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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

IOD Webinar Logo
News

Institute on Disability Webinars

The first date has already passed, but there are 6 webinars left. This is a great resource for “educators, parents, paraprofessionals, school administrators, guidance counselors, related services providers, psychologists, university students, educational teams including families, and others interested in creating more inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities.”

Via University of New Hampshire Institute on Disability:

“This live webinar series is designed to support parents and educators who want a road map to guide the membership,participation, and learning of students with more significant disabilities in general education classrooms and other inclusive settings. During each webinar, examples will be given for elementary, middle, and high school, with the last session focusing on supporting students to go on to post-secondary education. Although all the sessions in the series build on the ones before it, the information in each can “stand alone.” We encourage teams to participate in the series together as each session has information targeted to both parents and educators, as well as related service providers.”

Download brochure here

Time:
3:30pm – 4:30pm EST
Registration Fee:
$59 each*
Webinar Instructor:
Cheryl Jorgensen, Ph.D.
Registration Deadline:
12:00pm ET, one business day prior to each webinar
News , Our Heroes

Hero Teenager Shares His Philosophy

“Being brave is not supposed to be easy.” Sam Berns gave this speech just before he passed away. This particular quote is one of many that I will always remember. If you have not already watched this video about Sam’s philosophy for a happy life or his documentary, “Life According to Sam”, I would encourage you to watch both. Sam was a hero. His words have changed the world for the better. I am going to post his three tips for a happy life on my refrigerator at home. In closing, another quote comes to mind:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss

Thank you Sam. Rest in peace.

 

 

“The original video, made by TEDx, is just one of lots of things Sam did in his many efforts to make the world a better place. You can get to know him better through his HBO documentary as well as help find a cure for this disease by checking out Progeria Research Foundation.” – via Upworthy
News

2013 Gift Guides

Just in Time For the Holiday Shopping Season

We always appreciate the incredible resources that are offered by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.
This is one of the resources that is particularly useful around this time of year.

Christopher Reeve Foundation Gift Guide

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation holiday gift guide features a “variety of items for the paralysis community in nine categories based on interests, levels of injury, and creativity.” With something for everyone, the sixth annual gift guide features a wide variety of items for the paralysis community. See the list at http://www.ChristopherReeve.org/GiftGuide

ToysRUs Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids

Also, for nearly two decades, ToysRus has published the annual Toys”R”Us Toy Guide for Differently-Abled Kids, an extensive but incredibly easy-to-use resource featuring specially selected toys that “encourage play for children with physical, cognitive or developmental disabilities.”
We invite you to check these 2 wonderful resources out and to share them with your community.
News

Leo Seal’s Day of Caring

In the news: Disability Connection would like to thank all of the volunteers who kindly donated their time to help get the new DC office “Up to Snuff” and ready to continue building a connected community from a new location. (700 Pass Rd.)

 

• • •

 

“Mr. Seal was such an influence to this company and was an advocate for education and volunteering, making sure we give back to the community and that is why we are here today to give back to the community,” Hancock Bank Division Manager David Fayard said.

WLOX.com – The News for South Mississippi

 

Karrie Brown Model with Down Syndrome
Blog , News , Our Heroes

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.”

Blog , News

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.

 

Blog , News

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
News

The Disability Community is Politically Engaged

National Youth Transitions Center Logo“The sheer number of people with disabilities makes them an important voting block, researchers say, but turnout among the group is severely lagging,” said  of DisabilityScoop.com .

A recent survey of more than 1000 found that “those touched by special needs are turning out to vote in high numbers and care deeply about candidate views on supports and services.”

“Too many politicians across the political spectrum have been ignoring disability issues for too long,” said Will Swenson, political director at United Cerebral Palsy, one of more than 45 disability organizations that are part of the Youth Transitions Collaborative which commissioned the survey. “Our community votes and we are going to be paying very close attention to whether elected officials are fighting for us or not.”

What do you think? Join the conversation on our Facebook Page.

 

 

 

 

News

Adorable Labradoodle Brings Joy to Amputee

A year ago, 25-year-old Georgia native Aimee Copeland cut her leg falling from a zip line near the Tallapoosa River. A deadly bacteria entered her body.

After a series of trips to the hospital and months in rehab, Aimee is still recovering from the loss of her hands, feet and entire right leg.

Now she has a new helper: a black labradoodle named Belle.

Aimee Copeland and her new friend
Aimee Copeland and her new friend Photo -Good Morning America/(WSBTV)

“Belle, who is a year old, started training when she was a 3-month-old puppy, said her trainer Crystal Callahan, who owns the Psychiatric Service Dog Academy and Registry in Cocoa, Fla. Belle will be able to help Copeland get back up if she falls down, pick things up if she drops them and deliver her medications on time.

“I’m just loving her and so excited to have that new addition and that new help,” Copeland told WSB-TV, the ABC News affiliate in Atlanta.

Read more about Aimee’s story and her participation in fundraising for the new organization, PawsOfMind.org at yahoo.