Disabled Sailors Making History
UT TV interview June 25, 2013
Disabled Sailors Making History
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Tag Archives: blind
Racing to Hawaii Without Sight, Transpac 2013
SWYC Sail Fleet Presents… Racing to Hawaii Without Sight, Transpac 2013
Everyone is guessing and speculating about the Challenged America double-handed entry of Urban Miyares and David Hopkins in this year’s legendary, 2,225 nautical mile Transpac Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu. Now you can get the answers, first-hand, from Urban Miyares, co-founder of San Diego’s Challenged America Program.
Southwestern Yacht Club
Monday June 24, 6pm
San Diego Entrepreneur Helps Fellow Veterans Through New Initiative at The Hadley School for the Blind
Urban Miyares, president of the San Diego-based Disabled Businesspersons Association, has been named outreach specialist for a new Blinded Veterans Initiative at The Hadley School for the Blind. Miyares is a blinded and multi-disabled veteran who brings more than 40 years experience as an entrepreneur to his new role.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there are an estimated 158,300 legally blind veterans and 700,000 veterans with low vision. In addition, approximately 7,000 veterans become newly blind or visually impaired each year from non-combat related causes. Compounding the problem is that approximately 70 percent of working age Americans who are blind or visually impaired are unemployed or underemployed.
Did you know? 1 in 5 Americans live with a disability
54 million Americans live with a disability, that’s 19% of the population
- 5 percent of children 5 to 17 have disabilities.
- 10 percent of people 18 to 64 have disabilities.
- 38 percent of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
Source: 2008 American Community Survey
- 12.4% are female
- 11.7% are male
Source: 2008 American Community Survey
- 11 million Americans are using or need assistance with everyday activities. These activities include such tasks as getting around inside the home, taking a bath or shower, preparing meals and performing light housework.
- 3.3 million Americans 15 and older use a wheelchair, another 10 million use a walking aid, such as a cane, crutches or walker.
- 1.8 million Americans 15 and older who report being unable to see printed words.
- 1 million Americans 15 and older are unable to hear conversations.
- 2.5 million Americans 15 and older have difficulty having their speech understood. Of these, 431,000 were unable to have their speech understood.
- 16.1 million Americans have limitations in cognitive functioning or have a mental or emotional illness that interferes with daily activities. That’s 7 percent of the population 15 and older, including 8 million with one or more problems that interfere with daily activities, such as frequently being depressed or anxious, trouble getting along with others, trouble concentrating and trouble coping with stress.