Towards Inclusion of People with Challenges
by Carol Leish, MA
Even though the Americans with Disability Act of 1990 made many changes for the better for people with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination of people with challenges from public accommodations, transportation, and employment, it is impossible to legislate changes of peoples’ attitudes. General attitudes of excluding those with challenges from various activities and places occurs due to fear and lack of awareness of the various types of disabilities.
Lack of awareness of various types of challenges also causes people to avoid what they don’t know. And, sometimes people are not open to change and learning new things, or accepting different types of people, including people with challenges in their faith-based communities.
It is sad for people with disabilities to be excluded from faith-based community congregations. Anxiety of involving those with learning, physical, or emotional challenges is due to a lack of awareness and understanding of these different types of challenges. It is also due to people without limitations not realizing that people with limitations have capabilities, passions and desires too.
I agree that, “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference,” as Winston Churchill said. I also believe that it is easier than we think it is to change our attitudes in order to become more inclusive of others, especially in our faith-based communities.
Dear Neighbors and Eco-Friends:
We just received this spectacular notice that the State of California has awarded the Ventura Land Trust $7.2 million to buy 1645 acres of land behind Ventura, from Two Trees west to the Botanical Garden. This adds to the 2100 acres of land conserved in the nearby Harmon Canyon Preserve, also acquired by the Ventura Land Trust.
This has echoes for me and many others of our involvement in local organizations and writing about and arguing for saving this land and trying to get funding for such preservation dating back many years. (That’s a story in itself.) So, a big congratulations to the Ventura Land Trust for pulling it off.
On a personal note, the name Mariano Rancho Preserve likely reflects the use of this land for many years by sheep ranchers in Hall Canyon, mainly by Mariano Erburu, whose residence we bought years ago and historically designated the Mariano Erburu House.
Bob and Paula Chianese
Sheldon,
I am so glad you mentioned taking care of pets in automobiles (Petpage). People sometimes
need to be reminded. Also, good job about plants that are poisonous.
Take Care!
Valerie Bereman SPAN
Editor:
Your last issue had a joke? By Greenberg that I don’t get showing clowns throwing 3.146. Could you explain?
Larry Stern
Larry: Sometimes William gets a little too esoteric. This number represents the math equation PI.
PI is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159 (it used to be thought to be 3.146). The number (shown as π ) appears in many formulas across mathematics and physics. Swiss researchers at the University of Applied Sciences Graubünden claimed a new world record for calculating the number of digits of PI – a staggering 62.8 trillion figures. Get it, clowns throwing PI?
Opinions:
In response to the letter from J. Grimont about water use at the Olivas Adobe over July 2-4th, I have a different view. I am a docent at the Adobe, and on Sunday, July 3rd, I was leading visitors on tours through the house and grounds. Nowhere on the rounds did I encounter any sprinkler on or any damp ground or standing water. Again on July 6th, I was at the Adobe for a general membership meeting. Docents were out on the grounds, but noone noticed wet areas that would have been present if the sprinklers had been running for 48 hours. Another docent was working in the herb garden on Thursday, July 7th, and she said the ground was not saturated with water. As J. Grimont mentioned in the letter to the mailbox, the City Parks Department uses only reclaimed water for its parks.
Since the purpose of the letter was to criticize the City of wasteful use of water, I am confused about how using reclaimed water would be wasteful. I would consider it recycling, just as I collect water in my shower as it gets hot, so I can use it for my plants.
Patricia McNeese
OOOPS: In our last issue the name of Vita in the article disappeared. Sorry Vita here it is again:
The winners of the Ventura County Fair poster contest were unveiled by James Lockwood at a presentation at the fairgrounds. First place went to 12-year-old Vita Jolie Vasquez from Fillmore.
I asked my son if he understood the meaning of the word “obey.”
He said “Yeah, it’s a place to go shopping on the internet.”
~ Jay Trachman
