Recent Blog Posts
Litigation: Solodar v. OPC Lake Point Tower
After more than three years, and a jury trial, Mrs. Carollee Solodar will finally receive the parking spot she deserves (and requires)! Carollee and her husband Donald Solodar live in a lanai in North Palm Beach and have been allowed to park in a service area by their home for many years. Following Mrs…. Read More »
2014 Disability Policy Seminar
On April 7-9, 2014, I had the privilege to attend the 2014 Disability Policy Seminar in Washington, D.C. and participate in advocacy efforts to make an impact on disability policy. The Disability Policy Seminar is an event that brings together advocates for individuals with disabilities with public policy experts and focuses on major federal… Read More »
Ms. Wheelchair FL Update
On April 4th and 5th I had the pleasure of participating in the Ms. Wheelchair Florida competition. Ms. Wheelchair Florida, Inc. advocates for all people with disabilities and strives to bring awareness to all people with disabilities and the importance of inclusion in communities, employment, education, and housing. I decided to compete because I felt… Read More »
DIG Internship Progam
DIG has established a successful internship program for both undergraduate students and law students at our local universities. This past semester we hosted two interns. Tiffany Blackmon, from FIU College of Law, assisted with federal litigation, helped us establish our ADA Mediation Project. We file complaints on behalf of persons with disabilities who have… Read More »
The Miami Heat Game
DIG staff attorneys, Rachel Goldstein and Stephanie Woodward, along with local attorneys, Skyler Hill and Angelica Gentile, attended the Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers game and had the opportunity to meet Syracuse Alumni and player for the 76ers, Michael Carter Williams, after the game.
Thank you to NIR
For donating interpreting services at the Shark Tank Competition.
Ben & Jerry’s Visit
On April 16th, we had a surprise visit from the Ben and Jerry’s Truck.
Art and More
There you lie in cold inertness. Your lifeless luminance is dimmed under a warm synthetic glow of cakey rouge while I stare off into your nothingness shivering in the brisk breeze blowing around the room darkening the surrounding spirit. We rode this breeze here together; we’re still riding this breeze together on the inertia… Read More »
Kids Crusaders Corner
Matthew is Julie’s 16 year old son and he wanted to share his thoughts this month. My name is Matthew and I am 16 years old. My brother’s name is Nick and he is 23 years old. Nick was born with Cerebral Palsy and I’ve had the honor to call him my brother. Living… Read More »
Philanthropy Miami 2014 Shark Tank Competition
We WON! The LEAVE A LEGACY© Philanthropy Miami 2014 Shark Tank competition finals were held on April 16, 2014. Five finalists presented “Shark Tank” style to five community leaders. The competition started with 50 teams that submitted a written proposal on how a unique partnership could solve a community wide problem. Our project is… Read More »
Litigation – Vindicating a right to an administrative option – McGuire v. Peabody Hotel
Florida now recognizes that when a person is not treated equal because of his or her disability,– this is discrimination, and is actionable under the Florida Civil Rights Act. In 1968, at the age of seven years old, Kevin McGuire, was hit by a drunk driver and was paralyzed from the neck down. By 1970,… Read More »
The View from a DIG Intern
As a law student interning with DIG, I spoke with a client recently and I was frustrated to learn that there are attorneys who disregard their duty to communicate with clients who are deaf. When someone is already in a difficult situation, it’s hard to believe that a lawyer would make the situation even… Read More »
Guardianship – Part 2
Florida is one of the few states that has developed a process specifically designed to meet the needs of persons with DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES—in Florida that process is GUARDIAN ADVOCATE. There are a few differences between GUARDIAN ADVOCATE and GUARDIANSHIP as I described in last month’s newsletter. First, Guardian Advocacy is limited to persons with… Read More »
CONGRATULATIONS SHARON
On March 2, 2014, Sharon Langer was one of eight recipients to receive the 2014 Women of Impact Award. This award is presented by the Women’s History Coalition of Miami-Dade County. Sharon was given a beautiful sculpture in the image of Julia Tuttle, the founder of the City of Miami. For more information on this organization, please… Read More »
Art and More – By Chris Stein
Indecision by Chris Stein Unequivocally Wishy‐Washy Maybe? May Be? Do you see me? Yes? No? Maybe? Yes no maybe. Maybe maybe? Do you see me As affliction? Probably Maybe? May Be Probable? Improbably Maybe? Maybe Probably? Do you see me With affection? Probably Don’t know. Probably Not sure. Probably Too scared. Probably Can’t say…. Read More »
Siblings Corner – A sibling’s perspective
I would not be the person I am today if I did not have my brother, Josh. He has an extensive movie collection, loves going bowling and doing arts and crafts and has a very busy social life. He works bagging groceries at a grocery store and also volunteers at a nearby hospital. From… Read More »
Kids Crusader Corner – March 2014.
Welcome back to Kids Crusaders. As we head into the middle of March, I’m beginning to wonder if upstate New York has only 2 seasons now. Winter and winter, ugh. The sun did manage to make an appearance today though so maybe there’s a small chance. Last month I wrote about some of the… Read More »
Americans with Disabilities Act Lawsuits – Frequently Asked Questions
By: Matt Dietz Every year, across the United States, thousands of lawsuits are filed that compel compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, most to ensure that persons with mobility disabilities could have equal use and enjoyment of businesses in our community. While these lawsuits are often the key to community access for persons… Read More »
Unite 4:good
By: Debbie Dietz On March 5, 2014, Sharon and Debbie attended a lunch by unite4:good. Unite4:good is an evolutionary global movement whose mission is to unite us all in bringing more good into the world. The founder, Anthony Melikhov spoke to us about his vision. He is creating a social positive… Read More »
VICTORY for the Fischers and Sorenson the Dog
On Thursday, March 13, 2014, Judge Robert Scola vindicated the Deborah Fischer’s right to use a service animal, Sorenson the Dog, in her home because of her obvious need of this trained animal. See Order – Omnibus DE 283. In this case, her condominum association sued Mr. and Mrs. Fischer in Federal Court to… Read More »
