Archive for March 9, 2015

Another Year In Tallahassee

I recently made one of my yearly trips to our Capital in Tallahassee.  Some years I have make more than one trip, but most of the time it is just one trip to advocate for legislation helping those with disabilities.

Chatting with Senator Dean (he will soon be terming our and he will be missed) I was reminded that I have been meeting with him since his first year in office – that was 2002.  Time flies, so my trips have been going on for over 12 years.  I am not sure if I was visiting before he took office.  Encounters blur together and memories are not always perfect.

Never the less, it has been a lot of years advocating.  Over the years my advocacy has been varied, not just limited to those issues that affect the disabled.  In fact my first couple of years centered on children’s issues and my trips were made during Children’s Week at the Capital.

Although these last years I have been going up during Developmental Disability Day at the Capital I still advocate for more than just those with disabilities.  I continue to advocate for our children, especially those in foster care or recently adopted.  This year there were some justice issues that also were on my legislative agenda.  Two of them being a bill to end the death penalty in Florida (it may not pass this year but it is inevitable) and a bill to required a unanimous jury verdict to impost the death penalty (this looks like it could pass this year.)

Restoring budget cuts for those with disabilities is a big issue this year and will continue to be for the future.  Reimbursement rates for those who provide services to those with disabilities have been cut over 14% on the average.  And these cuts have been in place for over a decade.   This year advocacy groups are hoping to get 7% restored.  This will still not bring us back to 2003 levels.

Employment and transportation are also important issues.  There is an Employment First Bill that could give employers incentives to hire persons with disabilities.  Transportation funding always falls short of what is needed.

There are still over 20,000 Florida citizens with disabilities on a waiting list for services.  The legislature and governor are being asked to provide funding to remove as many as possible from this waiting list and to provide these essential services for our vulnerable citizens.

Children with disabilities are still being housed in nursing homes or facilities for adults.  Children with some medical needs, usually complex, are being housed in nursing home facilities for the elderly despite a lawsuit and direction from the Federal Government to place them in appropriate facilities.

There are many other issues that impact the daily life and quality of life of our citizens with disabilities.  These needs should be addressed and solutions put in place.

I am a realist when it comes to Tallahassee.  I look for, hope for and work for incremental changes.  This has worked in the past, as we have moved forward to better serve this population.  I am heartened by the fact that we have not taken any steps backward in the last few years.  This is an area where two steps forward and one step backward is unacceptable.

 

 

Are you in a True Competition by Getting an Award by Participating?

Everyone will get a trophy.

When you think of Special Olympics and even competitions in schools, you think that it is a great thing and will be something the participants will grow from. That is false because how we give out trophies and treat each competitor.

Today, Special Olympics and other competitions give each competitor a trophy or ribbon and treat them like they all won. There are different reasons that this does not work and is bad for each of the participant’s future.

  1. Reason for a competition

A rivalry between two or more persons or groups for an object desired in common, usually resulting in a victor and a loser but not necessarily involving the destruction of the latter.  The act of competing is to strive to outdo another for acknowledgment, a prize, supremacy, profit, etc.

  1. Why giving a participant a trophy no matter what, is not a good thing

When you give all participants a trophy no matter what, it takes away the point of a competition. Giving every participant a reward no matter how they do, tells the participants that they don’t need to try or work hard at something because they will be rewarded no matter how they do. This is not true because in order to achieve success or get somewhere, you have to do something. Also rewarding everyone no matter what gives the participant no reason to compete and they lose the skills on how to compete.

  1. What do we need to do to fix this

We should start making every competition like a real competition and only give trophies to the first, second and third winners. I understand why a reward might be given to every participant but it’s not about everyone feeling like they won. Failing at things is how we grow and become better human beings. Bill Gates, the president, Joe Smo down the street did not get where they are by getting everything handed to them. They had to work their butts off and still do!

To sum this up, let me tell you my story of when I went to Special Olympics. When I was younger I went to compete in Special Olympics once and it was fun but that’s all. After, I told my parents that I didn’t want to be a part of Special Olympics anymore because everyone got a trophy and I wanted more of a competition. Special Olympics is a wonderful thing, don’t get me wrong but it was not for me.

Let’s keep fighting and squeaking our wheels because competition is good and will take us far!