| For Hungerford School, a joyous student celebration
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul may not have been on hand, but when Hungerford School student Michael Roccomboli belted out the Taylor Hicks tune "Do I Make You Proud," he earned a standing ovation worthy of an "American Idol" from his fellow students, teachers and parents. The 20-year-old Dongan Hills resident wanted the 300 people in the audience to know that he was proud of Hungerford's 40 years serving mentally disabled students on Staten Island. But he also wasn't bashful about his own aspirations. "I always think I want to be the next American Idol," he said, before launching into a rendition of a Sean (P. Diddy) Combs rap song. "I like the music to the beat. I've been practicing at home with karaoke." Michael was one of many students who performed yesterday at a lively celebration of the Clifton school's 40th anniversary.
Wednesday, Jan 31, 2007
WASHINGTON - The barricades that quadriplegic Ed Roberts and his comrades stormed 40 years ago were a few inches high. Yet today millions of Americans pass daily through the breaches they created. Curb cuts, the breaches are called. Or curb ramps. Since 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act has required them on new construction, renovations and wherever a city does major street or sidewalk work. All this curb-ramp building has helped the United States lead the world when it comes to providing public access for people with disabilities. "For all this country's many faults, one thing we do better than anybody is architectural-barrier removal," said Mary Lou Breslin, the co-founder and senior policy adviser of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, based in Berkeley, Calif.
Lifeguard wins case against Hale Koa hotel
A labor arbitrator has found that the Hale Koa Hotel wrongfully fired an 11-year lifeguard after he refused to work without protective sun gear. Bill Kearsley, who filed a grievance against the hotel after being fired in November 2005, was ordered reinstated to the Army-owned Waikiki hotel with back pay and benefits by arbitrator Thomas Angelo. The 30-day appeal window on the December arbitration award ended late last month. Kearsley, a long-time union activist, also sued the hotel over free speech rights to pass out leaflets to prospective members in the area surrounding the hotel. He is the union organizer and business representative for Unite Here Local 5, which represents between 800 and 850 Hale Koa workers. Kearsley had developed skin cancer while working as a lifeguard at the hotel and refused to work in the sun without protective clothing, seeking relief under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Photography exhibition displays heroic stories of disabled
An impressive collection of black-and-white photographs of disabled people, who posed for Serdar Bilgili's camera during a project aimed at raising public awareness about disabled people in Turkey, opened at Istanbul's Dolmabahe Palace on Monday. The exhibition titled Engellere Ramen (Despite the Barriers) and slated to run through Jan. 30, is part of a campaign that was launched last year by the weekly Tempo magazine to highlight the hardships disabled people suffer daily in Turkey. Turkey has been sharply criticized for not offering sufficient amenities for the handicapped. Bilgili, a businessman and former president of Beikta Football Club, has collaborated with Tempo in commissioning the collection that features 35 photos. Twenty-two successful people from diverse professions including swimmers, painters and singers posed for the photographs, which were also featured in the Nov.
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