Disaboom (OTCBB: DSBO; www.disaboom.com), the premier online community for people touched by disability, today announced that it will help the voice of the disability community to be heard at the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver through the "Unheard Voice," a series of disability-focused events and activities. The series of "Unheard Voice" events, most of which are open to the public, will showcase the political issues of importance to people with disabilities, display accessible recreation opportunities and demonstrate how people with disabilities express themselves through visual and performing arts.
"People with disabilities represent 15 percent of the U.S. population, 37 million of us are registered voters, and politically, our voices haven't been heard - we are the unheard voice of this nation," said Dr. Glen House, founder of Disaboom and a quadriplegic himself. "The Denver 2008 Host Committee has afforded Disaboom and other disability organizations the unique opportunity to talk about the issues of importance to our community and to showcase the ways we've turned disability into ability on a national scale."
Disability-related events taking place during the Democratic National Convention include the following:
·"Show Up for Democracy": Hear what PHAMALY (Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League) has to say about the need for inclusion in democracy in their stage performance, "Show up for Democracy," on Sunday, August 24 at 1 p.m. at Civic Center Park and Wednesday, August 27 at 7 p.m. at City Park. Speak to PHAMALY on-camera after the show and your thoughts may be featured on www.disaboom.com.
·Adaptive Adventures: Visit Adaptive Adventure's booth at the Green Frontier Fest on Sunday, August 24 in Denver's Sculpture Park to learn more about the adaptive equipment available to people with disabilities and the adventures that are still possible. Meet Paralympian hand-cyclist Alejandro Albor on Sunday, August 24 from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
·All-Access Bike Station: Borrow a recumbent, upright, racing or off-road hand-cycle Saturday, August 23 through Thursday, August 28 at the Denver Children's Museum and help keep Denver green - and accessible. Join Paralympian hand-cyclist Alejandro Albor at the kickoff event, which departs from the Brighton Warehouse, 4120 Brighton Blvd. in Denver, on Sunday, August 24 at 11:30 a.m. and concludes at the Denver Children's Museum.
The All Access Bike Station is a complement to the "Freewheelin'" program, a joint effort between Boulder, Colorado-based Bikes Belong, Human Incorporated, and the Denver 2008 Host Committee. The hand cycles are being provided by Adaptive Adventures. Upright hand-cycles are available at downtown Freewheelin' stations.
·VSA Arts: Hear what the community of artists with disabilities has to say through their art, which will be displayed on Sunday, August 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Denver Convention Marketplace at Civic Center Park.
·Democratic National Convention Bloggers: Disaboom will be blogging live from the Democratic National Convention Blogger Tent. Follow the bloggers' convention experiences and observations at
www.disaboom.com/disabledpolitico.
MEDIA ONLY OPPORTUNITIES
·Unseen Bean: Bloggers and members of the media are encouraged to visit the Blogger Tent every morning Monday through Thursday to enjoy a cup of coffee, compliments of Disaboom and The Unseen Been Coffee Company, a company founded and run by Gerry Leary, a master roaster who is blind.
·Media/Delegate-Only Theater Performance:"Show Up For Democracy": Hear what PHAMALY has to say about the need for inclusion in democracy in their stage performance, "Show up for Democracy" on Tuesday, August 26 at 12:30 p.m. at the STARZ Film Center.
·Survey Says: Learn what the Disaboom community thinks about political issues facing people with disabilities in this election. Disaboom will release the results of an online survey on
www.disaboom.com on Sunday, August 24. The survey will ask the following questions:
oIf you were to vote today, which candidate would you vote for?
oAs a person affected by disability, do you feel you have a voice in today's political system?
oHow much attention do the presidential candidates give people with disabilities compared to other minority groups?
To receive a copy of the survey results, please send an e-mail to DisaboomSurvey@gmail.com and type the word "Survey" in the subject line.
For more information about political issues facing people with disabilities, to view the presidential candidates' profiles, to watch a webcast of the 2008 National Forum on Disability Issues, or to read and comment on political issues discussed in Disaboom's group blog, "Disabled Politico," visit http://www.disaboom.com/Living/Election08/Default.aspx.