Category: General

July 24, 2024

Fun in the Sun? More like Safe in the Summer

Modified from July 2019 5…4…3…2…1…SUMMER! June 20 marked the first day of summer. Warm weather is here. Swimming, beach-combing, cookouts, camping, and medications await us. Wait? Medications? What do medications have to do with our summer fun? We don’t often think about what medications do besides alleviating symptoms. Many of the people we support are on several different medications. Often,...

Categories Everyday Life/General

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 26, 2024

Outdoor Safety in the Summer: Avoid Tickborne Diseases

It’s that time of year when the weather starts to warm up and we start to have outdoor activities.  As we go outside to enjoy the sun so do other living things.  We may not realize the prevalence. According to the Smithsonian Institute “insect /arachnids species have been found to be quite numerous, with calculations of from 3 to 23...

Categories General/Resources

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

June 5, 2024

Did you know?! 45 Is the New 50 for Colorectal Cancer Screening

No one knows why colorectal cancer rates are increasing in young people. Sedentary lifestyle, overweight and obesity concerns, smoking, and heavy alcohol consumption have all been linked to the disease. Low-fiber, high-fat diets, or diets high in processed meats, and other environmental factors also play a role. Family history of colorectal cancer or polyps is of course a risk factor....

Categories General

May 29, 2024

Empowering Community Employment One Sip at a Time

Opportunity. Dreams. Choice. How often do you think about these themes and what they mean in your life? There is a sense of purpose and meaning tied to the responsibilities of employment. The American workday not only means financial independence brought by a paycheck, but also a sense of connectedness. The hours add up to a lifetime of potential impact...

Categories Community/Employment/General

May 22, 2024

New Inclusive Designs for Starbucks

I love quiet time to relax and enjoy a nice hot cup of tea. I find myself choosing to go through a drive thru as the cafe’s, especially the Starbucks in my community are small and noisy. A new Starbucks store has opened in Washington D.C.’s Union Market. The new store design is setting an example for more accessible and...

Categories General

May 15, 2024

Rising Tide Car Wash: Shining Opportunities

According to the CDC, as of 2023, around 75 million people have autism spectrum disorder in the U.S. That’s 1% of the world’s population. One in 36 children, or over 2.7% of 8-year-old children, in the U.S. were diagnosed with ASD in 2020. The statistics show there are many potential workers, people with autism, around the country. However, the unemployment...

Categories General

May 1, 2024

Colin the Jedi: A Star Wars Story

To say I had an affinity for all things sci-fi when I was a kid would be an understatement. It was more like a constant preoccupation. For a while, it was all about Star Trek. I could talk nonstop about the Enterprise and her crew. I drifted off to sleep each night, wondering what it would be like to have...

Categories Everyday Life/General/Resources