Update on disability story and on next submission to the Clarion Ledger

Update on piece on disability

Those of you who had a chance to read my Oxford Eagle article on disability and the effects of Medicaid cuts to people here in Northern Mississippi might be interested in a short update.

The excellent news is that a week after the piece came out, John Robert Phillips, the little boy who needs cochlear implants, has been approved for coverage through Medicaid.  Of course these things may have been worked out entirely independently of the article, but who knows.  If talking about the issue helped move things along even slightly, I'd be very happy about it.  Even if it did not, that is fine too, since it is important to keep people aware of important matters like the one that the Phillips had to confront.  Congratulations, Rachel and John Robert!

My remaining worry is for all the people who either cannot or do not know how to be as strong advocates as some can be for their children.  Medicaid cuts, therefore, will affect more profoundly the poor and less educated persons with disabilities.  If you know of anyone in Mississippi or in nearby states who could use some help, send them my contact information (email: etweber@olemiss.edu, phone: 662.915.1336).  As a faculty member at the University of Mississippi, I have the opportunity and some avenues for writing about matters like these, to call some attention to problems that need to be addressed.


Info on next submission to the Clarion Ledger

I am happy to report that I have today sent in a piece I wrote for the Clarion Ledger on the subject of incivility in America.  If it is a match for my editor's goals for the piece, then I'll be posting a scan and the text here soon.  If not, I'll post an update on where I'm headed with the project.  On the back burner, I'm slow cooking a book project on the subject of civility.  The challenge at the moment is to figure out how to get the people who need to read it to want to read it.  Until I can figure out the solution to that problem, the project will do more for the choir than for the congregation.  OK, that's a lot of metaphors in a row...  Come visit again soon for an update on this developing piece.