Month: January 2016

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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A few weeks ago, my wife Stephanie and I began watching Downton Abbey. For the 1 or 2 of you that do not know, the show takes place in the early Twentieth Century, and follows the goings on at a large estate in the United Kingdom. As we began I really did not know what to expect, but was gripped by the show’s plot from episode one. The first episode, however, did include something that I did not expect, the story of Mr. Bates. Continue reading “DOWNTON ABBEY, DISABILITY, AND THE LESSON OF A CENTURY”

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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I want to begin providing links to stories concerning disability that I find interesting. These stories will mostly focus on inspirational people, advancement in technology, and other things I think you the reader might like. With that said, here are the links of interest for January 18,2016.

•Blind French Hikers Cross Mountains Using Special GPS

In this article we read about a group of blind hikers who used a special technology on their smart phone to cross a mountain alone. New technologies like this one are helping visually impaired people experience life in a new and independent way.

•Special Student Takes CCU Homecoming King Crown

This is a heartwarming story about Chip Mullen. Mullen is a student at Coastal Carolina University who has down syndrome. He has not allowed his disability to hold him back, but lives a very normal college student life.

•Invisible Touch

This is a great story of a woman who is trying to raise awareness of blind children in China.

•NavCog Uses Smart Phones to Help the Blind Navigate Independently

Here is another story about how technology is changing the world for visually impaired people.

Those are the links of interest for January 18, 2016. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.
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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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Press Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Freeman Foundation Presents

The Lights Out Dinner in the Dark

Corbin KY, January15, 2016:  The Freeman Foundation presents its 1^st Lights Out Dinner in the Dark. The dinner will be held on March 14, 2016 at 6:30 PM, at the Corbin Center in Corbin, KY. Participants will eat dinner blindfolded to raise awareness of the needs and potential of people with disabilities. Former Kentucky basketball player Jarrod Polson will be the guest speaker, and Neil Middleton from WYMT will MC the event. Tickets are $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 12 and under. You can register online here, or tickets can be purchased from Mary Freeman at Central Baptist Church in Corbin, KY. Following the dinner Polson will autograph copies of his autobiography, Living Beyond the Dream.  Continue reading “LIGHTS OUT DINNER IN THE DARK”

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WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT – PLAY HARDER.
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As I sit here at the beginning of 2016 I am excited about what The Freeman Foundation accomplished in 2015, and about our plans for the next year. In 2015 we hosted our first Lights Out Blindfolded 5K in Corbin, KY, and began an initiative to help feed disabled orphans at an orphanage in Haiti. In the upcoming year we are hosting two more Lights Out Blindfolded 5K’s, as well as, our first Lights Out Dinner in the Dark. With these events, we hope to continue accomplishing our vision to “raise awareness of the needs and potential of people with disabilities.” Two Articles I came across in the past year reinforced in me the need for a foundation like The Freeman Foundation.

First, I read about a blind father in New York who had his children taken from him. Why, you might ask? Because a judge determined that he could not provide for them due to his blindness. The judge thought that he posed a risk to the safety of his own children. If Christopher Roberts wanted to spend time with his children, then he had to pay a sighted nanny to be with him during that time. The judge implied in his decision that Roberts was less than a person because of his blindness, and refused him the right to care for his children. You can read the complete article here.

Second, I read the story of Lily-Grace Hooper, an elementary school student in South Gloucestershire, UK. Lily-Grace was told that she could no longer use her white cane while at school. School officials were afraid that other students and teachers might trip over it. Several students and employees came out on social media in support of the school’s decision. For this reason she has been forced to attend a different school. Read the complete story here.

Both of these stories highlight the short-sidedness and false assumptions held by many people concerning individuals with disabilities. The Freeman Foundation desires to use its events and initiatives to begin breaking through these barriers. We hope that you will join us on this journey. You can do so by participating in our events, or by giving a financial donation. We also ask for your prayers as we continue promoting the truth that “disability does not equal inability.”
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