Parkinson Social NetworkAs Summer Comes to a Close
I hope you’ve all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend holiday! It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close and the weather will soon be cooler.
Our Funny Month of August
At our Cafe Ashburn last week, and in keeping with our theme of humor, one of our friends arranged for us to view a Mary Maxwell YouTube video and we enjoyed her dry sense of humor. If you google Mary Maxwell and YouTube, you can see the various videos of her thoughts on getting old.
Click here to see the video we watched on Wednesday.
We also chatted about our favorite I Love Lucy episodes which you can also find if you search on YouTube.
I met Gretchen at the Davis Phinney Foundation Victory Summit in Philadelphia. On her flyer it says “Each one of us has a face. It is the beauty of our faces that we want others to focus on.”
“I AM” The Face Of Project
Gretchen White is a one woman non-profit, “I AM” The Face Of Project – www.iamthefaceofproject.org. She was taking photos at the Victory Summit for a book she is working on that will show the beautiful faces of people with Parkinson’s. Her goal for this book is to have 100 faces, but if she gets 50, she will be very happy. At the moment, she is very close.
If you or someone you know want to be a part of this project? Gretchen is asking people to send Gretchen a black and white photo of their face. Click here for a photo release form. Please make as many copies as you need.
Gretchen will also need your first name, age, date when diagnosed, country where you live, and a brief (one paragraph) about you to include.
The deadline for the book is September 30th.
If you’d like to contact Gretchen, her email address is: iamthefaceofproject@gmail.com
Luscious Landscapes – Art Exhibition
We often talk about how Parkinson’s seems to bring out creativity in people and we have several artists joining us at our various cafes. One of our carepartner friends, Linda Bankerd, will have her paintings featured at Touchstone Gallery in D.C. from September 4 to 29.
Click here for more details about Linda’s exhibition.
A Positive Brain – podcast about Parkinson’s and PSN
I recently sat down with Toni Reinhart and Peggy Breda to record a podcast about Parkinson’s and the Parkinson Social Network. According to the description we talked about “how this grass roots organization is helping people with Parkinson’s stay connected, active and social through companionship, cafe’s and donuts!”
Click here to listen to the podcast. Click here to choose from the wide range of topics – all to do with the brain – that Peggy and Toni have covered in their other podcasts.
I hope this newsletter is helpful and we’ll see you Out & About soon! Click here to see more about our events and others in our community.
Cheers,
Sonia
email: Sonia@ParkinsonSocialNetwork.org
How to Celebrate Living Well with Parkinson’s – Count Every Victory
Photo Credit: The photo above is from a video we were shown at the Davis Phinney Foundation Victory Summit in Philadelphia. Here’s the link www.youtube.com/watch?v=28mElZg48J8 so you can view it too!
Davis Phinney Foundation Victory Summit
On Saturday, August 24, I attended the Davis Phinney Foundation Victory Summit in Philadelphia along with several friends from our Parkinson Social Network. We even connected with friends from Dover in Delaware! These Victory Summits are full of lots of good information on how to live well, not just for people living with Parkinson’s but carepartners, too, and families and friends. I believe there were about 700 attendees who heard presentations by local Parkinson organizations and resources as well as other nationally recognized experts. We also heard from Davis and Connie Phinney – both upbeat and inspiring speakers. These events are free as are the many resources on offer through their website such as their book, Every Victory Counts, webinars, articles and more. Click here to be inspired to live well!
Things are really ramping up now that autumn is just around the corner. Check out these events!
Caring for You, Caring for Me Workshops
Thursdays, September 5 – November 7, noon to I:00 pm
At: Fairfax County Government Center.
The 10-week session is a blend of interactive support and education for caregivers of older adults, leading to increased feelings of confidence and competence in your caregiving role. This program focuses on different modules for caregivers throughout the workshop series.
Click here for registration and more information (it is mandatory to register for all 10 sessions).
For information and reasonable ADA accommodations, contact Kristin Martin kristin.martin@fairfaxcounty.gov
John Williams has asked us to share this information with you. He encourages others living with Parkinson’s to attend.
Free Panel Presentation Consumers Advisory
Boosting the Economy with an Untapped Labor Pool of Nearly 11 Million People with Disabilities
Embracing assistive technologies and adopting an inclusive mindset will drive Corporate and GDP growth
Wednesday, September 4, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
At: National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, Washington, DC 20045.
Phone no. is 202-662-7500.
Contact: jwilliams@atechnews.com
Concerns about economic volatility and a slowing US economy deepened this month as the growing possibility of a global recession dominated the headlines.
One promising path to stabilize and keep the economy moving forward is within corporations’ grasp: hiring the untapped pool of nearly 11 million people with disabilities not in the labor force.
A recent Accenture report notes companies leading the way with inclusive workplaces achieved, on average, “28 percent higher revenue, double the net income and 30 percent higher economic profit margins over the four-year period analyzed.” The same report found that the GDP could receive a net gain of $25 million per each one percent of this population that joins the US labor force.
Six influential leaders in disability inclusion, assistive technology and advocacy will convene for a discussion about the impact potential of this population, and how workplaces can set in motion the necessary culture shift and technology acceleration to make it happen.
Speakers will discuss:
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) (former US senator and author and chief sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990), will discuss how the Disability Rights Movement (DRM), a global social movement to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for all people with disabilities, is achieving these goals. The DRM is comprised of organizations of disability activists around the world working together with similar goals and demands. Harkin will report on the efforts and successes of the DRM on behalf of people with disabilities in a number of foreign countries he recently visited.
Vinton Cerf, (winner of the US National Medal of Technology for founding and developing the Internet) will address Google’s efforts to apply technology to improve communication for people with disabilities and the challenge of designing accessible interfaces to applications. Designers must think about how the application can be presented/used by someone with visual, aural or other disability.
Dr. Gregg Vanderheiden (professor and director of the Trace R&D Center, University of Maryland, and pioneering advocate for access to technology) will discuss how “We are rapidly ‘technifying’ all aspects of life, making it harder for people who have difficulty with technology. For people who are older, it is increasingly harder to live independently. For others, it is harder to succeed in the workplace or keep up in school. We need to create layered interfaces or adopt technologies, like Morphic, that can add simpler layers and install/activate special interfaces on anything these people encounter and need to understand and use.”
Kim Charlson (global advocate for inclusion, serving as executive director of Perkins Library, a division of Perkins School for the Blind, and president of the American Council of the Blind) will cover the information challenges blind face daily and the educational, social, economic and artistic benefits eliminating these challenges through accessible technology.
Chet Cooper (leading expert for people with disabilities and founder of ABILITYMagazine.com, com, ABILITYJobFair.org and ABILITYCorps.org) will speak to the struggles, benefits and short and long term effects to companies and the entire country in employing PWDs. Cooper will discuss how recruitment technologies such as online job boards and career fairs
Rob Wong, assistive technology entrepreneur and CEO of Control Bionics, provider of EMG wearable bionics devices, will also speak.
News from Parkinson’s Voice Project
Facebook Live “Parkinson’s Q & A”
Hosted by Parkinson Voice Project founder and CEO Samantha Elandary
(tomorrow) Tuesday, August 27th at 1:00 pm CT (2:00 pm ET)
People can ask general questions about PD or specifically about speech and swallowing. Click here for details.
Hear and see the World’s Largest Parkinson’s Chorus!
Saturday, September 7th at
2:00pm CT (3:00 ET)
One hundred people with Parkinson’s whose voices have been restored through Parkinson Voice Project’s speech therapy program will be performing. The show will be livestreamed on Parkinson Voice Project’s website and Facebook page. Click here to learn more.
** We heard the joyful and enthusiastic Music Matters ParkinSingers Choir at the Victory Summit in Philadelphia and they were wonderful!
Thank you Susan D from APDA at UVA for sharing!
JUST REWARDS for Family Caregivers
Saturday, September 14 • 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
At: The Center, 491 Hillsdale Drive, Charlottesville, VA
www.thecentercville.org
Do you provide care for a loved one? If so, consider taking a break from your caregiving responsibilities to join us for some fun, relaxation, and pampering. Be our guest at our annual free event for caregivers, which offers support, massages, speakers, lunch, entertainment, and door prizes.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
10:00–10:45 Ageless Grace – Relaxing Exercise with Sheila Queen
10:45–11:00 Guided Meditation – Mindfulness with Betty Mooney
11:00–12:00 Keynote – Aging with Awareness with Katie Caverly
12:00–1:00 Lunch catered by Croby’s Urban Viddles
1:00–1:30 What Would You Do? – Conversation starters with Christine Shaw and Kate Daniels
1:30–2:00 Presentation – Care with Humor with Rhonda Moore
ALL DAY: FREE: Massages, Raffles, Lunch, Care For Loved Ones, Blood Pressure Checks, and More LEAVE REJUVENATED!
To register, call 434.817.5222 or email info@jabacares.org
There’s still time to plan to attend this event!
APDA 2019 Virginia Education Day!
Saturday, September 28, 2019 from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
At: DoubleTree Hotel
50 Kingsmill Road, Williamsburg VA 23185
Speakers include local friends and advocates Karl and Angela Robb, and Bob Pearson.
For more information about the when and where, as well as speakers, topics, and to register (only $25), click here.
Lastly, I’d like to thank the Women with Parkinson’s group for posting this comprehensive list of Information and Resources in a recent blog post! Click here to read all about it!
I hope this newsletter is helpful and we’ll see you Out & About soon! We’ll be at Cafe Ashburn this week! Details on our Cafes page. Will we see you there?
Cheers,
Sonia
email: Sonia@ParkinsonSocialNetwork.org
Parkinson Social Network 