inevitable ‘down’ days this fall, knowing our every step counts (literally!) will inspire us,” they say.
Deborah and Brenna will travel by train and bus from Madrid to a tiny mountain village near the border of France and Spain. From there, they will backpack along the ancient route over four mountain ranges, on muddy trails, and through all kinds of weather.
To pledge a donation for the Bermans’ effort, go to www.rhahowell.org/HikingForHowells.aspx. To share the Bermans’ experiences, visit www.trailjournals.com/HikingForHowell.
For more information on RHA Howell, visit www.rhahowell.org.
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Epiphany School Sixth Graders Raise $6000 Through “Footprints for A Change 5K and One Mile Run/Walk”
A fundraiser to benefit the RHA Howell Center in River Bend
The race begins!
September 27, 2013 (New Bern, NC) – A group of sixth graders from the Epiphany School of Global Studies in New Bern raised $6000 when they held “Footprints for a Change 5K and 1 mile Run/Walk” on Saturday, September 21, starting at the River Bend Recreation Center, 45 Shoreline Drive in River Bend, NC.
With 177 runners and walkers participating, the event was a fundraiser to benefit RHA Howell River Bend Center, which is home to 125 children and adults with disabilities. Proceeds will be used to purchase of a new “whiteboard,” an interactive learning tool used in classrooms for people with special needs.
Howell River Bend Center administrator Tina Stewart and Cille Griffith, the Epiphany School’s Director of Institutional Advancement, assisted the students with the event.
The young group’s mission was to “simply make a difference and give a voice to uniquely special people by raising
Epiphany students have fun before the race. L-R: Madelyn Bircher, Savannah Sparks, Lexie Sparks
awareness and hope,” said Epiphany student Madelyn Bircher with fellow students Savannah and Lexie Sparks. “The wonderful people who live at RHA Howell are joyously strong and have always persevered. We wanted to give back to their bravery.”
“I am so thrilled with our Epiphany 6th graders and with Tina and Cille,” said Georgiana Bircher, the owner of Game On, one of the event’s sponsors, and Madelyn Bircher’s mother. “They blew away their goals!”
Sponsors for the event included: Game on, Pepsi, Morcom Medical Associates, White and Allen, Progressive Graphics, Culligan Water Conditioning, Minges Bottling Group, Chick-Fil-A, New Bern Sporting Goods, Carpet One, Coastal Fence, Hartman Wright Attorneys at Law, Susan and Wayne Deutscher, H. Reid Hart Family Dentistry, New Bern Gymnastics, Davis Hartman Wright PLLC, and Progressive Graphics.
For more information on RHA Howell, contact Debbie Valentine: dvalentine@rhanet.org: 919-803-2960. (See more photos from the event below.)
Click HERE to read the New Bern Sun-Journal‘s coverage of the event.
About The Epiphany School of Global Studies:
The Epiphany School of Global Studies is rooted in the pioneering ideals of founders Nicholas and Catherine Sparks, who envisioned a school with an extraordinary college preparatory program where the Judaic-Christian commitment to “Love God and Your Neighbor as Yourself “ is an ethical commitment, Christian tradition is celebrated, but students of all faiths and no particular faith are welcome in the spirit of good neighbors. Founded in 2006, the school is nationally recognized for its quality of the college-preparatory education and for its first-in-kind, comprehensive global studies program that emphasizes fluency in a second world language, wide-ranging global topics imbedded into the curriculum, and extensive educational opportunities abroad for its students. For more information: http://epiphany-nb.org/.
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The Arc of NC’s Director To Become Head of NC’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability, and Substance Abuse Services
by Ben Akroyd
On May 16, 2013, Dave Richard, Executive Director of The Arc of North Carolina since 1989, resigned that position to become the Director of North Carolina’s Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disability, and Substance Abuse Services (DMHDDSAS).
“I have been blessed to have the opportunity to serve as The Arc’s Executive Director for the past 24 years,” Richard said. “I look forward to the challenge of working in state government to improve the systems that support people with mental illness, developmental disabilities and those with addictive disorders.”
Dave Richard
Established in 1953, The Arc of NC is an advocacy and service organization for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides community services for over 2000 individuals and has 30 affiliated chapters throughout North Carolina. The Arc is also one of the largest housing developers and property management organizations for people with disabilities in North Carolina with over 2400 people living in community-based properties managed or owned by The Arc.
During Dave Richard’s tenure, The Arc built upon its long history of advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) and their families, and providing direct support for people with I/DD. His commitment to person-centered supports positioned The Arc of NC to become a leader in services.
In partnership with the state and a Local Management Entity, The Arc established, under Richard’s leadership, the first successful self-determination project (TriAlliance) in 1991. The Arc also took the lead in the development of self-directed services through the Choices (formerly Employer of Record) program.
Under Richard’s guidance, The Arc also became the largest provider of case management services in the state, a decision made by the board of directors who believed that case management was the service that most closely reflected The Arc’s core mission of advocacy.
“Dave has been a strong leader for The Arc of NC and for people with I/DD in North Carolina for the past two decades,” said Ann Balogh, President of The Arc of NC. “His leadership will be missed at The Arc. Still, we are pleased to see someone with his talents and commitment to people with disabilities taking the reins of the DMHDDSAS. We believe his leadership will bring new energy and stability to the state’s system for people with disabilities.”
Richard calls The Arc of NC “an incredible organization that is sustained through the extraordinary commitment and vision of its volunteer leaders. Coupled with an equally talented set of staff leaders, I have no doubt that The Arc will continue to provide quality advocacy and services in the years to come.”
Dave Richard officially resigns from The Arc of North Carolina on May 26th and begins his responsibilities with the DMHDDSAS on May 27th. During his final days with The Arc, he will be working with the board and Interim Executive Director Lisa Poteat on transition issues. He will not take part in any policy or programmatic decisions relating to the DMHDDSAS during this time.
For more information, contact Ben Akroyd, Assistant Director of Communications, at (919) 782-4632 or bakroyd@arcnc.org .
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RHA Howell Announces The 2013 Epicurious Vino Challenge
Sponsors needed to help raise funds for children and adults with disabilities.
April 30, 2013 (Raleigh, NC) — RHA Howell, a non-profit organization dedicated to serving children and adults with disabilities across North Carolina, has announced the date for its popular Epicurious Vino Challenge annual fundraising event, and is now seeking additional sponsors.
The 2013 Epicurious Vino Challenge, open to the public, will be held Saturday, June 29, from 6-10 p.m., at the Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.
Now in its fourth year, the event challenges professional chefs from all over the state to compete to see who will make the best dish, or dishes, using an award-winning Hinnant Family Vineyards wine as a key ingredient. After guests attending the Challenge get to taste every dish prepared – from entrees to desserts – they vote for the first, second, and third-place “People’s Choice” award winners. Professional chefs from US Foodservice, Inc., a primary sponsor for the event, select the Chef’s Choice winners in a blind tasting.
The Epicurious Vino Challenge also includes music, a full bar, signature martinis, a live auction, and other prizes, 
within the verdant setting of the working 80-acre vineyard near Smithfield, NC. All proceeds will be used to purchase new adaptable playground equipment, to invest in new technologies that increase learning and social skills; and to provide needed upgrades to the small guesthouse on the Bear Creek campus for out-of-town parents and guardians.
“RHA Howell is committed to supporting people with disabilities and their families. And every year we continue to fight budget cuts,” said Debbie Valentine, RHA Howell’s marketing and special events coordinator. “But everyday we help people achieve their greatest level of independence, choices and opportunities. The sponsors for the Epicurious Vino Challenge truly make a difference in someone’s life by helping us save these incredible programs.”
Along with U.S. Foodservice and Hinnant Family Vineyards, sponsors returning for another year include Southern Pharmacy Services, Van Products, Fallon Benefits Group, Morcom Medical Associates, and Wake Stone Corporation.
Any individual, business, or organization interested in sponsoring this year’s event should visit www.rhahowell.org/EVCSponsorship.aspx for details.
For more information on the RHA Howell and the 2013 Challenge, go to www.rhahowell.org.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )A World of Connection and Abundance
By Sam Hedrick
Change in how we care for people with disabilities is inevitable. If done correctly, change through inter-connectivity can bring abundance and will determine the true currency of supporting people with disabilities to realize their full potential and aspirations.
Sam Hedrick, President/Associate Counsel, RHA Howell, Inc.
Unless you are living under a really big rock, you know that the world around us is changing in a dramatic fashion. Every day brings a new challenge. And though it seems that all of this change is sudden and overwhelming, some scholars predicted a global transformation decades ago. Even as early as 1994, Vaclav Haval, President of the Czech Republic, said as he was accepting the Philadelphia Liberty Medal at Independence Hall:
“There are good reasons for suggesting the modern age has ended. Many things indicate that we are going through a transitional period, when it seems that something is on the way out and something else is painfully being born. It is as if something were crumbling, decaying and exhausting itself, whiles something else, still indistinct, was arising from the rubble.”
Reflecting on his words today makes us wonder if we are actually observers of the chaos that he predicted. Applying his perspective even further to “our world of supports for people with disabilities,” and according to The Fiscal Survey of States, a report jointly released by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Budget Officers, states will continue to face significant fiscal challenges, with Medicaid continuing to outpace overall general fund expenditures. Add to that the lightening-paced marathon that we are experiencing in North Carolina to convert to multiple managed care systems with closed network initiatives — hello! READ MORE…
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )October Is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
In an effort to promote National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the NC Employment First Steering Committee collected employment success stories from consumers, family members, friends, and providers.
As part of the Employment First Initiative in North Carolina, this campaign seeks to promote the idea that people with disabilities can and do work and employment is possible! This is also an effort to offer hope, promote mentorship, self-advocacy and empowerment to people with disabilities considering employment as an avenue for personal growth. – North Carolina Employment Success Stories
Following are two Success Stories in the document directly connected to RHA Howell.
Ryan, Raleigh
Ryan was devastated when he learned that he could no longer pursue his passion for cooking because of a serious back injury that required multiple surgeries. For 18 years he’d used cooking “to make people happy,” he writes in his “Success Story.” Then, while he was working with his Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) counselor, he heard that RHA Howell needed to hire an employment specialist.
“The position at RHA seemed like a golden opportunity for me to turn my talents in a different direction while still making people happy,” Ryan writes. “I love the job I am doing now. It allows me to work with people and to make a difference in their lives. Being a VR consumer myself, I have a great passion for working with individuals with disabilities.”
Ryan has helped seven people find competitive employment in just four months, and he has developed relationships with area businesses in Wayne, Lenoir, and Wilson counties.
“Thank you, RHA Howell,” he concludes, ”for giving me the opportunity to sow into the lives of so many.”
Rosalind, Charlotte
Secured Employment Network (SENET) client Rosalind needed a job. Donna Fitzgerald, a SENET employment specialist, found the perfect place for her in the organization’s supported employment network: the Dollar Tree.
Since Rosalind started her job as a stocker at the Dollar Tree, she has taken on more tasks, such as maintaining the restrooms, arranging flower and kitchenware displays, and even helping customers find items they’re looking for in the store.
“She is also making new friends and forming strong relationships with her co-workers,” according to the report, especially co-assistant manager Kelly Sherril.
Rosalind also shares her drawings of flowers and birds with the Dollar Tree team. “They are such a valued prize with the managers that they are being framed and displayed.”
RHA Howell and SENET thank store manager Damion Denney and the entire Dollar Tree team for embracing Rosalind and selecting SENET as a source for qualified employees.
To read or download all of the North Carolina Employment First Success Stories, click here.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )DHHS Releases Guide To Accessible N.C. Travel Destinations for People with Disabilities
RALEIGH – N.C. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Secretary Al Delia announced today the release of the sixth edition of “ACCESS North Carolina,” a publication that provides details on the accessibility of tourist sites across North Carolina. The latest edition, available in time for summer travelers, provides accessibility notes for hundreds of sites.
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