Disability Connection

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Archives September 2013

Karrie Brown Model with Down Syndrome

Hero Model Follows Dreams

Dreams are beautiful things. You can do most anything that you believe that you can do.

Here is yet another shining star among examples of  bright youngsters with disabilities believing and achieving.

Karrie Brown ABC Yahoo Model for Wet Seal
Good Morning America – Modeling Dream Comes True for Karrie Brown, Girl With Down Syndrome (ABC News)

This is a beautiful story that you will want to share with your friends and family.

Karrie Brown, with the help of her totally awesome Momma, is now on her way to becoming a model.

Full story Via ABC News and Yahoo

“Every day Sue would post a picture of Karrie in her favorite Wet Seal outfits — pieces that Karrie said make her “fit in while standing out” — hoping that they would attract the company’s eye.”

“She immediately caught our attention,” Wet Seal’s Yasmin Ezaby told ABC News. “We then asked our fans to get Karrie’s Facebook page to 10k likes and we would give her the trip of a lifetime. She exceeded this goal in two days.”

In fact, as of Saturday, the page is now up to nearly double that number of “likes.”

Wet Seal honored its pledge and flew Karrie and Sue on an all-expenses paid trip from their home in Collinsville, Ill., to Los Angeles, throwing in a trip to Disneyland along the way.

Although Wet Seal runs an annual model search competition, it was the first time the company had done a special challenge focused on one individual.”

Hero Director Shares His Story

“When I Walk” is COMING TO THEATERS OCTOBER 25!

“In 2006, 25-year-old Jason DaSilva was on vacation at the beach with family when, suddenly, he fell down. He couldn’t get back up. His legs had stopped working; his disease could no longer be ignored.  Just a few months earlier doctors had told him that he had multiple sclerosis, which could lead to loss of vision and muscle control, as well as a myriad of other complications. Jason tried exercise to help cope, but the problem only worsened. After his dispiriting fall on the beach, he turned to his

Mom, who reminded him that, despite his disease, he was still a fortunate kid who had the opportunity to pursue the things he loved most: art and filmmaking. Jason picked up the camera, turned it on his declining body, and set out on a worldwide journey in search of healing, self-discovery, and love.

An emotional documentary filled with unexpected moments of humor and joy, WHEN I WALK is a life-affirming film driven by a young man’s determination to survive—and to make sense of a devastating disease through the art of cinema.”

Read more at WhenIWalk.com

Visit Jason’s YouTube page to watch more video clips.

2014 Art Ability Art Fair

ArtAbilityArtFairandShow336Art Ability Fair – A free day of professional art classes for those with disabilities age 8-adult. Pottery, music, photography, art, painting, glamour make-over, dance and more are shared by the Walter Anderson Museum, Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, the Mary C O’Keefe Cultural Center and others to include nonprofit agencies, businesses, artists, art teachers, and community volunteers.

This Year’s Event Date:

Thursday, April 10, 2014 8:30 am-2:30 pm Donal Snyder Community Center, 2520 Pass Rd, Biloxi

This year is a western theme. Please have your staff and students wear western attire such as cowboy hats, neck scarves, vests and such if they have them. We will also have costumes for them to wear for photos. We have a live horse for the videos, but I think it would be fun if we keep this a secret from the kids.

This will be a fun year.  Please contact us if you can volunteer for one of these events, or please let me know if you want to be removed from our volunteer list.

Please let anyone interested in coming to sign up as a volunteer by faxing in the registration form (note “volunteer” and what you want to do) or emailing our office. We need ideas or items to borrow to decorate the Donal Snyder Community Center in Western theme for the Art Fair. We will have an indoor backdrop for western photos and outdoors a live horse for videos. We need Cowboy hats, vests and props to also borrow. Managing is not very easy and one can get tips and advice from experts like Andy Defrancesco.

We need help decorating and setting up Wednesday afternoon around 4:00. We also need help taking down and cleaning at 2:30 Thursday.

The art workshop will be on Thursday, April 10th from 8:30-2:30, the Donal Snyder Community Center, Pass Rd, Biloxi.  Lunch will again be provided.

2013 Disability Connection Playground Party

The Disability Connection All Inclusive Playground

August 23 ·  · Taken at Bruce Ladner Field
Dreams Come True – After years of hard work and searching for funds, the non-profit group Disability Connection dedicated a new all inclusive playground. It is the first of its kind in South Mississippi. Read more from Rebecca Powers at http://bit.ly/DCPlaygroundWLOX

Thank you for helping us build a connected community!

Screen Shot 2013-09-12 at 11.02.32 PMFeel free to tag friends in our Facebook Photo Album.

 

2013 Disability Awareness Health Fair

The Mayor’s Disability Awareness Health Fair

    

The Mayor’s Disability Awareness Health Fair is a free day of health screenings, resource information from over 40 health and disability organizations, disability awareness games and obstacle courses, group fitness classes provided by Gulfport Senior Services, arts and crafts, and inclusive stage entertainment to include groups with disabilities, children, and motivational speaker Greg Smith. Over 800 individuals will attend this event. The Fair is open to the public.

Friday October 4th, 2013 from 10am to 2pm at the Edgewater Mall, South Entrance in Biloxi.

Health and disability organizations are welcome to register for a booth now by faxing the completed registration formto (228) 284-4419.

Groups and individuals are invited to RSVP for the Fair by calling (228) 604-4020.

Healthy Snack packs will be provided to the first few groups that RSVP, so call today!

Disability Challenge games at the 2011 Health Fair

Disability Challenge games at the 2011 Health Fair

 

Special thanks to the 2013 Mayor’s Disability Awareness Health Fair Sponsors:

      
    
Abbvie Chron’s and Colitis Advocate Program, Millcreek of Longbeach, Nursing Management,
Greg Smith – The Strength Coach, Gulfport Senior Services, and Team Adaptive