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Greenpeace is taking action against the UK government because of their failures to act on the behalf of people all over the UK in the
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moreWashington, DC – September 27, 2022 – The National Center for Learning Disabilities
morePAWTUCKET, R.I. — Entertainment conglomerate Hasbro announced plans to unveil a new toy designed to resonate specifically with disabled children. The “My First Insurance Denial” play set will give kids the opportunity to simulate the experience of receiving a denial for coverage of medical equipment and follow-up procedures from an insurance company.
“I’ve always loved role-playing games and wanted to create something similar here,” said Patrick Cooper, the toy’s developer. “My brother has cerebral palsy, and every time he asks his insurance company to cover a piece for his wheelchair or something else, he has to go through like five steps to get a denial. Then he starts the appeal process, and it’s a never-ending cycle. Thinking about this scenario as a game gave me an idea.”
The “My First Insurance Denial” set comes with five 3.75-inch action figures, scale models of buildings for each figure, and a built-in toy phone. Players start with a wheelchair user and their caregiver at home calling their insurance company. Once the insurance representative sends the first denial, the wheelchair user then calls their pharmacy provider for a referral. The pharmacy then calls the client’s primary doctor for a referral, which results in a back-and-forth exchange that can go on for days.
“What I really like about this set is that kids can play with it for hours and not get bored,” Cooper said. “There are so many moving parts to insurance denials. Plus, the kids have to really use their creative and imaginative skills to figure out a scenario in which the disabled character actually gets their request approved.”
In addition to the figures that come with the set, Cooper and his team are also developing additional characters to play into the narrative aspect of this toy, which consumers can buy separately. These include figures for an occupational therapist, a physical therapist, a neurologist, and a wheelchair sales representative.
“We really think this could open doors for other disability-themed toys,” Cooper said. “I’ve already pitched the ‘Ouchie! The Incompetent Phlebotomist Draws Blood’ board game and the ‘Kidney Stone Blaster’ toy, both of which my brother said he liked.”
The post Hasbro Announces ‘My First Insurance Denial’ Toy appeared first on The Squeaky Wheel.
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moreNEW YORK — Famed entertainment pioneer P.T. Barnum has come under fire for systematically excluding able-bodied performers in his circus.
Critics have pointed out that Barnum & Bailey’s Greatest Show on Earth, which features a wide array of animal acts, acrobatics, and abuse, has a disproportionate number of disabled performers.
Barnum insisted that he hires based entirely on merit, and that overrepresentation of disabled performers is a coincidence.
“I look for the people who can best fit the roles of freaks and human oddities,” said Barnum as he repaired the stitching on the Feejee Mermaid. “If an able-bodied person can do that, I hire them on the spot.”
An anonymous spectator exclaimed, “Oh come on with that excuse! It’s 1861 — get with the times!”
“Just because we don’t have easily-exploitable abnormalities doesn’t make us less capable,” said able-bodied Nancy Hallett, casually juggling five balls. “It’s not fair. We didn’t choose to be born this way.”
Barnum was quick to defend himself. “I hire a ton of able-bodied people. In fact, most of my peanut salesmen and dung scoopers are able-bodied. You might recognize …” he trailed off, focusing on straightening a poster of Tom Thumb.
Barnum then exclaimed, “Nobody would pay a dime to gawk at normal people!” and stormed away. He returned several seconds later to remind everyone that the show starts at 7.
The post P.T. Barnum Facing Accusations of Hiring Discrimination Against Able-bodied Applicants appeared first on The Squeaky Wheel.
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