The family of an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy has accused the Blackpool Transport tram company of abandoning her on a day out after they refused to carry her wheelchair back from the seafront.
Has the whole darn world gone bonkers??
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One in fifty Americans is now living with some form of paralysis.
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A 47-year-old wheelchair-bound mother who had a stroke 18 months ago has been forced to do her banking on the street after staff at her local NatWest branch refused to lift her up two steps “for health and safety reasons.”
Is this the 21st century??
The sessions—which are free and open to the public—will be moderated by highly-acclaimed journalists Kathryn Gretsinger and Charlie Smith, and the great David Diamond (Headlines Theatre’s trailblazing co-founder and current Artistic Director). They “will get at the nuts and bolts of creating safe, affordable and supportive housing. Each day deals with location, financing and necessary supports and services.”
Moderated panels will be made up of people who have experienced homelessness, Metro Vancouver city councillors and business leaders.
Panelists will each present a short talk on the day’s topic, followed by an open dialogue with the audience.
The ideas discussed at the Sessions will generate an official Community Action Report—designed “to inform policy.” In fact, Headlines Theatre has written agreements from the following organizations to receive the report for their research for national, provincial, regional and local strategies on mental health and homelessness:
If you’d like to participate (and you really really should), The Community Dialogue Sessions are being held in Vancouver at the Firehall Arts Centre:
280 E. Cordova Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
November 24, 25 and 26 @ 1:30pm each day
Admission is free and open to the public
For more information call 1-604-871-0508 or email info@headlinestheatre.com.
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Learn more at headlinestheatre.com
Then…
Read Irked posts tagged “homeless”
Read Irked posts tagged “theatre”
Read Irked posts tagged “mental illness”
Read Irked posts tagged “British Columbia”
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Back in July, we introduced you to a very, very amazing young man named Jaylen Arnold—who has had Tourette’s Syndrome for most of his nine years. Jaylen’s on a mission to educate the whole world about bullying. (And he’s off to a fantastic start: even Leonardo DiCaprio is a fan!)
Watch this phenomenal video segment that aired last night on the CBS Evening News:
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For more, visit…
jaylenschallenge.org
twitter.com/Jayschallenge
youtube.com/user/jaylenschallenge
Then…
Read Irked posts tagged “bullying”
Read Irked posts tagged “self-esteem”
Watch more Irked videos
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If you’re the parent of a daughter between the ages of 8 and 12, chances are you’ve heard of a wonderful and empowering magazine called “New Moon Girls” (and its sister website newmoon.com, where girls can ask questions and share experiences with their peers in a safe, adult-monitored environment). The magazine, a “champion of girl-centered media” that features writing and art by and for “tweenagers,” is in its 16th year of continuous publication—a HUGE accomplishment in the world of grassroots publishing.
That’s why we were SHOCKED (and very saddened) to read this recent announcement on LunaNewMoon’s Twitter account:
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Then, practically simultaneously, we received this email from our good friend Julia Barry:
Virtual Helping Hands (VHH) is a coalition of four groups, united in their mission “to bring people who have disabilities into Second Life so everyone can enjoy what Second Life offers—entertainment, education, and employment. Everyone can explore and enjoy the same virtual worlds of the Immersive Internet”….with just a teensy weensy li’l bit of code tweaking.
“Movember is an annual, month-long celebration of the moustache, highlighting men’s health issues, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Mo Bros, supported by their Mo Sistas, start Movember (November 1st) clean shaven and then have the remainder of the month to grow and groom their moustache. During Movember, each Mo Bro effectively becomes a walking billboard for men’s health and, via their Mo, raises essential funds and awareness.”
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Read Irked posts tagged “fundraiser”
Read Irked posts tagged “Philip Patston”
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Quoting uncoverostomy.com:
“Uncover Ostomy is an online awareness campaign shaping a positive conversation about the ostomy in social media spaces. We will be sharing positive stories and thought provoking images—dare we say sexy?—to spark this conversation. We invite you to share your comments and ideas on this website, on Facebook, on YouTube, on Twitter and every where else you spend time engaging other people online.”
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SolarAid:
A solar-powered hearing aid that costs less than $100.
By comparison:
The least expensive retail model sells for about $500.
