Paralympians will take over TV beginning November 9 with an in-depth NBC Sports special of extraordinary athletes narrated by NBC Sports' Bob Costas. Following the special will be an unprecedented 28 hours of Paralympic event programming on Universal Sports taking place November 10-16, with 4-hour programs each night, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Tune in as Team USA takes the world stage by storm, bringing home a total of 99 medals with epic performances. High interest and viewership are important to ensure that NBC will provide coverage of future Paralympic Games at Games time. Images of athletes with disabilities in mainstream media have the potential to inspire people with disabilities and professionals who work in education, health, fitness, and sport.
Paralympics event competition videos, video highlights, feature articles, photo galleries, and more are all available at UniversalSports.com.
The Rehabilitation Act's Impact on Transition Outcomes for Youth with Disabilities, National Council on Disability (NCD), October 28, 2008
The NCD has released a report titled The Rehabilitation Act: Outcomes for Transition-Age Youth, calling on Congress and the U.S. Department of Education to make changes to current service delivery practices that will improve transition outcomes for youth with disabilities. This report is a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the Rehabilitation Act on the employment and postsecondary education outcomes of eligible transition-age youth.
To download the report, go to http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/news/2008/r08-574.htm.
Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD) Hosts Electronic Tool Kit of Training Resource for Medical, Dental, and Nursing Students, October 24, 2008
In response to the Surgeon General's A Call to Action to Improve the Health and Wellness of Persons with Disabilities, the U.S. Office on Disability, in collaboration with the Department of Labor Office on Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), asked a National Work Group to identify high-quality training materials that address the needs of patients with disabilities. The Work Group has compiled an Electronic Tool Kit of pre-service curricular materials for use by medical, nursing, and dental students. You will find Tool Kit descriptions categorized by discipline, with evidence of effectiveness whenever data are available and with direct links as possible, as well as a link to nominate additional electronic curricular materials for inclusion in the Tool Kit at http://www.aucd.org/template/news.cfm?news_id=3194&id=17.
2008 Innovators Awards, International Council on Active Aging (ICAA), October 28, 2008
The ICAA is pleased to announce the winners of the Sixth Annual ICAA Innovators Awards. These awards honor creativity and excellence in active-aging programs and products and include the following six initiatives:
- Conductorcise, a Sound Workout for Mind, Body and Soul - Conductorcise, LLC, Warwick, New York
- Therapeutic Harp Music Program - Good Samaritan Society, Albert Lea, Minnesota
- The Academy at Shell Point - Shell Point Retirement Community, Fort Myers, Florida
- The 100 Days to Health Challenge - City of Auburn Hills Senior Services, Auburn Hills, Michigan
- The Fitness Walking Trail - Country Meadows Retirement Communities, Hershey, Pennsylvania
- Whole Foods, Whole Life - GenCare, Inc., Seattle, Washington
- The Dashaway - Dashaway Company, Los Angeles, California
- BalanceGym - BalanceGym, LLC, Naples, Florida