Injury led Richardson to horse training career/Banquet set to focus on abilities

[Max]

Injury led Richardson to horse training career



If there's a shortness of good role models these days, perhaps people can follow horses. That's the advice Michael Richardson of Boyd gave the audience of the 14th annual Focus on Abilities Banquet on Saturday at the Civic Center Grand Plaza.
The event was to promote awareness of people with disabilities and the need for the community to reduce barriers to their employment and independence, said Heather Neeley of the Texas Rehabilitation Commission.

After a 1986 auto accident left Richardson with a spinal cord injury and paralyzed him from the waist down, he went on to have a career training horses with behavioral problems. He started the Equine Educational Center in Decatur.

Although he trains horses, he says they are the ultimate teacher.

"I've tried to become a reflection of them," he said. Horses can sense when people around them have unresolved issues in their lifes, and horses have taught him compassion and empathy, he said.

"These are things society needs. And sincerity. People will tell you one thing and do another. Horses never lie to you," Richardson said.

About 230 attended the banquet, sponsored by the Amarillo Advisory Commission for People with Disabilities, Neeley said.

The commission works to make community facilities more accessible to people with disabilities, said Brenda Wilkes, banquet chairwoman. Such efforts have included wheelchair accessible buses, sidewalk curb cuts and audio-signal cross walks, she said.

"If we can break the barriers - physical and psychological - to working with people with disabilities, the whole community benefits," Wilkes said.

At the banquet, the commission recognized individuals and groups:


Community organization or service provider - Life/Run Center for Independent Living;

Outstanding employer of persons with disabilities - Life/Run Center for Independent Living;

Outstanding employee with a disability - Martha Terrell;

Independent living achievement - Rick Goodson;

Volunteer - Michael Beukenkamp;

Youth - Justin Jasper.

This story printed from the Amarillo Globe-News Online at amarillonet.com:
http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/1...njuryled.shtml

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"Those who seek to predict the future... might first look to the past. The past is a mirror -- and those who ignore its sometimes dark reflection, are doomed to repeat it... Will it be those seeking redemption who shall decide the future... or will those driven only by greed and envy shape our destiny? Even a hundred years later, the outcome is still very much in doubt. .." Outer Limits(Heart's Desire)

[This message was edited by Max on Nov 04, 2002 at 05:04 PM.]

[Max]

Banquet set to focus on abilities


By Mark Werpney
mwerpney@amarillonet.com

The 14th annual Focus on Abilities Banquet will be at 6:30 p.m. today at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza.

The event, sponsored by the city of Amarillo Advisory Commission for People with Disabilities, recognizes individuals with disabilities and those who work with those with disabilities in the community.

Guest speaker is Michael Richardson, who suffered a spinal cord injury from a Jeep accident in 1986, paralyzing his lower extremities.

Richardson spent one month in rehabilitation learning basic skills necessary for independence.

He moved to Argyle in 1995 and worked with behavioral problems with horses.

He developed a program for communicating with the horse using patience and positive reinforcement.

Award nominees in their respective categories:

Community Organization or Service Provider: Amarillo City Transit, Bob Lea, LIFE/RUN Center for Independent Living, Panhandle Council for the Deaf, Self Help for Hard of Hearing, Angela Turner;

Outstanding Employer of Persons with Disabilities: Amarillo Independent School District, Amarillo National Bank, Caprock Home Health Services Inc., Children's Learning Centers, Dry Clean Supercenter, KVII-TV, Dale Kilough, LIFE/RUN Center for Independent Living;

Outstanding Employee with a Disability: Dana Pike, Tamara Ray, Leslie Rusk, Martha Terrell, Stephen P. Torres, Pam Ward;

Independent Living Achievement: Patricia Acker, Regina Blye, Alisa Burns, Kyle Garner, Lowell Goodrich, Rick Goodson, Yvonne Mercer, Priscilla Wilkey; Volunteer: Michael Beukenkamp, Karen Mobley, Debbie Chandler, Kaye Cross, Melinda Gabbard, Mechelle McFarland, Ken Malone, Par Seth

Youth: Daniel Bishop, Preston Fansler, Justin Jasper, Amanda Sciacca

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"Those who seek to predict the future... might first look to the past. The past is a mirror -- and those who ignore its sometimes dark reflection, are doomed to repeat it... Will it be those seeking redemption who shall decide the future... or will those driven only by greed and envy shape our destiny? Even a hundred years later, the outcome is still very much in doubt. .." Outer Limits(Heart's Desire)