Remembering Rusk - The Father of Rehabilitation Medicine

"To believe in rehabilitation is to believe in humanity" ~Dr. Howard A. Rusk

April 9, 1901 – November 4, 1989

The Rusk Institute
Dr. Howard A. Rusk was a world renowned authority on the treatment of the disabled and founder of the Rusk Institute. Howard A. Rusk (1901-1989) left private medical practice to join the Army Air Corps in World War II. As a medical officer in St. Louis, he developed programs to help convalescent soldiers regain full physical abilities more quickly. These methods caught the attention of top generals, and Rusk was brought to Washington to implement his Convalescent Training Program service-wide.


Dr. Rusk Caring for an Infant
When the war ended, Rusk wanted to continue to help the disabled, even though some members of the medical community thought he was wasting his time. Arthur Hays Sulzberger, owner and publisher of The New York Times, suffered from severe arthritis and was sympathetic to the plight of others with disabilities. He invited Rusk to write a weekly column to help raise public awareness about rehabilitative medicine.

After the war, he overcame much resistance to establish similar programs in civilian hospitals, founding what would become the Howard A. Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine at New York University.
 
Roy Campanella and Dr. Rusk
Stroke victims, amputees, people paralyzed after contracting polio or suffering an accident, and individuals born with birth defects were among the many patients who sought out Dr. Rusk and his staff for treatment. One of his most famous patients was Roy Campanella, catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Paralyzed after a car accident, Campanella eventually regained the use of his arms and hands after undergoing extensive physical therapy.

Recognized as an expert in his field, Rusk served as a consultant to nine U.S. presidents, the Veteran’s Administration, and the United Nations. He was a consultant to the World Health Organization, he took his methods global by founding the World Rehabilitation Fund (1955). For his work and achievements, Rusk received many awards and honors. In 1974 the University of Missouri named its rehabilitation center in honor of Rusk. He received the Distinguished Service Medal, three Albert Lasker Awards, the Pacem in Terris Award, and the French Legion of Honor. Rusk was also nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize but did not win. In addition, he authored several books including A World to Care For (1972).


 
Mike Sanders is the Senior Director of Talent Management Services for NTI where he oversees the Training, Call Center, and Recruiting departments. In the past, Mike was the Manager of Training for Canon North America, worked for a few Financial Firms, and has built Interactive media, Websites and Learning Management Systems for several Fortune 500 firms and start-ups.

 

Superman

“Nothing of any consequence happens unless people get behind an idea. It begins with an individual and they share the idea with more individuals…and eventually it becomes a movement.” ~Christopher Reeve
Christopher Reeve, the famed actor and philanthropist, passed away 11 years ago today. He became a quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition. Throughout the rest of his life, he required a wheelchair and a portable ventilator. He and his wife lobbied on behalf of individuals with spinal-cord injuries and for human embryonic stem cell research
Now, his legacy lives on through the memories and his esteemed Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.


World Mental Health Day

The end of Mental Health Awareness Week is just the beginning. October 10th is World Mental Health Day. It is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.
NTI supports Mental Health Awareness and proudly employs and helps those who need mental health support through employment with Fortune 500 companies. If you would like to be considered for a future positions. Please visit us at nticentral.org and apply. We are hiring now for the Fall season and upcoming holidays!




Two-Way Communication

Alexander Bell paved the way for communications to be established across the world. On October 9th, 1876, he demonstrated the first two-way telephone conversation. This eventually led to the evolved technology that fuels our call centers for organizations such as Amazon, Apple, IRS, and Sykes which help Americans with Disabilities in exclusive jobs.
If you know of anyone in your inner circle who can use this type of help, feel free to have them apply to a position at NTICentral.org.


25th Anniversary of National Depression Screening Day

Depression is one of the most common and treatable disorders, yet millions of people suffer from depression and never seek help. During Mental Health Awareness Week, we are supporting the 25th Anniversary of National Depression Screening Day.

You can take an initial online assessment through Mental Health America to determine if you are at risk now. goo.gl/7i7rxI

NTICentral.org employs Americans with Disabilities, such as depression, into jobs. If you know of anyone in your inner circle who can use this type of help, feel free to have them apply to a position at NTICentral.org.


Enter to Win the NTI NDEAM Poetry Contest - Oct 8th through the 23rd

For NDEAM, we would love you to create awareness and dedicate a poem to a ‪#‎DISABILITY‬ you care about. Your poem can be one you like or one you have created yourself. Please briefly explain the disability you are dedicating it to, and why, before you recite the poem. Other than that, surprise us and be as creative as you like. Simply record yourself, and share the video with us through the form at the following link goo.gl/MEcdYc.



Your words are important so make sure, if you are using your phone to film, by sure that the sound is OK. Also, please keep the video to under 3 minutes.

As an end note, make sure you include your name and contact info in case you win! A CISCO flip camera may be in someone's near future!!!!

To kick things off and generate ideas National Poetry Day, we would like to add an excerpt on  Wordgathering.com called 'How to Imagine Deafness' by Kim Roberts,  which is dedicated to poems and disability. Enjoy!   



The following is a transcription of the above video  "How to Imagine Deafness" by Kim Roberts:



Darken your ears until the tunnels 
with their intricate clockwork
are sheathed in pitchy calm. 
Hum a little blue, to yourself,
but keep it secret. The small bones
will dip delicately, like willow leaves
that merely brush the water's surface, 
in their repose. The small hairs
will lie down together like tentacles. 
Listen: the lake stops its lapping
repetition of sibilance
(physicist, Sisyphus, sassafras)
and the great snail unfurls itself, 
stretches its tongue longingly
toward the distant echo surge
that must be the heart.



‪#‎ndeam‬ ‪#‎disabilityawareness‬ ‪#‎ndeampoet‬ ‪#‎ndeam2015‬ #ndeam2015 ‪#‎contest‬ ‪#‎poetry‬ ‪#‎writing‬ ‪#‎film‬ ‪#‎awareness‬ ‪#‎poetryday‬ ‪#‎nationalpoetryday‬ ‪#‎wordgathering‬ ‪#‎creativity‬ ‪#‎rap‬ ‪#‎rapbattles‬ ‪#‎rapper‬ ‪#‎epicrapbattlesofhistory‬ ‪#‎nicepeter‬ ‪#‎epiclloyd

Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness

Today is Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day, otherwise known as TN.  TN is a disorder of the trigeminal nerve which is one of 12 pairs of nerves attached to the brain. Typically, the disorder causes extreme, sporadic, sudden burning or shock-like facial pain in the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are distributed. These areas include the lips, eyes, nose, forehead, and jaw.  Pain episodes last from a few seconds to as long as two minutes. Attacks can occur in quick succession and can last as long as 2 hours. To learn more about TN, view the fact sheet at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders. goo.gl/1aV7Ev



#ninds  #tnad #Trigeminal #Neuralgia #nerves #disorder #brain

Commit, Then Figure it Out. - Mick Ebeling at FutureM 2015

At the FutureM conference 2015, I had the chance to listen to the story of keynote speaker and founder of Not Impossible Labs, Mick Ebeling, who took the impossible journey to help Americans with Disabilities make a better life for themselves and leverage the technology around them to do the things they once did.  




Mick has been honored by Advertising Age as one of the “Top 50 Most Creative People” in 2014 and was the recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2014.  In 2010, TIME magazine called his Eyewriter invention one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2010,” and now the device exists as part of the permanent collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Nick spoke about his journeys developing the Eyewriter with a group of developers who wanted to help an artist known as Tempt One, who was suffering from ALS create artwork once again after losing full mobility. Watch the video on the success Mick had with Tempt having an artist create after 7 years! 



After Mick's endevour with Tempt, he sought on a new challenge known as Project Daniel. Mick traveled to Sudan to 3D-print arms for children who lost their limbs in the war as well as teach locals how to continue with the effort.  Ebeling spoke about his political, technical and life altering challenges in developing the first-ever 3D printing prosthetic lab in the Nuba Mountains. Learn about his challenges in the following video:




As Jeff spoke,  I reflected on the challenges NTI faces in helping Americans with Disabilities back into the workplace. Specifically, I set up my own hacker challenge a year ago without an end result. I wanted to see if we can get individuals who have lost the use of their hand, such as a stroke victim, to be able to type at 35 word per minute once again.  If this could be possible, I could get HUNDREDS of jobs for individuals with disabilities and get their lives back once again so they can be sustainable.   I came up with a game plan, but need some help with the challenges and execution. Who is up for the challenge to make a difference?!?!?!? Here are my findings so far using a Swype solution to the issue:

https://goo.gl/yPTC1L

NTI would love to help out Americans with Disabilities overcome their adversities similar to what Mick has been doing. During his book signing, I put Mick on the spot and challenged him to join our hacker effort.  We left it as we would talk more about the subject after the conference and am hopeful we can work it out as I would love to create good things for good people. If you would like to be a part of the solution or help out, let me know by reaching out. 



#notimposslabs #mickebeling #innovation #time #timemagazine #graffiti #streetart #krylon #ballcap #tempt #temptone #microsoft #eyewriter #stevenhawking #sudan #humanrights #liquitex #mtn #montanagold #molotow #bansky #moma #mrbrainwash #projectdaniel #bleklerat #shepardfairley #tech #eyewriter #swype #android #microsoft #microsoftsurface #futurem15 #futurem #mitx #notimpossiblelabs #hacker #hackerchallenge #ndeam #ndeam15 #ndeam2015 #disability #disabilityawareness

The School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech



Back on October 1872, Alexander Bell opened his "School of Vocal Physiology and Mechanics of Speech" on 18 Beacon Street in Boston. The school attracted a
large amount of hearing impaired pupils and his first class was 30 students.
His most famous student was Helen Keller. As a child, she was unable to see, hear, or speak. Keller stated that Bell dedicated his life to the penetration of that "inhuman silence which separates and estranges." In 1893, Keller performed the sod-breaking ceremony for the construction of the new Bell's new Volta Bureau. The Volta Bureau was dedicated to "the increase and diffusion of knowledge relating to the deaf."




#deaf #beaconstreet #boston #thomasedison #invention #physiology #speech #helenkeller #hearing #speak #speech #silence #volta #bureau #disabilities #school #vocal #att #ndeam #ndeam2015


Video: Who I Am


On this date back in 1889, Thomas Edison made the first American motion picture using concepts from the phonograph. We've come quite a way in film technology over the past 100+ years. We've also come a long way in raising awareness about disability employment issues and celebrating the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

The following “Who I Am” film features nine real people with disabilities. Rather than be defined by disability, these individuals are the sum of their many life roles — which includes working in jobs they love.





Watch the film and learn more.  What were your first thoughts when you saw this PSA? How do you think it benefits employers to have people with different attributes/identities working for them?

To learn more about the Campaign for Disability Employment, go to whatcanyoudocampaign.org.


#thomasedison #film #camera #focus #ndeam #ndeam2015 #deptol #disabilities #disabilityawareness #history #thisdateinhistory #thisdayinhistory #paramount #3d #whoiam #ndeam #ndeam2015 #employment

You're Only as Good as the People you Hire

On October 5, 1902, Ray Kroc, was born. Ray joined McDonald's in 1954, and grew the business into the most successful fast food operation in the world. Ray stated, that "You're only as good as the people you hire." He would have been proud of Kenny Soriano, an employee at the Union Station location in Chicago.

A few days ago, a quadriplegic man asked Kenny if he could help him eat. During a busy time of the day, Kenny closed down his register and helped the gentleman cut and eat his meal.

Kenny's act of kindness went above and beyond his responsibilities to help someone in need. You can read more about Kenny's act of kindness here: Acts of Kindness.

What would you do to help someone in need? What can you do to create awareness for NDEAM (Learn More About NDEAM)?



‪#‎raykroc‬ ‪#‎dotherightthing‬ ‪#‎mcdonalds‬ ‪#‎awareness‬ ‪#‎disability‬ ‪#‎disabilityawareness‬ ‪#‎ndeam‬ ‪#‎ndeam2015‬ ‪#‎unionstation‬ ‪#‎kennysoriano‬ ‪#‎kindness‬ ‪#‎help‬ ‪#‎bigmac‬ ‪#‎fastfood‬ ‪#‎foodporn‬ ‪#‎mcchickennuggets‬ ‪#‎maccies‬ ‪#‎happymeal‬ ‪#‎imlovinit‬ ‪#‎BestGlobalBrands‬ ‪#‎padres_nation‬ ‪#‎padres

Mental Illness Awareness Week

During the month of NDEAM is the 15 year anniversary of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), otherwise known as Mental Health Awareness Week. One in Four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental illness.  The barrier that prevents those with a mental illness from getting the help they need is the stigma surrounding mental illness. During Mental Illness Awareness Week, support the organizations that help these individuals and create a community of awareness so that those who need help can get the help they need.

NTICentral.org employs Americans with Disabilities, such as mental illness into jobs.  If you know of anyone in your inner circle who can use this type of help, feel free to have them apply to a position at NTICentral.org.




#mentalillness #mentalhealth #mental #brain #brainandbehavior #psychology #mentalillnessawareness #mentalhealthawareness #ndeam #ndeam2015 #depression #disorder #bipolar #schizophrenia #stigma #ABILIFY #prozac #seroquelxr #latuda #SAPHRIS #geodon #nami #noven #stavzor #cvs #walgreens #zoloft #emsam #miaw

It's the Great NDEAM Charlie Brown!!!


Today is the birthday of the Peanuts cartoon! Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles Schulz. It ran from October 2, 1950 to February 13, 2000. The cartoon is one of the most popular and influential in the history of comic strips, with 17,897 strips published. At its pinnacle, Peanuts ran in over 2,600 newspapers over 75 countries and was translated into 21 languages.

We thought we would put our own spin on Peanuts to promote #NDEAM. Enjoy!


Click picture for a larger image.


#ndeam #disabilities #peanuts #cartoon #disabled #snoopy #charliebrown #linus #thegreatpumpkin #CharlesSchulz #PeanutsMovie #Peanuts_comics #goodgrief #CharlieBrownChristmas #deam2015 ‪‪#‎disabilityawareness‬ ‪‪#‎jobs‬ ‪#‎assistance‬ ‪#‎october‬ ‪‪#‎tickettowork‬ ‪#‎deptoflabor‬

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Not only is October designated as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, but it is also Breast Cancer Awareness Month. You can make a difference in the fight against cancer by volunteering your time, participating in an event, or donating to the cause. Find out about all the ways you can get involved today. cancer.org.





#astrazeneca #pink #gopink #cancerawareness #breastcancer #october #love #hope #art #survivor #cure  #ribbontree #pinksupport #breastcancerawareness #fightbreastcancer #cancersurvivor #awareness #inspiration #chemotherapy #chemo

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month!

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! The purpose of National Disability Employment Awareness Month is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America's workers with disabilities.

Held annually, National Disability Employment Awareness Month is led by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy, but its true spirit lies in the many observances held at the grassroots level across the nation every year. Employers of all sizes and in all industries are encouraged to participate in NDEAM.

NTI will be specifically participating in a variety of different ways including press releases, staff education, Tweetchats, videos, webcasts, unique social media postings, employee spotlights, proclamations and interviews with Paralympian’s. It should be a good month!  

For the staff in Boston, today, we are handing out posters for NDEAM that they can either hang inside or outside of their cube! Creativity counts! If you have more ideas that you would like to bring to the table, please feel free to do so. 

In addition, here are some of the resources for our social media links! Feel free to follow along, favorite, Tweet, or of you would like to be a ghost presenter, let me know. 


Google+:  https://plus.google.com/+NTIBoston
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NTIcentral
Instagram: https://instagram.com/nticentral
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nticentral/
Twitter NTIVirtual: https://twitter.com/ntivirtual
     Twitter Elearning: https://twitter.com/elearning_nti
     Twitter Technology: https://twitter.com/technology_nti
     Twitter Technology: https://twitter.com/hr_nti
     Twitter HR: https://twitter.com/hr_nti
     Twitter LandAJob: https://twitter.com/landajob_nti
Blogger: http://blog.nticentral.org/
LinkedIn: http://www.nticentral.org/linkedin


Both employers and job seekers can support National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Find out how through the posts NTI will place over the course of October.

Also, if you would like to be considered for one of the positions in our exclusive Fortune 500 positions, feel free to visit our website at nticentral.org to apply!

‪#‎ndeam‬ ‪#‎disabilityawareness‬ ‪#‎disability‬ ‪#‎employment‬ ‪#‎jobs‬ ‪#‎assistance‬ ‪#‎help‬ ‪#‎disabled‬ ‪#‎vocationalrehabilitation‬ ‪#‎october‬ ‪#‎awareness‬ ‪#‎work‬ ‪#‎backtowork‬ ‪#‎tickettowork‬ ‪#‎dol‬ ‪#‎departmentoflabor‬ ‪#‎deptoflabor‬

Women's Health and Fitness Day

Women's Health and Fitness Day

September 29th is Women’s Health and Fitness Day! We highlight model and competition fitness star Jennifer Fuller, who has been an inspiration and embraced fitness.  She stated, fitness is a part of “Who I Am.” 

A picture of Jennifer Fuller as taken by #PedroBlancoPhotography.
At 42 years old, Jennifer has been a fitness enthusiast for at least half of her life. She started in college and never looked back. The gym and fitness became part of who she was and once she saw a photo of Angela's Bassett's amazing arms she knew she wanted to strive to achieve that. 

Passing through many gyms along the way, she met some amazing people. People who have become some of her closest friends; more like family. Thus, keeping up with a fit lifestyle was easy. She was surrounded by incredibly motivated individuals who shared the same values and goals. Such an amazing support system!  

Through the years, Jennifer took and taught fitness classes as well as dabbled in personal training. However, one thing she always wanted to do was to compete in a fitness show. Striving toward her goal to compete in a fitness show, she never had enough confidence to put herself out there.  Jennifer worried about embarrassing myself, what people would think of her, that she would fail. 

An amazing mental transformation happened to her when she turned 40. She focused on keeping mentally fit. She stopped doubting herself and worrying what negative thoughts some may have about her. She started to take control of what I wanted in life. She renewed friendships she thought lost and distanced herself from those who were unhealthy. Turning 40 was a liberating experience. With her new attitude came a confidence that pushed her onto the competition stage and place within 2 categories. She admitted that she had help along the way. Her family, friends and her coach Bela Santos were her biggest supporters. She couldn't ask for a more dedicated individual in Bela, who has since become an amazing friend to walk her through this whole journey.

When asked, what she would say to inspire Americans with Disabilities who want to get into fitness, she stated, “If we can let go of our fears of failure and what others may think of us, then the only one holding us back from our limitless potential is ourselves.” 

Thank you for supporting NTI Jennifer and the Americans with Disabilities it represents! 

Follow Jennifer on Instagram at @jenniepfuller

A special thank you to #PedroBlancoPhotography for his photography work on this piece. 

Follow Pedro on Instagram at @PedroBlancoPhotography or on Twitter at @PBlancophoto

#jenniepfuller #crossfit #fitness #womensfitness #workout #training #modeling #model #ifbb #competition #whoiam #jenniferfuller #womenshealth #fitnessday #whafd #healthandfitness #iamadaptive #disability #focus #AngelaBassett #BelaSantos

The Complete Solution Revoked - Part V












Now that you know a bit about the situation, find out more about what has been uncovered by CNN so far. A lot of what we learned can be found in a tape of the Anderson Cooper show on CNN. 





CNN Sources: Nation's disabled work program mired in corruption, fraud

Also, Jake Tapper of CNN, ran an investigative piece on this topic as well. You can view his piece here. 





At ADA rally, calls to overhaul AbilityOne program for disabled people


We ask at this point, that you please sign the petition on Change.org entitled, "Please Support Americans with Disabilities and Disabled Veterans in Attaining Positions."

Contact information is used to ensure the veracity of the signature and is kept confidential by NTI and Change.org.

Let us know what you think after you view the show.

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The Complete Solution Revoked - Part IV

 

So our fight continues. The Anderson Cooper 360 show has picked up the story and has shown 2 segments with a 3rd to follow. We need your help to continue to increase awareness.

Below is a link to Change.Org. We’ve created a petition. Help us make it go VIRAL

Please sign the petition and then share it with your friends and family. There are buttons on the right hand side at the bottom of the page to send it via Facebook, Twitter or Email.
Your contact information is only used to verify your signature and is kept confidential.

Also, if you click the link at the bottom of our petition you’ll see the first airing of the show.

Thank You! Lets stop this injustice and reform the AbilityOne program.

Remember- Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed citizens to change the world. Indeed, it has never been done otherwise. ~ Margaret Mead

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