Fanlight Productions is a leading distributor of the most recognized high quality video and DVD resources on the social issues of our time, with a special focus on:

• healthcare
• mental health
• professional ethics
• aging and gerontology
• disabilities
• the workplace
• gender and family issues

Founded over 30 years ago, Fanlight’s goal is to make available a select collection of educational programs which are emotionally and intellectually engaging in their approach and accurate and up-to-date in their content. Fanlight’s videos and DVDs present contemporary perspectives on the issues of concern and challenges faced by our audiences.

The Fanlight Productions Collection includes videos and DVDs that have been honored by organizations as different as the Academy Awards to the Health & Science Communications Association, and from the DuPont-Columbia Journalism Award, to the Assocication on University Centers on Disabilities.

To view the entire Fanlight collection visit www.Fanlight.com.

For over 4 decades the Autism Society has used the month of April to spread awareness for a developmental disability of unparalleled complexity and ambiguity:  Autism.  Occurring in nearly 1 in every 100 children, autism is characterized by reduced social and communicative abilities.  This month, Program Development Associates encourages individuals and businesses alike to participate in the Autism Society’s awareness initiative.

Autism Awareness Month

The Autism Society has served the autistic community in America since the early 1960s.  Since then, the Society has become a recognized leader in spreading awareness for the individuals, families, and employers who are challenged with the issues of autism each day.  The 1970s saw the birth of the National Autism Awareness initiative, a month long public outreach program aimed at educating the public on this complex condition.  The United States recognizes the month of April as an opportunity for individuals nationwide to unite in an effort to spread awareness for autism, ongoing developmental disability research, and a host of other issues related to the autism community.

It is estimated that about 60 individuals are diagnosed with autism each day (i).  These individuals are predominantly children between the ages of 3 and 5.  This month, the Autism Society gives us 5 ways to participate in spreading awareness and appreciation for this mysterious developmental disorder:

1) Wretches and Jabberers “Movievent”:  Don’t miss this documentary by Academy Award-winning director Gerardine Wurzburg.  Immediately following the screening will be a live panel discussion featuring Tracy Threshner and Larry Bissonnette, two self-advocates with autism.  You may view the trailer online at Wretchesandjabberers.org.

2) Vote 4 Autism:  Contact your state or Federal Representatives and urge them to become actively involved in the creation and enactment of autism legislation.  You may find more information at Vote 4 Autism organization Webpage.

3) Host an Awareness Event:  Having trouble finding a local community event for Autism Awareness Month?  Create your own using these resources provided by 1Power4Autism online.

4) Visit an AMC Theatre:  A romantic or leisurely trip to the movies is something most of us take for granted.  Those with autism may have special needs that are not accommodated by traditional movie showings.  This month, the Autism Society is partnering with AMC to screen Sensory Friendly Films for individuals with autism.  Learn more about this technology and how you can support it by clicking here.

5) Go Italian!  This month, Carino’s Italian Restaurant has committed to donating a portion of it’s proceeds to the Autism Society to help individuals and families affected by autism.

Please visit the Autism Society to learn more about autism, Autism Awareness Month, and other ways to get involved.

Autism Training and Education

One of the best ways to become involved in Autism Awareness Month is through autism training and education.  For businesses, interoffice training and educational initiatives are fundamental yet effective means of spreading awareness for this increasingly prevalent condition.  Organizations that engage in autism training and education better prepare themselves to accommodate prospective hires, current employees, and customers with autism.  Parents, too, can benefit from autism resources.  These leading multimedia products help parents and caregivers to actively support a loved one with autism or Asperger syndrome disorders.

Is your organization participating in National Awareness Month?  Log on and message your commitment to the DisabilityEDU Twitter account to help spread awareness for this elusive and complex disorder.  Together, we can raise help raise awareness of the autism community and provide support for the individuals, families, and caregivers of those with autism.

(i) http://www.autism-society.org/research/
*Image source: Blissfullydomestic.com

I must admit, I wasn’t sure it was a good change. We’d had the old slogan for 25 years, and it served us well. Why did we need to add ‘diversity’ to the mix? We have always been the ‘go to guy’ for all of our customers’ disability resources, would we be diluting a core reason for founding PDA by adding it?

In an effort to understand it, I turned to Google and Merriam-Webster for some help and found there are 2 ways to define ‘diverse’;

As an adjective:
1: differing from one another: unlike
2: composed of distinct or unlike elements or qualities

And as a noun:
1: the condition of being diverse: variety; especially: the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization

Based on either definition, disability is clearly, a dimension of diversity. Plus diversity is also a major management strategy for our customers. Companies employing people with disabilities not only increase their competitive advantage, they know the value and recognize the many benefits of diversity within their organizations. Managing diversity involves the creation of an open, supportive and responsive program that includes and acknowledges the talents of people of disability.

To that end, PDA has expanded their product line to include a new category exclusively for diversity related resources. And has recently added two programs created specifically to help employers manage diversity:  We’re All Different: Diversity in the Workplace and Getting It Right: Disability Etiquette in the Workplace. Although We’re All Different barely mentions disabilities and Getting It Right focuses on disability, they both foster an atmosphere of acceptance and understanding.  These training DVDs will help create a workplace that is accepting and respectful of differences, while at the same time encouraging employees to see the unique values in their co-workers.

So, did we lose anything by adding diversity to our slogan? Absolutely not. People with disabilities are our nation’s largest minority crossing all racial, gender, educational, socio-economic and organizational lines. Just like any business who adds diversity to its workforce and customer base, we are better and stronger.

Getting It Right: Disability Etiquette in the Workplace
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?Getting_It_Right_DVD-pid174.html

We’re All Different: Diversity In the Workplace
http://www.disabilitytraining.com/product-info.php?
We_re_All_Different_Diversity_in_the_Workplace_DVD-pid501.html

For the complete list of Diversity products:
http://www.DisabilityTraining.com/product-list.php?Diversity-pg1-cid43.html

Reference:
US Dept of Labor, Offices of Disability Employment Policy
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/ek96/diverse.htm

ARRA Resource Center

Educational recovery goals are to stimulate the economy in the short-term and invest wisely; using The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds to improve schools, raise achievement, drive reforms and produce better results for children and young people. A significant portion of the educational plan is dedicated to grants to help close long-standing achievement gaps and ensure better educational, employment and independent living outcome for children and adults with disabilities.

By providing innovative resources that promote inclusion, facilitate learning and educate about disabilities, Program Development Associates (PDA) http://www.disabilitytraining.com has supported these goals for over twenty-five years. We are here today with the same intent. With the depth our collection, PDA is in a position to help your school or agency meet many of the objectives of ARRA.

From our collection of over 600 disability resources, we have sorted and selected DVDs, curriculum and multi media resources on topics related to stimulus plans in IDEA, Title I, Independent Living and Vocational Rehabilitation funding.

If you follow the link to PDA’s ARRA Resource Center http://www.disabilitytraining.com/arra-main.php, you will find:

• Professional Development and School Wide Strategies to improve teacher quality and improve outcomes for students with disabilities

• Innovative resources that will scale-up reading and math, enhance Response to Intervention, and Positive Behavioral Approaches.

• Transition and Employment tools to help coordinate community job placements and improve services to individuals with significant disabilities

• Pre-School and Assistive Technology methods that help young children succeed and help close the achievement gap and improve outcomes

• Independent Living Practices that can help service providers increase the number of people with significant disabilities to live and work in community settings.

This unprecedented funding may be a one-time opportunity for your school to invest in new, innovative resources. We believe, just as we always have, a good training video or educational resource is a wise investment. It can be used many times, by many people and you will be able to reap the benefits long after the funding is gone.

Please click on PDA’s ARRA Resource Center http://www.disabilitytraining.com/arra-main.php. It will make choosing the resources that respond to the stimulus funding goals easy.