Latest Blog Entries
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
A bill that would allow subdivisions catering to the developmentally disabled raises questions on how best to integrate those with special needs into society.
BY ROBERT SAMUELS
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE — Parents of developmentally disabled children from Pasco, Leon and Broward counties had an idea they thought would help their kids: create new subdivisions that would serve as safe havens for special needs people to live, eat, dine and play.
But an existing law prevents special-needs homes from being established within 1,000 feet of each other, so the parents began lobbying lawmakers to rescind it. The parents hope to clear the way for a cluster of communities catering to those with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/04/27/1599506/families-seek-approval-of-special.html#ixzz0npRO1lFH
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.
Friends of Horses
// April 14th, 2010 // Feature Articles
Learn a little more about one of our volunteer sites:
Friends of Horses Rescue & Adoption (FOHRAA) is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation dedicated to horse rescue, adoption and education based in metropolitan Denver, Colorado. With over 100 horses currently being cared for, FOHRAA is not a “typical” rescue. A majority of our horses came from loving homes that were no longer able to care for them. They’re GREAT horses! Read more: http://getahorse.org/index.html
Colorado urging businesses to hire people with disabilities
// April 7th, 2010 // Feature Articles
The state government is encouraging businesses to hire people with disabilities such as Down syndrome and bipolar disorder.
Nine people dispatched throughout Colorado since July are telling businesses about the capabilities of people with disabilities and programs providing incentives to hire them.
Many people with disabilities have a hard time getting work. In Colorado Springs, an estimated 29,299 people age 16 to 64 are disabled. About half of them were unemployed last year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The statistics don’t reveal how many people with disabilities sought employment. More: http://www.gazette.com/articles/people-27832-disabilities-colorado.html
Upcoming Events
// April 7th, 2010 // Support Your Community
Brent’s Place
REGISTRATION IS OPEN!
Friday, May 7,2010
6AM-5PM
PURA VIDA Fitness and Spa
2955 East 1st Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
Calendars
Photo Gallery
Helpful Resources
- Autism Society
- Brain Injury Association of Colorado
- Cerebral Palsy of Colorado
- CHADD Children & Adults w/ Attention Deficit/Hyper Dissorder
- Colorado Developmental Disabilities Council
- Division for Developmental Disabilities Web Site
- Empowerment Colorado, Mental Health
- Learning Disability Association of Colorado
- Love and Logic
- Mile High Down Syndrome Association
- Nat'l Organization of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Colorado
- Parent to Parent of Colorado
- Rocky Mountain Branch of International Dyslexia Association
- Sensory Procession Disorder Foundation
- The HERO Alliance
- The Legal Center
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