Tag Archives: accessibility

The View From Here (24-11)

I realize now, that in all of the tools in my toolbelt I’ve developed over 10 years of living with a disability, including learning to walk again, learning to drive using hand controls, navigating life using a mobility device; I was severely lacking in one basic tool that would assist me in a dangerous situation such as the one I was faced with last month. What do I do, as a person living with a disability, when I feel threatened?

Disability Designs Etc.

Our goal is to engage people both in and out of the disability community to consider various issues faced in society by persons with disabilities. The hope is that these products can be an avenue for dialogue to be initiated so that questions some people may have can be answered and we can all have the chance to have a better understanding of how things affect one another in our society.

Benefits 24-11

The intent of asset building initiatives is that as individuals develop assets, they will be able to move out of poverty and remain out of poverty.

Benefits 24-10

If you are a person with a disability and pursuing employment, you are not alone. You can find many agencies providing employment support and help you to reach your vocational goal.

The View From Here (24-09)

I am reflective today of the challenges I’ve faced, the tremendous obstacles I’ve overcome and the enormous opportunities that have come my way because of all of it.

My Experience As a DIG Summer Intern

My experience with DIG has been one of self-reflection and familiarity, combined with inspiration and motivation to live life to the fullest and pursue my wildest dreams confidently with the acknowledgement that life is too short to wait on.

Benefits 24-08

A PASS (Plan to Achieve Self-Support) allows you to set aside other income besides your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or resources for a specified period of time so that you may pursue a work goal that will reduce or eliminate the SSI or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits you currently receive.

Hurricane Preparedness: you can refill your prescriptions in advance.

The “Emergency Prescription Refill” law was passed in Florida, which allows you to refill prescribed medications for 30 days during a disaster if there is a hurricane warning or an announced state of emergency.

Voting- Key Dates for Florida 2024

Polling places are designed to be accessible through features like ramps, accessible voting machines, assistance from poll workers, curbside voting, and clear pathways, ensuring all voters, including those with disabilities, can participate.

The 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)!

This month marks the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law on July 26, 1990.

Hurricane Preparedness: Emergency & Evacuated Assistance Program (EEAP)

With hurricane season approaching, make sure to get ahead by registering for the Emergency & Evacuation Assistance Program (EEAP). This program is designed to provide evacuation support to residents that may need specialized transportation assistance or those whose medical needs prevent them from evacuating themselves.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month (2024)

Remember Help is always available – The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7 Free and confidential support. It’s never too late to get help.

The View From Here (24-05)

While sometimes a whisper can give you a loud and clear message, maybe it’s in those moments where the message actually roars, that wakes you up to listen just a little bit more. I’m beginning to see it’s those times that my disability is teaching me something. Sometimes it takes a loud cry from someone, something, or some event in our lives, to wake us up to the changes that are happening, or should be happening, right in front of us. While you may not see them as a positive at the time, there may be a lesson there, in the roar. A lesson in acceptance and leaning into that change.

Benefits Information 24-05

Community Work Incentives Coordinator can provide thorough, timely, and accurate information, a variety of benefit scenarios, and facilitate the beneficiary to make informed choices about work, benefits, and financial stability and as a result the SSA beneficiaries with psychiatric disabilities will be able to:

Develop economic security and the ability to support oneself and/or family
Develop assets and achieve financial goals and
Achieve a higher socioeconomic status

Can’t I Just Plug Autism into my GPS?

Along with “just love them,” I’ve discovered a few other self-guiding principles. I’ve learned the importance of not exhausting oneself. It’s tempting to run yourself ragged, getting your children to therapy after therapy, convincing yourself that every therapy is “crucial” or driving a great distance to find the “perfect” school. “Perfect” doesn’t exist and every therapy is not “crucial.” I’ve learned that while seeking good therapies and good schools is desirable, it is more important to focus on peace within the family, to give my children a safe home base where they can comfortably be themselves. 

Benefits Information 24-04

If you receive Social Security benefits and you have a job or are looking for one, there are specially trained professionals known as Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWIC) to help you make sense of complex employment and benefit-related issues.

The View From Here (24-02)

There is a saying, “Just because I carry it so well, doesn’t mean it isn’t heavy.” But I think this “carrying it well” goes for most of us, doesn’t it? While you may not suffer from a disability or have to deal with the types of challenges those of us who are disabled do, most of us have things in our lives that we just don’t discuss. Things that we hide away to just get through the day, so we don’t have to share it with anyone. We put the makeup on, or the business suit, we take and post the glamorous selfie, when, in fact, behind the scenes, our lives aren’t exactly what we dress them up to be. We present an image we think the world wants to see, instead of sharing the difficulties we deal with day-to-day, when it’s the sharing that may actually be the thing that helps others.

Bottoms Up!

Yes, colonoscopy prep is inconvenient, but a cancer diagnosis is life altering. Chemo kills the cancer, but it also poisons the body. There was neuropathy, sensitivity to cold, fatigue, nausea, and constant diarrhea for six months. I also had the unfortunate luck of being the only person I know who gained weight on chemo! The physical part was easier than the mental. Somehow I did it, because what other choice did I have? 

Why Voting Matters

Be Election Ready in 2024. Use your vote and be counted. It matters.

Vote the Way that works for you.

Be Election Ready in 2024. There are three ways to vote in Florida.