Disability Connection

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Tidal Wave Charity Day

 

Disability Connection is pleased to announce its partnership with Tidal Wave Auto Spa for the company’s 18th annual Charity Day event, to be held on Friday, September 18, 2026. As part of Tidal Wave’s long-standing commitment to giving back, the company will donate 100% of wash proceeds made during the one-day philanthropic event to local charities and non-profit organizations.

Disability Connection is pleased to again be selected to receive 50% of the proceeds from the Tidal Wave Auto Spa’s Annual Charity Day Event from 8am-8pm at 2910 Bienville Blvd.in Ocean Springs location. No appointment needed — just drive up and wash for a cause.  The remaining 50% will go to Tidal Wave’s corporate partners: Annandale Village, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing progressive life assistance to adults with developmental disabilities, and The Joseph Sams School, a non-profit organization providing educational and therapeutic support for children and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Disability Connection serves the southern 6 counties of Mississippi and is dedicated to creating a connected community to provide social support, ensure healthy futures, and eliminate barriers through programs, events, and the development of the coast’s most popular MS Community Resource Guides.

Over the event’s 17-year history, Tidal Wave has donated more than $2.8 million to charitable organizations, with $864,075 raised at last year’s event. 2026 marks the company’s 18th annual Charity Day event, with 319 participating locations across 30 states.Tidal Wave Auto Spa is dedicated to making a positive difference in the communities it serves and was honored as a Champion of Charity by Professional Carwashing & Detailing. Beyond its annual Charity Day event, the company also gives back year-round through its fundraising program, which has helped raise over $5 million for local schools, organizations, churches, civic groups, and more.

For more details on Charity Day, visit https://www.tidalwaveautospa.com/community-engagement/.

Follow along: #CharityDay #WaveOfDifference

 

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.

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!

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

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