Category: Community

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...

Categories Community/Resources

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...

Categories Community/Employment/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...

Categories 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...

Categories Community/Resources

August 28, 2024

Think Safe: Have Successful Meals, Not Sickness

Modified from August 2019. Summer is all about getting out of the house and enjoying the great outdoors.  Time outside could include picnics, fairs, parties, grilling, and all kinds of fun.  However, being outdoors with food means we need extra care around food safety. Whether you are purchasing, preparing, consuming, or storing food, it is very important to protect yourself...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General

August 14, 2024

Project Lifesaver to the Rescue!

Last revision 8/24 Do you support someone who is prone to wandering from home or a program site? Have you had to call 911 when a loved one cannot be found? Project Lifesaver, a program comprised of components specifically designed to protect “at risk” individuals, may be able to help you to be proactive in supporting a loved one or...

Categories Community/General/Resources/Technology

July 31, 2024

What is the WorkLink at Penn State University all about?

Penn State University has a program called WorkLink. It is an on-campus, non-residential 2-year certificate program. WorkLink is fully integrated. It provides the opportunity for individuals with ID to participate in postsecondary experiences and education opportunities with their peers. This program was founded in 2018. Special education students receive the opportunity to participate in Penn State classes. Participants connect with...

Categories Community/Resources

July 17, 2024

Breaking News: Milestone HCQU West is on Facebook!

What is a HCQU? Do you know what HCQU stands for? What services do they offer? Back in January of this year, I had the privilege of attending the Everyday Lives conference in Hershey, PA. Some of my colleagues and I shared a vendor table with the other Health Care Quality Units (HCQUs) across the state and had an opportunity...

Categories Community/Everyday Life/General/Resources

July 10, 2024

All-Abilities Media and A Valid Podcast

Who doesn’t love a good podcast? They can be informative, uplifting, comforting, humorous, give you the “feel-good” in your heart and sometimes make you scratch your head and think “hmmm, I never thought about that!”  Sometimes it is simply good company for those long drives or rides. Recently a local podcast out of Pittsburgh is getting well deserved notoriety. All-Abilities...

Categories Community/Employment/General

June 12, 2024

Pittsburgh Zoo:  Sensory Friendly Mornings

“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”  What is the first thing you think of when you hear this famous quote?  It might be the movie “The Wizard of Oz”, which this quote came from, or like me, you might think of the zoo. A visit to the zoo can be an amazing experience for many; however, for those with...

Categories Community/General