I am happy to report that all but one of the delegation made it back to the US this morning; the one member whose flight was cancelled without other immediate options has been treated to complimentary lodging and meals in Rio until he can be rebooked.
Most of the other members of the delegation will be home tonight, but three of us will be enjoying Dallas, TX until our local airports open, or, in my case until I travel to the Coleman Institute Conference and ANCOR technology symposium in Denver later this week.
The eastern US is in for a tough few days. Best wishes for your safety, and keep dry.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 28, 2012
October 28: Rio de Janeiro
Hurricane Sandy's progress up the east coast is a major discussion topic of the delegation today. Our flight tonight to JFK has been cancelled, but People to People is working to route us through Dallas. In all likelihood some of us will have to wait out the east coast storm closings in Dallas.
One Sundays, the city of Rio actually seems to close down--shops are closed and it seems that everyone in the city heads to the beach for the day. We take the subway to Ipanema to experience the Hippie Market, an open air handicraft market. After shopping, we walk the three miles back to the hotel along the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. The city closes to cars the major road that front these beaches on Sundays and it becomes a festival of bicycles, skateboards, and pedestrians.
Will leave shortly for the airport to begin the long (and clearly going to be longer an planned) journey back.
One Sundays, the city of Rio actually seems to close down--shops are closed and it seems that everyone in the city heads to the beach for the day. We take the subway to Ipanema to experience the Hippie Market, an open air handicraft market. After shopping, we walk the three miles back to the hotel along the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. The city closes to cars the major road that front these beaches on Sundays and it becomes a festival of bicycles, skateboards, and pedestrians.
Will leave shortly for the airport to begin the long (and clearly going to be longer an planned) journey back.
Saturday, October 27, 2012
October 27: Rio de Janeiro
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Sandy is traveling up the east coast of the US. As our delegation is scheduled to leave tomorrow night, delegates have some concern about air service disruption, but it's really too soon to tell.
As today is Saturday, we were able do do some sightseeing, taking in the "Christ the Redeemer" monument and the Tijuca rain forest.
The monument is perched on top of a mountain, and is 120 feet tall. In several stages, visitors climb up to the base of the monument, which is surrounded by a thick fog, then chat and mill around waiting with their cameras out. Intermittently, the fog will clear and the stature will emerge--the crowd cheers at it's appearance and rushes to take photos before the fog returns within 30-45 seconds of clearing. People lie on their backs on the viewing platform to capture family and friends modeling the statue's pose against the backdrop of the monument itself.
The Tijuca rainforest is a mountainous second growth rain forest that runs through the middle of the city of Rio. It's original growth was cleared by the Portuguese for plantations of tobacco and other crops. It was later replanted using imported plants from other regions of the world, primarily India. Currently, only about 4% of the plants in the rain forest are indigenous. The delegation took a fabulous open jeep tour of the forest, met a capuchin monkey that posed for photos, and got to experience the traditional temperature and humidity that a rain forest evokes.
In Tijuca and on the monument we found a number of truly spectacular views of the city, the bay, Sugar Loaf, Copacabana beach, and Ipanema.
As today is Saturday, we were able do do some sightseeing, taking in the "Christ the Redeemer" monument and the Tijuca rain forest.
The monument is perched on top of a mountain, and is 120 feet tall. In several stages, visitors climb up to the base of the monument, which is surrounded by a thick fog, then chat and mill around waiting with their cameras out. Intermittently, the fog will clear and the stature will emerge--the crowd cheers at it's appearance and rushes to take photos before the fog returns within 30-45 seconds of clearing. People lie on their backs on the viewing platform to capture family and friends modeling the statue's pose against the backdrop of the monument itself.
The Tijuca rainforest is a mountainous second growth rain forest that runs through the middle of the city of Rio. It's original growth was cleared by the Portuguese for plantations of tobacco and other crops. It was later replanted using imported plants from other regions of the world, primarily India. Currently, only about 4% of the plants in the rain forest are indigenous. The delegation took a fabulous open jeep tour of the forest, met a capuchin monkey that posed for photos, and got to experience the traditional temperature and humidity that a rain forest evokes.
In Tijuca and on the monument we found a number of truly spectacular views of the city, the bay, Sugar Loaf, Copacabana beach, and Ipanema.
Friday, October 26, 2012
October 26: Niteroi & Vagario Geral
Niteroi, a city about an hour from Rio, is home to the Pestalozzi Foundation of Niteroi (SPERJ). Founded in 1948 on a small farm, today the organization primarily focused on intellectual disability continues it agricultural program for adults, operates a school for children, and provides the discrete therapeutic treatments 1-2 times a week as we've seen in other locales.
Three delegates made presentations that were very well received, and we discussed the Brazilian approach to Autism. Autism is conceptualized as a mental health condition, rather than a developmental disorder, and it's treatment falls under the health system. The prevailing treatment of Autism in Brazil is psychoanalysis. The new leader of SPERJ has embraced ABA as a preferred intervention, but faces resistance among his mental health colleagues.
In transit to our next appointment, we are pulled our by a Federale, who impounds the bus for some sort of improper tags. Thanks to the fantastic local guide, we are on our way again in a new bus a little over an hour later.
Arriving in the shantytown (or Favila) of Vagario Geral, we visit Afro Reggae, a nonprofit that seems to my eye to operate in the vein of the "settlement house" movement in US. Afro Reggae is a highly contemporary operation, that has drawn international corporate sponsors and boasts a recording studio, film production facilities, and computer labs. We are lucky enough to see live performances of a drum corps using reclaimed materials, the afro pop band AF12, and the rock band Poverty. All performances are amazing. Afro Reggae has substantially reduced violence, drug traffic, and unemployment and increased "present" fatherhood and the average age of first time pregnancy in the area from age 13 to 21.
Three delegates made presentations that were very well received, and we discussed the Brazilian approach to Autism. Autism is conceptualized as a mental health condition, rather than a developmental disorder, and it's treatment falls under the health system. The prevailing treatment of Autism in Brazil is psychoanalysis. The new leader of SPERJ has embraced ABA as a preferred intervention, but faces resistance among his mental health colleagues.
In transit to our next appointment, we are pulled our by a Federale, who impounds the bus for some sort of improper tags. Thanks to the fantastic local guide, we are on our way again in a new bus a little over an hour later.
Arriving in the shantytown (or Favila) of Vagario Geral, we visit Afro Reggae, a nonprofit that seems to my eye to operate in the vein of the "settlement house" movement in US. Afro Reggae is a highly contemporary operation, that has drawn international corporate sponsors and boasts a recording studio, film production facilities, and computer labs. We are lucky enough to see live performances of a drum corps using reclaimed materials, the afro pop band AF12, and the rock band Poverty. All performances are amazing. Afro Reggae has substantially reduced violence, drug traffic, and unemployment and increased "present" fatherhood and the average age of first time pregnancy in the area from age 13 to 21.
Thursday, October 25, 2012
October 25: Rio de Janeiro
The delegation had the opportunity to meet with professionals in three different settings. In each setting we see that the Brazilian standards for supports are short therapeutic interventions of 1-2 times a week.
CAPSI Maria Clara Macado is a community-based psycho-social-educational service provider, funded through the public health system, that serves children with intellectual disability, autism, and mental health concerns. The center is one of a small network in the city; it serves 30 children and their families daily, and around 150 weekly. delegate made a very well received presentation on promising practices in dual diagnosis. We learn that while children with disabilities are entitled by law to an inclusive classroom, parents can (and do) reject typical classrooms for segregated ones.
SMPD, the Municipal Secretariat of People withe Disabilities of Rio (the closest Equivalent I would imagine would be a city or county disability administration), hosted a tour of it's multi-service center for residents with disabilities. At this location, people of all ages with low vision, deafness, and physical disabilities, along with people with developmental disabilities have access to discrete therapeutic services. Approximately 600 people are served on a daily basis with most of those attending twice a week.
Finally, the chair and faculty of State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)'s School of Education met with The delegation to discuss teacher preparation and strategies for inclusion in public schools. We learned that at present there are no special education teacher training programs; rather, all general education teacher programs provide some course work on special education. What is underscored is that while children are entitled by law to an inclusive education, general ed teachers report being under-prepared to support children with disabilities in their classrooms.
CAPSI Maria Clara Macado is a community-based psycho-social-educational service provider, funded through the public health system, that serves children with intellectual disability, autism, and mental health concerns. The center is one of a small network in the city; it serves 30 children and their families daily, and around 150 weekly. delegate made a very well received presentation on promising practices in dual diagnosis. We learn that while children with disabilities are entitled by law to an inclusive classroom, parents can (and do) reject typical classrooms for segregated ones.
SMPD, the Municipal Secretariat of People withe Disabilities of Rio (the closest Equivalent I would imagine would be a city or county disability administration), hosted a tour of it's multi-service center for residents with disabilities. At this location, people of all ages with low vision, deafness, and physical disabilities, along with people with developmental disabilities have access to discrete therapeutic services. Approximately 600 people are served on a daily basis with most of those attending twice a week.
Finally, the chair and faculty of State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ)'s School of Education met with The delegation to discuss teacher preparation and strategies for inclusion in public schools. We learned that at present there are no special education teacher training programs; rather, all general education teacher programs provide some course work on special education. What is underscored is that while children are entitled by law to an inclusive education, general ed teachers report being under-prepared to support children with disabilities in their classrooms.
October 24: Rio de Janeiro
The delegation moved from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro (a 5 hour drive, but we took a 45 minute flight). Rio is a port city and the center of shipping for the country. While our activities on this travel day included the chance to walk along the Copa Cabana beach, a visit to Sugar Loaf Mountain (fantastic views), and dinner in Ipanema (home of the girl from), we have the chance to reflect on and discuss a meeting yesterday afternoon with a representative of the State Secretary of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
It is clear that there are very dedicated people in the Brazilian government concerned with inclusion for people with intellectual disability; however, it is also apparent that the disability population is under documented and underserved and that their advocates in the government face substantial barriers (money, philosophy, education and service structures, and policy strategies) to advancing changes in systems and practices that might achieve inclusion.
We are all reminded that requesting incremental change tends leads to no change at all, while the relentless advocacy of families and self advocates has moved mountains.
It is clear that there are very dedicated people in the Brazilian government concerned with inclusion for people with intellectual disability; however, it is also apparent that the disability population is under documented and underserved and that their advocates in the government face substantial barriers (money, philosophy, education and service structures, and policy strategies) to advancing changes in systems and practices that might achieve inclusion.
We are all reminded that requesting incremental change tends leads to no change at all, while the relentless advocacy of families and self advocates has moved mountains.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
October 23: Sao Paulo
The delegation visited a rehabilitation program affiliated with the University of Sao Paulo medical School. The program, known as IMREA, is located in the Larpa neighborhood in a reclaimed warehouse. It's funding is a mix of federal, state, and private funding (more on this in a minute). IMREA primarily serves adults (14 and above), but there is a small program for children with Down syndrome.
This program is the gold standard of rehabilitation in Brazil; the demand for service is so great that people are limited to 2-hour long interventions that are scheduled only 1-3 times a week. Approximately 600-900 people are served on a daily basis. The program does not accommodate individuals with behavior management issues.
The bulk of services are related to physical rehab, primarily traditional PT and OT that focuses on art and office skills. Many of those who have been served since it was established in 2005 are talented artisans; unfortunately the program has had very limited success in it's graduates gaining employment.
Employment of a diverse workforce is a policy priority in Brazil. Employers with up to 200 employees are required to have 5% of that workforce be people with disabilities. Employers larger than that are required to also employ distinct percentages of people who come from different economic strata. If an employer fails to achieve these requirements, they must either pay a prescribed penalty to the government or make a "donation" to a nonprofit. Many employers that have failed to meet the employment quotas for people with disabilities have instead donated to IMREA, making it a very well equipped rehab center.
This program is the gold standard of rehabilitation in Brazil; the demand for service is so great that people are limited to 2-hour long interventions that are scheduled only 1-3 times a week. Approximately 600-900 people are served on a daily basis. The program does not accommodate individuals with behavior management issues.
The bulk of services are related to physical rehab, primarily traditional PT and OT that focuses on art and office skills. Many of those who have been served since it was established in 2005 are talented artisans; unfortunately the program has had very limited success in it's graduates gaining employment.
Employment of a diverse workforce is a policy priority in Brazil. Employers with up to 200 employees are required to have 5% of that workforce be people with disabilities. Employers larger than that are required to also employ distinct percentages of people who come from different economic strata. If an employer fails to achieve these requirements, they must either pay a prescribed penalty to the government or make a "donation" to a nonprofit. Many employers that have failed to meet the employment quotas for people with disabilities have instead donated to IMREA, making it a very well equipped rehab center.
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