To My Supports,

 The end of the year is coming soon and I would to thank everyone who has made an inquiry into a speaking engagement. I am especially grateful to those who have invited me to their schools and organizations.  It may be a spark for others to follow their passion in life, but your positive responses also regenerates me after an appearance.  My recently those travels included a live painting demonstration at a DC Metro Theater, a panel at the United Nations, as well as an trip to China for a international art exhibit.

What should you expect upon an inspirational speaker? With me, there are no prepared scripts instead offering a spontaneous journey of life experiences.  I often find that a cookie cutter outline which most keynote presenter’s use is not as personal.  If your schedule would allow it, I could also provide a drawing demonstration of how my artwork is created.  The silver lining in an engagement focuses on my accomplishments but more importantly I want each viewer to be more inspired by every-day journey.

“King Gimp” was a story that so many could relate to.  It was about finding placement in life with independence, family, friends, education, breaking barriers and molding passions.  True love was in raw form making each viewer understand the parallel within their own life.  The challenges of my disability became a mystery of how I was able to defeat the odds.  “If Dan can…so can I” became one of my most favorite responses.  Truly, I am amazed how a humble hometown man can be ‘the reason’ to such inspiration.  Passion is unveiled being a keynote speaker. My art and live presentations brings thoughts out of my isolation.        

I assure you this experience is worthy of your investment.  Please fellow my adventures at https://www.facebook.com/kinggimpthoughts I look forward to reconnecting…   

Sincerely,

Dan Keplinger/King Gimp

Advise For Future Teachers

This question came from a professor that just showed King Gimp to their class. Do you have any suggestions for my students as they go out into their own classrooms, especially in the area of communicating with families? Or any other suggestions in teaching children with special needs?

Being a teacher is not much unlike being an artist, they both are fields that do not offer monetary wealth. The riches come from the rewards that come from how others benefits from your passions.
No matter how long you are in this field, I encourage you to always be a student. I have been disabled since birth, an artist since 16 and I still learn about new services and tools to help me through life.
Always be challenged to work as a team with piers, parents, and students that will bring success in your field to always grow with knowledge.

Personal Care Providers on Colleges Campus

I have received an email from a public school teacher in MD. They have a student graduating next spring, he gets one on one help in school for academics and personal support the whole day. The student has been to DORS for a vocational evaluation, they suggest he goes to a community college. The student likes that idea and will start next fall. The problem is that while the student is on campus how can obtain personal care providers? I know colleges only have to provide academic support. Should DORS provide this for him, I know they do that in rare situation on the job site. The teacher also contacted DDA, they said services cannot obtain until he is 21. Has anyone been in the same predicament, or have any ideas of resources of funding? Any ideas would be welcome.

Update
10/25/10

It just so happens that last week Dena and I went to a state's Rehabilitation association conference. I took to ask someone about this situation, this is the reply:

They should work with DORS to see if they would be able to provide the supports. If they are a client of DORS and their Individualized Plan for Employment supports education then they should be able to work with them to find the supports. Their counselors should talk through all of this with them. Just tell them they need to ask all the questions and advocate for what they want. The teacher may be able to get a release to talk with the counselor at DORS to talk about the services and supports the individual received while in K-12.

Update
10/26/10
Some ideas from Penn-Mar Human Services

Do you know if he has applied for Medical Assistance? I know they provide a few hours a week of personal care.

LISS could help him on a short term basis for up to 45 days per year…

Has DORS said no to helping him with the hours?

look at this website for resources: http://www.thinkcollege.net/

Make sure his Service Coordinator is actively seeking resources, that is what they are there for!

Good Luck and please let us know if there is anything else we can do or help with. If you want to help him apply for LISS funds, they can email the department at LISS@penn-mar.org

Updat
10/27/10
REM stands for Radical Emergency Medical Care for more information contact the Transition DDA Specialist mescott@comcast.net

The STEP Program is a program for someone no longer in the school system and is between 18 and 20,wants to work and is DD eligible through DDA. Their focus is on jobs. It is a small program which leads me to believe it might be relatively new. I think the focus might be for students who fall into a black hole when they leave school at 18 and are not eligible for GTYI funding until 21.

I could not find links for STEP, or GTYI.

Team Work Does Pay Visit To UNCC

Last week we had to travel in between storms for a speaking gig at UNCC. It snowed the night before we left on Wednesday, so there was no telling if we would get the early start as we wanted. Dena and I were on the road by 9 and did make any stops until NC.
About 2 hours into our trip, we saw a Volvo station wagon towing a plywood wonder breadbox. As we past him the back was full of puppets, so one could figure he was a clown. We honked our horn and gave him two thumbs up. The next thing we knew he putted on a clown nose. He could not keep up, so we went on our ways.
About 2 hours from our “hotel” we started to see signs for a big discount store and one sign is for cosmetics, so we decided to stop. I could tell Dena was disappointed with the selection, so we were back on our way. As we past one rest stop Dena sees the wonder bread wagon. To reach him we had to make a mile circle getting on and off at exits. Dena thinks what if he already got back on the road. He did not; he is a puppet master on his way to Martigra from Maine. We made his day catching him 4 hours later.
This engagement was a year in the making from the office of Student With Disability Service to their adviser committee. It sounds as is the student on the committee did most of the legwork. They did multiple fundraisers, even on the day of the presentation they were putting up signs to promote the presentation. They also set up the reception after ward and planned all of public relation before hand.
It just goes to show you what can be accomplished when people work together for a commond goal. I had one moment where one says I’m not the old, am I? The student that did the introduction said she watched King Gimp at the age of 10.
Dena and I what to stay another day to relax, but we had to race the storm him. In the pictures you can see what we had for breakfast. Ah the life of road worries.

Trip To AZ SILC and NAU

It was one of those trips that we went to work as soon as our feet/wheels hit the ground, so we had a 5 a.m. ride to BWI. I always say to myself time to make the donuts.

Our first engagement was at the AZ SILC in Phoenix, from the outside it was a modern new building mostly glass. What surprises it had waiting on the inside. Like on any other trip I did not go to the bathroom until we arrive. Yes my friends, it was gimp heaven, all stalls were accessible, clean and slick. There was even a family room in side with the 10-gimp stalls.
You know how some buildings only have one, maybe two automatic doors? The empowerment center had them at every door; I have been to our mother ship.

This is what happens when people can build from scratch and do not have to retro fit. The real reason that this place is called the empowerment center is that it house 5 different organizations.

Our next gig was at NAU, in Flagstaff. We did a presentation for disability awareness month, typical deal. Screen the documentary and then do Q&A. but the faculty had a great idea, they past out note cards. So the viewers could right down their questions, so nobody knew whom it is was. This system worked so well that we went 20 minutes past the lowed time. In fact I already suggested this to the next places that I am appearing.

Our last full day in AZ we had no commitments until that afternoon. Flagstaff is only 80 miles from the Grand Canyon, so we had to go. This is where the D&D adventure begins. We had no car, so we tried to rent one. Nobody would rent to us since we were from out of town. To remind you it was 9:20 and we had to be somewhere by 2:30.

We went to the hotel desk to see if there were any shuttles from town to the park, no! There was the taxi, but big bucks. It turns out the service had a taxi going to the park anyway and because we worked with their schedule the rate was cut in half going, but full price on the return trip. The next thing was he dropped us off at the park, not in side. So before we took another cab into the park we went to the Imax show. We spent about 20 minute at the rim itself, but it was worth the magical view as you can see!!!! It took magic to see mother earth at her best.