According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, hospital emergency rooms treated an estimated 251,700 toy-related injuries in 2010 throughout the United States. 72% were to people less than 15 years of age. Additionally, in 2007 alone, toymakers recalled over 19 million toys worldwide because of safety concerns such as lead paint and small magnets.

When it comes to toys and gifts, the excitement and desire to get your children their favorite toys may cause shoppers to forget about safety factors associated with them. Before you make these purchases, it is critical to remember to consider the safety and age range of the toys.

Prevent Blindness America has declared December as Safe Toys and Gifts Awareness Month.  The group encourages everyone to consider if the toys they wish to give suits the age and individual skills and abilities of the individual child who will receive it, especially for infants and children under age three.

This holiday season (and beyond), please consider the following guidelines for choosing safe toys for all ages:

• Inspect all toys before purchasing. Avoid those that shoot or include parts that fly off. The toy should have no sharp edges or points and should be sturdy enough to withstand impact without breaking, being crushed, or being pulled apart easily.
• When purchasing toys for children with special needs try to:  Choose toys that may appeal to different senses such as sound, movement, and texture; consider interactive toys to allow the child to play with others; and think about the size of the toy and the position a child would need to be in to play with it. Consult the “AblePlay” website at http://www.ableplay.org/ for more information.
• Be diligent about inspecting toys your child has received. Check them for age, skill level, and developmental appropriateness before allowing them to be played with.
• Look for labels that assure you the toys have passed a safety inspection – “ATSM” means the toy has met the American Society for Testing and Materials standards.
• Gifts of sports equipment should always be accompanied by protective gear (give a helmet with the skateboard)
• Keep kids safe from lead in toys by:  Educating yourself about lead exposure from toys, symptoms of lead poisoning, and what kinds of toys have been recalled; being aware that old toys may be more likely to contain lead in the paint; having your children wash their hands frequently and calling your doctor if you suspect your child has been exposed to lead. Consult the last two websites listed below for more information.
• Do NOT give toys with small parts (including magnets and “button” batteries which can cause serious injury or death if ingested) to young children as they tend to put things in their mouths, increasing the risk of choking. If the piece can fit inside a toilet paper roll, it is not appropriate for kids under age three.
• Do NOT give toys with ropes and cords or heating elements
• Do NOT give crayons and markers unless they are labeled “nontoxic”.

 

For more information:

• Call Prevent Blindness America at (800)331-2020 or go to their website immediately below
• preventblindness.org/children/safetoys.html
• cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html
• http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/home/safe_toys.html
• cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/toys.html
• nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002473.htm
• https://www.healthtradition.com/december-is-safe-toys-and-gifts-month/

In 1976, in an obscure scholarly article, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, an American historian of early America and the history of women and a professor at Harvard University, wrote, “Well behaved women seldom make history.”

Ratified on August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted American women the right to vote–a right known as woman suffrage. At the time the U.S. was founded, its female citizens did not share the same rights as men, including the right to vote.  The legal right of women to vote was established over the course of several decades in the U.S. beginning in the 1800s.  In order to achieve the right of women to vote in the U.S., many brave (and yes, brazen) women were jailed, suffered, bled, and died before the “fairer sex” across the U.S. could have their own agency–distinct from that of their husbands, fathers and brothers.

These women were not well behaved.  They raised a fuss.  And, in doing so, these women liberated their daughters.  We are their daughters and heirs.  And, it’s up to us to carry on their evolution towards equality.

While in the last hundred years, women in the U.S. have made progress, women still have a long way to go to obtain equal rights.  I don’t need to list the statistics.  You already know them well.

Women still are paid less than men.

Women still face inequity in education, employment, and healthcare.

Women still operate in a body politic where we have to be devoid of human emotion to be taken seriously.

Women still function in a society where if we express normal emotion to even the remotest slight, we are described as being emotional, irrational, or hysterical.

Women still live in a society where our silence is deemed consent.  In other words, women in the U.S. still live in a patriarchy committed to “keeping us in our place.”

But, for we women, our mothers–those brave, brazen women of the past–told us that “our place” is anywhere we please.  That takes me back to The 19th Amendment: the right of women to vote.

I’ve read it in the newspapers.  I’ve heard it on the T.V.  They say 2018 is going to be “The Year of the Woman.”  Perhaps . . . but only if we make it so.  This year, more women (and men who support women’s rights) are running for office–at the local, state and national levels.  We are seeing women across the racial, ethnic, religious and political spectrum, out in the streets–raising a fuss, protesting, speaking real truth to power, and asserting their agency as a force to be reckoned with.

They are changing the national discourse.

But, those brave, brazen women need my help and your help.  VOTE.  Today’s suffragists have laid the groundwork for what truly could be something for the history books.  But all of their hard work means nothing if we don’t show up at the polls.

Susan B. Anthony was arrested for voting in the presidential election of 1872. The judge directed the jury to deliver a guilty verdict.  When he asked Anthony, who had not been permitted to speak during the trial, if she had anything to say, she responded with what one historian has called “the most famous speech in the history of the agitation for woman suffrage”.  She called “this high-handed outrage upon my citizen’s rights”, saying, “… you have trampled underfoot every vital principle of our government. My natural rights, my civil rights, my political rights, my judicial rights, are all alike ignored.”

Anthony was not a well behaved woman.  You and I don’t have to endure the indignity that Anthony did.  We are not called on to pay the price that she did.  But, we are called on to continue her fight so that one day our daughters, granddaughters, and every female U.S. citizen will achieve equality.

November 6th is Election Day.  VOTE.

Go out and make history.

The latest statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that if you have a reported fire in your home, you are more likely to die today than you were a few decades ago. This startling statistic is behind this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme: “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.™” Fire Prevention Week takes place October 7-13, 2018.

Through three simple calls-to-action, this year’s theme identifies basic but essential ways people can reduce their risk to fire and be prepared in the event of one:

• Look for places fire can start
• Listen for the sound of the smoke alarm
• Learn two ways out of each room

“People take safety for granted and are not aware of the risk of fire,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA vice president of Outreach and Advocacy. “Paying attention to your surroundings, looking for available exits in the event of a fire or other emergency, and taking the smoke alarm seriously if it sounds can make a potentially life-saving difference in a fire or other emergency situation.”

This year’s Fire Prevention Week messages apply to virtually all locations. However, NFPA continues to focus on home fire safety, as the majority of U.S. fire deaths (four out of five) occur at home each year. In fact, the fire death rate (per 1000 home fires reported to the fire department) was 10 percent higher in 2016 than in 1980.

“While we’ve made significant progress in preventing home fires from happening, these statistics show that there’s still much more work to do when it comes to teaching people how to protect themselves in the event of one, and why advance planning is so critically important,” said Carli.

“Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware – fire can happen anywhere.” works to remind the public that fires can and do still happen – at home, as well as other locations – and that there are basic but vitally important steps people can take to remain safe.

As the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for more than 90 years, NFPA works with local fire departments throughout North America to promote the campaign in their communities and reaches out to the public directly to encourage everyone to take action to be safe.

Fire Facts

Home Fires

• U.S. fire departments respond to an average of one home fire every 86 seconds.
• Between 2011 and 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 358,500 home structure fires per year. These fires caused 12,300 civilian injuries, 2,510 civilian deaths, and $6.7 billion in direct damage.
• On average, seven people per day die in U.S. home fires.
• Cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home-fire injuries.
• For decades, smoking has been the leading cause of home-fire deaths.
• Heating equipment was involved in one in every five home-fire deaths.

Escape Planning

• According to an NFPA survey, only one in every three American households has actually developed and practiced a home fire-escape plan.
• While 71% of Americans have an escape plan in case of a fire, only 47% of them have practiced it.
• One-third of American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least six minutes before a fire in their home became threatening. The time available is often less. And only eight% said their first thought upon hearing a smoke alarm would be to get out.

Smoke Alarms

• Smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire, giving people additional time to escape.
• Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported home fire in half.
• Three in every five home-fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38%) or no working smoke alarms (21%).
• When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected, or dead. Dead batteries caused one-quarter (24%)of the smoke alarm failures.
• Interconnected smoke alarms throughout the home increase safety. When one sounds, they all sound. It is especially important to have interconnected alarms if you sleep with the door closed.

Cooking

• Between 2011 and 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to a per year average of 170,200 home structure fires that involved cooking equipment. These fires caused a per year average of 510 civilian deaths, 5470 civilian injuries, and $1.2 billion in direct property damage.
• From 2011 to 2015, U.S. fire departments responded to an average of 466 home cooking fires per day.
• Cooking is tied for the second leading cause of home fire deaths.
• Unattended cooking is the leading factor contributing to these fires. Frying poses the greatest risk of fire.
• Ranges, or cooktops, accounted for the majority (62%) of home cooking-fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 13%.
• More than half of all cooking-fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fire themselves.
• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, followed by the day before Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Easter, and Christmas.

Heating

• From 2009 to 2013, U.S. fire departments responded to 56,000 home structure fires that involved heating equipment. These fires caused 470 civilian fire deaths, 1,490 civilian injuries, and $1 billion in direct property damage.
• The leading factor contributing to home-heating fires (30%) was a failure to clean. This usually involved creosote buildup- in chimneys.
• Most home-heating fire deaths (84%) involved stationary or portable space heaters.
• Nearly half (49%) of all home-heating fires occurred in December, January, and February.

Home Fire Sprinklers

• Fire sprinklers reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by 80% and reduce the risk of property loss by 70%.
• Fire sprinkler installation in new homes is cost effective, averaging 1-2% of a home’s total construction cost.
• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire activates, preventing the spread of deadly toxic smoke and fire.
• Home fire sprinklers protect lives by keeping fires small. Sprinklers can reduce the heat, flames, and smoke produced in a fire, allowing people more time to escape.
• Home fire sprinklers activate on an individual basis. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water on the fire and not the rest of the home.
• A home fire sprinkler can control or put out a fire with a fraction of the water that would be used by fire department hoses.
• Accidental sprinkler discharges are rare.
• Home fire sprinklers can be installed in new or existing homes. If you are remodeling or building your home, install home fire sprinklers.
• Home fire sprinklers work along with smoke alarms to save lives.

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Sources:

National Fire Protection Association Announces Theme for Fire Prevention Week October 7-13, 2018

Fire Prevention Week Fire Facts

Domestic violence is best understood as a pattern of abusive behaviors–including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion–used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. Batterers use of a range of tactics to frighten, terrorize, manipulate, hurt, humiliate, blame, often injure, and sometimes kill a current or former intimate partner.

For more general information about domestic violence, including potential warning signs for emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline‘s information page: Is This Abuse? Get the Facts.

Break the Cycle also provides more information about patterns of abuse and behaviors commonly experienced by youth in dating relationships.

To end domestic violence and sexual assault, we all need to be part of the solution. Educating yourself and others, helping a friend who is being abused, speaking up, and being an engaged bystander are all examples of things you can do to help.

Talking about these issues openly will help end the shame and stigma that domestic violence and sexual assault survivors are burdened with. The next time you’re in a room with 6 people, think about this:

• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience violence from their partners in their lifetimes.
• 1 in 3 teens experience sexual or physical abuse or threats from a boyfriend or girlfriend in one year.
• 1 in 5 women are survivors of rape.
• 1 in 3 women and 1 in 6 men have experienced sexual violence in their lives.
• 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men were sexually abused before the age of 18.

Domestic Violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence. Some signs of an abusive relationship include:

• Exerting strict control (financial, social and/or appearance).
• Needing constant contact including excessive texts and calls.
• Emotional abuse including insulting a partner in front of other people.
• Extreme jealousy.
• Showing fear around a partner.
• Isolation from family and friends.
• Frequent canceling of plans at the last minute.
• Unexplained injuries or explanations that don’t quite add up.

Silence and lack of knowledge about domestic violence (DV) and sexual assault (SA) play a large part in why they persist. Simply wanting to help and learn more is a huge step toward ending DV/SA. Once you understand how to recognize domestic violence and sexual assault, you can learn how to respond to someone who may need support, and also take steps to prevent these crimes going forward.

One important thing to remember: You are not alone in this. Hotlines take many, many calls from concerned friends and family who do not know what to do. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. These can be difficult, delicate conversations and it’s natural to want some guidance.

It takes courage for a survivor to share their story with anyone. As our board member Sukey wrote about her own experience, “It’s not just what happened that night. It’s everything that happened after.”

In listening to an individual’s story, your response can have an enormous impact on that person’s healing journey. We wanted to point you to some tools—words, actions and resources—that can help you support someone who shares their personal experiences with you. Although you can never take away what happened to someone, you can be a source of comfort.

Just remember, if someone shares their story with you that means you’re probably already a person they look to for support, compassion and guidance. You don’t have to be an expert—you just have to be yourself.

1. Listen. 

Sometimes you don’t even need words (or at least, a lot of words), to be there for someone. Many people share that just being able to tell their story to someone else lessens the weight of isolation, secrecy and self-blame. Remember, listening in and of itself is an act of love. 

2. Validate. 

Think about a time when you felt vulnerable or faced a crisis, and think of what helped you the most. Chances are that it was not a specific conversation that you had, but it was the knowledge and comfort the person or people you told were there for you, believed in you, were on your side and were committed to supporting you through a hard time.

“I’m so sorry this happened to you.” 

“I believe you.”

“This is not your fault.” 

“You’re not alone. I’m here for you and I’m glad you told me.”

Often times, a survivor may feel like what happened to them is their fault. We are bombarded with victim-blaming myths and attitudes in our society, and they can sink in…deeply. But no action excuses a person hurting someone else. Violence and abuse is never the victim’s fault. That responsibility and shame lies with the perpetrator. It can be helpful to communicate that gently and repeatedly.

“Nothing you did or could’ve done differently makes this your fault.”

“The responsibility is on the person who hurt you.”

“No one ever has the right to hurt you.”

“I promise, you didn’t ask for this.”

“I know that it can feel like you did something wrong, but you didn’t.”

“It doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t _______. No one asks to be hurt in this way.”

3. Ask what more you can do to help. 

Violence and abuse is about power and control. It is vital for survivors to regain their sense of personal power and agency. Instead of pushing someone into taking actions for which they are not ready, ask how you can support them.

4. Know where to point someone to for more help. 

You can best help the survivor by offering options and leaving space for them to decide where to go from there. Here are some national resources—services that can point someone to local resources in your area.

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network Sexual Assault Helpline

1.800.656.4673 | www.rainn.org

National Child Abuse Hotline

1.800.422.4453 | www.childhelp.org

National Domestic Violence Hotline

1.800.799.7233 | www.ndvh.org

National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline

1.866.331.9474 | www.loveisrespect.org

5. Keep an open heart. 

Remind them that you are available should they like to talk about their experiences further. The healing journey can be a long one, full of many challenging—but sometimes joyful and liberating—conversations. Knowing that you are there to support along the way can make a big difference for someone.

“If we are able to communicate only one thing about your role in a survivor’s journey, it is this: never ever underestimate your power to affect its course.”

– Maile Zambuto, Joyful Heart CEO

6. Finally, care for yourself. 

There is a limit to what we are able to take in and process. The stories of someone else’s hardships related to a traumatic event can impact or become a part of us. This experience of second-hand trauma—often called vicarious trauma—is a human response to coming face-to-face with the reality of trauma and the difficulties of the human experience.

It’s important to care for yourself as you support another person. You cannot be your best self in your supportive role if you find yourself too tired to listen with care and compassion, or overfilled with your own emotions in response to another’s trauma. These feelings are totally valid. Take some time after a conversation to enjoy the outdoors, or do a healthy activity that makes you feel good as a way of re-centering yourself.

Remember, you can be your best self for someone else when you give yourself the space to honor your own needs.

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Resources:

National Resource Center on Domestic Violence
Know the Fact About Domestic Violence
Six Steps to Supporting a Survivor

Greetings FEW Members,

As a part of the National Coalition for Equity in Pubic Service (NCEPS) partnership, you are cordially invited to participate in the 2018 FAPAC Federal Employment Career Fair.    The following Career Fair sessions are being presented by the Office of Personnel Management and Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.  For more details, go to https://www.fapac.org/careerfairs.

Date and Time:

Friday September 21, 2018, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Location:

United States Department of Transportation
1200 New Jersey Ave SE Washington DC 20590

Nearest metro station is Navy Yard (green line)

Have questions or need to request accommodations? Contact Katherine Toth at careerfairs@fapac.org.

Workshops sessions being presented:

Finding and Applying for Federal Jobs
Does applying for a Federal job intimidate you? This session will demystify the Federal application process and provide step-by-step tips to help you search and apply for Federal jobs.

Pathways Programs – Federal Careers for Students and Recent Grads
Pathways is the Federal government’s premier program for young professionals. Learn about the three Pathways Programs (Internships, Recent Graduates, Presidential Management Fellows) and what each program can offer. Attendees will gain an overview of USAJOBS, tips for finding Pathways job opportunities, basic program requirements, and understand employment potential after successfully completing a program.

Writing Your Federal Resume
This is an interactive session – bring your laptop, tablet or cellphone! By the end of the session, you’ll be able to use an easy tool to write your Federal resume. A resume expert will walk you through a real Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) and provide tips to make your resume standout. Students are encouraged to bring their resumes.

Job Opportunities for Individuals with Disabilities
Individuals with disabilities can apply and be considered for Federal jobs based on the “Schedule A” special hiring authority. Learn about eligibility requirements, how to apply, and where to find more information!

Interviewing Tips
Learn about the interview process within the Federal government. Attendees will learn about structured/unstructured interviews, delivery methods, common questions, the STAR (Situation/Task, Action, Result) response method, and how to prepare for an interview.

Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
The WRP is a recruitment and referral program that connects federal and private sector employers nationwide with highly motivated college students and recent graduates with disabilities who are eager to prove their abilities in the workplace through summer or permanent jobs.

 

Karen Rainey
FEW National President

 

Seventeen years ago, on September 11^th, the world changed.

Across the country everything stopped. We watched in horror as tons of concrete and steel crashed into the streets of New York City and the Pentagon burned. In the skies over Pennsylvania, the passengers of flight 93 took action to take back control of the plane from the hijackers.

As we pause to remember the events of that day, let us also remember the heroism of those who gave their lives so others might live, the bravery of those who served in the years after to continue recovery efforts, and those whose lives have been impacted.  Let us also remember to cherish the freedoms we have and continue to honor those who fight to keep us free!

Week 1: September 1-8 – Make and Practice Your Plan

Make a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area.  Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.

Step 1: Put together a plan by discussing these 4 questions with your family, friends, or household to start your emergency plan.

1. How will I receive emergency alerts and warnings?
2. What is my shelter plan?
3. What is my evacuation route?
4. What is my family/household communication plan?

Step 2:  Consider specific needs in your household.

As you prepare your plan tailor your plans and supplies to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities. Discuss your needs and responsibilities and how people in the network can assist each other with communication, care of children, business, pets, or specific needs like the operation of durable medical equipment. Create your own personal network for specific areas where you need assistance.  Keep in mind some these factors when developing your plan:

• Different ages of members within your household
• Responsibilities for assisting others
• Locations frequented
• Dietary needs
• Medical needs including prescriptions and equipment
• Disabilities or access and functional needs including devices and equipment
• Languages spoken
• Cultural and religious considerations
• Pets or service animals
• Households with school-aged children

Step 3: Fill out a Family Emergency Plan

Download and fill out a family emergency plan or use them as a guide to create your own.

• Emergency Plan for Parents (PDF)

Step 4: Practice your plan with your family/household

Week 2:  September 9-15-Learn Life Saving Skills

• Know basic home maintenance to protect your family and home. Learn how to mitigate your home against flood damage, or protect against the impacts of earthquakes.
• Learn how to turn off utilities like natural gas in your home.
• Put smoke alarms on every level of your home, test them monthly, and replace them when they are 10 years old.
• Know the ways to keep your home safe from cooking, heating & electrical fires.
• On National Day of Action, Saturday, September, 15, hold a preparedness event. Some examples of events might be hosting a CPR class or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training at your business, school, or house of worship; or volunteering with a local disaster response or recovery agency.

 

Week 3:  Sept 16-22-Check Your Insurance Coverage

• Insurance is the first line of defense; check your insurance coverage and review the Document and Insure Property guide.
• Flood Insurance allows communities and families to recover more quickly and more fully. Visit Floodsmart.gov to learn more about flood insurance and how to protect your home or business.

Week 4: Sept 23-30-Save For an Emergency

• Plan financially for the possibility of disaster.
• Complete an Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK)
• Maintain emergency savings for use in case of an emergency

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Resources:

Ready.gov National Preparedness Month

Red Cross National Preparedness Month Information

Red Cross Mobile Apps