Tag Archives: disabilities
Sharon Langer Recognized with the Anti-Defamation League Miami Jurisprudence Award
On November 19, 2015, Sharon Langer, Development Director of Disability Independence Group, and Alan Dimond of Greenberg Traurig were both recognized with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Miami Jurisprudence Award. Sharon Langer’s remarks included the following For the past 100 years, the Anti-Defamation League has stood up against anti-Semitism, bigotry, and other pernicious stereotypes in our… Read More »
Gratitude is the Healthiest of all Human Emotions
By: Lorinda Gonzalez Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar A short cool breeze, early sunset, and pumpkins galore. It’s November! One month before the holiday madness begins, and only… Read More »
What is a Community Work Incentives Coordinator (CWIC) or benefits planner?
By: Lesly Lopez If you receive Social Security benefits and you have a job or are looking for one, there are specially trained professionals known as Community Work Incentive Coordinators (CWIC) to help you make sense of complex employment and benefit-related issues. What is a CWIC? A highly skilled and rigorously trained cadre of… Read More »
The Cuddle Effect
By: Matthew Dietz Cuddles, the Persian cat, was worth a million dollars to Izak Teller and his wife, Barbara. Because of Cuddles, they were rejected from the ability to live in a fully renovated unit overlooking the Intercostal in Palm Beach, and bought a less desirable unit that they were required to renovate. The… Read More »
Miami Is Kind Foundation: “Let’s put Autism and developmental disabilities to work”
By: Silvia Planas Prats Letting go of her career at DuPont from Barcelona, in Spain and moving to Miami, FL was not easy, but Silvia knows it was the most important decision of her life. Marc is now an adorable 12 year old boy that just happens to have autism. He loves riding his… Read More »
The First Steps to Ending Domestic Violence
UNDERSTANDING is the first step to ending domestic violence and sexual assault By: Sharon Langer Persons with disabilities are victimized at a rate three times higher than persons without disabilities. In 2012, 1.3 million violent crimes, that included rape and physical assault, occurred against persons with disabilities. If you are a woman, or have… Read More »
“He will never go to a ‘normal’ school.”
By: Michael Kranzler When I was in early elementary school, an educational therapist offered that grim assessment to my parents. I had just been diagnosed with extremely severe ADHD, helping us bridge the gap between my high aptitude and low performance. Every week, I would swear to my mom that I had turned in… Read More »
Step Up For Students
Did you know Step Up For Students helps administer TWO scholarships for Florida children? The Personal Learning Scholarship Accounts (PLSA) helps families personalize educational plans for their children with certain special needs. Students age 3 through 12th grade may be eligible if they are diagnosed with one of the following: Autism Spectrum Disorder, including… Read More »
Are Doctors Required to Provide Interpreters for Deaf Patients?
By: Matthew Dietz I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife or the chemist’s drug. Modern Hippocratic Oath At least once per week, I receive a call from a Deaf person complaining that their doctor will not provide… Read More »
Subsidies for SGA
Are you a SSDI beneficiary working or wanting to work over the Substantial Gainful Activity ($1090 in 2015)? Are you receiving support from your employer? You can use Subsidies for SGA purposes A few things to consider first: During an SGA determination, SSA looks at gross wages when they were earned, not when they… Read More »
Litigation: When the denial of a reasonable accommodation leads to tragedy
By: Matthew Dietz Most times when a person requests a reasonable accommodation or a modification because of a disability, the accommodation or modification assists a person to live independently or lessens the effect of a disability. This includes a closer parking space, grab bars in the bathroom, or an assistance animal. However, there are… Read More »
Karen Peterson and Dancers
Exercise is an important aspect of health that benefits one’s physical and mental fitness. The key to exercising effectively is simply being active. However, people with limited physical abilities may find it difficult to find a mode of exercise that is possible to practice actively. In order to create a mode of physical exercise… Read More »
“High functing” people (or the insane) cannot drink hooch in Texas!
By: Matthew Dietz “We are more than happy to have you all with us to experance a bit of TEXAS. Unfortunately the Law in Texas does not allow us to serve alcohol drinks to high functing individuals.” Kelly @ Stampede Houston Becky Dowling runs a program in the Metro Atlanta area called “Just” People,… Read More »
Paralympic Sports in Rio
By: Danielle Fine With the 2016 Paralympic Games, happening in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next year in September, it makes one wonder about what the athletes of the Paralympics will be doing in the meantime before the Games start. One obvious assumption that can be made is that each of the Paralympic athletes will… Read More »
My Experience as a Summer Intern
By: Royal Newman, III Working with Disability Independence Group Inc. (DIG) this summer exposed me to entirely new communities. Not only was I given the chance to see and participate in the internal workings of a law firm as they prepared for court, I was also able to interact with clients and partake in… Read More »
FEMA Releases PSA to Help People with Disabilities Prepare for Emergencies
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Ad Council have released a new public service advertisement announcement (PSA) to raise awareness about the importance of being prepared for emergencies. “We Prepare Every Day” is the first in a series of videos that show people with disabilities taking steps to prepare themselves and their… Read More »
Yoga
By: Rachel Goldstein Close your eyes (not while reading my article, of course!), imagine you are in a quiet room with soft music streaming, you are focused on your breathing (instead of your endless to-do list) and an instructor is calmly directing you on where to place your hands and feet. You are in… Read More »
aT4 Program: A Glance at the Past and Present
By: Claudia Luna This summer, I had an incredible opportunity to spend a month abroad in Berlin, Germany. As such a historically significant city, I made it a priority to tour as many museums and monuments as possible. While planning for the trip, I did a lot of research about the various memorials and… Read More »
Memorial Healthcare System Adaptive Sports Program
Sports and exercise are not activities that can only be enjoyed by athletes. They are also activities that help those with physical health impairments and conditions to become active and healthy. Memorial Healthcare System is striving to promote and spread this message by creating their own Adaptive Sports Program to provide recreational and athletic… Read More »
Work incentives Protecting Health Coverage for People with Disabilities
By: Claudia Luna Extended Medicare Coverage for Working People with Disabilities For beneficiaries receiving SSDI As long as your disabling condition still meets our rules, you can keep your Medicare coverage for at least 8 ½ years after you return to work. (The 8 ½ years includes your nine month trial work Period) Your… Read More »
