Ability Specialists Blog

Upcoming Events

// June 2nd, 2010 // Support Your Community

Ability Specialists Powerlifting Team competes in the Special Olympics State on Saturday June 5th.  Good Luck Guys!

Mile High Down Syndrome Association
June 6, 2010
11th Annual Poker Run and Benefit
Click here for more details. [pdf]

The Arc of Arapahoe Douglas County Annual Picnic

Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 6 – 8 pm at Westlands Park in the Center Pavilion (The park is located on the west side of Quebec between Belleview & Orchard)

Hot dogs, drings and place settings provided. Please bring a side dish or dessert to share.

Please invite a friend to join you. Everyone is welcome!

RSVP to pam@arc-ad.org or call 303-220-9228 before July 19

May Goal Achievement

// May 25th, 2010 // What's Happening At Ability Specialists

Congratulations to those who achieved their goals and received their awards this month!  The ceremony was followed by the Tribute to Michael Jackson dance and everyone had a “thrilling” time!

may-2010-054

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 8

Leaders with Developmental Disabilities in the

// May 25th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

This project explores the life stories of thirteen leaders in the self-advocacy movement and their perspectives on key issues and leadership challenges. Part of the broader disability rights movement, the self-advocacy movement is unique in that it has been led and informed by the individual and collective experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Despite its widespread existence nationwide and internationally, few works have explored the rich history, culture, and significance of the self-advocacy movement. To help fill this void, Joe Caldwell, Ph.D., Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, undertook this life history project and donated transcripts to The Bancroft Library for its Disability Rights and Independent Living Movement collection. More about Self-Advocacy Movement oral history project.

Flame Concert Sunday!

// May 13th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

FLAME is the ONLY worldwide touring band comprised entirely of people with developmental and\or physical disabilities.    

Event Details

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Concert General Tickets Holders

2-4PM

Rotors of the Rockies

11915 Airport Way – Broomfield – 80021

For tickets please contact the Ability Specialists office before Friday 5/14/2010.

Fueling the FLAME of true self-determination of and by people with intellectual and/physical disabilities  http://www.flametheband.com/

Families seek approval of special-needs subdivisions

// May 13th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

Jobless Rate Ticks Back Up For People With Disabilities

// May 13th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

The employment picture for people with disabilities took a nosedive in April, with the unemployment rate reaching 15.2 percent, the Labor Department said Friday.

Boosted by an increase in the number of Americans with disabilities seeking work, the unemployment rate rose significantly compared to the 13.9 percent jobless rate in March, returning to levels seen earlier this year. However, the figures continue to fall short of record unemployment in August 2009, which hit 16.9 percent.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/05/07/april-jobs-10/7967/

Down Syndrome Takes Center Stage On Fox’s ‘Glee’

// April 20th, 2010 // Feature Articles

The hit show “Glee” returns Tuesday for a nine-episode run on Fox this spring and so too does the show’s inclusion of characters with disabilities.

Last fall, actress Lauren Potter, 19, who has Down syndrome, debuted on the show as Becky Jackson, the school’s newest cheerleader, or Cheerio. Now, Potter is back for two more episodes — “The Power of Madonna,” airing April 20, and “Home,” airing April 27.

The experience mirrors real life for Potter in many ways. The bubbly teen tried out to be a cheerleader at her Riverside, Calif. high school, but didn’t make the squad. Then, after graduating last year, Potter beat out 13 other girls for the role on Glee. Nowadays, Potter splits her time between acting and attending a life skills program.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/04/12/lauren-potter-glee/7618/

Higher pay for disabled employees could put them out of work

// April 20th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Faith Millburn earns about $1.25 an hour working for Goodwill. She knows that’s less than minimum wage, and she thinks it’s fair.

The 21-year-old with cerebral palsy, who on Thursday was typing labels at Goodwill of the Heartland in Iowa City, is at the center of a complex debate over what to pay people with disabilities for their work.

Part of the fallout from the mistreatment of workers in Atalissa is renewed scrutiny of a federal law that allows employers to pay disabled workers less than federal minimum wage. Even a distant threat to that legislation is troubling to organizations like Goodwill, who say they can’t afford to employ as many workers at higher wages, and to Millburn, who thinks she would have trouble finding a job working for minimum wage.

“I think it’s funny that they want to change it,” she said. “The way it is now is fair.”  Read full article: http://gazetteonline.com/breaking-news/2010/04/05/higher-pay-for-disabled-employees-could-put-them-out-of-work

Disability Advocates Among Candidates For ‘Time 100′

// April 14th, 2010 // Feature Articles

Among this year’s contenders for the influential “Time 100″ list are a handful of pop culture’s most recognizable faces when it comes to disability issues.

The list of 200 candidates, released by Time Magazine earlier this month, include Temple Grandin — who has written and lectured widely on her experiences as a person with autism — and Sarah Palin, the former vice presidential candidate and Alaska governor who has a son with Down syndrome and often remarks on special needs issues.  Read more: http://www.disabilityscoop.com/2010/04/09/time-100/7589/

Upcoming Events

// April 14th, 2010 // Workshops and Seminars

Mile High Down Syndrome Association

The HILLs BBQ Birthday Bash Saturday 4/17.
Click here for more information: http://mhdsa.org/media/HillsBBQ_flyer.pdf

MHDSA
April 22 – Free Seminar on Special Needs Planning
Click here for more information: http://mhdsa.org/media/Special-Needs-Seminar-4222010.pdf

Project Angel Heart

Dining Out for Life® Impact

On April 29, 2010, over 300 participating restaurants will agree to donate 25% of their food sales to Project Angel Heart. Diners simply eat out for breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner at participating restaurants. By eating out on Dining Out for Life® day, they support their favorite eateries, enjoy delicious food, and benefit Project Angel Heart, all at once. In 2009, 335 restaurants and over 80,000 diners participated, raising over $340,000 for Project Angel Heart.