Milestone HCQU West Blog

September 27, 2023

Online Tutoring for Deaf Students – Check Out VASLA

Thadeus Brown is a deaf educator who has worked in both mainstream and residential settings. Brown, who is also deaf, grew up attending mainstream education. It was through these experiences that he “witnessed firsthand the inequities and lack of resources in the system” for deaf students. Within mainstream grades K-12, approximately 450,000 are deaf and hard of hearing students. It...

Resources

August 23, 2023

When the Chalk Dust Settles, Dreams Can Become Reality

Erika Lalita found herself in a surreal place, while grieving the loss of her mother 7 years ago and a marriage that fell apart about four years after that. She was experiencing life as an adult on her own for the first time, with her son Phin, who is now twelve. The journey from that painful place has been a...

General

March 29, 2023

SAU1 – Knowledge is Power

Self Advocates United as 1 or SAU1 is a Pennsylvania based non-profit group that supports and encourages self-advocates to empower them to work toward their dreams or goals. People are encouraged “to live their lives, their way” through the My Life, My Way self-advocate values. The Board of Directors, SAU1 Power Board, are voluntary positions comprised of people with disabilities....

Community/Resources

March 1, 2023

Hersheypark Striving for Accessibility for All at The Sweetest Place on Earth

Even though we are smack dab in the middle of winter, no time like the present to start planning some summer fun. And no better place than right in our own Pennsylvania back yard. The land where they say the air smells like chocolate and the streets are paved with cocoa. Alright, maybe that’s not exactly accurate. But Hershey PA,...

Community/General

November 16, 2022

The Pressure is On! Prevent Pressure Injuries and Promote Skin Health

November 17th is National Pressure Wound Awareness Day. According to National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP), 2.5 million people develop pressure injuries every year with 60,000 people dying every year as a direct result of pressure injuries. Not only is there a high cost of life, the financial burden related to pressure injury medical care in 2019 was estimated to...

General/Resources

November 9, 2022

November is National Epilepsy Awareness Month (NEAM). “There is No Neam without Me”

Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurological disease. A person is considered to have epilepsy when they have 2 or more seizures in greater than 24 hours. Consider this: 1 in 10 people will experience a seizure in their lifetime, and 1 in 26 will be diagnosed with Epilepsy. Seizures are also part of the Fatal Five – the top...

General/Resources

September 21, 2022

Accessible National Park Adventures

The National Parks are offering an Access Pass that is free for US citizens, or permanent residents, with permanent disabilities. This is part of the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Series. Many of the national parks have these passes available on site, but not all of them. They can be obtained by completing an application...

Community/Resources

June 15, 2022

Monkeypox: What You Should Know

You may have been hearing information regarding a rare disease called monkeypox. This, however, is not a new virus. In fact, it was first discovered in 1958, when a pox-like disease began to appear in colonies of monkeys that were being contained for research. Monkeypox was first detected and recorded in a human in 1970 in Africa. It is in...

Community/General

April 20, 2022

Put a Little Spring in Your Step with the Adapted Fitness Program at the Butler YMCA

The Butler YMCA began running a series of fitness classes March 14, 2022. These classes are listed as being ideal for individuals with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities. Caregivers and support staff can attend free of charge. The program was developed by Corrado Bello who has worked at the Butler Y for almost 3 years in membership and as a personal...

Community/General/Resources

January 5, 2022

Myths and Facts Covid-19 Vaccination

Being armed with the most accurate information regarding COVID-19 and the vaccines can help you make an educated decision about vaccination. This short video may help answer some of the questions that you have and dispel some of the myths surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations. For more information you can go to Centers for Disease Control-Coronavirus 19 at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and Johns Hopkins...