State panel begins work after Maryland disabled man’s death in police custody

from the Washington Post:
FREDERICK, Md. — The death of a man with Down syndrome in the custody of sheriff’s deputies has helped inspire a new Maryland commission to improve interactions with people with developmental disabilities.
Special Olympics Chairman Timothy Shriver said Monday that Robert Ethan Saylor’s legacy will live on through the commission’s work.
Gov. Martin O’Malley created the new Maryland Commission for Effective Community Inclusion of Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities after Saylor’s death. It includes state public safety officials, prosecutors, police agencies and advocates for people with disabilities. The first meeting was Monday.

Poet George Estreich’s memoir on Down Syndrome

From gazettetimes.com:

Award-winning Corvallis poet George Estreich will read from his newly released memoir, “The Shape of the Eye: Down Syndrome, Family, and the Stories We Inherit,” on Wednesday, May 4, at Oregon State University.

The free public event begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Journey Room of OSU’s Memorial Union, with a book signing to follow.

In “The Shape of the Eye,” Estreich tells the story of raising his younger daughter, Laura, who is diagnosed with Down syndrome. Interweaving the scientific with the poetic, Estreich reflects on the idea of inheritance — in terms of genes, family legacy, and history. “The Shape of the Eye” is the latest title to appear in Southern Methodist University’s Medical Humanities Series.

Timothy Shriver, chairman and CEO of the Special Olympics, said Estreich’s book “draws us each into a new view of what it means to be ‘human’ and what it means to be ‘different.’ ”

Estreich is the author of the poetry collection “Textbook Illustrations of the Human Body,” winner of the 2003 Rhea and Seymour Gorsline Prize from Cloudbank Books.

Tim Shriver on Bill Maher

Tim Shriver talks with Bill Maher about the following topics:

• people with disabilities are the largest population discriminated against in the world (300 million people globally)
• 95% of disabled children outside of the US do not go to school or are not allowed to go to school
• children with disabilities are 3x more likely to bullied and average length is over 1 year
• change the public behavior by civil rights movement of the heart - work together & play together
• special olympics sponsors 40,000 events a year to bring people together
• address the blind spot when people look the other way when change is needed
• Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder - there's a line between laugher and causing pain
• people are fighting and trying to fit in and not to be excluded; picking on them crosses the line into mean
• don't be a cop on poor public behavior be a teacher for the public
• people with disabilities tell us that the R-word word causes us enormous suffering
• language is living and we can grow and change
• Rosa's law- what you call people effects how you treat them

Take a minute to watch this inspiring clip with the CEO of Special Olympics, Tim Shriver.

Tim Shriver explains why the "R-word" is wrong

Tim Shriver, Chairman of the Special Olympics, brought his campaign to get people to stop using the word "retarded" to 'The Colbert Report' (Weeknights, 11:30PM ET on Comedy Central.)

Shriver prefers the term "person with intellectual disabilities." This prompted Colbert, playing his obnoxious pundit character, to wonder why Shriver is trying to take away his right to say the word "retarded." Colbert admits he uses it to dehumanize those who are different from him.

But soon afterward, Shriver got serious: "You're allowed to be humiliating, degrading and hurtful. I'm allowed to petition you to at least recognize what you say and be aware of the option you have to stop."

He went on to raise people's understanding of social awareness.