Did you know that the presence of guinea pigs in a room can increase social behaviors in children with autism? Researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia recently published a study demonstrating a significant measurable increase in talking, smiling, laughing, looking at faces, making tactile contact and social approaches when children with autism and their peers played with 2 guinea pigs in a classroom. Sooner or later, most families of children with special needs begin to think about adopting a pet for therapeutic reasons. Of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to every type of pet. Sometimes a pet is not logistically possible, but any pet has the potential to enrich family life. To read more on this story, click here:How to Choose the Right Pet for a Family with Special Needs
Happening this week, Bernard Crawford is leading the way at the Portland Gathering, in Portland Oregon. The DC Disability community is lucky to have such strong self advocate leadership paving the way for others and disability rights. To learn more about the Portland Gathering, click here:What is the Portland Gathering?
We need more model employers! DDS Director Andrew Reese, DCHR Senior Advisor Jena Cofield Jones and DDS Provider Relations Specialist Aldren Manson on the set of NBC4 talking about the District's efforts to become a model employer of people with disabilities. #INCLUSIVEPROSPERITY, #ADA28
Bipartisan legislation cleared the U.S. Senate this week that would delay until 2020 the start of a controversial electronic visit verification program to document when personal care services are provided to people with disabilities. The legislation, which was passed by unanimous consent late Tuesday, was approved by the House of Representatives last month. President Donald Trump has 10 days to sign the bill into law. “I’m thrilled, although I’ll be even more thrilled when it’s signed,” said Charles Carr, chair of the National Council on Independent Living’s EVV Task Force and a legislative liaison for the Disability Policy Consortium. To read more on this story, click here:Senate Approves Delay Of Caregiver Check-In Mandate
A reality television show focusing on the lives of those with Down syndrome is in the running for multiple Emmy Awards. The A&E Network hit “Born This Way” is nominated for four Emmys, including awards for casting, cinematography, picture editing and unstructured reality program. The show, which will return for its fourth season in August, centers on seven young adults with Down syndrome who are pursuing employment, relationships and independence. To read more on this story, click here:Down Syndrome Reality Show Up For Emmys
New Starbucks store will be located by Gallaudet! Starbucks Signing Store in Washington, D.C. will provide employment opportunities for Deaf and hard of hearing people as a part of the company’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, accessibility and diversity All Signing Store partners will be fluent in American Sign Language (ASL) to drive greater connection with the Deaf and hard of hearing community Starbucks drew inspiration from its first-ever Signing Store which opened in Malaysia in 2016 SEATTLE (July 19, 2018) – Starbucks will open its first Signing Store in the U.S. in Washington, D.C. this October, building upon ongoing efforts to connect with the diverse communities it serves. A team of Deaf Starbucks partners (employees) and allies led the effort to launch this unique store model in the U.S., which will be located at 6th & H Street near Gallaudet University, a bustling hub that is Deaf-friendly. The store will create a distinctive retail experience for all customers, while offering a unique store format that promotes accessibility and offers employment and career advancement opportunities for Deaf and hard of hearing people. "The National Association of the Deaf applauds Starbucks for opening a Signing Store that employs Deaf and hard of hearing people,” said Howard A. Rosenblum, CEO of the National Association of the Deaf. “Starbucks has taken an innovative approach to incorporating Deaf Culture that will increase employment opportunities as well as accessibility for Deaf and hard of hearing people, while at the same time educating and enlightening society."
As the nation prepares to acknowledge the 28th Anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), DDS highlights several events designed to raise awareness about employment issues affecting people with disabilities and available resources and supports.
Worth the watch! Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in -- in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest -- and reminds us that, 40 years on, there's still work left to do. To take a look at the video, click here:Our Fight for Disability Rights - - And Why We’re Not Done Yet
A different look at Autism One of the most widely held beliefs about autistic people — that they are not interested in other people — is almost certainly wrong. Our understanding of autism has changed quite a bit over the past century, but this particular belief has been remarkably persistent. Seventy-five years ago, the first published account of autism described its subjects as “happiest when left alone” and “impervious to people.” Even now, a National Institutes of Health fact sheet suggests that autistic people are “indifferent to social engagement,” and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims that some “might not be interested in other people at all.” There is no question that autistic people can seem as though they are not interested in others. They may not make eye contact or they may repeat lines from movies that don’t seem relevant in the moment. They may flap their hands or rock their bodies in ways that other people find off-putting. But just because someone appears socially uninterested does not mean that he or she is. To read more on this story, click here:How to Meet Autistic People Halfway
A different perspective to consider. what do you think?
Hard on the heels of banning plastic bags, states and cities are being pressed by environmentalists to eliminate another consumer convenience — plastic straws. But objections from the plastics industry, restaurants and disability advocates have derailed or delayed some proposed straw bans. And experts say cutting down on single-use plastic may be more about changing habits than changing laws. Three states — California, Hawaii and New York — have considered plastic straw legislation in 2018. Hawaii’s died, and the other two are still pending. Hard on the heels of banning plastic bags, states and cities are being pressed by environmentalists to eliminate another consumer convenience — plastic straws. But objections from the plastics industry, restaurants and disability advocates have derailed or delayed some proposed straw bans. And experts say cutting down on single-use plastic may be more about changing habits than changing laws. Three states — California, Hawaii and New York — have considered plastic straw legislation in 2018. Hawaii’s died, and the other two are still pending. Seattle, Miami Beach, Oakland and more than a dozen other cities, about half of them in California, have either banned plastic straws altogether or required customers who want a straw to ask for it. New York City is also considering a ban. To read more on this story, click here:Straw Bans Face Opposition From Disability Advocates
It started with a tweet. ‘Honestly when I get scouted/discovered by a modeling agency it’s OVER for y’all,’ wrote Aaron. ‘By y’all I mean the WORLD! ‘It’s real inclusivity/diversity hours folks, get into it!’ That tweet, along with two photos of Aaron in her wheelchair, quickly racked up more than 24,000 retweets and 89,000 likes. That was back in November. Now, Aaron’s appeared in ASOS magazine, posed in H&M’s pride collection, and has been featured by everyone from Paper Magazine to Them. Basically, she’s taking over the fashion world. That’s a big deal, because Aaron (pronounced A-ron) Philip is not the standard model we’re so used to seeing. She’s 17 years old, she identifies as a non-binary transgender girl and gender non-conforming femme (her pronouns are she/her or they/them), she’s black, and she uses a wheelchair. ‘I was diagnosed with quadriplegic cerebral palsy from birth,’ Aaron tells Metro.co.uk. ‘CP affects my fine motor skills and general movement, hence my muscle spasticity and depending on my motorised wheelchair to get around. To read more on this story, click here:Meet Aaron Philip, the Trans, Disabled Model Shaking Up the Fashion Industry
For seventeen years of my life I was "lazy", "clumsy", "slothful" and a "neurotic hypochondriac". I was the child teachers rolled their eyes at. "What’s wrong now?" was the most common response to me raising my hand. I was probably deeply annoying. Then I was diagnosed with a genetic disability. Suddenly, I was "inspirational". How had I managed to get out of bed? They marvelled. How brave, how amazing, how… inspiring! To read more on this story, click here:Why Not All Disabled People Want to Be Seen As ‘An Inspiration’
Champions for Employment Colton Channon needed just 90 minutes each day. Every morning for about a month, in training designed for him, the high school senior with an intellectual disability practiced making steel brackets for trucks at a Des Moines factory. The skill took more than a few tries to master. But his co-workers, he said, cheered him on. A supervisor stayed close, showing him how to pack the parts neatly into boxes that would ship to Ford, Honda and General Motors. And the effort produced something the 20-year-old once deemed distant: A job offer he could see turning into a career. As the nation’s unemployment rate nears the lowest point in 50 years, sinking in May to 3.8 percent, companies are searching more widely to fill vacancies. Advocates say the labor shortage, coupled with growing openness to workers with mental and physical limitations, has brought record numbers of people with disabilities into the workforce — and it has also pushed employers to adopt more inclusive practices to support the new hires, such as longer and more hands-on training. To read more on this story, click here:She Cleaned for $3.49 an Hour: A Gas Station Just Offered Her $11.25
The theme park, based on the classic children's TV series - Sesame Street, is the first to be designated as a certified Autism center. The park is located in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania and aims to meet the needs of children with Autism. In addition to creating a sensory guide ranking each ride and establishing quiet rooms, staff members have undergone extensive training to help meet the needs of children on the spectrum. To read more on this story, click here:Welcome to Sesame Place - The World’s First Ever Autism-Friendly Theme Park
Date: Wednesday, July 25, 2018\ Time: 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Location: RCM of Washington, Inc. 64 New York Ave NE, Suite 100 Washington, DC 20002 On Wednesday, July 25th from 5:30-6:30 PM, join us at RCM’s Main Office for a Book Club Interest Event. You will learn about our upcoming club, see a demo and enjoy refreshments amongst friends. We are recruiting four to eight club members and a team of facilitators. The club is slated to begin Wednesday, August 1st and will meet bi-weekly from 5:30 – 6:30 PM at a metro accessible community location. RCM of Washington recently became an affiliate organization for Next Chapter Book Club, an global inclusive book club model for adults with IDD and other community members. Learn more about the Next Chapter Book Club at www.nextchapterbookclub.org We are excited to announce that RCM’s affiliate club will be the first Next Chapter Book Club in DC! We need your support to make this a success. The club is for anyone with IDD, not just people supported by RCM. People do not need to be able to read in order to join. We are also looking for volunteer facilitators! What does a Facilitator do? Each club meeting has two Facilitators. They guide the members in making book selections and other decisions about the club. They are knowledgeable about our Standards of Practice and have learned strategies for engaging readers of all levels, including those who cannot read at all. RSVP’s are appreciated. Open to all! On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/207840700065047/
Are you a person with a disability? Do you have a right to make choices in your life? Are you under guardianship? Does your guardian make choices for you that you don’t want? Do you have the supports that you need to make decisions about where to live, what to do, how to spend money, or when to see a doctor? Have you been advised to seek guardianship of your child? Are you looking for alternatives to guardianship? Do you wish that there were better alternatives than the ones you’ve seen? If you’re wondering about any of these questions, our new guide will help. This guide helps people with disabilities understand decision-making laws. You will learn about different kinds of support you can use to make choices. You will also learn about how people in different countries have changed their laws to help people with disabilities make our own choices. Freedom to make our own choices is a human right. To read more on this story, click here:The Right to Make Choices: International Laws and Decision-Making by People with Disabilities
