Disability Connection

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Community , News , Sponsor

CEPA-Operation Round Up Grant

This year Coast Electric “Operation Round-Up” Grant has been extremely helpful in our mission to serve this community. Through their financial assistance Disability Connection has been able to serve about 2,600 individuals in the Gulf Coast community with food, medical equipment, and resources. As part of their support Disability Connection is close to releasing the 2025 MS Coast Community Resource Guide. The community support has been so supportive that Disability Connection will be printing and distributing almost 5000 Guides to agencies in the 6 counties of South Mississippi.  
 Your support has made a difference in the lives of others!
Thank you for your generosity!

 

Blog , Community , News

Disability Connection now has a full time ADA Coordinator on staff

janie-o-keefeJanie O’Keefe, the Executive Director of Disability Connection, has completed the ADA Coordinator Training Certificate Program.  The ACTCP is offered through the University of Missouri, College of Human and Environmental Services, School of Architectural Studies and the Great Plains ADA Center.

Twenty-five years ago, through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), our nation committed itself to eliminating discrimination against people with disabilities.  Disability Connection is proud to play a role in working towards a future in which all the doors are open to equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, integration and economic self-sufficiency for persons with disabilities.

Blog , News , Our Heroes , Uncategorized

How a Family Car Wash Has Changed the Lives of People With Autism

Like many people with autism, Andrew D’Eri had a hard time finding a job.

Then, his father, a veteran entrepreneur, and older brother, who had recently finished business school, had an idea: What if they opened business employed mostly by people with autism?

“We wanted to build … an example big and bold and out there that other companies could go ahead and want to emulate,” Andrew’s brother Tom D’Eri, 25, told ABC News, adding that they wanted to find a business that would educate the community by putting autistic employees in front of the customers.

They opened the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, in 2013, and today they employ 35 autistic men and women!

Blog , Community , News , Uncategorized

2015-Gardening from a chair is practical & enjoyable!

Want to make your life a little greener? Start with a garden.  The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation have great adaptive gardening tips for people living with paralysis featured in the Reeve Health Minute series.

For most people, a few simple adaptive practices can make gardening from a chair practical, easy, and highly enjoyable.

Take a look at our gardening videos and see if this is the activity for you.

You’ll get to spend time outside, connect with others, and make sure your meals are full of delicious, healthy fruits and vegetables.

Wendy Crawford, founder of mobileWOMEN.org and the Raw Beauty Project, shares her special adaptive gardening tips in each episode. Running only a few minutes long, each video is packed with great information. Now it’s up to you!

View one video or the whole series:

The gardening series is part of our popular Reeve Health Minute videos. Thousands of people around the world have accessed these videos to learn more about adaptive practices from swimming, to cooking, and improving your mind.

Each episode is full of actionable tips for individuals living with paralysis to improve their health and wellness.

Enjoy the warmer weather and go spend some time outside in the sun.

Happy gardening!

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation ChristopherReeve.org

Blog , Community , News

Taking the Extra Step

janie-o-keefe    When asked what the most rewarding part of her career is, O’Keefe says it is the clients and the people they have the opportunity to serve.  “When you see how happy they are when they have accomplished things they could have never done without help, you can never put a price on that.”
Please click  #sheisnoble for full article
Blog , Community , News

2014-Ocean Springs announces a Disability Connection office in City Hall

OCEAN SPRINGS, MS (WLOX) –

DC logo For Upload_Download_4PiecesThe city of Ocean Springs will pay the owners of Psycamore nearly half a million dollars as part of a settlement with the psychiatric counseling clinic.  The 437,500 settlement covers Psycamore’s damages and costs associated with the case. The city will also provide additional training for a current employee to serve as the city’s ADA Compliance Officer. That person will, most likely, be a senior official in the Building Department. City elected officials, selected staff and members of the Planning Commission will also undergo several hours of training on the city’s obligations under the ADA, according to a plan approved by United States Department of Justice.  Ocean Springs city leaders have partnered with Disability Connection, a Gulf Coast advocacy organization for people with mental and physical disabilities, to provide office space in the Mayor’s Office for an outreach resource manager to counsel citizens in Jackson County when they have complaints or are in need of services.  Phone # (228) 870-7775.  Please click link below for full story:

http://www.wlox.com/story/27480991/ocean-springs-settles-with-psycamore-owners

 

Blog , Community , Events , News

2015 – Art Ability Fair Success

Thank you to all who participated!

If you are missing pictures, please contact us : office@disbabilityconnection.org

Below is the FB Album showing all the portraits that we have.

Thanks!

-DC Team

Portrait pics from the Art Ability Fair 2015 – Feel free to tag and share! More to come.

Posted by Disability Connection on Sunday, April 19, 2015

Blog , News , Our Heroes

2014-Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, “The Big Idea”

 

The Big Idea
The Big Idea

 

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation launched a campaign that will redefine what it means to live with SCI. This initiative, called The Big Idea, will support the next phase epidural stimulation research and recruit 36 new candidates to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in restoring autonomic functions, movement below the injury level, as well as the ability to stand. Please click the link for more information:   www.reevebigidea.org

 

 

 

 

Blog , Community , News

Volunteers Help Veteran Build Ramp

Volunteer Helping
Volunteer Helping

 

Veteran Gets Ramp for Wife
Veteran Gets Ramp for Wife

GULFPORT, MS (WLOX) – A Navy veteran was moved to tears Monday when volunteers showed up at his home on 36th Street in Gulfport. John Walker desperately needed a wheelchair ramp for his wife, who’s coming home from the hospital in a few days. He didn’t ask for help. But several organizations decided to team-up to get the project rolling. Volunteers unloaded a pile of lumber as they prepared for a project that will take several days.  Mr. John Walker didn’t expect to see the outpouring of support. “Oh, it’s great!” he said with a big smile. His wife of more than 50-years, Kathleen, recently broke her leg. Realizing she needed a wheelchair ramp, the 85-year old man decided to build one himself. “To get her inside easier, and I was even going to put a chain to it to pull it in,” said Walker. The Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Harrison County (RSVP) heard about Mr. Walker’s situation and contacted Disability Connection. “We came and inspected it and it did not look like it was as safe as it should be. It did not look like it would survive long term, so we agreed to basically start over and give him a fresh brand, new ramp,” said Disability Connection Executive Director Janie O’Keefe. The Home Depot donated the materials. Volunteers, like U.S. Army Specialist Kegan Wood, signed-up to help.  Disability Connection also offers emergency home repairs and home weatherization for veterans, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and low-income families. Veterans get priority. For more information, you can call the organization at (228) 604-4020 or (228) 870-7775.