Education Center Authors Carmen Hinkey
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Carmen Hinkey

Carmen Hinkey

Hi, I’m Carmen, and I’ve been a member of the Rifton company since I started working. My father was the trucking manager in the days when every order was manually routed through the best carrier, for the best rates he could buy. As a child, I loved visiting him in his office: bringing him coffee after his lunch, and the argot of commerce soon became familiar to my ears. But I won’t tell you how many years ago that was.

Now I’m a mother, and while all my own children are blessed with abundant good health, I have always been touched by children whose physicality is challenged, and who exhibit tremendous strengths by how they meet and in many ways overcome these challenges. I love to read, and some of my favorite books as a young girl were With Love from Karen, by Marie Killilea, and For the Love of Ann, by James Copeland. This was early disability lit, and I felt drawn into the worlds of these two girls who faced difficulties I had never dreamed of. Rifton is there for Karens and Anns of today, and so many more.

When I’m done at the office, I go home and quiet my head with some knitting. For recreation, find me at the stove, cooking for my family and friends. Nothing like a good marinara sauce from tomatoes I put up myself! (And garlic my husband grew).

Articles written by this author

Linda Bidabe smiles as she touches noses with a young boy with disabilities enrolled in the MOVE curriculum.
Article
Linda Bidabe, 1945 - 2017
Heroes and social giants belong to other times and other places. We see the well- known images of Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Oscar Schindler, and we know where they lived, what they did, and why we remember them. We know who…
pope francis blessing family
Article
Here’s what we didn’t see.
Two weeks ago we highlighted a story about Michael Keating, the young man who was singled out by Pope Francis for blessing. Now we don’t normally just rerun news items, but this thoughtful follow-up story that just appeared in…
pope francis blessing boy
Article
Take It from the Pope
Even for a man whose every day is managed and choreographed to the moment, the last six days in the United States must have been extraordinarily micro-managed. All the more surprising then, that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, took…
Article
Everyone is Unique. Really?
Next month brings us to National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. The industry news is full of inspirational stories of how children and adults with Down syndrome have enriched the lives of their families, peer groups, communities,…
A young girl with a complex medical condition using Medicaid funded equipment while her therapist assists her
Article
Saving Medicaid Dollars and Improving Care
A small population with huge costs, children with complex conditions and severe involvement require seamless care, and few hospitals can provide that kind of 24-hour coverage on the average awarded Medicaid reimbursements. However,…
A little girl with cerebral palsy in a pink tutu holds onto a ballet bar as she learns to dance
Article
Cerebral Palsy and the NYC Ballet: In Praise of Dance
Albert Einstein said dancers are the athletes of God.  And St. Augustine, “I praise the dance, for it frees people from the heaviness of matter and binds the isolated to community….O man, learn to dance, or else the…
A man with developmental disabilities gets assistance from his therapist while using adaptive equipment acquired through the Medicaid waiver program.
Article
Advocacy as Art
If you look up ‘Medicaid Waiver’ on the internet, you’ll find the four primary types available to states across the nation. You’ll also find myriad links and sites available to aid the application process, and the…
A young boy grins as he rides his adaptive tricycle from the Great Bike Giveaway
Article
Community Action at its Finest
The receding snow banks are creating inviting sidewalks, and which kid’s first response is not “where’s my bike?”  Children with physical disabilities want to ride just as much as any child, and they should.…
A young boy with disabilities looks up at the sky with a big smile
Article
The "Adverse Birth Outcome"
I didn’t know Henry until this morning, but he’s been in my mind all day thanks to what his mother shared so honestly about having him. In case any of us need reminding, the Washington Post carried her beautiful reminder that…
A man with developmental disabilities communicates with his caregiver
Article
Found Today on the Web
Every time a major media source writes a serious story about the challenges faced by those with developmental disabilities we should be encouraged and reminded that our society has made strides in accessibility and acceptance.…
A product designer from Rifton kneels by a child in a Dynamic stander while the therapist looks on.
Article
Rifton Celebrates a Veteran Designer and Co-worker
Old-world craftsmanship lasts a life-time, once acquired, and the craftsman earns a special place in the hearts of his co-workers.  Here at Rifton we miss and fondly remember such a man who died this month. Born in 1930 in Germany,…
Guided by a therapist, a women with a prosthetic limb uses the multi-tasking Rifton TRAM device to assist in walking.
Article
TRAM Still Turning Heads
In a profile published this month in the influential trade publication Mobility Management, staff writer Laurie Watanabe highlights the multi-tasking capabilities of the Rifton TRAM, citing its role as a gait trainer, a lift, and a…