Despite sadness and fear that have struck our nation, there is much to celebrate. For people with disabilities in the Tristate, here is my personal list of favorites.

        1. ATMs that talk. It may seem a small thing, but the ability to conduct your own banking transactions can be a thrill when you've always done it by guesswork or with someone peering over your shoulder confirming the messages on the screen. Hundreds of “talking ATM's” have been installed over the past few years by banks in California, Florida, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Georgia and other states.

        Bank One took the plunge here in Ohio, installing 26 voice-equipped machines this year and, in October, two of them came to Cincinnati.

        At 822 Delta Ave. and 45 E. Fourth St. Bank One locations, people with visual impairments can plug a headset into the jack on the machine and hear everything that ordinarily appears on the screen. I wasn't a Bank One customer, but became one just last week to take advantage of this new technology. The voice and instructions are clear, describing location of keys and slots on the machine, and I was able to make my first ATM transaction without a hitch. (It was a withdrawal, of course.)

        2. 9-11. Among the many who survived the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center were a number of people with disabilities.

        Michael Hingson and Omar Rivera were led to safety by their guide dogs, Tina Hanson was carried in her wheelchair, and a handful of others with physical disabilities escaped as well.

        3. Carrying the torch. When the Olympic Torch Relay came through Cincinnati this month, many torch bearers were Tristate citizens with disabilities. Among them were Amy Bruder, who uses a wheelchair and wins medals in the Paralympics with her swimming ability, and Mia Peterson, a spokeswoman for the Down Syndrome Association.

        4. The show goes on. The Renegade Garage Players, a theater troupe for people with and without disabilities, completed another successful season with Our Town and other shows.

        5. One role model. With her acceptance of the Dixie Harmon Memorial Award, Suzanne Hopkins, a professional who was born without limbs, reminded many that people with the most significant disabilities can lead full and productive lives, give much to others and serve as powerful role models.

        6. Everybody plays. Toy manufacturers produced toys that invite children with physical disabilities to roll their wheelchairs up to play, offer multisensory appeal, offer large handles for grasping and minimal strength for operation and incorporate Braille and American Sign Language into their designs.

        And then there are the areas that still need work in the year ahead.

        1. Getting a job. Unemployment among working-age people with disabilities remains at an appalling 70 percent.

        2. Inclusive education. Less than 70 percent of children with disabilities are fully included in educational settings in Indiana, (only 50 percent in Ohio and Kentucky.)

        3. Health care. Many people with disabilities are still struggling to navigate our complex systems of Medicare and Medicaid, living with inadequate medical coverage or remaining unemployed in order to pay for necessary medicine and care.

        All in all, our work is cut out for us in the year 2002, but 2001 has taught us much about the value of every life and the joy of freedom. No matter how large the issues are to be addressed, I, for one, am thankful that we are addressing them here, the best of all places on earth.

        Contact Deborah Kendrick by phone: 673-4474; fax: 321-6430; e-mail: dkkendrick@earthlink.net.

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