Vanessa
Jul, Wed, 2014

Introducing “The Ability Club”

There are a plethora of online job-search sites available today.

Now there is a job-search site specifically for people with disabilities.

“Online applications are so complicated that they form a barrier to the job market for people with developmental disabilities. When I saw that the McDonald’s application included psychological testing, I knew there was a problem,” says Wade Ogletree, IDD Director, Jackson County.

“Ability.Club is a system “where employers can post jobs for free and prospective employees and their service providers can search for free.”

This is an excellent new resource for the disability community.

Vanessa
Jul, Tue, 2014

Blog , News

Introducing “We Connect Now”

Check out this awesome organization!

Letter from the creator of “We Connect Now”

I would like to share with you the link to the We Connect Now website. http://weconnectnow.wordpress.com/ The website was created while I was a college student with a grant to create a website to serve college students with disabilities. I developed the website to connect and integrate college students with disabilities as a virtual community with a voice on important issues with particular emphasis on college students and access to higher education and employment. The We Connect Now website has been up and serving college students with disabilities since April of 2008.

I wanted to share the We Connect Now website with you so that you may post it as a resource on your website or otherwise share it with any students that you serve. The website has been used as a resource by institutions of higher learning and has been linked to by colleges and universities and groups serving people with disabilities in all states and at least 10 foreign countries.

I thank you for any and all help that you may give me in promoting this project as a service to all college students with disabilities.

We are also on Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/We-Connect-Now-National/136925609714725

Sincerely,

Gabriela McCall Delgado

Vanessa
Jun, Fri, 2014

Blog , Our Heroes

Hero, Local Veteran Gives Back

Dave Flowers is a local hero making a huge difference.

The Dave Flowers Foundation was established for the purpose of providing critical support to veterans underserved by current public and private veteran support programs.

The Dave Flowers Foundation is focused primarily on veterans of WWII, the Korean Conflict, and the Vietnam Conflict. The service area of the foundation will be the three coastal counties of Mississippi.

“Although great emphasis has been placed on post service care for those detached from military service since Desert Storm there is a large and woeful gap between the services provided to veterans exiting military service today and the services provided to veterans of less recent wars and conflicts. Compounding the services gap is the reluctance of older veterans to ask for help; even when desperately needed. This unwillingness stems from pride, perception, and past poor experiences with veterans support organizations.The Dave Flowers foundation will help veterans overcome both real and perceived obstacles and will deliver services where gaps exist. The Dave Flowers Foundation will identify veterans of historical conflicts and war, assess their needs, and work to fulfill those needs. Services provided will include financial support for critical needs, assistance with identifying available resources, helping veterans in utilizing existing resources, and providing a helping hand with critical projects. This country owes these veterans a great debt.

The Dave Flowers Foundation mission is to ensure all veterans within our region of influence receive the care and respect they deserve.”

To read more about Dave’s story and about this wonderful organization, visit www.DaveFlowersFoundation.org

Vanessa
Apr, Wed, 2014

Blog , Community , Events , News

2014 Playground Party Success

Thank You for supporting an Earth Day event in support of our friends in South Mississippi with disabilities. The “I Love My Playground Party” was the opportunity for our community to celebrate the one year anniversary of building the Disability Connection Community Playground in Harrison County. Over 200 individuals participated in the Picnic including about 140 kids and adults with disabilities.

Playground Party Happy faces 2014

This event was made possible by the support of Harrison County Parks & Recreation, Kaboom, and Kohls with help from additional volunteer friends such as the VA Veteran Warriors, Job Corps, Disney, and the MS Department of Rehabilitation. The participants planted bushes, freshened mulch, raked and bagged leaves, and other tasks that beautified their playground. Following the work, everyone had a picnic lunch, enjoyed music and an art project, and, of course, enjoyed playing on the playground.

Your support assists us in ensuring that people with disabilities in South Mississippi have access to social, recreational, and educational opportunities that improve the quality of life for both individuals and families. In addition, DC currently assists with eliminating barriers to employment and home repair for some individuals in need with priority to seniors, veterans, homeless, and people with disabilities.

The Disability Connection staff, volunteers, and friends appreciate your support of our programs. Your support allows us to continue doing important work in our community, and we are proud of our partnership. Other well-attended Disability Connection inclusive events include the Arbor Day 5 K-1 Mile Run/Walk/Roll & ¼ Mile Challenge, the Mayor’s Disability Awareness Health Fair, and the Art Ability Fair. As a Disability Connection Donor you will be helping DC to reaching over 4,500 community members each year.

Thank you for your donation. O’Keefe Educational Media, dba Disability Connection is a 501 c 3 Corporation, and your donations are tax-deductible; no goods or services were received for this donation.

Most Sincerely,

Janie O’Keefe

Vanessa
Apr, Tue, 2014

Blog , Community , News

Local PRAM Chapter Supports DC

From the PRAM’s monthly newsletter:

Community Service Project
Disability Connection

“Dear PRAM members,

For our next service project, we will be partnering with Disability Connection who helps seniors and veterans as well as people with disabilities to gain employment. For the months of April, May and June, we will be collecting new or gently worn work attire. Most of their clients are looking for entry level positions, and we can accept any and all sizes and styles. Feel free to donate nice jeans, polos, suits, dresses, ties, scrubs, etc. They will also accept letter or letter-like (imitation) portfolios/folders for their clients who are out interviewing. These portfolio/folders look professional for interviews and some of us have ones we don’t use. Thank you for supporting this service project through your donations. I challenge you to go through you closets now. You can deliver those directly to Disability Connection, located at 700 Pass Rd in Gulfport in the Gulfport School Annex down the hall from maintenance. Call first to (228) 604-4020 to coordinate drop-off or bring these items to the next PRAM meetings. Feel free to visit www.DisabilityConnection.org or email Office@DisabilityConnection.org for more information.”

Thank you,

Jessica Breazeale, Community Service Chair

View The Employment Connection Page

Visit PRAM Mississippi Beach on FB

Vanessa
Feb, Tue, 2014

Blog , Community , News

Thank You CVS Caremark

Thank you for Assisting Disability Connection with the 26th Arbor Day Run/Walk/Roll!

February 18, 2014

Dear CVS Caremark,

Thank you for your sponsorship of the 2014 Arbor Day 5k -1 Mile Run/Walk/Roll. The Arbor Day event was incredibly successful, and it’s all thanks to organizations like yours.

Statistics are still being compiled, but raw numbers are as follows:

75 organizations were part of the event.
Over 30 nonprofit, service, and health organizations participated, and at least 10 different schools and day programs brought individuals to participate.
Over 460 individuals registered and participated in the 26th Arbor Day 5k – 1Mile Run/Walk/Roll for Disability Awareness. And at least 50 additional participants walked the 1Mile – ¼ Mile challenge to support of individuals with disabilities.
More than 70 volunteers assisted with event set –up, implementation, and clean up, logging 350 philanthropic hours.
The Event received significant media attention. 5 TV stations did interviews, several newspaper, magazine, and radio stations provided additional coverage, and the event was posted on numerous community calendars.
The Event was promoted by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Tourism on their website.

Thank you for assisting Disability Connection in “creating a connected community.”

We look forward to working together again in the future to serve individuals with disabilities. News stories and photos will soon be posted at www.DisabilityConnection.org with information about our next scheduled event, the Art Ability Fair, April 10th.

We will also be hosting a day of planting and partying with kids and adults with disabilities and the community at-large on our Disability Connection Community Playground. We expect to select a day in March for this event.
Our Best,

Janie O’Keefe
Executive Director

Vanessa
Feb, Mon, 2014

Blog , Community

2014 Run Walk Roll Success!

Thank you to everyone who helped make the 2014 RWR ROCK!

View Pictures Here

View Race Results Here

Donations can still be made via PayPal to

Disability Connection, a 501 (c) (3) Nonprofit Corporation.

Post by Disability Connection.

A fun event to encourage healthy lifestyles and disability awareness.

At Disability Connection (DC), our mission is “creating a connected community to inform, assist, and participate in collaborations that engage individuals with disabilities, eliminating barriers, and fostering cooperation and understanding.”

The Arbor Day Run/Walk/Roll is a fun event promoting healthy lifestyles to individuals of all ages with and without disabilities. This event has 3 goals: to promote healthy lifestyles, to encourage people with disabilities to be active community participants and join the fun of a Run, and to share information on community resources for people with disabilities and the underserved. An estimated 800 individuals participate each year.

The event includes music, snacks, accessible sports demonstrations, and vendors promoting health and wellness. Individuals with disabilities will receive information on community resources, opportunities for socialization, and disability sports opportunities including tennis, basketball, soccer, and basketball. This event is in partnership with the Gulf Coast Running Club, the most respected running club in South Mississippi. The race includes a ¼ mile challenge so that everyone, including wheelchairs, can participate in the healthful benefits of a run with awards following.