Categories
Disability Rights Medical

Is Long COVID A Disability Under Civil Rights Laws?

Long-Haul COVID

Two years after COVID-19 was first detected, the global pandemic has infected more than 300 million people, claimed the lives of almost 5.5 million, and changed the lives of everyone.

Much has been learned about the virus, but so much more remains a mystery. Surprisingly, Long COVID (also called post-acute COVID-19 or chronic COVID) has emerged as a disease with a wide range of new, returning or ongoing health problems experienced more than four weeks after the first COVID-19 infection. Even asymptomatic people can later present with Long COVID.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

Dr. Devant Sanghavi, a critical care medicine specialist, breaks out Long COVID into three categories of symptoms: (1) direct cell damage preventing full recovery; (2) chronic hospitalization due to being in the hospital, ICU, or bedridden for weeks; and (3) post recovery onset. The five most common symptoms are fatigue, headache, attention disorder (sometimes called “brain fog”), hair loss, and shortness of breath. Other symptoms are related to lung disease (cough, chest discomfort, sleep apnea, pulmonary fibrosis), cardiovascular (arrhythmias, myocarditis), and neurological (dementia, depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders).

In light of the rise of Long COVID as a significant health issue, the United States Office for Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice (DOJ) published a joint guidance in July 2021. The guidance explained that Long COVID can be a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act if it substantially limits one or more major life activities. It also recognized Long COVID as a physical or mental impairment based on a physiological condition affecting one or more body systems given the damage it causes to multiple organs including the heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, and brain.

The guidance found that a person with Long COVID can be substantially limited in the following major life activities:

  • Respiratory function due to shortness of breath, fatigue, and related effects.
  • Gastrointestinal function due to intestinal pain, vomiting, and nausea.
  • Brain function, concentrating, and/or thinking.

Consequently, people whose Long COVID qualifies as a disability are entitled to the same protections from discrimination as any other person with a disability under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557; they are entitled to full and equal opportunities to participate in and enjoy all aspects of civic and commercial life. This means that businesses or state or local governments will sometimes need to make changes to the way they operate to accommodate a person’s Long COVID limitations, such as:

  • Providing additional time on a test for a student who has difficulty concentrating.
  • Modifying procedures so a customer who is too tired to stand in line can announce their presence and sit down without losing their place in line.
  • Providing refueling assistance at a gas station for a customer whose joint or muscle pain prevents them from pumping their own gas.

Stay tuned for further research results on the prevalence and longevity of this condition.

This post was partially informed by the United States HHS and DOJ joint guidance on Long COVID published at https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/for-providers/civil-rights-covid19/index.html and https://www.ada.gov/long_covid_joint_guidance.pdf.

For information on subscribing to my blog and ordering books in my dwarfism trilogy, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

Categories
Disability Rights

What Happens When the Supreme Court of the U.S. Gets It Wrong?

Supreme Court

When Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 they adopted the same definition of disability used in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. They expected that courts would follow Rehabilitation Act caselaw when deciding who is disabled. Shockingly this did not happen. Instead courts narrowly interpreted the disability definition leaving many ADA claimants without justice.

As a result, discrimination against people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, bipolar disorder, blood cancer, major depression, diabetes, epilepsy, learning disabilities, multiple sclerosis, and sleep apnea went unchecked.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

A diabetic could be denied coverage due to the mitigating measure of taking insulin leading to the absurd result that an employer could refuse an accommodation request to take a break to administer insulin because the employee was not disabled!

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) cemented this trend in two chilling cases. In Sutton v. United Air Lines, Inc., 527 U.S. 471 (1999), severely myopic twin sisters with uncorrected visual acuity of 20/200 were counted as nondisabled because their vision could be corrected with eyeglasses and contact lenses. In Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc. v. Williams, 534 U.S. 184 (2002) an employee with carpal tunnel syndrome was denied relief even though she was unable to perform manual tasks associated with her specific job. In creating a demanding standard to show disability, SCOTUS required the employee to be unable to perform tasks central to most people’s daily lives.

So how do we push back against SCOTUS decisions that allow disability discrimination to run rampant? It took several years, but Congress finally took action to reject Sutton and Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky rulings. Effective on January 1, 2009, the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) reinstated a broad scope of protection for people with disabilities and made it easier for them to prove disability within the meaning of the ADA.

The ADAAA and implementing regulations retained the ADA’s basic definition of disability as an impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, a record of such an impairment, or being regarded as having such an impairment. However, it changed how these statutory terms should be interpreted:

  • An impairment that substantially limits one major life activity need not limit other major life activities in order to be considered a disability and is a lower threshold than “prevents” or “severely or significantly restricts.”
  • The definition of “major life activities” was expanded to include two non-exhaustive lists and is not determined by reference to whether it is of “central importance to daily life.”
  • Mitigating measures that eliminate or reduce the symptoms or impact of an impairment shall not be considered in assessing whether an individual has a disability with the exception of “ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses.”
  • An impairment that is episodic or in remission is a disability if it would substantially limit a major life activity when active.

Congress corrective action put the ADA back on track and reminds us not to give up when courts take a wrong turn.

For additional information on the ADAAA, go to https://www.eeoc.gov/statutes/americans-disabilities-act-amendments-act-2008

For information on my books and blog, go to https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

Categories
Character

Be Thankful in All Circumstances

Thank God

A call to gratitude at the end of the year suggests I forgot to flip the calendar from November to December. Not so. Rather, it’s my reflection on the 2021 events for which I am grateful; a time to thank God for His goodness because His faithful love endures forever as declared in every verse of Psalm 136.

I’m thankful that the June diagnosis of Macular Schisis was in my left eye which has the lens implant for reading. Despite my left eye being unable to read the top letter on the eye chart, my right distance lens implant can read with magnification glasses and enables me to continue driving.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

Clearly the failure of eye drops to resolve the eye schisis and a November diagnosis of a hole in the macular was not good news. But I’m thankful that I was referred for surgery to the world renowned Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Palm Beach Gardens with a highly acclaimed surgeon. The decision of my brother and sister to fly more than 9,000 miles from Sydney, Australia to West Palm Beach, Florida and the timing of international COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted to make this possible was a blessing. Their support were crucial to my making it through the post-surgery constraint of being face down 24/7 for seven days.

Robert repeatedly falling out of bed was a major concern, but highlighted his need for a bedrail, to put the ‘botox in the bladder’ procedure on the schedule, and for physical therapy. I’m glad that all three interventions helped to prevent further falls. Although I confess I’m still working on appreciating his refusal to follow his exercise regime.

The prayer and practical support of my church family during the weeks of our incapacity were indispensable and gratifying.

I’m thankful that God protected us from being exposed to COVID-19 and that our double vaccination came without side effects. One way of staying safe at home was to order home delivered groceries. Our neighbors even benefited when my order for nine individual bananas was misinterpreted as an order for nine pounds of bananas!

Every two weeks we appreciate Dilma’s house cleaning services. She even discovered a leak in the toilet soon enough that we could benefit from the generosity of Robert’s cousin who fixed the problem before major damage was caused. Maintenance issues in an aging home are inevitable so when the pool pump and water softener both needed replacing we were grateful our savings were sufficient to cover the cost.

Through it all, I appreciate being able to complete the last book in my dwarfism trilogy, Always An Advocate. I’m thrilled at the excellent contributions made by the editor, book cover designer, typesetter, endorsers, and book reviewers. (NOTE: the audiobook is expected to release in January 2022.)

So I wrap up the year with this advise, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Philippians 4:6 (New Living Translation)

For information on my writings, go to my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com.

Categories
Celebrations

Christmas Lights

Christmas

Many have given up listening to the news. They are overwhelmed by the darkness and despair reported about horrific crimes, natural disasters, dismal economic forecasts, and global health crises. But Christmas is a time when people look for a break from the darkness. They pause from their routines and hope for a season of love, peace and joy.

People go to great lengths to decorate, buy the perfect gifts, and be together with family and friends. Robert and I are no exception. We have driven hundreds of miles and flown thousands of miles to be with family at Christmas.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

For Christmas 1983 we treasured the time with Robert’s relatives in Munster, Indiana despite the December 25th headline in the Chicago Tribune: “25 below! It’s misery.” Three years later we loved the time with my family in a summer and sandy Christmas gathering at the beach in Whangamata, New Zealand.

There are many traditions associated with Christmas, but central to the celebration are the lights that sparkle in candles, Christmas trees, and houses lit up with strings of Christmas lights. The lights take away the darkness and brighten our spirits. We sing carols that proclaim the light Jesus birth brought to the world. For example, the third verse of Silent Night describes Jesus as “Son of God, love’s pure light.” Even more precious are Jesus own words:

“I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” John 8:12

Cancel culture has tried to rob us of the true meaning of Christmas. It offers the glitz without being plugged into the source of the light. We need to debunk this lie and freely declare that Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. Immanuel, God with us, is the greatest gift of all.

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19.

And there’s more good news. The light that Jesus brought to the world is not limited to Christmas day. It shines every day of the year. And those who follow Jesus are appointed to beam as His lights.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:14-16.

So as we celebrate Christmas this year, let us bask in Jesus light and share it with all who are willing to listen.

Bible verses are from the New Living Translation.

Visit my website at https://angelamuirvanetten.com to subscribe to my weekly blog and learn about my memoirs published in a dwarfism trilogy.

Categories
Open

Just Call Me A Ding-a-Ling

Communication

You might think I lost my mind choosing to celebrate National Ding-a-Ling Day on December 12th. After all ding-a-lings are people considered nitwits or kooks. But no, in this case, the ding-a-ling is a throw-back reference to the sound of bells heard when the phone rang or the phrase “ring a bell” when reminded of something important or familiar.

Ding-a-Ling Day reminds us of the importance of staying connected with friends and family and encourages people to pick up the phone and call someone they haven’t spoken to in a while. It’s a day to curb our tendency to lose touch with people when we change schedules, schools, jobs or relocate to another city.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

In our 40 years of marriage we have racked up all of these changes, including relocations from Virginia to Maryland to Ohio to New York to Florida. As a result, we have lost touch with many people we care about.

But a phone call can change all that. Hearing the voice of a friend or family member is the next best thing to being together. We can close the gap of distance by sharing our news, laughter or tears, and concern for one another. Mood can be detected. Miscommunications can be straightened out.

This year, Ding-a-Ling Day rang a loud bell with me . I had deep-seated regret for being so disconnected from a friend in Little People of America (LPA) that I didn’t even know she was in a losing battle with cancer until she was in Hospice care! I had taken the relationship for granted and presumed we would catch up the next time I saw her at an LPA conference. If only I had picked up the phone now and then.

Even though December 12th has passed this year, it’s never too late to call someone. And we don’t need to limit ourselves to calling once a year. Why not pick up the phone whenever we’re thinking of someone? Call someone today. As the saying goes, “yesterday is gone, today is almost over, and tomorrow isn’t promised.”

Be a ding-a-ling in the life of someone you care about.

#National Ding-a-Ling-Day

BOOK NEWS: The first book in my dwarfism trilogy, “Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses,” is now available as an e-book on Kindle. Read the portion of my memoir from birth through my twenties. See my development in family, school, work, and public life. Download it on Amazon.com.

Categories
Inclusion International

International Disability Fundraising Principles

Money

According to the United Nations there are one billion people with disabilities in the world! You might have read that this week as December 3rd was the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. So how do I write a post with universal appeal? Well upon prayerful reflection and relaxing at the tail end of the Thanksgiving Day parade, I settled on fundraising.

So what does that fundraising have to do with disability? A lot.

Although most of my mail is from charities asking for money, I understand the need and don’t object. But when it comes to disability charities, there are some principles that are essential to protect the dignity and independence of people with disabilities.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

When Robert worked for a nonprofit charity, we stood on these principles at great personal cost. The doctor directing his work recruited a marketing executive to write a draft letter intended for a direct mailing to potential donors. The draft featured both of us, but was so far off base we did not even recognize ourselves. It was clear that the writer knew nothing about little people—much less Robert or me personally.

Indeed, his fundraising philosophy was to tug at the emotional purse strings of the intended donors. The letter was loaded with images of dependency, distress, exaggerations, and offensive words like victim, crippled, plight, and suffering. Robert was portrayed as a pitiful poster child type needing to be rescued from pain and the jaws of death. He was depicted as a patient, not a professional. There was no mention of him being a biomedical engineer with a master’s degree coming to the organization to do medical research.

When we refused to endorse the letter, the only change was the removal of the fictional story about me—the pity-party philosophy still dominated. We met with the letter writer to explain that such fundraising tactics cause little people to be pitied and patronized. In turn, such misrepresentations hinder any conception of little people as equal contributing members of society.

We also presented our philosophy that preserved Robert’s dignity and argued that donors respond to knowing that their contribution is a worthy investment in a people with ability, determination, resilience, hope, and a future. Clearly, the writer was hearing such ideas for the first time. We hoped he could see that our philosophy and his letter were incompatible.

Despite numerous attempts to reach common ground, all draft letters continued with the same gut wrenching appeal for funds. Robert could not agree to this use of his name and person. He could not endorse a letter that encouraged potential donors to view little people as helpless victims dependent on charity. It was a matter of principle.

A parting of the ways was inevitable when the nonprofit secretly mailed the letter without Robert’s knowledge or permission.

These principles apply whatever your country or disability.

This post is a condensed version of chapter 6, Fundraising and Principle, in “Pass Me Your Shoes.”

DWARFISM TRILOGY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL: email me at angela@angelamuirvanetten.com to request all three books autographed—Dwarfs Don’t Live in Doll Houses, Pass Me Your Shoes, and Always an Advocate—for $20, plus $4.00 postage.

Categories
Relationships

Ruby Wedding Anniversary

1981-03 NZ embassy

This year’s celebration of our 40th wedding anniversaries on October 31 and November 28 is a good time to reflect on why we are still married. (And yes we do celebrate two church weddings: one in Papakura, New Zealand and the other in Stuart, Florida.) We are certain that God not only brought us together, but also was the reason we stayed together.

Many assume that we met at a conference for Little People and that we were a ready-made couple given that we are the same height. But we actually met at the New Zealand Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

As President of Little People of America (LPA), Robert extended an official welcome to me as the President of Little People of New Zealand (NZ). I had reached out to Robert as a resource during my Winston Churchill Fellowship which brought me to the United States for three months to study disability civil rights laws and public relations programs designed to improve attitudes towards people with disabilities.

When Bobby walked towards my desk in the NZ Embassy library, he was all smiles. For some inexplicable reason my heart beat faster as he got closer to me. I don’t remember a thing he said. I was unnerved by the proximity of his brown eyes gazing directly into mine. We were eye-to-eye because we were the same exact height.

Our lives were about to change forever. We had no idea that our business meeting would blossom into romance and marriage seven months later. Thankfully we understood that being the same height would not help us understand, love, and communicate with each other. All height gave us in common was to know what it’s like to be short. It taught us nothing about living together ‘happily ever after.’

Yet for 40 years we have kept our marriage vows to:

stand by each other no matter what happens, respecting each other’s individuality, understanding the other’s needs, accepting our changes, and enjoying our love until death parts us.

And these vows sure have been tested by cultural differences, disasters, disability, disappointment, discord, discrimination, disease, and dishonesty.

The traditional gift of rubies is not part of our 40th celebration. (We unwittingly jumped ahead on that one with ruby rings on our 10th, 15th and 25th anniversaries.) Instead we acknowledge the fulfillment of the benediction given by Reverend Andrew Bell at the close of our NZ church ceremony:

May God the Father bless you,
May Christ the Son take care of you,
The Holy Spirit enlighten you,
And the Lord be your Defender and Keeper,
Now and Always, Amen.

In this season of thanksgiving, we are grateful for God’s faithful guidance and protection through many detours on our road to sustaining love and faith.

A full account of our marriage memoir is told in “PASS ME YOUR SHOES: A Couple with Dwarfism Navigates Life’s Detours with Love and Faith.”

BARGAIN HUNTER’S ALERT: the “Pass Me Your Shoes paperback is discounted below the cost of printing and, in honor of our anniversary, a newly released Kindle edition is available for only $4.99.

Categories
Guest Little People of America

Little People of America and Adoption

Colleen Gioffreda
Colleen Gioffreda
LPA National Adoption Coordinator

Happy National Adoption Day!

Little People of America (LPA) provides information and support in a variety of ways. The one that’s closest to me personally is the adoption program, which helped my family find our daughter 19 years ago. (She’s awesome, by the way.)

The LPA Adoption program, or some variation of it, has been around since about 1961. Since that time, there have been hundreds of children with dwarfism who have found their families through adoption and LPA. 

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

Some parents with dwarfism adopt because they worry about the health implications of having dwarfism and being pregnant. Others look at this possibility because adoption has been such a significant part of LPA’s culture and they are called to become adoptive parents. Typically average height parents adopt within LPA because they already have a child with dwarfism, and they would like them to grow up with a short-statured sibling (or two). However the family decides on adoption, most of the time the decision is solidified when they see the picture of their child for the first time and fall in love. I’ve had the honor of watching that moment several times in my role as adoption coordinator, and every single time it happens, it’s simply magical. 

LPA’s role in adoption is more of a facilitator, rather than what a coordinator at an agency does. We don’t provide services like home studies or dossiers, but rather we find children who need families from all over the world, and let LPA members know what the next steps would be in adopting a particular child. 

One of the most important topics that LPA helps with regarding adopting a child with a dwarfism or a disability internationally is knowing and emphasizing the correct wording to ensure that the prospective parents’ application is not rejected due to their disability. In China, for example, there are several rules about international adoption–but the one most relevant to our community is that a parent with a disability will not be allowed to adopt a child, unless the parent and child have the same disability. This means that a person with dwarfism will theoretically not be able to adopt a child who has a limb difference or visual impairment.  This rule is important to keep in mind when even the disability of the parent and child match, because the paperwork must match as well.  

Adoption is magical and lovely and amazing and fantastic, and I feel lucky every day that I have not only made my family complete through adoption, but that I have had the opportunity to watch the magic happen hundreds of times. I am so thankful to have had a front row seat to such love.

For those of you who really think numbers are cool, here are some statistics from the last 15 years:

  • LPA has advocated for over 400 children. 
  • Approximately 350 children have found their forever families. 
  • About 10% of adoptions through LPA are domestic (USA) adoptions, and 90% are international.
  • LPA has advocated for the adoption of children in more than 20 countries.
  • Children from China represent about 60% of the international adoptions with Bulgaria coming in a distant second, at 15%. 

Anyone interested in discussing an LP adoption with Colleen can email her at adoption.lpa@gmail.com.

Categories
Little People of America

President Angela: Last Leg of Relay

Gavel

November 13 marks 16 years since I was elected as President of Little People of America (LPA). A surprising scenario given that LPA elections typically happen in July, three Presidents had served in the position in the prior 16 months, and I was elected by the Board of Directors not the general membership. I was chosen to run the last leg of the presidential relay team to complete the two year term in July 2006.

I never aspired to be President and had declined to run for the position in July 2004. Indeed as I said in Always an Advocate, “I didn’t see politics in my near future. I much preferred to return to my original plan of writing our marriage memoir.”

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

However, due to a series of disturbing events, I was persuaded to serve as Vice President of Membership on LPA’s national board. Past president Gerald Rasa expressed his confidence that I could “galvanize the group, heal breaches . . ., and keep the membership on balance.”

To say it was a turbulent time in LPA history is putting it politely and evidenced by the need for four faces to get the gavel across the finish line. After being elected as President, I received congratulatory emails in which people expressed comfort and confidence in my ability to lead LPA. What they didn’t know was that my strength and courage came from God. In pursuit of Solomon’s wisdom, I added his words as part of my email signature paragraph. For example, in February 2006, my 220 outgoing emails closed with this quote:

Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
∞ Proverbs 16:24, NASB

As president, I determined to finish the work the original Executive Committee began in 2004. In addition to chairing LPA Board meetings, my time as president was primarily spent as it should be:

  • encouraging LPA leaders and members
  • supervising staff
  • coordinating with the development director
  • coordinating with the Medical Advisory Board on research studies
  • ensuring completion of the annual report
  • writing proposed bylaws

Among the things I did to help plan the 2006 national conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I sent written invitations to international delegates in support of their visa applications, hosted an appreciation reception for national leaders, and presented the 2006 awards for Media and the Kitchens Meritorious Service at the closing banquet.

In a private ceremony, I presented an unofficial gavel to the other members of the 2004-2006 Presidential Relay Team engraved with all four names. We had held to our expressed campaign values of respect, integrity, accountability, and inclusiveness.

About 2,000 volunteer hours after deciding to run for national office in April 2004, I was delighted and relieved to pass the official LPA gavel to the newly elected President for the 2006-2008 term.

This post is excerpted from Part I, Volunteer Leadership Challenges, in “Always an Advocate.” Find out why so many reviewers recommend the book at https://angelamuirvanetten.com/always-an-advocate/.

Categories
Open

STRESS MANAGEMENT: Moving the Business Out of Our Home

Let’s not stress about being five days late for National Stress Awareness Day on November 3rd. Today is as good a day as any to identify and reduce the stress factors in our lives. After all, stress management is critical for maintaining physical and mental health and protecting relationships.

Ten years into our marriage, Robert’s business—Adaptive Living—had become a huge stressor on our relationship. For six years he operated out of a home office where he worked day and night. Finally in November 1991, he saw the light of day when he moved out of his basement office into a commercial office building in the Erie Canal district of Rochester, New York.

Want to subscribe to receive blog updates sign up today!

Robert saw a future in buying the property because it was close to downtown Rochester and Kodak’s world headquarters. The purchase was only possible because God graciously answered our prayers by providing as follows:

  • The Small Business Administration (SBA) loan program was funded the year of Robert’s application to buy a commercial building.
  • Robert was the first Rochester business owner in two years to qualify for the SBA loan for people with disabilities.
  • The SBA commercial loan interest rate was 3% compared to bank rates of 16% and the SBA mortgage term was 20 years compared to bank terms of 10-15 years.
  • Robert was approved at an affordable price for the life insurance policy required by the SBA; this had been a concern due to Robert’s dwarfism and lack of data on life expectancy for those with his type of dwarfism, Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia.
  • Renovation funds were part of the SBA loan and matched by a City of Rochester community-development grant allowing for much needed building improvements.
  • The city cleaned up neighborhood debris, demolished a derelict building, and added a fence behind the property.

All was well until I learned that the SBA loan required me to sign as guarantor and use our home as collateral. I was distraught. If the business failed, my salary could not cover two mortgages and we could lose both the business and our house. For me it was a deal breaker. For Robert, not to do so was a marriage breaker. Amidst my tears and protest, Robert promised me that if the business could not pay, he would get another job to pay the loan. And so, I signed the loan papers with extreme reluctance.

The intent of moving the business was not only for Adaptive Living to grow and be physically more accessible to clients, but also for Robert to be more accessible to me.

So did the business move reduce our stress as planned? Find out by reading the rest of the story in “Pass Me Your Shoes,” chapter 12, Seeing the Light of Day, pages 83-84.

BARGAIN HUNTER’S ALERT: the “Pass Me Your Shoes paperback is discounted below the cost of printing and a Kindle edition is now available.