"YOUR DONATIONS ARE APPRECIATED"

Your donations are appreciated to Break Through Inc.

Dear Friends,

It is time again for our 10/10 Team letter to invite you give your monetary “gifts” to help support Break Through Inc. and its mission. Here is what Break Through has been doing for the past several months.

It has been an interesting summer and fall as I (Ben) received an email one day inviting me to come down to San Antonio Texas to a Gala at “Morgan’s Wonderland”. I was one of five people to be honored for my work for the last 35 years. I should have not been surprised to realize that my wife (a few months before hand) had put in my name to be honored. So on the 18th of September we were at this event in San Antonio. What an honor it was to be involved with the first and only “accessible family park” for people with disabilities. I am very much honored to have my name involved with that park.

Here is the link to Morgan’s Wonderland.--- www.morganswonderland.com/

Dee and I traveled to Minot, ND as I was the “kick-off” speaker for Disability Awareness month at Minot State University. Minot State is one of the two universities that is using my book in the special education department classes. On that same trip I also had the honor to speak to 7th -12th grade students at my hometown high school in Kenmare, ND. Dee and I were also able to visit family and friends in North Dakota.

We also traveled to Illinois in October to a Transition Conference in Effingham where we had a booth. There we visited with a lot of people about coming back to speak at various venues in Illinois. It was one of the better conferences in terms of Transition and Inclusion.

One of the most fascinating things we have done this year is doing an in-service staff training at a company in Algoma, WI. It is a company that makes commercial and home mops. The company’s mission is to hire people with disabilities and help them to succeed and integrate them into the community for a fulfilling life.--- www.missionmop.org/

2011 looks like a very busy year again. We are awaiting some proposal acceptances from education and parent conferences and from schools. We are again asking you to consider a “gift” to the 10/10 team as we close out this 2010 year and proceed into 2011.

Here is a link on our website that gives you the link for online donations through “Guidestar” or our mailing address.

Here is the link for our 10-10 Team
Your donations are truly appreciated and help to educate about people with disabilities.

Have a wonderful Holiday and Christmas Season.

Sincerely,

Ben and Dee Anderson

Break Through Inc

Using Language that Hurt Other People

The other day I received a request to write a piece on the subject of using the word "mentally retarded" that is being used by students to make fun of other people.

I would like to share with you the open letter that I sent to that individual. Let's remember that words hurt people as we face a big problem in bullying in this country. I have been bullied as a kid and realize that now as an adult I would like to be part of the solution. I hope think about my comments as you read them.

Dear Students,

It came to my attention that students across the country are using the word mentally “retarded”. I would like to plead to you that you quit using the negative word “retarded” as it is a slang word against people that have disabilities. In effect, telling anyone that they are retarded is bullying and not acceptable conduct.

The word describes someone that has a low IQ or does not do things at the same pace as others. A person like me that was born with cerebral palsy finds it a very hurtful word because it wrongly describes people. I believe that all people have gifts and talents in their own way. We all have disabilities even though they might not be visible. You too might have a hidden disability and it would be hurtful to you if someone found it out about you and began using that term of “retarded”.

As of October 5th 2010 our President signed “Rosa’s Law” into effect which requires that all Federal Documents must use the word “intellectual disability” in lieu of “mentally retarded”.

I hope this helps you not to use that negative word. Thank you.

Your friend,

Ben D. Anderson

Morgan's Wonderland honoree Ben D. Anderson, author & speaker

SURPRISED BY AN EMAIL!

I got up one morning and my wife received an email which she forwarded to me. I was surprised by what it read. I was one of the honorees for the Walk of Fame award in San Antonio, Texas at Morgan's Wonderland and we were invited to come down.

Dee and I took a flight and on the 18th of September 2010 and we attended a Gala called "Free to Soar" . What a wonderful night it was. Not only to receive that award but to see the excitement in the room of 400 people. There were five of us that received this award for their positive involvement with people with disability whether they had a disability or were a friend, parent, teacher or anyone who put a positive influence on that person or gave of themselves to give a positive outlook about people with disabilities.

One nice part of the evening was when everyone stood up to honor Morgan who became 17 years old and got to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Morgan's Wonderland is named for this lovely young lady. Named by her parents who founded the park which opened in April 2010. It is the first of its kind accessible family park in the world.

After the wonderful dinner Dee and I took a walk in the park to look at the "Walk of Fame" pathway where there was one of the first lighted stepping stones that had all five of the honorees names on it. It changes colors and has a butterfly logo in the middle. So pretty. I can now say that my name is in lights, i.e. "Ben Anderson"
You can go to my website at www.bendanderson.com to see some photos and links.

On the road again!

5 months ago I told you about a totally accessible park in Texas called "Morgan's Wonderland". This Saturday night ( September 18th 2010) Dee and I will be at the park for a "black tie" banquet. It is called the "Free to Soar" Gala which is a fundraiser for the park and it also will honor five people who have in someway contributed to advocating and supporting people with disabilities. Their names will be put within some lighted walking path stones on the "Walk of Fame" around the park.

Without me knowing about this event my wife Dee submitted my name as a possible honoree because of my over 30 years of advocating and speaking around the country to educators and families in support of people with disabilities. Well. lo and behold. about a week ago Dee received an email from the general manager of the park inviting us to San Antonio to attend this $100. per person Gala.

We will be flying off to San Antonio. I felt very honored to be the first of many that will be named in the coming years on this "Walk of Fame".

If any one is in the area you are invited to attend. You can read about it online at www.morganswonderland.com

We will put up some photos when we get back home.

Join the 10/10 Team to support persons with disabilites

This spring Dee and I are looking for a full schedule as we are leaving Wednesday to the Association for Education of Young Children Conference in Indianapolis. From there we will be going to my Rehab Council meeting (meets 4 times a year) which will be held in Oconomowoc. I am also speaking at the SDAEYC conference in Watertown, South Dakota followed by two full days at the ECE conference held at UW-Stout in Menomonie. First week of May I give a keynote presentation at the “Pathfinders of North Dakota” state conference. My sister was one of the parents that started the organization in the 1980’s.

Break Through is a non-profit organization that seeks to educate people about persons with disabilities. We are seeking donations to help to be able to continue to travel and fulfill the educational workshops that we provide. We have made it easier for you to make a donation online by going to this link on our website and belong to our support team called the 10/10 Team
Visit our website at http://www.bendanderson.com/ and click on the 10/10 Team link in the middle of the page.

Please help us in Break Through’s Mission:

"Our mission is one of rehabilitation education and advocacy for and about people with disabilities to encourage and enlighten the public about people with disabilities in that they are people first and have rights and needs and that they also have gifts and talents to bring to the community."

Thank you for any support you can give.

INCLUSION ALSO MEANS HEALTHCARE !

Dee and I got back from Texas the beginning of March after about 4 weeks away from home speaking at differnent conferences. We had a great time. We met a lot of interesting folks fighting for advocacy, inclusion and education for children. "Morgan's Wonderland" ( a family park for inclusion of people with disabilities) was interesting as I wrote in my last Blog entry. Hopefully this will not be the only park of its kind in the USA in the future. So we are getting things done for everyone to go beyond expectations in their life and enjoy life to it's fullest.

Now, last night I had the opportunity to watch the debate on health care and I know this is a very controversial subject but one of the reasons I like this bill is that it will do away "pre-existing conditions". As a disability advocate I have been in many conversations throughout the Country about the lack of understanding in this area. It was about time to "step up to the plate" and get this health care done for millions of people who could not obtain medical health benefits because of a pre-existing condition.

Dee and I will be traveling again in April to several conferences and meetings. Dee doesn't enjoy the driving but enjoys meeting people

I have been invited back to University of Wisconsin-Stout as a presenter at the Early Childhood Conference for the 3rd year. I remember as a student on that campus that this conference was a huge conference and thinking that I would love to be a speaker there and now here I am for my third time! Have a nice week.