Thai Airways Helps Cyclone Nargis Survivors in Myanmar and Sends Earthquake Relief Goods to Chengdu, China
On May 3, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit the Union of Myanmar, which resulted in suspension offlights to Yangon on May 3-4. Electricity went out and the country of Myanmar experienced substantial damage and losses. THAI began the relief support the first day flights were allowed to return to the region. Since then, the airline has donated 90,000 relief good items and transported them to Myanmar, including items like blankets, plates, dishes, spoons, and cups, dry foods, water, medicine...

Myanmar List of Non Government Organizations (NGOs)
From past disaster situations people with disabilities are frequently left out of relief efforts. Most commonly, any assistance comes from local organizations that work with people with disabilities—who usually are very cash strapped themselves and have great difficulty gearing up to meet the tremendous demands placed on them. Thus, based on past trends, here is a partial list of NGOs in Myanmar....

Correlations of Autistic Behaviors Shown in Children with Down Syndrome
In a continuation of his research looking at children with a co-diagnosis of both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other well-known genetic disorders, Dr. Walter E. Kaufmann and colleagues recently published a study that examined the difference in brain structure between children with either Down syndrome alone and children with both Down syndrome and ASD. Dr. Kaufmann and his research team at the Center for Genetic Disorders of Cognition and Behavior (GCB Center) at the Kennedy Krieger Institute believe this will provide more clues to the cause of autism, and lead to better diagnosis and care of children with both Down syndrome and ASD. The study, which appears in the online journal NeuroReport, used anatomic MRIs to compare the brain scans of children with Down syndrome to children with both Down syndrome and autism, as well as a control group of typically developing children....

National Day Care Center, Sued for Failure to Accommodate Student with Epilepsy
Protection and Advocacy, Inc. (PAI) recently received court approval to add the Epilepsy Foundation of America as a plaintiff in a previously filed lawsuit in Federal Court against Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers, LLC for its discriminatory policy against a child with epilepsy. The suit, filed in the Central District Court of California, asserts that the Center in Mira Loma has violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Unruh Civil Rights Act, and the California Disabled Person's Act by refusing to administer first aid or medications to children who attend the Center. Tutor Time is a nationwide chain of centers that provides after school care to children. There are approximately 125 corporate and 75 franchise Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers in the U.S. As a day care center, Tutor Time qualifies under the ADA as provider of public services, and therefore...

Pituitar Disease / Disorder Affects 1 in 5 people in the U.S., states the Pituitary Network Association (PNA)
An estimated 60 million people in the United States have pituitary / hormonal disease or disorder and the majority of them are unaware of it. In the US today, over 1 million people are living with HIV, another million people are living with Parkinson’s Disease. And 1.3 million adults were diagnosed with cancer last year. Diagnosing pituitary disease and disorders in the past has been difficult. Doctors are now beginning to recognize symptoms such as unexplained depression, mood swings, memory loss, eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, excessive hair growth and weakness in limbs. “1 in 5 individuals may have an abnormal growth on their pituitary gland, causing significant health complications. If left undiagnosed and untreated, this can...

ACLU Urges House Committee to Support ADA Restoration Act
The American Civil Liberties Union applauded the House Committee on Education and Labor for holding a hearing on H.R. 3195, the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Restoration Act. The original ADA passed with overwhelming bipartisan support in 1990 and was heralded by Republican and Democratic leaders as the "emancipation proclamation" for people with disabilities. However, due to a series of Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed the definition of disability under the ADA, the vast majority of ADA cases brought against private employers have been dismissed by the courts.....

Court Order in DOJ v. NY - Voting Access
Congratuations to all the advocates in NY for their hard work in insisting that NY state conform to HAVA, states Brad Williams of NY State
Independent Living Council (SILC). After a substantial five year effort, which included efforts to provided technical assistance on voting access issues (testing accessible voting machines, evaluating polling place access, poll worker training), being actively engaged in systems advocacy....

Top Ten Resolutions for a Healthy New You in the New Year
These top resolutions, offered by the American Medical Association, arm people with the knowledge to become a healthy new you in 2008. “Creating and sticking to a new year’s resolution to get healthier is the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season,” said AMA President, Ron Davis, MD. “Talk to your physician about your health care plan and what you can do to ensure you remain healthy in 2008 and for many years to come.”....

Prepare An Emergency Plan
As winter progresses and the weather gets more severe, winter storms and blizzards become more of a hazard. It is important that people review their winter emergency plans before the snow begins to fall. Before the Storm. Always take weather reports seriously. When you first hear predictions of any significant amount of snow, prepare for the worst. Winter storms can often be more severe than predicted, so it is important to make sure that your home is safe and you have adequate supplies....

Is Your Community Accessible
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) announced nine communities have been selected as finalists in it's 2007 Accessible America Competition. A $25,000 cash prize will be given to the winner. The Award is sponsored by AARP, UPS, and the Chrysler Foundation. The money encourages further advancement of local disability-related efforts. The finalists are Alexandria, VA; Bloomington, IN; Columbus, GA; Hattiesburg, MS; Houston, TX; Indianapolis, IN; Miami-Dade County, FL; New Haven, CT; and....

The National Youth Leadership Network and New Leaders!
The National Youth Leadership Network (NYLN) is looking for new leaders! And we want you to apply to serve on our Governing Board! NYLN is a non-profit organization run by young people with disabilities. We empower all young people to reach their maximum potential. Applicants to the Governing Board must: Be between 15 and 28 years old; Have leadership and advocacy skills...

AbleNet, Announces a New Academic Research Community
To expand on its longstanding commitment to intensive market research, AbleNet, created a new academic research community the ‘AbleNet Research Consortium’ (ARC). ARC is based online, and is designed to foster relationships with academic researchers interested in conducting objective external studies tied to AbleNet’s special education curricula, and assistive technologies for students with moderate to severe disabilities. For over 2 decades, AbleNet, has conducted intensive market research to support the design, development and implementation of its innovative special education curricula and assistive technologies for students with moderate to severe cognitive and physical disabilities. Now, the company....

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