| Retirees help teach gardening to the disabled
ALBANY -- It was at a luncheon for his retired men's fraternity that Al Miller heard about volunteering at the Center for Disability Services. The speaker was Jerry Fitzgerald, the center's executive director back then, and his message inspired Miller to get involved. .
Cameroon: Minas to Earmark New Strategic Plans for Vulnerable Persons
The Minister of Social Affairs, Catherine Bakang Mbock, over the weekend in Yaounde announced new strategic plans for destitute children, vulnerable adults and old people. This was during the presentation of New Year wishes to her by members of her ministry and associations of vulnerable persons. .
Seatbelt Bill Passes Iowa Senate
Teenagers may soon be required to buckle up no matter where they sit in the car. The Iowa Senate passed a bill requiring that anyone younger than 18 who rides in a vehicle's back seat buckle their seat belt. The bill sailed through the Senate by a vote of 39-8. The bill's sponsor said it will help save lives. .
Disabled LANTA riders decry agency's fare plan
EASTON | Allentown resident Karen Lee Smith-Quirk said she and other low-income, disabled riders can't afford to pay $1 a day for Metro service. She and six other people Tuesday urged the Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority to rethink raising bus fares this spring. Disabled people who qualify can now ride for free, but officials propose charging them a dollar starting April 1 to help offset a projected $750,000 deficit in the authority's 2006-07 budget. "We're going to wind up in our (wheelchairs) or with our walkers out in the street because we can't afford the price raise," Smith-Quirk said. She said some city sidewalks are in poor condition and impossible to navigate safely. "It's really going to be hard on a lot of handicapped people, extremely hard," she said.
The wheel deal
Restaurants in the city of Prague don't want Jeanette Dodd's patronage. Most of them, in fact, would prefer that she visit some other city. Or just stay home. That's just an impression, of course. But Dodd maintains that this "is the least welcoming of European cities." You see, Jeanette Dodd uses a wheelchair to get around. Prague, in turn, has a well-earned reputation for casually dismissing the basic rights of disabled people. Much of the public transportation system remains off-limits. Only 24 of the 50 metro stops allow wheelchair access. And many restaurants are several steps below or above street level. If not, their restrooms often occupy a basement space. "If I see a flight of stairs, it might was well have a sign saying 'no access,' " Dodd says.
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