A global connection ignited

2010 saw the inception of Wishbone Day – it’s hard to believe we’re only in our first year! Together we’ve achieved so much!!


Our Wishbone Day community has ignited a global connection! A community ready to reach out, to share and to connect with others - a community passionate about raising awareness, challenging perceptions about living with OI and leading opportunities for all people. Together we have reached 1000’s of people all over the world and we’ve only just begun!

When the clock strikes twelve on December 31st the whole world will come together to kick-start a brand new year – some with glittering celebrations and others with quiet times of reflection.  When the New Year strikes at your place take a moment to reflect on the amazing journey that was 2010 and be excited for the year ahead.

In the spirit of Wishbone Day we're inviting you to share with us your Wish list for Wishbone Day 2011.


Post a note or make a video or picture telling us:

• What you’d like to see happen for Wishbone Day 2011? or;
• Why Wishbone Day is important to you?

We will revisit the list this time next year and see what we’ve achieved!

Happy New Year friends!

You can post your note or video on Facebook or click on the comment link below and leave us a comment.

Happy Holidays

Seasons greetings to our many friends all over the world!  

Be happy and stay safe this holiday.

A Wishbone Pandemic!

On 6 May 2010 Wishbone Day spread like wildfire across the globe. We know Wishbone Day was celebrated in various forms in Australia, New Zealand, USA, UK, Bermuda, Canada, Greece, Spain, Germany, Norway, Philippines, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden, Argentina, Colombia, China, Ecuador, Japan, Belgium, South Africa, Poland and we know that Wishbone Day was translated in at least 22 languages!!

In 2011, our aim is to reach all our friends all over the world.

Here is our map so far.

Click here to view Wishbone Day in a larger map

Are you on it? If not, please let us know so we can add you!

Do you know how we can reach others? Help us reach them!

Let's cover this map with Wishbone Day flags by May 2011

Make a wish!

Who gets the wishbone after Christmas dinner at your place?

Give the wishbone extra meaning this year ... Share about Wishbone Day and make breaking your Christmas day wishbone extra special!

Ramp Up with Stella

Join Stella and others at Ramp Up, the ABC's new website dedicated to all things disability - to ramp up the conversation about disability.

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

Hello and welcome to Ramp Up.

I'm the editor Stella Young.
Ramp Up is the ABC's new website dedicated to everything about disability. But not in a whingy, daggy way. This is a website with attitude.

Ramp Up will feature columns from a wide range of people with disabilities that will entertain, inspire, delight and provoke. It'll also be packed with the latest news from the sector, drawn from across the ABC.

This is a place to have your say, debate current issues and have a laugh about the weird and wacky situations us people with disabilities find ourselves in every day.

Like the time I dropped a can of chickpeas on my kitchen floor and could do nothing but make some fairly inedible hummus with my wheels.

Or that kid last week who asked me a highly pertinent question - "Are you imaginary?"

Disability brings challenges and amazing opportunities and Ramp Up will be the place to bring this rich, multi-layered community to life.

So stick around. Let's ramp up the debate, have the discussions and raise our voices.

How many times have you said to someone ... 'you can't' or 'no, that is not possible'?

I can’t hear ‘no’

Or ‘you can’t’

Or ‘You’re not right for the part’

I don’t listen to narrow mindedness

Or prejudice

I refuse to be typecast

I never wonder if I am good enough

Or brave enough

Or bold enough to step out onto stage

I don’t shrink from the spotlight

I crave it

And when people tell me what I’m doing is impossible

I tell them, ‘I can’t hear you’

Caroline Conlon - Deaf Actress/Director and TV Host

Today being International Day for people with disability we invite all people to focus on your own attitudes, limitations and the barriers that you or your organisation put up around people (including those with and without disability) to achieve in their everyday life.

How many times have you said to someone ... 'you can't' or 'no, that is not possible'?

Have this conversation with others.

Awareness makes a difference!

OIF Unveils Plans for Awareness Week

To coincide with Wishbone Day - 6 May 2011 the OI Foundation USA have announced plans for Awareness Week, to be held 9-15 May 2011. 

Awareness Week is a week-long national awareness campaign made up of a series of dynamic and informative promotional programs designed to increase public awareness about OI. The Foundation anticipates that this national effort will not only raise awareness about osteogenesis imperfecta and also reveal that OI is not as unknown as many might think.

Awareness Week is designed to be a collaborative effort of both volunteer events and Foundation sponsored events and programs. The Foundation will organise an Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill and sponsor a charity motorcycle ride. OIF Support Groups are being asked to lead outreach programs in their communities. Any member of the OI Community can participate in Awareness Week by planning their own event such as a Blue Jeans for Better Bones, Walk-N-Wheel or Bone China Tea. All volunteer events will be listed as part of the Awareness Week schedule of events.

The Foundation is partnering with local and national sponsors, such as Whole Foods, to help support the success of Awareness Week. With the help of the OI Community, Awareness Week will touch those near and far by educating a multitude of constituents ranging from the general public to elected officials.

For more information about Awareness Week or to plan your own event to be part of Awareness Week, visit www.oif.org/awarenessweek or contact Jennifer Redding at jredding@oif.org.

A new community partner for Wishbone Day

We're excited to announce the Rotary Club of Dee Why Warringah will support Wishbone Day Internationally! This new partnership is an exciting step in raising awareness around the world by supporting communities everywhere to host their awareness raising events.

Click the image above to view and print

The Rotary Club of Dee Why Warringah invites all Rotary Clubs (including Rotaract and Interact Clubs) to support their local community in the hosting of Wishbone Day events (small or large). Click the image above to download and print the invitation. 

If you are an individual, school or business and need help to host your event take the above information sheet to your local Rotary Club and invite them to register their support at info@wishboneday.com

If you are unsure how to find the rotary club nearest to where you live use this online Rotary Club locator to help.  We will link all participating Rotary Clubs on our website - so be sure to let us know who they are!

Get your groove on with Sean ... DANCE!

Ok so Sean has an important message for all of us.  Let loose and move! Have your own private dance party!  You ready? .... GO!!

Sean has said that he has contacted the Ellen Show to see if she'd like to dance with him. What a great idea! Come on Ellen. We dare you!!!

Talking of Ellen ... You know another of our OI community members - Jared, once had one of his work colleagues ask:

"what is it (OI) called again - Ellen Degeneres Imperfecta?"
... of course Jared said "yes... that's what its called". HA!

Osteogenesis Imperfecta / Ellen Degeneres Imperfecta ... yeah, thats pretty close.

Don't DIS my Ability Ambassador 2010

Julie says she is one of the luckiest people in the world. She was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI or Brittle Bones).


This year Julie will be one of the Don’t DIS my ABILITY ambassadors chosen each year from the arts, sports and business fields.

Click here to read more.

It's a date!

It's about that time of year when organisations, government agencies, schools and local charities, etc start planning their next years events.  We want to be sure that all people, everywhere know about Wishbone Day 2011.

So .... we need your help.

Start sending emails, filling in online event requests or contacting your local government organisations and tell them to put Wishbone Day 2011 on their event calendars. 

Wishbone Day 6 May 2011

When you're ready you can start giving us updates on your progress so we can share with others via the http://www.wishboneday.com/ website.

Please keep us posted at info@wishboneday.com


Cheers
Jo



ps.  Have you subscribed to Wishbone Day yet?  Make it easy to stay informed; get updates delivered straight to your inbox.You can cut and paste information from the http://www.wishboneday.com/ website to give more information.  Remember to refer everyone back to http://www.wishboneday.com/ or for more info they can contact us at info@wishboneday.com

What's new?

We added a few new features to our website this week which we are hoping will help you, your family, friends and colleagues spread the word on Wishbone Day (We're ANOTHER month closer!!! Can you believe it?!)

Check out the new Promote Us! button.  You can add this Wishbone Day button to your website, blog, myspace or anywhere you can use html code.  We'll add new button styles over the next few weeks.  You can grab the code for this button from the code box at this page.

Or maybe you'd prefer a headline animator button.  This tricky little button will display as a button on your webpage the latest news on Wishbone Day.  Grab the code by clicking the link under the button.  You can add this anywhere you can include html code.

↑ Grab this Headline Animator

We dont want you to miss a thing!  You can now subscribe to Wishbone Day and get updates delivered straight to your inbox.  Enter your email address and click subscribe in the subscribers tab on the right hand side of any page on this website.

Don't forget you can also follow us on Facebook and on Twitter

Let us know what else you'd like to see on http://www.wishboneday.com/? We'll do our best to make it happen.

Wishbone Day 2010

  

Another month closer

Ivar the boneless

Did you know that Viking invader of England ‘Ivar the boneless’ was speculated to have OI?
That’s right ... A VIKING!

Welcome to our friends in the Philippines

OI awareness has kicked off with an amazing start in the Philippines.  The first OI awareness day with families and health professionals at the Institute of Health in Manila.

We look forward to continued developments from our friends in the Philippines!

The countdown is on!

Wishbone Day 2011 is now less than 10 months away!  Can you believe it?

As more and more people from around the world join our global community awareness raising effort  more exciting opportunities open up to make this the biggest Wishbone Day ever!

Why is Wishbone Day Important?

Wishbone Day is important because...

assumptions about what OI is and what OI isn't often creates more challenges and difficulties than the Osteogenesis Imperfecta itself. Awareness makes a difference!

knowing that life with OI can still be all that you dreamed, is sometimes just what Mums and Dads need to hear. Awareness makes a difference!

we want the world to know that OI is no show stopper. It just adds to the adventure!

SAYD

Did you know that the lead singer and guitarist of the Australian Band SAYD has OI? ... They're awesome ... check them out!

Snap! and upload for Wishbone Day