Tag: Disabled
Posted on October 22, 2020 by jack
12 Comments
I was at the doctor’s office the other day and I thought to myself that this is taking a long time. I looked across the aisle and noticed two ladies talking to each other. One lady said to the other, “I am so sorry for you missing work to take me to the doctor.” The other lady replied, “Oh that work will be there tomorrow. It’s not running off anywhere and no one else is there to do it, so it’s ok.” I had just witnessed someone taking off work to help a frail, elderly individual. My first thought was:… Read More
Updated on October 5, 2020 by jack
9 Comments
Not long ago, a friend of mine was killed in a terrible motorcycle accident. I had known Randy for nearly twenty years. He and his wife were wonderful people – fun loving and a joy to be around. It is always a difficult time saying “goodbye”, as well as trying to comfort a grieving family. To switch gears for just a minute, one would assume that with the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this summer, access and design of modern buildings would be accessible to all. But, alas, that is not the case…. Read More
Category: Programs Tags: accessibility, assistance, assisting the disabled, blog, Disabilities, Disabled, employ the disabled, helping the disabled, making your community more accessible, mays mission for the handicapped, programs
Updated on September 23, 2020 by jack
10 Comments
As our founder E.W. Mays said, “We have only begun our work.” Great strides have been made over the past four decades – about the time Mays Mission was founded. We have seen the passage of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and most recently, the Americans with Disabilities Act. Yet statistics show a vast majority of disabled individuals cannot find employment. We feel that most employers meet the disability before they meet the person – that is to say that we, as humans, have a terrible habit of “judging a book by it’s… Read More
Posted on September 4, 2020 by jack
10 Comments
Over 54 million American citizens are physically disabled which makes them the largest minority in the United States. Two-thirds of these working-age adults are not working, yet the overwhelming majority of them (79%) desire employment. What’s the problem? Why are these people unable to find employment? According to a recent Harris survey, commissioned by the National Organization on Disability, 81% of disabled Americans desiring employment feel that their disability or health problems limit their access to jobs. That is a valid concern. It is up to each individual to analyze and assess their own situation and explore the viable and… Read More
Posted on August 26, 2020 by jack
11 Comments
Mark Twain once said, “Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in the face of fear.” When it comes to disabilities, especially the newly injured, fear is definitely a factor in the way people behave. It’s not just the fear of the unknown, it’s also the fear of perception – how will and what will others, my friends, my family and people I meet feel about me? Those born with disabilities often grow up knowing that there’s something “different” about them and often adjust very well because it’s all they have ever known. Yet still, there’s a… Read More
Updated on August 3, 2020 by jack
14 Comments
About three months ago, I had an unexpected phone call from a person that has been active with Mays Mission for the Handicapped for over fifteen years. It was Marie. She had called us to apologize for not staying in contact. Marie had just suffered the loss of her brother and a few weeks later she was hospitalized because of a near death experience and God’s grace pulled her through. I then learned what a special person Marie is. Marie grew up without a family. Over eighteen years ago, she started P.A.V.E. Ministries with her church. P.A.V.E. Ministries is a pen… Read More
Category: Programs Tags: Disabilities, Disabled, employ the disabled, faith in action, handicapable, handicapped, helping others, helping the disabled, Mays Mission, mays mission for the handicapped, programs, referral services
Posted on July 16, 2020 by jack
9 Comments
July 26, 2020 will mark the 30th anniversary of one of the most dynamic and monumental pieces of legislation for people with disabilities in U.S. history. On this date in 1990, then president George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA is made up of five separate sections; Title I covers employment, Title II covers public services, Title III covers public transportation, Title IV covers telecommunications and Title V takes on miscellaneous issues. While the ADA is the most comprehensive example of legislation for and about the 54 million people with disabilities living in the US, still… Read More
Updated on July 15, 2020 by jack
4 Comments
What do these men have in common: Thomas Edison, Ludwig van Beethoven, Albert Einstein and Jim Abbott? Before we get to that, let’s talk a little about “equality.” Now, I am not talking about getting all excited about race or gender, but thinking more along the lines of simply being human. When the Pilgrims left England in pursuit of freedom, they found themselves in a new, untamed world. Although there were many similarities to the land they left behind, there were struggles ahead to establish what they once knew as “ordinary life.” The land needed to be cleared for homes… Read More
Updated on June 26, 2020 by jack
17 Comments
What does the future hold for people with disabilities? No one can say for sure. Each disability is so unique as is each individual. With the new age of electronics and research, one never knows what cure or innovation may be just around the corner. Some find it easy to wait on the “miracle cure” while others are anxious to get on with life the best they can. I believe that’s the way to go! While not all people with disabilities can get out and work or be active in some way, those choosing to be “couch potatoes” are going… Read More
Category: Programs Tags: awareness, disability, Disabled, exercise, get active, handicapped, Mays Mission, physical fitness for the diabled, programs, special olympics, summer, volunteer
Updated on June 11, 2020 by vniehaus
7 Comments
Many people with disabilities, along with the elderly, need to take precautions against heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Not only is this group likely to be susceptible to heat related illnesses but they also may fall into a category of not being able to afford the high costs of air conditioning. There are ways to keep cool, such as fans and the intake of fluids, which we often take for granted. A dip in a tub of cool water can lower the body temperature significantly. A stroll in a mall during the heat of the day is a soothing break… Read More
Posted on May 20, 2020 by vniehaus
33 Comments
I have always been one to encourage people with disabilities to keep in touch with their medical professionals. It’s easy to become complacent and think you are doing okay. Taking a doctor’s advice has been a good thing for me and probably been to my advantage. However… I had an annual appointment with my rehab doctor several months ago. Upon telling him that my shoulders, elbows and wrists had been hurting, he began checking my “range of motion.” Everything seemed normal. He asked a few more questions. He then asked what I would think about moving to a “power wheelchair.” … Read More
Updated on June 26, 2020 by jack
3 Comments
A lot of our donors know that David Marrs is an integral part of the Mays Mission Production Team and has never let his disability hold him down. But you may not know that David Marrs is also heavily involved with the Heber Springs Chamber of Commerce as a volunteer in our community. David has been volunteering with the Chamber for several years now pitching in at local business grand openings and community events like the local fireworks extravaganza over the Fourth of July every year and big tourist attractions like the upcoming local Springfest where David assists locals and… Read More
Updated on December 14, 2020 by vniehaus
65 Comments
Everything in life happens for a reason. So often we as humans just don’t understand why. Sometimes disabilities are a result of our own mistakes such as drinking and driving or merely not thinking before acting. When one is born with a disability or is genetically predisposed to a disabling condition we all too often go to God and ask “why?” In our finite way of thinking we often see the disability as something negative, only thinking of ourselves. This is not to say that we cannot question God or pray and ask Him to deliver us from our illnesses. … Read More
Updated on May 1, 2020 by vniehaus
3 Comments
The ADA defines a assistance animal as any guide dog, or other animal individually trained to provide assistance to an individual with a disability. If they meet this definition, animals are considered service animals under the ADA regardless of whether they have been licensed or certified by a state or local government. Assistance animals perform some of the same functions and tasks that the individual with a disability cannot perform for him or herself. There are four types of assistance dogs. Service Dog:Aids individuals who are mobility impaired by performing tasks that are physically demanding and frustrating. Hearing Dog: Trained… Read More
