Tag Archives: disabilities

Amazon Smile

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Raise your hand if you use Amazon. By: Lisa Goodman Raise your hand if you use Amazon. Now, raise your hand if you use our link to make your purchases on Amazon. Last one. Raise, your hand if you love helping by doing something you already do. As I write this I imagine some… Read More »

Stereotypes & Misconceptions about Disability

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lorinda Gonzalez “Your assumptions are your windows on the world.  Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” ― Isaac Asimov Deaf people can’t dance.  Blind people don’t like art.  People in wheelchairs can’t have sex.  These are just a few of the stereotypes and misconceptions that… Read More »

Litigation: Is Your Child A Runner?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Some children with autism, developmental or intellectual disabilities may wander off without any comprehension of possible danger.  This might include running off from adults at school or in the community, leaving the classroom without permission, or leaving the house when the family is not looking. While most children are drawn to water, many autistic… Read More »

He’s Got the Moves

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lisa Goodman He’s got the moves! Nyle DiMarco is without doubt a “triple threat.” His website even describes him as such,“Nyle DiMarco is an actor, model and spokesman.” No offense to whoever wrote his website, but they dropped the ball when they failed to include dancer, which makes him a quadruple threat. Currently,… Read More »

Summer Fun and Discrimination against Kids (with or without disabilities)!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Happy Summertime! The Summer should be a time where all kids, kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities, should be able to have fun. Discrimination about kids in the Summer is not fun, and here are some tips on how kids can avoid discrimination in the Summer.

Employment Support for People with Disabilities

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

If you are disabled and you are pursuing employment, you are not alone. You can find many agencies providing employment support that will help you reach your vocational goal. Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Centers for Independent Living Employment Networks Disability Program Navigator Initiative Disability Rights Florida The Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

larry mcdowell

IS HEALTH CARE ONLY FOR THE “ABLE BODIED”?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

People with disabilities tend to be in poorer health and to use health care at a significantly higher rate than people who do not have disabilities. Larry McDowell is not a statistic, but instead a blatant example of an issue which needs to be addressed. Equality in health care is not a benefit, but a basic right.

Lawyers drinking shots with one man looking disturbed

The Legal Profession’s Mental Health Issue is a Suppressed Epidemic

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

As a new lawyer, the emphasis is to focus on career development, and the life tenet of “Work Hard, Play Hard” is taken to heart. A balanced life is only considered for later in life, and wellness is not good for advancement to partner. Twenty years later, balance is not achieved, and anxiety as well as management of that anxiety is a way of life.

Fear should not be a barrier to full community integration

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Matthew Dietz On August 18, 2015, Carl Starke, an Autistic man, was shot by three teenagers who were casing the Wal-Mart parking lot for cars to steal; they spotted Carl in the parking lot, and followed him home. They somehow noticed that he had a disability – he was marked as a “soft… Read More »

KARL HUNT – SUPERHERO OF FAIR HOUSING

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Karl Hunt- SUPERHERO of Fair Housing. Karl stood up for his rights and held firm despite the hardship in doing so. He paved the way for many other persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities to live in their homes, and not to get bullied or evicted because of their disabilities.

Resource for Employees with Disabilities – ASKJAN.ORG

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

  By: Lisa Goodman Have you ever had any questions about workplace accommodations or the Americans with Disability Act (ADA)? Some of those questions might include: What accommodations could you, as an employee, ask for/be entitled to at your job What accommodations should I ask for given my Disability? What accommodations are you as… Read More »

The Key to my Independence

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

In my life, I define independent living simply as living my life my way. I knew at a young age that I wanted to move out of my parent’s home and get my own place. My goal was not to always depend on my mother to provide me care, but instead to live independently by finding a way to acquire long-term care coverage that would pay for personal care assistants to help me on a daily basis.

Roseline Joseph receives a Christmas Gift from the Coral Gables Police Department to welcome her medically fragile grandchild home

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Jocelyne Joseph was just granted custody of her grandson, who is a medically-fragile three year old with a disability, and received a gift from the Coral Gables Police Department to assist her in the holiday season.

Sharon Langer Recognized with the Anti-Defamation League Miami Jurisprudence Award

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

On November 19, 2015, Sharon Langer, Development Director of Disability Independence Group, and Alan Dimond of Greenberg Traurig were both recognized with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Miami Jurisprudence Award. Sharon Langer’s remarks included the following For the past 100 years, the Anti-Defamation League has stood up against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and other pernicious stereotypes in our… Read More »

Gratitude is the Healthiest of all Human Emotions

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lorinda Gonzalez Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar A short cool breeze, early sunset, and pumpkins galore. It’s November! One month before the holiday madness begins, and only… Read More »

What is a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) or benefits planner?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Lesly Lopez 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. What is a CWIC? A highly skilled and rigorously trained cadre of… Read More »

The Cuddle Effect

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Matthew Dietz Cuddles, the Persian cat, was worth a million dollars to Izak Teller and his wife, Barbara. Because of Cuddles, they were rejected from the ability to live in a fully renovated unit overlooking the Intercostal in Palm Beach, and bought a less desirable unit that they were required to renovate. The… Read More »

Miami Is Kind Foundation: “Let’s put Autism and developmental disabilities to work”

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Silvia Planas Prats Letting go of her career at DuPont from Barcelona, in Spain and moving to Miami, FL was not easy, but Silvia knows it was the most important decision of her life. Marc is now an adorable 12 year old boy that just happens to have autism. He loves riding his… Read More »

The First Steps to Ending Domestic Violence

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

UNDERSTANDING is the first step to ending domestic violence and sexual assault By: Sharon Langer Persons with disabilities are victimized at a rate three times higher than persons without disabilities. In 2012, 1.3 million violent crimes, that included rape and physical assault, occurred against persons with disabilities. If you are a woman, or have… Read More »

“He will never go to a ‘normal’ school.”

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Michael Kranzler When I was in early elementary school, an educational therapist offered that grim assessment to my parents. I had just been diagnosed with extremely severe ADHD, helping us bridge the gap between my high aptitude and low performance. Every week, I would swear to my mom that I had turned in… Read More »