ABCs of Disability Planning

Barbara Valenzuela started her company, T&K Innovators, to help families in crisis. They offer training and consulting for adults, with a focus on how to prevent the crisis before it happens. She likes to ask "What brings the caregiver and the person they are supporting joy?". Although it's still in the beginning stages, her plans are to put together a curriculum and build a comm...

Marion Davis is a Marketing Strategist who develops Outreach Campaigns for Disabled Consumers. She's also a writer on Healthcare Accessibility Topics for the Millions of Homebound & Bedbound Patients in the US. She In this episode, she shares the experiences she's had with US healthcare. Speaking for myself, I was horrified. No one should be subjected to this type of behavior. It's...

John Loeppky is a disabled freelance writer, actor, and creative currently living in Regina, Saskatchewan. He is the former editor-in-chief of the University of Regina's student newspaper, the carillon. He has published work with Passage, Media Co-op, CBC, Accessibility.com, Ricochet, IndieGraf, and FiveThirtyEight. He can be reached at  John@Jloeppky.com. Below is the article that caught my a...

These are some of the most important facts you should know about hospice care: Hospice is for people with advanced illnesses . Hospice provides symptom and pain management for patients with serious illnesses, no matter their age, culture, beliefs, or cause of illness. Hospice can happen anywhere. Hospice is a service that comes to the patient in the place they prefer to be for end-of-life care. Pa...

The Child Neurology Foundation connects partners from all areas of the child neurology community so those navigating the journey of disease diagnosis, management, and care have ongoing support from those dedicated to treatments and cures. Their expanding network of patients and caregivers, volunteers and advocates, researchers and clinicians are committed to helping one another along the path that...

STEERus believes everyone can learn – but only if they’re willing to put in the work. While some behaviors require extended life coaching or business coaching to see an improved outcome, you can begin making changes in your life with “micro-burst” coaching and navigation sessions. Their Coaching Capsules are designed to be consumed in about 15 minutes and they set you up with workbooks and exercis...

The Option Group is dedicated to offering comprehensive care management services for older adults, adults with disabilities, and adults with chronic illnesses. From Life Care Management services to family caregiver support, their goal is to give your loved one and your family the best quality of life possible. The Option Group works with family caregivers, medical professionals, and professional f...

Jacob teaches job seekers of all abilities how to identify opportunities OUTSIDE of their network by utilizing the LinkedIn algorithm, as well as content creation based on one’s subject matter expertise and targeting/adding value to decision makers behind any job in the world. **STRONG supporter of jobseekers with DISABILITIES AND UNDERREPRESENTED populations** Contact: Email: jacob.a.levy@gmail.c...

There are unavoidable sensory triggers in healthcare settings. A dentist cannot work without putting tools in a patient’s mouth, and a doctor cannot forgo a necessary shot. However, there are many aspects of a healthcare visit that can be improved upon, better supporting a patient’s sensory needs. Sensory Health supports providers in both making the necessary environmental modifications as well as...

Axis for Autism provides Arizona children, adolescents, and adults with the highest-quality autism evaluations. They’ve built Arizona’s most extensive diagnostic system with a deep bench of doctorate-level psychologists, allowing them to serve hundreds of patients monthly. Their highly trained clinical team uses multiple, scientifically validated diagnostic tools and extensive QA protocols to deli...

RoboKind is an education technology company that builds next-generation assistive robots and social-emotional curricula for autistic students. Over 400 districts work with RoboKind's CASE-endorsed program which includes facially-expressive robots and an SEL curriculum based on a multidisciplinary developmental behavioral approach, leveraging speech-language pathology, occupational therapy, applied...

From the Administration for Community Living (ACL):   Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) work at the state level to protect individuals with disabilities by empowering them and advocating on their behalf. There are 57 P&As in the U.S. and its territories. Each operates independently and may partner with agencies that provide other services. Along with the other AoD grantees, P&As a...

Allana Robinson is a Parenting Coach and CEO of Uncommon Sense Parenting, as well as a Registered Early Childhood Educator, Mom of two, and military wife. Her mission is to make the mysterious inner workings of your child’s brain not such a mystery anymore. She wants you to feel like the expert on your own child, ready to take on the world. But she knows you don’t have time (or the desire) to go o...

Brianna Paauwe became a wheelchair user after a car accident left her with a spinal cord injury. Since the accident, she found her love of helping others through volunteering and going back to school for Human Services, Social Work, and Criminal Justice. Brianna helped launch a fitness app for wheelchair users, Wheel With Me Fitness. Links to resources mentioned: Think and Grow Rich Nolu - dating...

Don't let your disability keep you from exercising, especially if it's something you enjoy! All of AMG Fitness' programs are free for participants. The workouts in each program are the same, they're adapted to meet an individual's needs - seated, seated and standing, or standing. Each program has ~ 20 workouts. As a nonprofit AMG Fitness relies on the generosity of donors like...

There is an epidemic of abuse in society. Reports of abuse surface on an almost weekly basis across organizations and industries. Gymnasts abused by Larry Nassar, and in the Olympic programs of at least 6 other countries, female soccer players abused by multiple youths and NWSL coaches, high school rowers abused in Maryland, bobsledders, rugby players and rowers abused in Canada, football players...

Are you empowering AAC users, or censoring, and maybe even accidentally hurting them? AAC users have little to no control over what words they have to communicate. They rely on whoever programs their device. This could lead to well-meaning individuals inadvertently censoring an AAC user. Worse, it leaves AAC users unable to say anything about the abuse they may be suffering. Ms. Hali Strickler is...

Abuse Red Flags - do you know what you should be looking for? It's not always blatant. In this episode Marvie shares what parents and professionals can do to spot abuse.  Marvie Corbett serves as a Director of Psychotherapy and our Director of Educational Advocacy with Rebecca Resnik and Associates . Marvie is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW-C) in the state of Maryland. She has been in...

Eleni Paris is a licensed marriage and family therapist in the Tampa Bay area with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, both from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.  She has over 20 years of professional experience including clinical work, workshop and seminar presentations, discussion and support groups, writing contribu...

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD) is dedicated to improving assessment and treatment services for children with autism spectrum disorders and their families while advancing knowledge and training. Since its inception and evolution, TRIAD has provided services to thousands of children and families throughout Tennessee and beyond. TR...

Creating Change • Improving Lives The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council creates change to make it possible for people with developmental disabilities to live the lives they want with the support they need. Their vision is that people with and without disabilities in Maryland live, learn, work, and play together. The Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council (Council) has been creating...

First Maryland Disability Trust specializes in cost-effective, special needs disability trustee services designed to enhance beneficiaries’ quality of life. They provide families, friends, and individuals with the tools to plan for current and future needs. All while protecting eligibility for public disability benefits. Supporting and encouraging families to plan for the future, including: Specia...

Executive Function Coach helps individuals diagnosed with giftedness, 2e, dyslexia, dysgraphia, AD/HD, ODD, dyscalculia, anxiety, "high-functioning Autism", memory problems, and minor traumatic brain injury ("m TBI") improve their executive function skills. They customize their services to meet their client's individual needs. Resources Mentioned: Tower of Hanoi  Mindprint...

Sunshine Foundation’s sole purpose is to answer the dreams of chronically ill, seriously ill, physically challenged, and abused children ages three to eighteen, whose families cannot fulfill their requests due to the financial strain that the child’s illness may cause. Sunshine Foundation’s special dreams can be anything from a celebrity meet and greet, a family trip, a shopping spree, or adaptive...

Founded & launched in 2017 by Lisa Marie Clinton, avail® was developed from a desire to both raise public expectations and empower individuals to achieve their goals. Lisa questioned how to revolutionize how individuals were supported and equip them with the tools to self-manage their day and have ownership. The advances in technology can now support such an approach. In addition, they wanted...