Last week my entire team and our coaching staff visited the Mississippi Mining Company. We attended a total of seven community meetings including five for local school kids. It was an incredible experience that I plan to write about later this weekend. For now I will post two Youtube links to the video we showed durring our visit.
Note that Youtube has a ten minute limit on videos- so this twelve minute video is broken into two parts.
Have a very happy turkey day. To those of you who cannot see- this video is one that you might want to watch with a friend. The video is set to music and shows opening ceramonies, our final two games, the medal presentation and the whitehouse visit.
YouTube - USA Womens Goalball, Visit to Sainte Genevieve (Part 1)
YouTube - USA Womens Goalball, Visit to Sainte Genevieve (Part 2)
I know that you understand the positive role sports can play in ones life- for I am living proof of this.
Because I am committed to ensure that the young girl who comes after me has the same opportunities to participate in sports that I had I recently joined
a coalition of advocates spearheading The California Athletic Equity Law. This is a piece of state legislation that would dramatically increase the
number of opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in sports.
To learn more or to get involved you can go to:
www.titleix2.org - Title IX2 (Title 9 Squared)
I have pasted the text of an introductory cover letter below. Please don't hesitate
to contact me should you have any questions or if you'd like to see the proposed text of the bill. We are courting the legislature and would welcome suggestions
on individuals who may be willing to take the lead and author the bill in either the state assembly or the senate.
Some reading this blog are not from California- it is still important to be aware of what we're doing out here- so you can learn from our mistakes
and our best practices.
All students with disabilities deserve the chance to participate in competitive sport.
Please join me in spreading the word about this important effort.
In sport,
Jessie Lorenz
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."
T. S. Elliot
(Begin coverletter)
California Athletics Equity Law for Students with Disabilities
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are asking you to join us in our efforts to create the California Athletics Equity Law for Students with Disabilities. We are a group of disabled athletes,
parents, coaches, educators and friends.
Our goal is to create system change by promoting legislation in California to ensure that youth with disabilities receive the benefits that come from equal
access to school physical education and athletic programs. This law then could be used as a national model.
The benefits of youth participating in school sports programs are well documented. Grade-point averages, attendance rates, and graduation rates are higher
for student-athletes, while discipline referrals and dropout rates are lower. Participating in sports helps to teach the value of hard work, goal setting,
communication and teamwork. Additionally, participating in sports helps to establish healthy life style habits.
Unfortunately, the opportunity for students with disabilities to participate in their schools interscholastic sports programs does not exist in California.
Presently, a limited number of kids with disabilities get access to sports through community-based organizations in a few locations in California. These
organizations offer exciting and challenging athletic opportunities, but operate outside of the school system and can serve only a fraction of the disabled
population.
It is now time to guarantee that all California school children with disabilities receive the same benefits of school sports programs as their non-disabled
peers. This April, the state of Maryland passed the legislation that we are working on, the first of it’s kind in the country. Similar efforts are taking
place throughout the country. Our plan is to build a coalition of support and in the fall of 2008 identify a California legislator to author our bill
for the 2009 session.
This historic change will not take place unless those of us in the disabled sports movement take a leadership role in this effort. We need help with every
aspect of this effort, from hosting informational get-togethers, recruiting supporters, contacting legislators, testifying at legislative hearings and
contributing financially to support this effort. Enclosed you will find a draft of the legislation, an information page and a sign-up form.
Together, we can help bring about this historic change.
Signed,
Rick Spittler,
Director, Title IX2
Keith Olbermann's Prop 8 Special Comment: It's "About The Human Heart" (VIDEO): "You are asked now, by your country, and perhaps by your creator, to stand on one side or another. You are asked now to stand, not on a question of politics, not on a question of religion, not on a question of gay or straight. You are asked now to stand, on a question of...love. All you need do is stand, and let the tiny ember of love meet its own fate."
Please Help me increase the views of this page:
YouTube - Sidewalks are for Everyone (Audio Described)
Sidewalks are for Everyone (Audio Described)
This is An audio described public service video from the Lighthouse
for the Blind paid for by a mini-grant from the San Francisco Dept. of
Public Health. It is also posted in Spanish, Chinese and without audio
description.
Tom and I waited in line for about 35 minutes along side our neighbors
beginning at 7:00 this morning. When we got to the front of the line
our pole workers were slightly surprized to see two voters who are
blind, but they stepped up to the plate. I asked to vote on the
electronic voting machine and I was guided over to the machine. The
only little problem was that there were no headphones at my poling
place. Like most self-respecting blind folks I carry lots of gadgets
that require headphones- so I was able to use a pair I had in my
backpack.
I voted in what may be the most important election of my life time and
I did it independently and privately. I voted because I care about
this country and the programs, people and institutions that make this
country great.
I vote because I insist on having a voice.
Please vote today. If you need to use the speech output that is
built-into all certified electronic voting machines in California
bring a set of headphones!
