US Joins UN on Disability Rights

Yesterday, U.S. Representative Susan Rice signed a UN convention on the rights of people with disabilities. The convention seeks to "[support] international efforts to prohibit discrimination against the estimated 650 million people around the world with disabilities." 141 countries have already signed the pact. Rice said the signing was representative of "an ongoing source of inspiration for us all in our shared struggle to bring all barriers down"

Valerie Jarrett, the assistant to the U.S. president for intergovernmental affairs and public liaison, pointed out that "In developing countries, 90 percent of the children with disabilities do not attend school and women and girls with disabilities are too often the subject of deep discrimination." By signing the convention, the US has pledged to abolish legislation that allows such discrimination in our own nation.

To read about the aims and current news about the convention, visit the UN Enable website. To read more about disability rights from books in CeDIR's collection, check out our resource guides on the Americans with Disabilities Act, advocating as a parent, and self-advocacy.

Kids' Corner

CeDIR's Kids' Corner website just got a makeover!

The site has a bright beachy look and is filled with biographies of celebrities with disabilities, the down-low on Braille and ASL, lists of kid-friendly books, and disability awareness games (like the popular Mysterious Secret Language Riddles). Grab a kid and have fun!

Aimee Mullins

Aimee Mullins was born without fibulae, the bones that support the calf part of a person's legs. After her first birthday her legs were amputated in the hope that she could learn to use prosthetic legs, and she did--better than most people can use their biological legs. Aimee became a world-famous sprinter in college, breaking paralympic records for the hundred meter dash and the long jump.

After her athletic career, Aimee became a model and actress, appearing in the likes of Sports Illustrated. She is notable for her frank and open style (for her 1999 spread in People Magazine's Most Beautiful People, she said, "[I] don't want to be seen as a gimmicky disabled athlete...You don't hear people saying, 'Gwyneth Paltrow won an Oscar—and she's blonde!'"). She recently gave a talk on the definition of beauty, the future of prosthetics, and how readily children accept differences when free of the overbearing 'sensitivity' of adults; you can watch it here on TED.

Columbus Baby & Family Expo

Mark your calendars: the first annual Baby & Family Expo will be held in Columbus, IN on the weekend of November 28/29 to raise funds for Children, Inc. The purpose of the event is to "provide information from respected support groups, health professionals, and businesses in the surrounding area." Topics presented will include "everything from parenting classes to family photography."

The event is sponsored by Kids First Child Care & Early Childhood Education and will take place at the Columbus Holiday Inn, who will also offer discounts to participants for restaurant meals.

For more information, call Elizabeth Allen at 317-430-9023 or 812-657-7030, or visit the event website at www.columbusbabyandfamilyexpo.com.

Best Friend on Wheels

I stammered and stuttered.
I might say the wrong thing, I thought--so I muttered.
I wanted to get a good look at her chair,
but I felt like a jerk, so I tried not to stare.

In the whimsically illustrated book Best Friend on Wheels, by Debra Shirley and Judy Stead, an elementary-school girl portrays how she met and became best friends with Sarah, who uses a wheelchair. The book honestly addresses the awkwardness young children can feel when meeting someone different for the first time, and shows them how to relate to people of all abilities.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Nana, can you hear me?

Nana, can you hear me? is an introduction for children, families, and individuals experiencing hearing loss. In a simple and easy-to-understand style, authors Jean M Kenney and Phil Collins explain the physical causes and consequences of hearing loss, including the science of sound, adaptive technologies, therapies, sign language and more.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Shakissha and Friends

Shakissha is in the fourth grade, has spina bifida, and is preparing to attend a public school for the first time. This documentary follows her friends and teachers as they prepare for the transition through role-playing and talking through their differences. A great program for elementary-aged children, this DVD exemplifies acceptance and successful integration.

Interested in this DVD? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this documentary at your local library through WorldCat.

Bionic Devices

Bionics: Cool Science by Judith Jango-Cohen is a book about artificial devices that help improve daily living. This book shows how bionic devices serve many different purposes for animals and people. For example, some bionic devices replace parts of the body that are missing due to injury or birth defects. This book includes chapters on Replacing Parts, Fixing Malfunctions, Assisting the Senses and Facing the Future. This book is recommended for students in grade 4th -6th.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.

Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs

Building Blocks for Teaching Preschoolers with Special Needs by Susan Sandall and Ilene Schwartz is a resource guide for preschool teachers and educators to promote inclusion and improve outcomes for children with disabilities in early childhood classrooms. This updated second edition guidebook provides step-by-step strategies on how to decide what kind of instruction is appropriate and explains how the Building Block framework helps teachers meet the federal requirements. This bestselling book also provides a CD-ROM for printable forms such as classroom assessments, planning worksheets and child evaluation forms.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.

Carol Kranowitz in Ft. Wayne

Carol Kranowitz, author of The out-of-sync child: recognizing and coping with sensory processing disorder and the follow-up The out-of-sync child has fun: activities for kids with sensory processing disorder will speak at a conference in Ft. Wayne on November 6th, 2009 hosted by Future Horizons, Inc..

Paula Aquilla, a co-author of Building bridges through sensory integration, will also speak.

To register for this event, call toll-free 800-489-0727. Online registration through the Future Horizons website will be available soon.

The State of the States in Developmental Disabilities

The state of the states in developmental disabilities 2008 is an annual publication by the Department of Psychiatry and Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado. Filled with statistics and graphs on nursing facilities, national spending trends, federal initiatives and more, the resource is essential for service providers, politicians, advocacy organizations, and the general public.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Nto an Indiana resident? Find this resource at your local library through WorldCat.

Learn ABC's and Colors

Kids Like Me Learn ABC's and Kids Like Me Learn Colors are entirely wooden booklets which teach young children the written and signed alphabet and color names through illustrative photos and word association. The Colors book includes Spanish words and shapes for further learning.

Interested in these books? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find these books at your local library through WorldCat.

Assessing Students with Special Needs

Assessing Students with Special Needs to Produce Quality Outcomes by Carol Layton and Robin Lock provides educators with the tools to help guide and select appropriate Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals, address specific needs to improve students outcomes, and encourage using multiple assessment techniques to form a complete understanding of students achievement. This resource guide combines traditional and innovative assessment practices to assist educators to provide quality programming for students with disabilities. This book also explains the impact of cultural diversity on assessment issues and contains strategies to increase parent, student and teacher participation.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.

SAT Strategies

Barron's SAT Strategies for Students with Learning Disabilities by Dr. Toni Welkes is a study guide designed to assist teachers and parents in helping college bound students with disabilities prepare for the SAT. Welkes provides effective strategies for success on Writing, Math, and the Critical Reading sections on the test. This book also provides practical advice on test anxiety, time management, and relaxation techniques. This SAT study program is designed to help students who have learning disabilities such as Attention-Deficit Disorder, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and other cognitive processes that interferes with learning.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.

Jerk, California

Jerk, California is a moving work of young adult fiction by Jonathan Friesen. The novel follows athletic high school senior Sam, who had suffered emotional abuse at the hands of his step-father since he was diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome at a young age. Sam meets an elderly recluse in a small Minnesota town, who launches him on a mysterious roadtrip to Jerk, California with a girl named Naomi. During his journey Sam discovers love, independence, and learns that though he "may have Tourette's, but Tourette's doesn't have him."

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

How to Claim Disability

Have you been meaning to apply for disability but didn't know how? Worried about how the economy will affect your access to benefits? MarketWatch published an article recently addressing some of the primary missteps people make when attempting to claim social security benefits. The article outlines qualifications, timelines, appeals, and tips to make the process run as smoothly as possible. You can read the article here.

Need to know more about social security? Visit the federal department's website and check out these books available from the CeDIR library:

• Nolo's Guide to Social Security Disability: Getting and Keeping your Benefits
• How to get SSI & Social Security disability: an insider's step by step guide

As always, contact us if you have any questions or interest in these materials.

Lost at School

Lost at school: why our kids with behavioral challenges are falling through the cracks and how we can help them is written by Dr. Ross Greene, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. His book delves into the dark subject of system neglect and describes the innovative method of Collaborative Problem Solving. The book is a must-read for teachers, parents, administrators and professionals who work with students of all abilities.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

The subject of "Deafness"

Deaf Subjects: Between Identities and Places by Brenda Jo Brueggemann is a collection of essays that discusses the modern deaf subject beginning at the turn of the 19th century to the early 21st century. Brueggemann examines the American Sign Language and the radical changes and shifts here in the United States and in other parts of the world. She also explores the complex relationship between people in the deaf community and others and includes essays about famous women in history who have hearing impairments.

Interested is the book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.

Protect Your Child's Financial Future

Special Needs Trusts: Protect Your Child's Financial Future by Attorney Stephen Elias is a self-help legal guide that includes detailed information about how to create a trust for a loved one with disabilities. Elias explains how special needs trusts work, the trustee's job and whether to hire a lawyer or not. This resource guide provides information on how to provide financially for a loved one without losing government support. This updated 3rd edition book also includes forms, example letters and resource guides on CD-ROM.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your library has it in WorldCat.

Fulbright Scholarships

Ever dream of studying abroad? The US Department of State encourages students and scholars of all abilities to apply for spots in their esteemed Fulbright programs. If you have completed your undergraduate education and are proficient in a foreign language, you can apply to study/teach in practically any country on the globe! The program consists of three sectors: Fulbright Students (for those with a bachelors only), Fulbright Scholars (for those with a PhD or equivalent professional degree), and Fulbright Teachers (for K-12 or post-secondary teachers with a full-time position in the US). Grants are available to teach English, conduct research, gain professional international experience, or pursue graduate degrees on any of the six habitable continents.

For more information on Fulbright Programs in general, visit the U.S. Department of State. For information on the Fulbright program specific to persons with disabilities, visit Mobility International for descriptions of eligibility, success stories, and other exchange program resources.

The G Free Diet

The G free diet: a gluten-free survival guide is written by famed Elisabeth Hasselbeck, cohost of The View. Hasselbeck shares how she learned to life with celiac disease with a personable, unembellished writing style. She walks readers through the challenges of deciphering hidden cues in food labels, eating out, caring for children with celiac disease or ASDs, and more.

Interested in this book? Indiana resident? Contact us!

Not an Indiana resident? Find this book at your local library through WorldCat.

Working as a Team

The Paraprofessional's Guide to the Inclusive Classroom: Working as a Team by Mary Beth Doyle is an activity workbook that assists teachers and paraprofessionals to work together to create effective inclusive classrooms. This updated 3rd edition is fully revised and contains information on how to better understand the roles and responsibilities of the paraprofessional, the general educator, and the special educator to help build a more effective instructional team.

Interested in this book and live in Indiana? Contact us.

If not, check to see if your local library has it in WorldCat.