Category Archives: Survey

Holiday Travel Safety Tips

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With Christmas and New Year’s swiftly approaching, multitudes of people will be traveling.  AAA predicts 98.6 million Americans will travel this holiday season between December 23, 2014 and January 4, 2015.  The organization also anticipates that 91% will travel by car, truck, or van, 6% will travel by air, and 3% will take a bus or train.  All of this travel traffic can make it treacherous to get around if you are not paying attention.

In addition to the higher risk of traveling during the holidays with the extra people on the road, the weeks before can also be dangerous as many folks are out shopping and may be distracted as the frantically rush around searching for the perfect gifts.

Awareness of the days with the highest number of vehicles on the road and staying alert are extremely important strategies to staying safe while traveling.  Other strategies for staying safe are:

  • Try to travel on days and at times that are not peak travel days and times.  If most people will be traveling Wednesday through Sunday, try to travel Tuesday through Saturday.  Strive to travel early in the day and at times when traffic volume is the lowest.
  • Plan your route around malls, big stores, airports, and major sporting venues to avoid the crowds and congestion.
  • Before a long drive, make sure you get plenty of sleep and have something to eat.
  • Take breaks every few hours, even if you’re not sleepy. Get out and walk around to stretch your legs.  Play Frisbee or catch with the kids.  Have a snack.  It will keep you more alert.
  • Make sure your vehicle is in prime condition before the trip. Change the oil, if needed.  Make sure the fluid levels and gas tank are full and that tires are properly inflated.
  • Share the driving. If you are alone, turn on the music and crack the window to help stay alert.  You may want to use your foot on the gas pedal to control the speed and not the cruise control to keep yourself more vigilant.
  • Make sure everyone is buckled up.
  • Make sure the vehicle is stocked with a map or atlas, jumper cables, spare tire, wiper fluid, first aid kit, pillow, blanket, and snacks. Bringing snacks from home is usually healthier and cheaper than getting them from a vending machine.
  • If traveling with children, pack activities to entertain them such as movies, coloring books, toys, activity books, etc. Remember to stop for frequent breaks and to have some fun.
  • Start looking for a gas station when your gas gauge reads ¼ tank. Don’t wait until you are on empty to fill up. The next exit with a gas station may be quite a distance away.

Ranking Names Best States For Disability Services

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An annual ranking of states offering the best services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities reveals a familiar but evolving landscape.

The analysis of disability services in all 50 states and the District of Columbia being released Thursday by United Cerebral Palsy finds top performers spanning the map. In previous years, the best services were largely clustered in the Northeast and West.

Arizona claimed the number one slot in the ranking for the third year in a row. Also rounding out the 10 best on this year’s list are Michigan, Hawaii, Georgia, New York, South Carolina, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio and Missouri.

The analysis factors each state’s approach to promoting independence and productivity, ensuring quality and safety, keeping families together and reaching people in need.

Nationally, almost 317,000 people remain on waiting lists for home and community-based services, according to the report, which is largely based on data from 2012, the most recent year available.

Some 38 states serve at least 80 percent of people with developmental disabilities in the community. Meanwhile, just 10 states have one-third or more of their residents with developmental disabilities working in competitive employment, the report found.

As in past years, top-tier services were found in both big and small states, those with rich and poor demographics, jurisdictions with high and low taxes as well as those with varying levels of per-person spending on disability services.

The report flags Arkansas, Illinois, Texas and Mississippi — which ranked last for the eighth year in a row — for repeatedly coming in at or near the bottom of the list.

A question from Easter Seals, Boston Massachusetts

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A message from Easter Seals MA

In just 5 days, thousands of people have taken the Disability Etiquette Challenge. Will you be one more person to take the challenge? The answers might surprise you!