Whether you consider the year 2000 to be the last year or first of a millennium, we are at the end of another year. For people with disabilities in the Tristate, the year 2000 held significant milestones.

        Yes, the unemployment rate among people with disabilities is still an appalling 70 percent. Yes, people with disabilities are still struggling with the sometimes impenetrable barriers of misconception and discrimination. I receive the same kinds of heart-wrenching letters today that I did a decade ago from readers about the need for transportation and the disorganized state of Metro's Access paratransit service. Affordable, accessible housing is still limited, and children with psychiatric disabilities are an almost unserved population.

Katy Bowersox was part of a Top Soccer team. (Enquirer file photo) | ZOOM |

        Yet, as I look back over the year, there has been measurable progress toward real integration of people with disabilities. Here, both large and small, are my personal top 10 stories concerning disability this year — all of which make me proud to call Cincinnati home.

        1. Recognizing artists. Art of the Eye, a national exhibit of work produced in all media by artists with a variety of visual disabilities, was housed at the Cincinnati Association for the Blind, Feb. 14-March 3. Another national exhibit, The Elements of a Culture: Visions by Deaf Artists was hosted by the World Peace Bell Gallery in Newport, May 27-June 22.

        2. Top Soccer. This league for soccer players with disabilities tripled its numbers this year from 50 to 150 kids. Begun by Doug Orcutt to provide an opportunity for his daughter with disabilities, Top Soccer is a winning example of sportsmanship and fun for kids of all ages who have physical, sensor, and learning disabilities.

        3. Generosity. When a young hairdresser, Heather Sturgill, became quadriplegic because a minor car accident on her way to work at Total Eclipse salon in Mount Lookout, the outpouring of generosity was remarkable. Bake sales, a hair-cutting spree, and checks large and small from total strangers resulted in Mrs. Sturgill's getting the wheelchairs, van, and home modifications needed for a new life of independence. Her own positive attitude was an important ingredient, too.

        4. The movies. Local movie-goers who are deaf or hearing impaired were able to enjoy first-run movies with open captioning at Springdale Showcase Cinema.

        5. Disability act. July 26 marked the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act into law. Celebrations were held across the nation, and the Tristate was no exception. Even a sudden downpour didn't dampen the spirits of advocates gathered on Fountain Square to mark the occasion with speeches, proclamations and the signing of pledges of continued support.

        6. Paralympics. Lynn Wachtell, a Cincinnati runner who is visually impaired, and Aimee Bruder, a Lawrenceberg, Ind., swimmer who has cerebral palsy, represented the Tristate in the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney. Ms. Bruder brought home a silver medal in the 4 X 50 meter freestyle relay, and Mr. Wachtell beat his personal best for marathon at 2:53:18.

        7. Call 711. Guidelines issued by the FCC in support of the Telecommunications Act make dialing 711 the national standard for contacting Telephone Relay Services, simplifying the process of connecting deaf and hearing people in telephone conversations from any phone, anywhere.

        8. Sleep-away camp. The Jewish Community Center, whose spirit of inclusion has long been appreciated by parents of kids with and without disabilities, made one little girl's summer memorable by facilitating her two-week stay at Camp Livingston in Indiana. Ten-year-old Emily Ash was born with spina bifida and, as her mother Drake Ash, put it, accommodating her needs “was a very ambitious undertaking, which the camp set out to facilitate without batting an eye.”

        9. In memoriam. While the loss of local advocate Dixie Harmon was painful, the outpouring of love in celebrating her memory was inspiring. The Center for Independent Living Options, which Ms. Harmon helped create, established an award in her memory.

        10. Seeing more clearly. Leah Annette Noble, a St. Bernard mom who has been visually impaired all her life, had an early Christmas present Dec. 12 when her corneal transplant surgery was performed. Her 7-year-old Abby asks, “Why do you keep looking at me, Mommy?” Ms. Noble's reply is that for the first time she can see her little girl's pretty blue eyes.Ù

        Cincinnati writer Deborah Kendrick is a nationally recognized advocate for people with disabilities. Write her at Cincinnati Enquirer, Tempo, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. E-mail:dkendrick@enquirer.com.

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