Carmen Hinkey

Government Sales

Carmen HinkeyHi, 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).

News Linda Bidabe, 1945 - 2017 November 03, 2017 by Carmen Hinkey
Linda Bidabe smiles as she touches noses with a young boy with disabilities enrolled in the MOVE curriculum.
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 the famous people are. A lesser known woman, but one who is no less a hero is Linda Bidabe. Those who know her know that she developed movement science concepts ahead of...
News Here’s what we didn’t see. October 16, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
pope francis blessing family
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 the Washington Post is too good not to share with you. And it provides a window into the life of a special boy and his beautiful family, written with a sensitivity that is...
News Take It from the Pope September 29, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
pope francis blessing boy
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 opportunities to break out of script and send a message to the watching world. On Saturday, after landing in Philadelphia, the Holy Father halted his motorcade—his entire...
News Everyone is Unique. Really? September 01, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
In this drawing from the book, The Prince Who Was Just Himself, the King and Queen hug with loving acceptance their baby with Down syndrome why his siblings hold his hands.
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, and a wider acceptance of those with a third copy of the twenty-first chromosome. The entertainment and fashion industries have done a great deal to further this effort...
News Saving Medicaid Dollars and Improving Care August 10, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A young girl with a complex medical condition using Medicaid funded equipment while her therapist assists her
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, the St. Joseph's Children's Hospital Chronic-Complex Clinic in Tampa has joined a growing network of hospitals across the country to find a payment formula to cover the...
News Cerebral Palsy and the NYC Ballet: In Praise of Dance July 06, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A little girl with cerebral palsy in a pink tutu holds onto a ballet bar as she learns to 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 angels in heaven will not know what to do with you.” NYC Ballet discovered that ancient wisdom is still true today, when they responded to a mother’s idea about a...
News Advocacy as Art April 07, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A man with developmental disabilities gets assistance from his therapist while using adaptive equipment acquired through the Medicaid waiver program.
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 collateral industry that has emerged to facilitate these programs. If you’re like me, you’ll soon be lost. For parents of adult children with developmental...
News Community Action at its Finest March 09, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A young boy grins as he rides his adaptive tricycle from the Great Bike Giveaway
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. Sadly, adaptive trikes are far too rarely covered by Medicaid or insurance, even with a strong case for the therapeutic benefits of cycling. Thankfully, there is a growing...
News The "Adverse Birth Outcome" February 10, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A young boy with disabilities looks up at the sky with a big smile
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 they are children first, their potential to learn and meet milestones far more important than their disabilities.  And she takes it even farther: She is &ldquo...
News Found Today on the Web January 02, 2015 by Carmen Hinkey
A man with developmental disabilities communicates with his caregiver
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.   Facilities like the Lee Specialty Clinic in Louisville Kentucky are to be commended for creating an environment where these challenges are more easily met and the DD...
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