Recent Blog Posts

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

The Miami Inclusion Alliance (23-04)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, otherwise known as SAAM. Sexual assault is an issue that affects our entire community. The goal of SAAM is to raise awareness about sexual violence. During this month, people across the United States raise awareness about sexual violence, how to prevent it, and how to support those who are affected by it.

Jennifer stilling on a bench with two of her children and Blake standing behind her holding their third child

Chasing Autism Acceptance

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

I have a dream where I move my with my children and my husband to an island. The world is tiny and easy. I am always with my five favorite people with no societal judgement. Then, I realize that humans crave connection with other humans. I crave connection. My husband craves connection. My children crave connection. It would be unfair to limit my kids’ connection, because humans are hard-wired to enjoy the company of other humans. We just have to figure out novels ways to get that connection.

hurricane warning flag

Did You Know? Hurricane Season (emergency kit)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

An emergency kit is a toolbox that should be catered to each individual’s needs. It should contain items you will need in your daily life, and it is recommended that at minimum, you pack enough to last you three days to a week’s worth of necessities.

Jordan in his wheelchair with his dog outside on the patio next to a pool

How life can change in the blink of an eye.

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Today, I’m still finding ways to stay involved with my passion for sports. Since I can no longer physically play baseball the way I used to, I have been focusing on sharing my story and giving motivational speeches to teams and athletes.

a selfie with sabrina and the other special olympics athletes

Martin Richard, Recreational Sports, and Community Building

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

I have played sports all my life, and they have allowed me to make some of my best friends. Recreational sports are such a great community building outlet which is why I wanted to remain involved once I entered college. At the University of Miami, I now play on a Special Olympics Unified team and compete against other schools playing alongside individuals from my community that I would have never met otherwise. It has truly been such a great experience, and it is all thanks to my hometown.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

Miami Inclusion Alliance (23-03)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

We have come a long way over the last 100 plus years but there is still much to be done to ensure a fully inclusive system of care for battered women. We still need the Battered Women’s Movement. We still have work to do.

justine sitting in her car smiling wearing a black dress

The View From Here (23-02)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Balancing our work and finding time for family and friends…and, most importantly, finding time for ourselves. It doesn’t have to take a person who is recovering from a disability to experience that. We all struggle with finding a work and life balance.

black background with 2023 february is balck history month in red, yellow, and green

Black History Through the Lens of Disabilities

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

As we have seen, there is a large intersectionality between being Black and having a disability. These two identities are not separate, rather overlapping entities that can help to raise awareness and equality for one another.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

Miami Inclusion Alliance (23-02)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

According to the last U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking In Persons Report, persons with disabilities are one of the groups most at risk of being trafficked.

4 question marks with a blue background

Disability Resources Focus on Federal Tax

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

ABLE accounts are tax-advantaged accounts which are funded by family members to cover qualified expenses for the disabled individual.

clip art of a laptop, drafting tools, and architectural plans

Accessibility & Awareness in Architectural Design

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Provisions for accessible elements should not just stem from mandates, but precisely be the result of careful thought and awareness. Only then will that stylish, hip restaurant recognize accessibility as a positive and incorporate its elements not simply as an afterthought … but as a jeweled accent in its overall brand design.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

The under-reporting of sexual assault

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

The crime of sexual assault is under-reported.  This is particularly true if you are a victim with a disability.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

Parenting with a Disability

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

We are now 29 years after the passage of the ADA, and Buck v. Bell has never been overturned, and several states still have some form of involuntary sterilization laws on their books.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

The Importance of making a Safety Plan

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

One of the most important things for any victim of abuse to consider is their safety and the safety of their children and pets. That is why it is important to make a safety plan.

Purple and blue logo for the Miami Inclusion Alliance

The hidden nightmare of sexual violence on and at the borders (23-01)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

This is a time to speak up and out for these women.

justine sitting in her car smiling wearing a black dress

The View From Here (23-01)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

I bring all of this up to hopefully highlight the obstacles we, as people living with disabilities, face every single day. Not just the obstacles, or the excess costs, but the sheer frustration of having to retrofit our lives just so that we can be independent.

Justine Chichester with a red orchid in her hair

The View From Here (19-09)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

I never realized how little I knew about Cancer until I was told I had it.

Justine Chichester with a red orchid in her hair

The View from Here (19-11)

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

I think it’s important to share my story to encourage other women to stop putting off your screenings.

Do I still have a claim? – Effects of Cummings v. Premier Rehab on the future of claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act or Section 504

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Matthew W. Dietz .pdf version On April 28, 2022, the United States Supreme Court, in Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C., 142 S. Ct. 1562 (2022), found that damages are unavailable for discrimination without a physical injury in all federal disability laws (such as the ADA and Section 504), and some sex and… Read More »

a child dressed in a captain america uniform with a shield.

What happened to the COVID-19 case about immunocompromised children with disabilities in public schools in Florida?

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

In this matter, the development of vaccines and boosters are winning the race against the mutations of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, next time, science may lose to the application of bleach, horse medicine, and ultraviolet light treatments, and our schools and state would be willing to sacrifice children and persons with disabilities in a pyrrhic victory for parental rights to avoid inconvenience for their child.