As we start 2003, DateAble is
finally settled into our new
office. If you haven't seen the new
office yet, stop by for one of the
discussion or movie nights or even
just stop by to say "hello."
For DateAble, 2002 was an
interesting year for our
membership. The amount of new
members has declined despite our
efforts to spread the word about
DateAble. Fewer members means fewer
matchmaking opportunities for you.
In this New Year, help us to spread
the message and mission of
DateAble. Word of mouth advertising
is one of our best chances of
increasing the membership. You have
the power to share your positive
experiences about DateAble with your
family, friends, and co-workers. If
you belong to a professional
organization or group, please
contact me and I'll assist you with
sharing DateAble information with
your colleagues. If you haven't
attended an event in a while, please
give us another try. DateAble
member Leonard Weirich gave DateAble
another chance and was pleasantly
surprised when he unexpectedly
attended the holiday party. Read
his article on page four for more
information.
While our current membership isn't
increasing as much as we would like,
DateAble has a lot to celebrate.
We're planning a DateAble Reunion
Party for early-April where all past
and present members can gather with
some potential members to honor and
celebrate the friendships,
relationships, and marriages sparked
by DateAble. Please checkout the
calendar for more information.
As I always say, get involved. This
is your DateAble so share it
with someone today!
www.DateAble.org
When
was the last time you visited the
DateAble website? The website is
updated more frequently than ever
before thanks to the help of a new
friend. If you need a place to surf
the 'net, stop by the DateAble
office and use the cybercafe. The
cybercafe is open on Monday,
Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from
9:30am until 3:30pm. Just a
reminder, the cybercafe is not a
computer skills training session and
you are expected to have knowledge
for using a computer and the
Internet.
The
DateAble / Making Connections
Holiday Party
By
Leonard Weirich, DateAble Member
It was
a party enjoyed by one and all.
Even I enjoyed the party, although I
had originally planned to be
elsewhere on the night of December
13th. However, I reconsidered and
made my way to the Leland Community
Center. I was planning to go to a
Christmas dance at the Margaret
Schweinhart Senior Center, but when
my ex-girlfriend Carol Hebelrand
mentioned that her boyfriend Steve
Brend was coming along, I decided to
go to the DateAble holiday party
instead. I ran into a longtime
friend of mine, Neal Della Torre,
two new friends, Shannon Lyons and
her boyfriend Evan Rosen, a longtime
buddy from junior high, Craig
Freitag, and longtime friend, Dina
Bergman. I enjoyed the DateAble and
Making Connections holiday party
very much, although I attended on
short notice.
Editor's Note:
Thank you Leonard for contributing
to the newsletter. Members are
welcome to contribute story ideas
and articles to the newsletter.
Just call the DateAble office and
we'll get you started.
By
David Bauer, DateAble Associate
What
would you tell a mother or father
who have a child with a disability?
How can your experience with a
disability help a parent trying to
understand how a disability will
affect the happiness of their
child? Write an essay for these
parents and earn $125 for your
essay.
“Guidelines For A Different
Journey: Personal Stories for
Parents by Adults with Disabilities”
will be a book of essays written by
adults with a disability. The
authors will write an essay that
they wish their own parents had read
or been told while they were growing
up.
John
Kemp, Executive Director of Half the
Planet, is a coauthor of the book.
Stanley D. Klein, co-editor of
You Will Dream New Dreams, a
collection of personal stories by
parents of children with
disabilities, is co-editor.
Half
the Planet Foundation is a nonprofit
organization that supports the
application of technology to promote
the values of the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) - independent
living, social inclusion, equality
of opportunity, economic
self-sufficiency, and empowerment.
Visit their website at
www.HalfthePlanet.org.
Essay
guidelines are as follows:
1. Please write an essay of about
1500 words, or less. Add a
biography of about 150 words, or
less, that would follow the essay in
the book. At the end of the essay,
please write your mailing address,
telephone number, fax number, and
e-mail.
2. Please submit your essay as an
attachment in Microsoft Word to an
e-mail or paste your essay into the
body of your e-mail. Send e-mail
to:stan@disabilitiesbooks.com
3. If you submit your essay by
regular mail, please double space
the text. If at all possible,
please also submit the essay on a
computer disk as well. Please label
each page of your printed essay and
the disk with your name and
address. Please send the printed
copy and disc to:
Stanley D. Klein, Ph.D.,
DisABILITIESBOOKS, Inc., and P.O.
Box 470715, Brookline, MA
02447-0715.
Deadline: All essays must be
received by
February 15, 2003.
Calendar Creations
Valentine's Day Dance
Join us for this annual event that
celebrates friendship and romance.
The event will be held on February
8, 2003 at the party room at the
Pavilion Apartments in Rockville
from 6:00pm-9:00pm. Please RSVP by
February 6, 2003. The cost of the
event is $10. See the calendar of
events for more information.
ADA & You Seminar
Are you tired of not getting into
restaurants, bookstores, or
theaters? Join us for this
interesting and informative seminar
on how to make the American's with
Disabilities Act (ADA) work for
you. Enact positive change in your
life by participating in this
seminar led by some of the ADA's
most knowledgeable advocates. The
seminar is January 8, 2003 at the
DoubleTree Hotel in Rockville from
7:00pm-9:00pm. See the calendar of
events for more information.
By Gregg Donaldson, DateAble Member
DateAble
again hosted the annual Ms. Wheelchair
Maryland 2003 gala event. The gala was
once again held at the DoubleTree Hotel
in Rockville, Maryland on November 17,
2002. The gala was emceed by Mr. Roy
Morgan, Deputy Director of United
Cerebral Palsy Association (UCPA) in
Washington, DC. This year brought five
contestants from around the state to the
event. The contestants were Marlene
Hendler of Catonsville, Keona Jackson of
Gaithersburg, Joy Limo of Glynn Oak,
Jennifer Rechsteiner of Bowie, and
Juilette Rizzo of North Bethesda.
The ladies participated in a weekend of
seminars and interviews before the
crowning gala. Contestants presented
their platforms through a series of
speeches earlier in the weekend. All
five ladies presented very important
platforms and are very accomplished
women. Here are two examples of the
platforms presented: Jennifer
Rechsteiner's Platform: Accessibility in
Maryland's places of business: shopping,
entertainment, etc. People with
disabilities need to enjoy all that
society has to offer. Juliette Rizzo's
Platform: To educate policy makers,
people with disabilities, service
providers, and employers about the
necessity of workplace personal
assistance services.
One of the
highlights of the gala was the judge's
questions. Each contestant was asked
two questions, one serious and one
lighthearted. This reporter thought
they were clever and innovative
questions. The questions ranged from
"How would you plan a surprise event?"
to "What is your most embarrassing
moment?" and "If you could be your
favorite farm animal, what would that be
and why?" The answers were very
entertaining. As the judges deliberated
who would be the next Ms. Wheelchair
Maryland, the current Junior Miss
Wheelchair Maryland,
Christen
Yarbrough, and Ms. Wheelchair Maryland,
Nadia Massuda, shared with the audience
some of their wonderful experiences
during their reign. Then the new
titleholders were announced; Jennifer
Rechsteiner of Bowie was selected Ms.
Wheelchair Maryland 2003 and the First
Runner-Up title went to Juilette Rizzo
of North Bethesda.
Jennifer
Rechsteiner is married, the mother of
two children, and works full-time. She
has a B.S. degree in Sociology, a M.A.
Degree in Counseling Psychology, and is
a Women's Executive Leadership Program
graduate. Jennifer is active in several
disability-related committees and
organizations.
Here
is a suggestion for our Northern
Virginia women members (or any female
member who is interested). DateAble
member Carolyn Bayne has come up with a
wonderful idea for a women’s group
within DateAble. She would like this
group to meet on a fairly regular basis
to have lunch, socialize and discuss
issues pertinent to women. The group
could also participate in volunteer
activities that would benefit those less
fortunate (i.e., homeless shelters,
nursing homes, etc.). If this sounds
appealing to you and if you are a female
member, call Carolyn at 703-922-6873.
Editor's
Note:
The male members of DateAble are welcome
and encouraged to form their own group
with similar objectives. Share your
ideas at the next Dateable event.
