About

Baseball is still our signature piece, but now we also offer bowling, swimming, after school fitness clinics, summer day camps at the Sports Complex, parent’s night out respite care and Family Camping Retreats on Lake Oconee. Our social activities include various holiday parties, cook-outs and trips to a wide variety of sports and entertainment venues. During the Hawks and Thrasher seasons we take a hundred or more NMML Family members to games several times a month. Every Christmas the Alliance dedicates the last dress rehearsal of the Christmas Carol to the NMML and gives us the entire 600 seat theater for our families and friends. We are regular guests at the Center for Puppetry Arts and last year we took over 500 people to the Circus.
 

As the NMML “matured” we came to realize that what we were doing not only served the children but also served their parents and siblings. Caring for a child with a disability demands total dedication and unconditional love from every member of the family. Every mother would love to give birth to that “perfect” baby. Every father wants to protect his children from illness or injury. As hard as parents hope and pray that were possible, for children under the age of 16, one in fifteen was either born with or acquired a disability.

How does the NMML help families? We give them somewhere to go, something to do and some place where they feel at home. We create a comfort zone where parents can bring their child and know their child will be loved and accepted just the way they are. The parents are among other parents “who have “been there” and understand. Parents who were once very isolated by the exhausting demands placed upon their time energy and resources finally have a place where they can find support and in turn support others.

Our volunteer base of more than 3000 teens and adults are also a part of the NMML family. These volunteers have opened their hearts and minds so they now see beyond the wheel chair, the disfigured limbs or the struggle to speak or even think. They have learned to see the person not the disability. They have taken the time to learn “people first language” and the etiquette appropriate to working and living with people with disabilities. High School coaches and councilors, leaders of faith based institutions, civic organizations and corporations find the community service opportunities provided by the NMML to be one of the most meaningful ways to share the gift of time. In 2005 the NMML received the Howland Gold Medal Award from the National League of Cities (18,000 cities and towns) for developing one of the nation’s most innovative programs enriching the entire community.
 

Because of broad based community support during the summer of 2008 we were able conduct six weeks of Summer Day Camp (Respite Care) at our North Park Complex. In addition we hosted seven 3 day 2 night family camping retreats on Lake Oconee. These retreats involved 10 families per session, the disabled child, the parents and the siblings. We also added three sessions for children from the Jars of Clay Children’s Shelter (a strategic partner) in South Atlanta so over the course of the summer all 67 children under their care spent at least 3 days at the No Limits Oconee Camp.

The North Metro Miracle League (NMML) was formed in December of 2001 and was incorporated as an IRS 501C3 in February of 2002. Since that time we have been developing adapted sports programs and a variety of inclusive social activities. We also completed four phases of the North Park Adapted Sports Complex.

The sports complex includes a barrier free sports field, a wheelchair accessible playground, a 40 by 60 covered picnic pavilion and the recently completed Family Center. The Family Center includes restrooms, concession area, meeting and office space and the privacy suite, a combination restroom/first aid area where people with and without disabilities can deal with issues best handled in a private setting.

While we were designing each element of the adapted sports complex we were determined to take accessibility and universal design to the next level, and we did.

In January of 2002 the NMML was just a dream. Now it is a living breathing reality. Plain old hard work and lots of media coverage (NBC Today Show) have led to ever increasing public awareness and financial support. The following is a list of our major benefactors:

Gant Feed and Seed Store $200 (Our First Donation)
Community Development Block Grant $365,000
Northside Hospital $215,000
2005 Carl Black No Limits Golf Classic $106,000
North Fulton Rotary Club $85,000
The Bank of North Georgia $52,000
Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities $35,000
Dubble Bubble $25,000
Sawnee EMC $22,000
Serra Family Foundation $20,000
The Porter Foundation $20,000
Georgia Power $15,000
The Walker-Geib Foundation $13,000
Northview High School $11,800
Atlanta Braves Foundation $10,000
Certegy Inc. $10,000
Mary Louise Brown Foundation $10,000

In May of 2003, and 2004, local community leaders organized area wide Baseball/Softball tournaments for “typical” boys and girls leagues. This was a wonderful example of “Kids Helping Kids” and over the 2 year period the tournaments generated more than $230,000.

On May 2, 2005 White Columns Country Club hosted the First Annual Carl Black No Limits Golf Classic benefiting the NMML. The purpose of the tournament was to raise funds needed to complete the (now complete) Family Center. The 2006 Classic is scheduled for May 8th and those funds will allow us to expand and enhance the entire NMML program.

The NMML is an all volunteer organization. There are no salaries or expense accounts. Yet this organization, inspired by the idea that every person has value, every person deserves to be acknowledged, honored and included, has been able to build a $2,000,000 adapted sports complex that serves the entire community including over 300 families that have at least one child with a disability.

In December of 2005 the National League of Cities honored the NMML organizers by presenting them with the Howland Award Gold Medal. This award is given to organizations that develop innovative programs that enrich the entire community.

In the winter of 2006 we introduced adapted bowling for NMML children, their siblings and friends. Bowling has been a huge success and will be an ongoing summer and winter program. In 2006 we also introduced a summer fitness day camp facilitated by Special Education / Adapted P.E. teachers/ We also introduced Family Camping retreats at a totally new and accessible camp facility on Lake Oconee. There were 6 sessions in 2006 and there 2ill be 8 sessions in 2007.

In the fall of 2007 we will introduce afterschool fitness programs in jonjunction with the Ed Isakson YMCA. these sessions will supplement the recently reducee state funded physical therapy programs for children and young adults. The state funded program went from eight sesions a month to two sessions a month.

Words With Dignity

• person with a disability/disabled
• person who has/person with (e.g. person who has cerebral palsy)
• uses a wheelchair
• deaf/does not voice for themselves/nonvocal
• disabled since birth/born with psychiatric history/psychiatric disability/emotional disorder/mental illness
  epilepsy/seizures
• learning disability/mental retardation/developmental delay/ADD/ADHD

Avoid These Words

• cripple/handicapped/handicap/invalid (literally, invalid means "not valid"
• victim/afflicted with (e.g. victim of cerebral palsy)
• restricted, confined to a wheelchair/wheelchairbound (the chair enables mobility. Without the chair, the person is confined to bed)
• deaf mute/deaf and dumb
• birth defect
• crazy/insane/lunatic/mental patient/wacko fits
  Slow/retard/lazy/stupid/underachiever

Avoid These Terms (They evoke fear, pity or cover up one’s identity.)

abnormal, burden, condition, deformed, differently abled, disfigured, handi-capable, incapacitated, imbecile, maniac, maimed, madman, moron, palsied, pathetic, physically challenged, pitiful, poor, spastic, stricken with, suffer, tragedy, unfortunate, victim


Disability Etiquette

Make reference to the person first then the disability. Say "a person with a disability" rather than "a disabled person." However, the latter is acceptable in the interest of conserving print space or saving announcing time.

The term "handicapped" comes from the image of a person standing on the corner with a cap in hand, begging for money. People with disabilities do not want to be the recipients of charity or pity. They want to participate equally with the rest of the community. A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, etc. Use "handicap" to describe a situation or barrier imposed by society, the environment or oneself.

If the disability isn't germane to the story or conversation, don't mention it.

Remember, a person who has a disability isn't necessarily chronically sick or unhealthy. He or she is often just disabled.

A person is not a condition, so avoid describing a person as such. Don't present someone as "an epileptic" or "a post polio". Instead, say "a person with epilepsy" or "a person who has had polio."

Common Courtesies
 

Don't feel obligated to act as a caregiver to people with disabilities. Offer assistance, but wait until your offer is accepted before you help. Listen to any instructions the person may give.
 

Leaning on a person's wheelchair is similar to leaning or hanging on a person. It is considered annoying and rude. The chair is a part of one's personal body space. Don't hang on it!

Share the same social courtesies with people with disabilities that you would share with someone else. If you shake hands with people you meet, offer your hand to everyone you meet, regardless of disability. If the person is unable to shake your hand, he or she will tell you.

When offering assistance to a person with a visual impairment, allow that person to take your arm. This will enable you to guide, rather than propel or lead the person. Use specific directions, such as "left one-hundred feet" or right two yards," when directing a person with a visual impairment.

When planning events which involve persons with disabilities, consider their needs before choosing a location. Even if people with disabilities will not attend, select an accessible spot. You wouldn't think of holding an event where other minorities could not attend, so don't exclude people with disabilities.

CHAIRMAN
Alfonso Bell
McDonalds Owner Operator (RET)

TREASURER
Melinda Quinn
NMML Parent
(Special Education Consultant)

SECRETARY
Heidi Moore
Parent Advocate

MEMBER
Eddie Moore
CEO
Imani Group
(Fund Raising and General Operations)
 

MEMBER
Paul Ossmann
WXIA Weather Anchor
(Media Relations)

MEMBER
Glenn Aspinwall
V.P. Colonial Property Trust
(Golf Tournament Co-chair)

MEMBER
Kurt Powell
Managing Partner
Hunton Williams Law Firm
(House Attorney)
 

MEMBER
Allan Barker
Executive Vice President
Bank Of North Georgia
(Golf Tournament Co-Chair)
 

MEMBER
Lee Chadwick
Owner Operator
Metropolitan Club
(PR & Governmental Affairs)
 

MEMBER
Richard Matherly
CEO
General Property Services
(Fund Raising and General Operations)
 

MEMBER
Steven Colitz
Owner
Colitz Construction Co.
(Fundraising and General Operations)

MEMBER
David Harper
President / CEO
Harper Aiken Donahue Architects Inc.

MEMBER
Merrily McLaughlin
Merrilily Gardens
Owner Operator
(Founder and Finance Committee)

MEMBER
Rick Eiswirth
CFO
Alimera Sciences
(Fund Raising and General Operations)
 

MEMBER
Michael Haynes
Atlanta Falcon (Ret)
(Sports & Media Relations)

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
John P. McLaughlin
Captain
Delta Airlines (RET)
(Founder)

We wish to be absolutely transparent in all of our business dealings. For that reason we have created this Disclosure Page. We want our NMML families, volunteers and sponsors and all other visitors to this site to fully understand our relationship to vendors and suppliers.

MONDO USA

In 2002 we initiated a selection process to determine which artificial surface would best serve the NMML program. After a 6 month study we decided to purchase Mondo Super X. We have played 4 seasons on Mondo-Super X and we are absolutely pleased with our decision and totally satisfied with the Mondo product. We used a Mondo product for the flooring in our new Family Center.

The follwing statements define our relationship with Mondo USA.

1. The NMML Board of Directors believes Mondo Super X is the best surface available for programs serving people with disabilities.
2. We will support Mondo's effort to sell and install this product on fields serving people with disabilities.
3. Our support will be limited to sharing our experience with Mondo Super X. We are not qualified to speak for or against any other product because we do not have sufficient expertise or previous experience.*
4. *If we learn of a product that might present a hazzard to players, we will consult neutral experts and authoratative resources. If the evidence indicates the product is unsafe we will voice our concerns and urge possible consumers to exercise due diligence before purchasing the specific product.
5. Mondo USA will not offer nor will any NMML Board Member accept any form of compensation for the aforementioned support. This applies to offers to an individual or to the NMML as an organization.
6. During Fund Raising events the NMML will go to all vendors, including Mondo USA, and seek sponsorship support.There will be no Quid Pro Quos related to the solicitation.
7. MONDO USA is free to say YES or NO in response to our request. Their response will have no effect on our belief in or willingness to support the use of MONDO.
8. If anyone has any questions pertaining to any of these statements please call 770-777-7044.