Community Living

In honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday, March is designated as National Reading Month. The primary audience for Dr. Seuss’ books is young children, but his writings have insight for adults, too.  As he said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”

October 8th marks the 30th anniversary of Public Law 99-457 that expanded the special education law to cover infants, toddlers, and preschoolers with disabilities. The law recognizes families as pivotal to the success of babies and young children with developmental disabilities. Early intervention and special education services definitely made a difference for my son, Pete – who is now 28 years old. Pete was born with the rare, genetic Costello syndrome, which is associated with ongoing global delays in development.

The National Association of States United for Aging and Disabilities holds an annual National Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) Conference. The conference is for staff of Federal, State, and local agencies, as well as partners, providers and advocates providing services to people with long term services and supports (LTSS) needs in the community. 

The Department of Justice (DOJ) inaugurated April 24-30 as National Reentry Week.

Community bakeries and cafes are popular places to gather with friends and neighbors, celebrate a team victory or cheer up when you are feeling a little low. Running these cafes can be difficult but rewarding work, especially when staff members see and hear the positive feedback from their customers.  There are two establishments in the Washington, DC suburbs that offer more than something for your sweet tooth or a quick caffeine fix. They are dedicated to training and employing people with disabilities.

Winter weather evokes mixed emotions in adults. Children love this time of year when school can be canceled on a Wednesday and snowmen dot the landscape, while adults wrestle between the guiltless joy of having an excuse to stay indoors with a book, hot chocolate and Netflix—and the inevitable loathing of de-icing, shoveling and the worsening of already terrible traffic. Among the black and white of the average person’s view exists a hidden realm of winter trials reserved for people with disabilities.

Community integration for seniors and individuals with disabilities hasn’t always been the standard, but it is on the rise – thanks in part to programs like the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Money Follows the Person (MFP) Demonstration Program. As a nation we are now at a tipping point with Medicaid dollars for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) approximating the dollars being spent on institutionally based services.

Since my days as a rehabilitation counselor three decades ago, I have worked toward a goal of including people with disabilities into our society—no matter the job that I held.  When I became an employer twelve years ago, I sought and hired people with disabilities.

Attend any awards ceremony and right after the person being honored thanks his or her parents, that person then thanks the people who have provided support, guidance, opportunities—that person’s mentors.  Imagine for just a minute that the person in the audience being thanked is you.  Mentoring can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your career.  Helping others is rejuvenating and for those of us who strive to have meaning in our lives, we find mentoring makes us feel useful and happier.  It’s even helped me find more creative solutions to my work problems as I

The white cane is universally recognized as a representative marker for blindness and low vision. But many people may not realize that for individuals who are blind or have low vision, the white cane is so much more than a navigational tool. It is a symbol of independence, integration, and triumph. This is why people across the country observe October 15th, White Cane Safety Day, as a day to celebrate just how far individuals with visual impairments have come in their pursuit for independence.