In the Media
Who cares for the caregivers who need crucial respite?
DeseretNews.com, September 5, 2011
PROVO - She won't remember it the next day but sometimes, petite and well-dressed 85-year-old Loretta Yates dances.. To read more click here.
Service dog attacked; Owner needs help with needed surgery
ABC4.com, August 31, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - A service dog needs help after she was viciously attacked by two pit bulls. To read more click here.
Intellectually disabled need advocates
KSL.com, September 1, 2011
WOODS CROSS When someone repeatedly commits a crime, police are more apt to press charges against that person. But what if that person is intellectually disabled? Should the same rules apply? To read more click here.
Way beyond fetch: Service dogs help people with disabilities
SLTrib.com, August 24, 2011
These dogs don't just fetch. They turn on light switches, drag laundry baskets, pull wheelchairs and give autistic children the confidence to visit the dentist. To read more click here.
Police urged to get training for dealing with mentally ill
SLTrib.com, August 27, 2011
Police officers from as far away as Montana travel to Utah for a week of Crisis Intervention Training, courses on how to respond to emergencies involving the mentally ill. To read more click here.
Utahn finds hiking is way out of depression's fog
DeseretNews.com, August 28, 2011
MOUNT OLYMPUS COVE - Give Owen Ashton a couple of hours and his own free will and choice, and he will head straight for the hills. Every time. There's nowhere he would rather be, no place he feels more at peace, no better therapy, than just kicking around in the mountains. To read more click here.
Utah, nation look to tame taxpayer spending on Rx drugs
SLTrib.com, August 18, 2011
Federal inspectors made a splash this week with a report showing that Medicaid spends fewer taxpayer dollars for prescription drugs than Medicare. To read more click here.
Optum focus: Recovery for Salt Lake County's mentally ill
SLTrib.com, August 20, 2011
With peer support specialists and a new crisis response system, Tacoma mental health program serves as model for S.L. County. To read more click here.
Families intentionally creating success for disabled children
DeseretNews.com, August 20, 2011
There probably aren't many of us that would choose to parent a child with mental, physical or speech impediments. New parents expect children to have 10 fingers, 10 toes, dimples and a few curls. They don't dream of wheelchairs, braces, seizures and glasses. To read more click here.
Cerebral palsy: One mother's journey
DeseretNews.com, August 15, 2011
"He is our little miracle," Grimaud says of her son Crew, who seven years ago suffered a traumatic birth in which he was deprived of precious and critical oxygen for an extended period of time, resulting in cerebral palsy. To read more click here.
With support, autistic students find greater success in college
DeseretNews.com, August 214, 2011
It's bedtime in her Arizona home on a recent summer night as Catherine Moreno softly taps her son's forehead, a gentle reminder to come back To read more click here.
Layton mom adjusting to paraplegia
StandardNet.com, August 13, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- Colleen Cobia's life changed dramatically in a split second when a horse bucked her off three weeks ago. To read more click here.
Disabled woman is driving force behind food bank
SLTrib.com, August 7, 2011
Blanding - When the first food bank opened in Blanding in 2006, it wasn't long before people were driving more than four hours there for a single box of food. And yet San Juan County still might not have any food bank without the Blanding disability center that took on the project. To read more click here.
Provo nonprofit's garden a fresh gift for the needy
DeseretNews.com, August 4, 2011
PROVO - Kenneth Larsen meanders through 12 raised gardening beds looking for any ripe tomatoes. Several are on the vine, though none are quite ready, but he picks half a dozen green bell peppers in the next box over. To read more click here.
Donate used hearing aids to help Utah children
SLTrib.com, August 5, 2011
The Utah Department of Health's Hearing Aid Recycling Program (HARP) is seeking used hearing aids for families who cannot afford them and don't qualify for Medicaid. To read more click here.
ADA celebrates 21st anniversary
DeseretNews.com, July 26, 2011
Twenty-one years after President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law, public spaces, education and employment opportunities are more prevalent than ever for people with disabilities. To read more click here.
There is life beyond bipolar diagnosis
KSL.comm, July 28, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- Thousands of Utahns live with mental illness. But most experts in the field and individuals who have been diagnosed say it remains misunderstood. To read more click here.
Autism program utilizing Google app to help develop personal skills
Fox13now.com, July 29, 2011
A University of Utah program is using Google SketchUp to help boys with autism spectrum disorder. To read more click here.
Disabled woman files lawsuit alleging S.L. apartment wouldn't allow service dog
DeseretNews.com, July 21, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - A disabled college student is suing the company that manages a downtown apartment building, alleging it would not allow her to keep a service dog. To read more click here.
Greenhalgh shines at worldwide Special Olympics
HJNews.com, July 25, 2011
Representing one's country in a worthy cause or event is always a humbling and unforgettable experience. To read more click here.
Negligence led to special need teen's fall from bus, district says
KSL.com, July 19, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - A mentally disabled boy's fall onto a freeway from a moving school bus last month is a "grim reminder" of what happens when policies and procedures aren't followed, Granite School District officials said. To read more click here.
Injured soldier stirs emotions as he praises Park City
ParkRecord.com, July 15, 2011
Hogsett was stationed in Iraq for nine months starting midsummer 2009. A truck he was in went over a large bump that November, injuring his spine. To read more click here.
University of Utah to use brain scans to study mental illness
SLTrib.com, July 13, 2011
When a massive new MRI machine slid into place Wednesday at the University of Utah, researchers gained a promising tool in the quest to better understand mental illness. To read more click here.
Celebrate Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26
STGNews.com, July 13, 2011
ST. GEORGE - Red Rock Center for Independence is putting on its Community-wide Celebration of Americans with Disabilities on Tuesday, July 26, from 9-11 a.m. at Vernon Worthen Park, located at 300 E. 300 S., in St. George. The whole community is invited to join in this celebration of everything that people with disabilities have achieved for America. To read more click here.
Fewer Utah doctors to treat Medicaid patients
SLTrib.com, July 10, 2011
When people ask family practitioner Ray Ward if he does charity care, he likes to joke, "Yes, I take Medicaid." To read more click here.
Mental Health Court: Helping the Mentally Ill Find Help and Treatment Rather Than Incarceration
STGNews.com, July 10, 2011
ST. GEORGE - Typically, defendants are brought into the courtroom and arraigned, tried, and either acquitted or sentenced. It’s nothing new or overly spectacular in the world of the judicial system. However, a new type of court has been put into play at the Fifth District Court of Utah for certain individuals for whom the traditional brands of justice may hinder more than aid. To read more click here.
PARC student 'goes to Washington'
ClipperToday.com, July 7, 2011
CLEARFIELD - A Pioneer Adult Rehabilitation Center (PARC) student had the chance to visit Washington, D.C., last week - combining seeing the Washington Nationals play with meeting all of Utah's congressional delegation. Read more: To read more click here.
Utah's Medicaid waiver, which seeks to modify delivery and reimbursement methods, due Friday to feds
DeseretNews.com, June 30, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - In an effort to contain the growing costs of Utah's Medicaid system, officials are seeking to bypass federal rules and change how the program incentivizes local health care providers as well as charge participants higher co-pays. To read more click here.
Medicaid vital to Utah's economy, report says
SLTrib.com, June 30, 2011
Medicaid is more than a lifeline for 68 million low-income Americans. To read more click here.
Study finds mom's age, health may play larger role in autism
DeseretNews.com, July 4, 2011
CHICAGO - Most of the risk of autism has been blamed by experts on inherited genes. Now one of the largest studies of twins and autism shifts the focus to the womb, suggesting that the mother's age and health may play a larger role than thought. To read more click here.
USDB should keep on course
HeraldExtra.com, June 27, 2011
I attended the AG Bell Speech Fair for deaf students in Orem recently. All of these students did well in their speech. Much of their success in speech results from the instruction they have received through the efforts of teachers with Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind (USDB). To read more click here.
Motocross champion raising awareness for traumatic brain injury survivors
KSL.con, june 27, 2011
MURRAY - Three years ago a young biker almost died during a motocross competition in Wendover. Utah doctors saved his life, and he came back to town Monday to help raise awareness for traumatic brain injury survivors. To read more click here.
Boy who lost his legs keeps chasing his dreams
KSL.com, June 21, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- For many kids, summer is a time to play and be active. That's exactly what it will be like for a Utah boy who has spent his life without legs. To read more click here.
Teen falls out of bus on I-80 in Salt Lake City
SLTrib.com, June 21, 2011
Granite School District officials on Monday said a 17-year-old special-needs student was in "miraculous condition" with few injuries despite his fall from a school bus onto Interstate 80. To read more click here.
Recovering addict gets a do-over as a dad
DeseretNews.com, June 17, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Recently, Matt Kinikini taught his 5-year-old son Gabriel to ride a bike. To read more click here.
New court helps veterans steer clear of serious trouble
DeseretNews.com, June 17, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - As Mike Suddith stands before Judge John Baxter in court, he believes he's close to putting a drug paraphernalia possession behind him. To read more click here.
Utah disabled rights group sues Wells Fargo over access issues at Utah bank branches
TheRepublic.com, June 9, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah's Disabled Rights Action Committee is asking a judge to order Wells Fargo Bank to alter night depository boxes at its branches because the locations violate federal disability access laws. To read more click here.
Medically fragile kids could lose under Utah's Medicaid overhaul
SLTrib.com, June 14, 2011
Families everywhere are feeling the pinch of rising food prices. But imagine if your monthly grocery bill was $2,950. To read more click here.
Utah researcher says autism-pollution link needs serious study
SLTrib.com, June 11, 2011
Could Utah's high autism rates be related to Salt Lake County’s large number of toxic chemical releases? To read more click here.
State looking for public comment on proposed Medicaid changes
HeraldExtra.com, June 7, 2011
Utah may become one of the first states to revamp Medicaid. To read more click here.
Salt Lake Sheriff changes policy after inmate dies
HeralsExtra.com, June 2, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- Jail workers will be more aggressive in deciding whether to force-feed inmates after the February starvation death of a 20-year-old man at the Salt Lake County jail, Sheriff Jim Winder said Wednesday. To read more click here.
As autism rates increase, USU's ASSERT clinic offers early intervention help
HJNews.com, June 7, 2011
When Karen Johnson's son was 2 years old, he had a large vocabulary, but he couldn't use those words in conversation. To read more click here.
2 Heart 2 Home projects have a special connection
DeseretNews.com, May 27, 2011
SOUTH JORDAN - Two families along the Wasatch Front are receiving help from the Heart 2 Home Foundation, a group that makes houses accessible for residents with disabilities. There's a remarkable connection between the two homes. To read more click here.
Salt Lake County Inmate Dies from Starvation
ALLVoices.com, May 30, 2011
Salt Lake City, Utah - An inmate at the Salt Lake County jail died in his cell. The family of Carlos Umana wants to know why their son died of starvation and dehydration. Officials at the jail refused to issue any explanation, except that "we tried to get him to eat." To read more click here.
Safety nets for mentally ill fraying in Salt Lake County
SLTrib.com, May 29, 2011
Uninsured Salt Lake County residents who need therapy or psychiatric drugs have few places to turn - with primary mental health safety nets now essentially closed to new patients. To read more click here.
Ruth Lubbers of Art Access receives the 2011 Madeleine Distinguished Service Award
ICatholic.org, May 20, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Ruth Lubbers, executive director of VSA Arts of Utah and its Arts Access Gallery, has been selected to receive the 2011 Madeleine Distinguished Service Award. To read more click here.
County board of health supporting dental care for disabled
HeraldExtra.com, May 24, 2011
PROVO -- Dental training rarely includes dealing with patients with severe intellectual disabilities, but those people need dental care as much as a patient who can sit still and open wide when told to. To read more click here.
Utah activists protest budget-balancing constitutional amendment
SLTrib.com, May 19, 2011
Community activists rallied in the rain Thursday to protest a constitutional amendment proposed by Utah’s two U.S. senators that could roll back or even phase out Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security as a way to reduce federal spending and balance the budget. To read more click here.
Money gone, paralyzed athlete fights to survive
Standard.net, May 14, 2011
ROBBINS, Ill. -- Rocky Clark sometimes dreams he's running track, racing around the oval as he once did, his heart pumping fast and his long legs a blur as he crossed the finish line. To read more click here.
Whooping cough outbreak a result of vaccine phobia?
HJNews.com, May 12, 2011
Last week, the Bear River Health Department, noting that whooping cough is highly contagious (but vaccinepreventable), required all non-immunized children in the affected schools to stay home for at least 21 days, the incubation period for the disease. To read more click here.
Alzheimer's Caregivers May Be at Risk for Dementia
WebMD.com, Msy 13, 2011
May 13, 2011 -- Husbands and wives who care for a spouse with Alzheimer's disease or another kind of dementia may face an increased risk of mental decline themselves, a new research review shows. To read more click here.
Hope builds for treating intellectual disabilities
Fox13now.com, April 30, 2011
A common medication is one of several drugs that might correct or even reverse the effects of fragile X, autism and other developmental disorders. To read more click here.
Mental Health Court helping many in Davis County
Standard.net, April 28, 2011
Federal grant helps rural Utahns through extended health-care maze
SLTrib.com, May 3, 2011
Hundreds of rural Utahns have been helped by a federal grant that assists patients and families in finding extended care during serious illnesses, a state official told the Utah Commission on Aging. To read more click here.
Utah pediatricians, parents push earlier diagnosis of autism
SLTrib.com, April 19, 2011
Jen Jorgenson knows it's scary for parents to have a child diagnosed as autistic. Fear kept her from seeking help, even though her son wasn't talking or eating anything but baby food until age 3. To read more click here.
Utah declares Limb Loss Awareness Month
DeseretNews.com, April 25, 2011
Each day over 500 people lose a limb, says the Amputee-Coalition, and over 60 percent of the losses are preventable. To read more click here.
Utah deaf and blind schools impose furloughs to recover losses
DeseretNews.com, April 22, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Last year's miscommunications are now taking a toll on the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, which is trying to recoup funds late in the school year by furloughing three days between now and the end of May. To read more click here.
Utah is nations top adaptive recreation destination
TheSkiChannel.com, April 13, 2011
The Utah Office of Tourism, part of the Governor's Office of Economic Development, wants to establish the state as the foremost accessible recreation destination. As a part of this effort, the office announces the publication of the Accessible Utah One-Sheet Guide. To read more click here.
Federal Medicaid Teams Deployed To Help States Cut Costs Get Mixed Reviews
GantDaily.com, Aprilk 13, 2011
Washington, D.C., United States (KaiserHealth) - Earlier this year, governors - both Republicans and Democrats - asked the federal Department of Health and Human Services for greater freedom in bending Medicaid rules to make it easier to narrow gaping state budget deficits. To read more click here.
Block grants allocated to social service groups
SLTrib.com, April 11, 2011
Murray - The Legal Aid Society of Salt Lake had hoped to get $5,000 through the city to help victims of domestic violence who can’t afford to pay up to $250 an hour for a lawyer’s help. To read more click here.
Cerebral palsy doesn't stop Springville man from serving
HeraldExtra.com, April 8, 2011
Service is a big part of many people's lives, but for one Springville resident, service has become his career. Sam Durst, 28, is a quadriplegic confined to a wheelchair due to cerebral palsy.To read more click here.
National forest to open camp for disabled children
HeraldExtra.com, April 10, 2011
The local national forest has been awarded $24,000 to start a summer camp for children with disabilities. To read more click here.
Dogs Help Kids Learn to Read
AOL News.com, April 11, 2011
A few days a week, Roo goes to the local elementary school, curls up in his spot at the back of the library and listens patiently as children read to him. "Go, Dog. Go!" by P.D. Eastman is his favorite, but he's not picky -- as long as he gets a treat afterward, he's happy. To read more click here.
Suspect in state mental hospital slaying was a repeat patient
SLTrib.com, april 7, 2011
The suspect in the strangulation death of another Utah State Hospital patient has been identified as a convicted sex offender with a history of violence and a previous stint at the Provo mental health facility. To read more click here.
Mentally disabled Utahns becoming lost in the criminal justice system
KSL.com, March 30, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- When someone commits a crime, you may assume that person knows what they're doing, and that there are possible consequences for their actions. But for a growing population of offenders in Utah, prosecutors say that's not the case. To read more click here.
Cop: Parents of autistic kids should prep for crisis
SLTrib.com, March 26, 2011
Parents of children with cognitive disabilities such as Asperger's syndrome or autism often fear the prospect of having to deal with police should their offspring have an emotional meltdown or act out inappropriately in school or some other social setting. To read more click here.
Paralyzed Utah County woman to race in Boston Marathon
KSL.con, March 28, 2011
AMERICAN FORK -- How many times have you intended to exercise but then found a good excuse to stay home? American Fork resident Katie Terry has plenty of good excuses, but she refuses to give in. To read more click here.
For people with mental health problems, care can be elusive
Fox13now.com, March 21, 2011
In any given year, more than a quarter of U.S. adults have a diagnosable mental health problem -- from depression to bipolar disorder -- yet fewer than half get any kind of treatment for it. The figures are similar for children. To read more click here.
People in long-term care have a champion
SLTrib.com, March 20, 2011
Charise Jensen, Salt Lake County Aging Service's long-term care ombudsman, talks with Betty Wright, who is convalescing at Hillside Rehab Center, March 8. Jensen supervises 20 volunteers who advocate for residents in long-term nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. To read more click here.
Resilient family lives with Fragile X syndrome
HeraldExtra.com, March 20, 2011
EAGLE MOUNTAIN -- Paula Loscher wants to foster an awareness of Fragile X Syndrome, the most common inherited condition for impaired mental development. To read more click here.
UTA's proposed fare hikes would force tough choices for disabled
DeseretNews.com, March 9. 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - The Disabled Rights Action Committee decried a Utah Transit Authority proposal to increase fares for paratransit riders by 60 percent by 2013. To read more click here.
Buy autism license plates, Utah leaders urge
SLTrib.com, March 11, 2011
Highlighting Utah's increasing autism rate, community leaders on Thursday urged residents to purchase awareness license plates to boost research, education and other efforts in the state. To read more click here.
Brain trauma remains an expensive, extensive public health risk
HeraldExtra.com, March 11, 2011
Picture an egg yolk. This is your brain. Now give that egg a couple of good hard shakes, slamming it up against the sides of the egg. The shell remains intact, but the yolk has been scrambled. This could be your brain after a traumatic brain injury. To read more click here.
Nowhere to go: Many awaiting state aid for years
DeseretNews.com, March 4, 2011
AMERICAN FORK - Toni Sly has to choke out the words. "Is this the Deseret News?" she asks, with a squeak. The phone connection crackles, but her tears translate clearly over the line. "I don't know what to do." To read more click here.
Veracity helps Provo schools go high-tech
HeraldExtra.com, March 8, 2011
Ask Ted Kelly, director of special education and technology in the Provo School District, how the city's fiber-optic network helps his kids and Kelly gets downright giddy. To read more click here.
Medicating mentally ill children: what parents need to know
DeseretNews.com, March 2, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY - Utah parents increasingly have to make difficult decisions when it comes to medicating their children. In fact, kids as young as 2 years old are beginning to exhibit signs of mental illness. To read more click here.
Public invited to University of Utah's forum on disability and music
SLTrib.com, February 23, 2011
Coming up March 16-18, a series of events titled "Understanding Disability Through Music" will take place on campus, featuring three artist-scholars who will offer a series of talks and performances that will culminate on Friday, March 18, in the Gould Auditorium of the Marriott Library. To read more click here.
Mental illness affecting many Utah families
KSL.com, February 28, 2011
SALT LAKE CITY -- Some people who struggle with mental illness are never diagnosed, others not until they are well into adulthood; but unlike those who face challenges with diabetes or even cancer, these people often feel isolated or want to hide because they fear they will be labeled. To read more click here.
Freewheel Mobility Opens New Location in Utah
PRLog.org, February 28, 2011
BraunAbility, the leading manufacturer of mobility products, is proud to announce the opening of a new dealership in Sandy, Utah. Freewheel Mobility has served the disability communities of the Denver, Colorado region for over 30 years. To read more click here.
Utah author shares her story about brain injury
DeseretNews.com, February 18, 2011
"Never waste a tragedy," a friend of mine often says. And the tragedy in Tucson, Ariz., where Rep. Gabby Giffords was shot in the head but survived, has thrown a spotlight on traumatic brain injuries. And for people like Jennifer Mosher, that is always a positive side effect. To read more click here.
HeraldExtra.com, February 14, 2011
Tonisha Kelley put on her pink dance outfit early Saturday morning and practiced all day in her room in Mona. She practiced the turns, leaps and steps for an upcoming show. She could hardly sit still for the 40-minute drive from her home to the Orem dance studio. To read more click here.
Local group offers hope, a place to meet, to victims of mental illness
HJNews.com, February 1, 2011
Ernie was ready to kill himself. He had made the preparations. Sleeping pills, 14 prescriptions and a bottle of vodka were going to free him from loneliness and the memories of physical and sexual abuse he experienced as a child. To read more click here.