Milestone HCQU West Blog - News, Resources, and Innovative Ideas & Supports

November 6, 2024

More than a Story: Turning to the Next Chapter

Are you an avid reader like me? Do you know someone who loves stories and sharing what they just read? Still, others out there I bet love tales of heroes and adventures, even if they can’t read. I think literature is such a gift. That’s why I’m excited to share about this world-wide book club. Aptly named Next Chapter Book...

Everyday Life/Resources

November 1, 2024

That Time of Year! Holiday Shopping Guide is Here!

Milestone HCQU West is excited to present our second annual Holiday Shopping Guide. This digital publication features small businesses owned and operated and products created by people with intellectual/developmental disabilities and Autism. We haven’t found them all but we happily share what we found across the map. Notice that the companies listed link to their respective websites. You can click...

General

October 30, 2024

Face it. We All Need Friends.

“A friend may be waiting behind a stranger’s face.” Maya Angelou What gives your life meaning? While that may be a very existential question, the answer can have a lot of different themes. I would bet that for most of us it has a lot to do with connections. We have many different relationships in our lives. We have our...

Community/Resources

October 23, 2024

The Importance of Cybersecurity for Nonprofit Organizations

Why Cybersecurity is a Priority It seems like every time I scroll through my news feed, there are multiple articles about cybersecurity. But when you consider that data breaches exposed 7 billion records in the first half of 2024 (source: IT Governance), it’s understandable that cybersecurity is such a hot topic right now. Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems,...

General/Resources/Technology

October 16, 2024

Do Good and Positively Impact Your Bottom Line!

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month Employment offers many benefits beyond financial compensation. It keeps us busy, challenges us, and adds value and structure to our lives. It gives us a sense of pride, purpose, and personal achievement. This is equally important for people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) and/or autism. We have witnessed the positive impact of employment on many...

Community/Employment/Everyday Life/General

October 9, 2024

Trauma and Direct Care Professionals: The Forgotten Sacrifice

Modified from August 2019. Having worked in our system for a number of years now, I have heard many horrible stories of what people have had to endure in their lifetime. We truly work with some of the strongest survivors I have had the privilege of knowing. According to a report completed by NPR in 2018, people with intellectual disabilities...

Everyday Life/General

October 2, 2024

Demystify Sugars: Gain an Understanding of Sugars in Your Diet

Understanding sugars in your diet is beneficial. Especially if you are looking to lose weight, have diabetes, or are just concerned about what type of sugars you put in your body. This article will discuss the different types of sugars and how they are digested within the body. These are the types of sugars that will be discussed: Understanding Sugars...

Everyday Life/General

September 25, 2024

Connect Over a Cup of Coffee – Expand Your Community

On a beautiful Virginia day, Deputy Shannon of the Stafford County Sheriff Department was in Wawa waiting to pay for his items. He noticed a group of people he had met before were outside gassing up their van to go on a trip to the zoo. Deputy Shannon also noticed that one of the individuals was starting to walk away...

Community/Resources

September 18, 2024

Starbucks…Brewing More Inclusion and Accessibility

Who loves a good, hot cup of coffee? I do! It does not matter to me if I have that cup of coffee at home or at a coffee shop with a friend. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys coffee and visiting a coffee shop from time to time with those you support. Maybe you have gone into the shop...

Community/Resources

September 11, 2024

Let’s All Make Some Room. Give Space to Grieve.

Modified from January 2019. Many years ago, I was at an agency to give a training for self-advocates on oral hygiene. As I walked into the room, there was a woman sitting by herself at the edge of the table. Her eyes were looking downward. I greeted her, figuring she was early, and started about my business of setting up the...

Everyday Life