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In 2023, the Foundation awarded grants to 17 nonprofits and universities to support their efforts to solve accessibility and aging challenges. We were also able to add a new roundtable, hosted in Washington, DC during National Disability Employment month to advance the conversation on accessible employment. All of this work is thanks to the generosity of individual donors like you, and industry sponsors.

With just a few minutes of your time, you can, make your donation securely online so our work can continue into 2024.   

Your gift will join the collective generosity of all our donors to ensure 2024 sees continued gains in making this world more accessible for all. In addition to our existing programs, the Foundation plans to expand our efforts next year to include a Hackathon targeting accessible solutions for digital healthcare, and a unique partnership to deliver connection to at-risk senior communities using virtual reality. We can’t do any of this without you.     

I hope you will consider being a partner in our work once again. We have several options for giving, including the ability to give tribute gifts, or break your giving into bite-sized chunks through our Capacitor Society.   

Happy New Year,

Stephen Ewell
Executive Director, CTA Foundation
Consumer Technology Association

#steveewell #ctafoundation #cta #ces #tech #healthcare #disabilities #seniors #virtualreality

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https://www.bobmccan.com/
The purpose of this book is to help readers re-imagine the world we want to create, and then inspire commitment to achieve it.

I was 94 years old when I began to write this book and 98 when it was concluded.  Often over the years, I taught seminars on the topic “This I Believe,” in which I sought to help participants examine their own deepest belief systems.  I started this book with a felt need to up-date my own deepest beliefs.  This resulted in a single first page, “My Great Affirmation.”

My Great Affirmation I am a member of the family called Human.

My home is Planet Earth.

The achievements of Humankind throughout the ages are my heritage.

Our highest priority is the common global good.

We choose to make war obsolete and nuclear weapons relics, as we rebalance the thin membrane of atmosphere around Planet Earth.

Only as we lift others up, rather than tear others down, can our survival and destiny be realized.

We create a governing structure, a United States of Earth, that makes our planet One— Sustainable, Peaceful, Just.

Our destiny is bound to that of all humanity and the web of life on Planet Earth. What we create together forms our bequest to the next thousand generations.

The book emerged from that one-page seed vision.  More broadly, it emerged from a lifetime of searching widely and asking deeply how we can learn to live together “with liberty and justice for all.”

Themes and Arguments

DESTINY was written both to inspire readers with the vision of a positive destiny for humanity and to provide a practical blueprint for how to achieve a sustainable, peaceful, and just global community.  At this most important moment in human history, technology is giving us the power to remake the world into a garden of plenty.  At the same time, we face stark, global crises—climate catastrophe, the continuing threat of nuclear weapons, futile reliance on achieving “security” through military escalation, and the horror of global pandemics, as obvious examples.

What do these problems have in common?  Their solutions require global cooperation beyond national boundaries.  We must cooperate in order to survive, and we must prioritize global well-being above tribal or national advantage.  The challenge is stark:  we learn to live together, or we die together, and we are the agents who decide the future of the planet.

For the first time in history, humans can comprehend the whole—the world as a single system—and we have computers to help us manage the complexities contained in this wholeness.  We are making enormous progress.  For the first time in history, half the people of the world are middle class by local standards—no longer struggling to merely survive.

An assumption of my book is that the structures of government we enact, the cultural milieu we uphold, and the quality-of-life conditions we create either help or hinder citizens’ ability to thrive and contribute to the well-being of the whole.

In this book, I address the role religion plays on the road to destiny.  I examine each of the world’s major religions to find universal values and spiritual themes that fully support the vision of a single integrated culture, while celebrating differences.

The world’s people have advanced far down the road of affirming interdependence, as evidenced by the United Nations and its specialized agencies.  We write new global treaties, signed by two-thirds of the world’s nations, at which point they become international law.  Now is the time to take the next step and envision a federal structure for a world government with the power to tax, make laws that apply worldwide, and implement and further develop ways to resolve conflict, so that we can replace the military establishments of individual countries with a system of international peacekeepers.  I call this new level of world government the “United States of Earth.”  Indeed, international legal scholars have already gathered resources for writing a constitution for such a global federation.

The first part of the book presents the vision and explores the human accomplishments and traits that put us on the path toward our goals.  The later chapters move from vision to action, from perspective to prescription, from challenge to practical change that leads to our destiny as a single world community living at peace with justice for all.

Place of Destiny in the literature

I see this book in the tradition of literature that has attempted a holistic vision of future life on Earth.  Three books were foundational to my own global/ holistic perspective:

The Future of Man, a collection of essays byPierre Teilhard de Chardin, was published posthumously in 1964.  Teilhard de Chardin was a French Jesuit priest, a geologist, and a paleontologist, who worked primarily in China.  He sought to integrate the disciplines of science with the insights of philosophy and religion to create an expansive vision of how humanity and the world are evolving.  I quote him in my book: “Whether we consider the rocky layer enveloping the earth, the forms of life that inhabit it, the variety of civilizations to which it has given rise, or the structure of languages spoken upon it, we are forced to the same conclusion: that everything is changing, and nothing is comprehensible except through its history.”  He concluded that human beings are also evolving.  In biological terms, we have larger brains and more developed nervous systems making empathy possible and giving us the ability to consider “the common good” above our own or that of our tribe.

Lester Brown in World Without Borders (Random House, 1972) analyzed world food production and evaluated whether we could produce enough to feed the growing population of Earth.  He reported new ways to increase crop production that offered hope for humanity, setting food production issues in the context of the global community.  I joined the World Futurist Society at Lester Brown’s personal invitation.

Buckminster Fuller’s book, Critical Path, first published in 1978, dealt with human limits, diminished natural resources, population explosion, and paths to global success.  We were honored to have the famous futurist as a guest at Dag Hammarskjold College, the international college I founded.  My book deals with similar issues from a 21st century perspective.

Comparison of Destiny with Books in the Current Market

I compare my book, Destiny, to the following three successful contemporary books.

Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker (Viking, 2019).  In my book, I comment, “Pinker shows how modern mainstream institutions…including western democracies, international organizations, and global trade agreements have ad

In 2008, J.K. Rowling, author of the seven-book Harry Potter series, delivered the commencement address in Harvard Yard.  As she rose to speak, she looked over a packed Yard, brimming with expectant faculty, students, parents, and well-wishers.  Ms. Rowling recounted how her parents wanted her to major in something “practical” in college. Only at her commencement did they learn she had studied early Greek mythology.  Her parents took the position that her overactive imagination “would never pay the mortgage.”  Early in her career, her parent’s premonition seemed sensible.  She had a failed marriage, a child, and no job.  Down to “bare essentials,” she realized all she had left was “my strong will, my imagination and my college friends.”  Supported by her friends, she found success in her imagination, and that was the topic of her commencement address.   Imagination, she told the engaged students, is a primary tool for changing the world.  “We do not need magic to change the world,” she said. “We carry all the power we need inside ourselves already; we have the power to imagine better.”

The post Destiny: Our Global Community Sustainable, Peaceful, Just by Robert L. McCan appeared first on Good News!.

But older Americans should know that there are many practical measures they can take to avoid any falling injuries while still enjoying the physical benefits of being outdoors in summer.

Former dancer Amanda Rees draws on her extensive background in ballet, yoga and tai chi in order to develop a unique personalized, science-based program that can help reduce falls risks. The Bold Program includes customized researched-based exercises designed to improve balance, flexibility, and strength. The program is proven to reduce the incidence of falls by 46% and the exercises can all be done from the comfort of your home.

http://voyagela.com/interview/daily-inspiration-meet-amanda-rees/

#seniorstumbling #preventdangerousinjury #weather #swimming #cdc #adults #physicalbenefits #falling #amandarees #ballet #yoga #taichi #grandma #exercise

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we should be proud…

Best Era Ever

Born in ………50s
Grew up in ……60s
Educated in …….70s
Ventured out in ….80s
Messed around in…90s
Stabilized a bit in…2000s
Got a bit wiser in …2010s
Made it to ……..2022

We have lived in …..
EIGHT Different Decades
TWO Different Centuries
TWO Different Millennia

Have been through…
?->? ;
? -> ??;
?+?+? -> STD booth, Pager, Basic mobile phone to latest Smartphone –

Radio, Transistor radios
TV with glass shell screen to (From big one with shutter door)
to compact smart TV flat screen

Gramophone player, Tape recorder, VCR, Walkman, YouTube to Wireless Streaming.

Handwritten letters ?, Typewriter (Popular brand of Remington, Imperial, Oliver, Olivetti, Underwood, Halda), Pitman Stenography as shorthand to electronic typewriter (Brother), Telegrams, Teleprinters (Telex) to email ? n WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram

Money Orders, Postal Orders, Hundi, Bankers Cheque, DD to
NEFT, RTGS, PayTM, Google Pay, etc.

Basic computers (20 MB Hard disk drive to 2 TB) to latest laptop, 5.25 inch to 3.5 inch floppy disk to CD disk to PenDrive –

And …
we missed Spanish Flu ?
but on time for Corona ?

Started with bell-bottoms ?, went through “drainpipes”??‍
n then settled in between.

Walked??‍, cycled??‍,
rode ?, drove ?,
went on train?, on sea?, played in the street with dust, mud, went underground ?,
hung in the air ?, surfed ??‍, flew & now await the
Elon Musk SpaceX ?to Moon

Wow?!!!
What a Life it’s been ??

Yes, we truly went through many more…

??????
? ? ? ?

Typically, we can be termed as “Xennials”….
a “cross-over generation”
of people whose birth yrs were in the 50s ….

had an ?analog childhood,
a ??? digital adulthood, and now a ‘SeenAll ager??‍?’

Literally….our generation has lived through, witnessed so much n more in every dimension of life…
?????
This is our generation that
has given a new paradigm
to the word “CHANGE”
?????

We thank God?? for this wonderful, meaningful, amazing rollercoaster life …
??????
Surely…
We beat the 20s & cross over the 30s & 40s. Holding each other’s hand with fun & frolic…
??????

Best Wishes my dear friends, to all of you who are from the era that was, that is, that will be ~ none such as ours

Let us continue to live our lives to the fullest, one day at a time ???

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The post We Are Not Seniors We Are Recycled Teenagers appeared first on Good News!.

Because registration is automated you must register by
 10 AM sharp at least one calendar day before the start of a class.

Some webinars and classes have maximum enrollment, so register early.
If the class is sold out and you would like to receive an email if/when the class is offered again, please send an email to fslseniornet@fsl-li.org .
Be sure to include the name of the class you are interested in.

Fall Classes

Smartphone Photography Series – Online
Tuesdays from 10 – 11:30 AM on October 5, 12, 19, 2021

Photography can add so much to our lives by recording and sharing special events, places, family and friends, and most importantly, our cherished memories. It can also be a wonderful hobby, as it gets us out and about, keeps us busy and creative, and enables us to continue to learn, grow, and enjoy life.

Join us in this 3-lesson class to learn about some of the most popular types of photography (Portraiture, Candid, Landscape, Nature, etc.), best practices to improve your photography skills, tips and techniques to enhance the quality of your photos, and photo editing to adjust/enhance your most important photos.

Lessons 1 and 2 are followed by a free and optional Photo Workshop, where you can discuss and learn from each other’s photos. Following these sessions, an optional photo sharing workshop will be scheduled, based on student availability

Lesson 3 is all about photo editing, using the Apps on your smartphone, and a third-party App named Snapseed. Even though you may be taking great photos, you will learn how to adjust or enhance your most important photos, making your best photos perfect.
Click here for additional class details

Click here to register and pay – cost $35

Microsoft PowerPoint Series – Online
Wednesdays from 2 – 3:30 PM on November 3, 10, 2021
This two-lesson class series is for those who wish to begin or increase their ability to use Microsoft PowerPoint. The lessons take you from getting started with your very first slide to completing a professional slide show presentation.

PowerPoint is an application that is part of Microsoft Office and used for creating slideshows. Slideshows are not only used for business presentations but just for fun: like picture slide shows at a family or community event. Our two-lesson class will get you started using PowerPoint right away to create slide shows that keep your audience engaged by applying professional design themes, using animation, and adding transitions between slides.

This class is for PowerPoint versions included in Microsoft Office releases from 2010 through 2019 and all releases of Microsoft 365 (formerly called Office 365).
Appropriate for Windows and Mac versions of PowerPoint.

Click here for additional class details

Click here to register and pay – cost $25
Fall Webinars

iPhone: The Camera
Thursday, September 30 at 2 PM

When world-famous photographer Annie Leibowitz was asked in an interview what kind of camera people should buy, she responded, “An iPhone.” Join SeniorNet’s free webinar to see why the iPhone camera is so popular. Ease of use and great editing tools are two reasons. You’ll see a demonstration of taking pictures, correcting them, and enhancing them.

Click here to register

Windows 10 Browser:
Moving from Internet Explorer to Edge
Monday, October 4 at 2 PM

The number one reason to stop using Internet Explorer is that it has major security issues. It is far more susceptible to hackers discovering your security software. Once they know this they can attack your computer without you ever knowing. Also, most websites won’t run on the old, outdated, and unsafe Internet Explorer.

We know it’s easy to stay with what you are comfortable with and we’re going to make this simple and fast for you to switch from Internet Explorer to Edge, which is Microsoft’s new modern, safe, and privacy-oriented browser. Join SeniorNet’s free webinar to make the switch and start surfing the web with confidence.

Click here after 5 AM on Sept 27th to register

All About QR Codes
Wednesday, October 6 at 2 PM

QR Code is a two-dimensional version of the barcode, typically made up of black and white pixel patterns. “QR” stands for “Quick Response”, which refers to instant access to the information hidden in the Code. Join SeniorNet’s free webinar to learn how QR codes can assist you in saving contact information, opening websites, sending emails, and more.

You will also learn how to generate your very own QR Code from any browser, whether Windows, Mac, or Mobile Device! Apple and Android mobile devices will be demonstrated.

Click here after 5 AM on Sept 27th to register

Internet Basics
Monday, October 11 at 2 PM

Don’t let the Internet baffle you. This is an easy introduction to the Internet and the World Wide Web (the Web). Join SeniorNet’s free webinar to learn how to open a browser, go to and navigate a web page, and use weblinks to go to other sites on the Web.

Microsoft’s Edge’s new Chromium-based browser will be the browser in the demonstration but the topics shown will apply to other internet browsers as well, e.g. Google Chrome, Apple’s Safari, and Firefox.

Click here after 5 AM on Oct 4th to register

Traveling with a Smartphone
Wednesday, October 13 at 2 PM

This seminar will tell you about the many options while using your smartphone when traveling outside your carrier’s coverage area. We’ll discuss what phone settings you need to change to avoid roaming charges, and what your options are if you still want the ability to make and receive calls.

Join SeniorNet to learn about the many apps available to you while traveling, such as: Google Translate, Google Duo, FaceTime, and off-line GPS (for navigation), etc.

Click here after 5 AM on Oct 4th to register

Buying a New Cell Phone
Wednesday, October 20 at 2 PM

You have a lot to consider when deciding on which cell phone to buy: Apple or Android is just the tip of the iceberg. Join SeniorNet’s free webinar to learn about your options in choosing the phone that’s best for your budget and how you’ll use it.

Click here after 5 AM on Oct 11th to register

Zoom: How to Host a Meeting
Monday, October 25 at 2 PM

You know how to join a Zoom meeting hosted by others. Now you want to learn how to host your own Zoom meeting! Join SeniorNet’s free webinar for a demonstration on how to create your own Zoom account and invite others to your scheduled meeting.

Learn how to run that meeting using Zoom’s basic controls on your Windows PC, Mac, iPad, or Tablet. It’s really easy, and, it’s FREE! This is a prerequisite for Practical Screen Sharing in Zoom.

Click here after 5 AM on Oct 18th to register

PRIVATE INSTRUCTION

Looking for PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL TRAINING? Let us know your technical training request, and we’ll match you with our experienced faculty. We provide individual training, so a student can concentrate on learning a specific subject on their desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Private Instruction Request Form

Perhaps you haven’t had time for a full class and just want to solve one technical problem.

The fee* for the first hour is $20 (discounted from $25) payable 3 business days in advance. Each subsequent hour is $15 (discounted from $20). Handouts may be included.

*Summer rates extended by popular demand to December 31, 2021

SeniorNet @ FSL Website

Family Service League Website

The post Enjoy learning at home with SeniorNet online! appeared first on Good News!.

By Lynn Lehmkuhl

One of the biggest concerns among aging men and women is the fear of falling. Chair yoga, or “yoga while seated, ”allows anyone to experience all of the benefits of an exercise program while near completely eliminating that concern. In Chair Yoga for Seniors, registered yoga practitioner and instructor Lynn Lehmkuhl offers your audience easy-to-follow yoga positions and stretches that can be done at home, while sitting down. Chair Yoga for Seniors outlines the physical and mental benefits that come with practicing yoga daily and provides instructions for numerous different exercises!  www.elderchairyoga.com

The routines found in Chair Yoga for Seniors can help your audience make daily exercise a reality and provide invaluable benefits such as increased energy and a boost in confidence.

There are 50 step-by-step, safe effective exercises included and Lynn Lehmkuhl can discuss the fundamentals with your audience:

·        The Full body warm-ups

·        Joint Rolls

·        Beginner routines

·        Intermediate Routines

·        Expert routines

·        Full body cooldowns

Lynn has been training me in chair yoga for quite some time now. I am 69 years old with complicated spinal issues, due to a lengthy illness. Prior to meeting my sessions with Lynn, I was out of shape and also out of balance. Since working with Lynn, I have become much stronger and balanced.

She is a perfectionist and her method is effective. If I’m no doing something correctly, she will stop me and correct my position. That way I cannever injure myself. Lynn’s outgoing personality and her dedication to her craft make her the perfect combination for me. I have already recommended hereto friends who are not ready for or interested in other forms of yoga.

– Sandra, Chair Yoga Client, Manhattan

As a physicaltherapist with a busy private practice in Manhattan, I can attest that the chair yoga that Lynn provides is a much-needed asset. Lynn’s bubbly personality along with her extensive knowledge base go a long way toward bringing both joy and a newfound physical prowess to her clients.

– Ron Meador PT, DPT, Doctor of Physical Therapy

Lynn has been providing Yoga and Exercise sessions for the participants and their caregivers of our social day program for older adults with dementia (CARE Program) as a volunteer on a weekly basis.

CARE participants are in the mid-to-advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Often, they are unable to communicate verbally, a participant in any proposed activities, and at times present problematic behaviors. This demands tremendous sensitivity and patience on the part of the staff to interact with and facilitate clients’ engagement in program activities. Lynn definitely represents those qualities.

At the moment Lynn enters the program’s room, with her presence it feels like we are all at ease, relaxed, and motivated to exercise. As the director of the program, I have been able to observe not only the highest levels of professionalism, skills and knowledge Lynn possesses, but also her deeply human, emphatic and creative approaches in her interactions with our clients, their caregivers, our staff and other volunteers.

Our program has been enriched by her spontaneity and wealth of ideas, as they encourage a wide range of expressions in our members. Her efforts in getting to know each of the participants and find the right channels to connect with them has resulted in positive changes, regardless of the different backgrounds and dementia levels of our participants. This is a beautiful and inspiring experience for my staff and I.

Lynn has been very successful in accommodating all, including our clients’ caregivers who look forward to each session she does for the program. Most of these caregivers are hard-working, immigrant women who, in addition to being isolated from their own families due to the demands of their work(often 24/7), have no time for personal entertainment, relaxation or self-care. They have expressed their appreciation for Lynn’s classes, which they believe not only help them engage their clients better but also inspires them to apply this knowledge when working with their clients at home.

My staff and I are enormously grateful for all the great work Lynn has done for us. I have personally felt immeasurable enriched in my  understanding of the power of yoga in our group setting. Something that we have not really anticipated to be such a successful activity – now has become one of the very best liked activities by our members.

We are extremely lucky to have Lynn, a great yoga instructor and a generous person, contribute to the success of our program.

– Elizabeth Hartowicz, CARE Program Director

Lynn has been working with my wife, who has been wheelchair-bound for many years as the result of several disabling medical conditions. The results have been striking. In her engaging and very friendly way, she has helped my wife to take steps toactivate herself physically and to herself engage in activities that were otherwise closed to her. Lynn is a persistent, gentle, engaging and knowledgeable.

– Henry Nunberg, MD

Lynn is a pleasure to work with! She is a very skilled, patient and compassionate facilitator for our Adult Day Program clients. She will be a strong asset to any organization with whom she chooses to work!

– Ruth Maderski, Program Director, New Jewish Home

Chair Yoga for Seniors: Stretches and Poses that You CanDo Sitting Down at Home

By: Lynn Lehmkuhl ·

Paperback: 164 pages ·

Publisher: Skyhorse; 1 edition (April7, 2020) ·

Language: English ·

ISBN-10: 1510750630 ·

ISBN-13: 978-1510750630

Lynn Lehmkuhl is a registered yoga teacher with additional specialized training in chair yoga and therapeutic yoga. In 2015, she trained with the preeminent chair yoga teacher, Lakshmi Voelker, in order to bring yoga to those who suffer from physical or cognitive impairments. In 2016, Lynn completed Adaptive Teacher Training which is the therapeutic application of yoga. In addition to working with her clients Lynn volunteers weekly at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood Alzheimer program. She lives and works in New York City.

The post Chair Yoga for Seniors: Stretches and Poses that You Can Do Sitting Down at Home appeared first on Good News!.

JASA is one of the largest, most trusted agencies serving older adults and they created this hub of events, which are virtual and free to the public throughout the United States, to ensure that older adults are still able to access vibrant cultural programming while continuing to shelter in place and avoid the heat.

JASA’s programs for older adults are considered by many to be the gold standard in the space, and their virtual senior center programming is really the most unique of its kind, offering a variety of culturally diverse workshops:
· Senior Center Virtual Events hub – providing opportunities for folks to connect, exercise and learn through:
o Fitness: Chair Yoga, Thai Chi & Thai Chi for Arthritis, Salsa Dance, Zumba, Dance Therapy, Ritmo Latino Dance, Meditation, Belly Dancing and more
o Music and Arts: Poetry, Creative Arts, Concerts in Motion (including a focus on Russian music), Brain Candy Trivia, Creative Writing and more
o Lectures and Support Groups: Current Events meetings, Health and Wellness support groups, Bereavement groups, ESL/citizenship class, “What’s on your mind” discussions, Technology Support class and more
o Health: Nutrition Empowerment Workshop, Diabetes Workshop, Sharpen your Mind workshop and more
o Any interested seniors can sign up for these programs by emailing: seniorcenters@jasa.org
In addition to their virtual senior center programs, JASA also offers a continuing education program for adults 50+:
· Sundays at JASA – Virtual, continuing education initiative for adults 50+, offering a wide range of courses and lectures from luminaries in the arts, politics, media and more.
o To participate in Sundays at JASA, folks can contact Sundays@jasa.org or call (212) 273 -5304
For folks looking to volunteer in support of seniors at this time, JASA is also offering JASAChat – a volunteer program where folks can be connected with a senior for a phone or video conversation once or twice a week.

JASA will also be hosting a Virtual Crossword Puzzle Event with The New York Times’ Will Shortz this Wednesday, July 29th! This “Get a Clue: Crossword Construction” class has actually been a main staple of Sundays and JASA (mentioned above), and now, acting as a virtual, public event, funds from the evening will go directly to supporting JASA’s services.

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