Tag Archives: kids crusaders

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.

Summer Fun and Discrimination against Kids (with or without disabilities)!

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Happy Summertime! The Summer should be a time where all kids, kids with disabilities and kids without disabilities, should be able to have fun. Discrimination about kids in the Summer is not fun, and here are some tips on how kids can avoid discrimination in the Summer.

Roseline Joseph receives a Christmas Gift from the Coral Gables Police Department to welcome her medically fragile grandchild home

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Jocelyne Joseph was just granted custody of her grandson, who is a medically-fragile three year old with a disability, and received a gift from the Coral Gables Police Department to assist her in the holiday season.

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Welcome to this month’s edition of Kids Crusaders. It is so hard to believe that August is coming to a close. I’d like to open this month’s article by saying that in the beginning of 2014 when I was asked to write for the monthly newsletter for DIG, I was honored. This would be… Read More »

Kids Crusaders

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Julie Fioravanti Welcome to this month’s edition of Kids Crusaders as we celebrate the ADA, a law that went into effect 25 years ago on July 26, 1990. My son was born in April of 1991. While we knew from the day he was born we were going to be faced with challenges,… Read More »

julie Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By: Julie Fioravanti Welcome friends to this month’s edition of Kids Crusaders. My goal is to introduce you to an amazing organization, give you just a few of the stories and introduce you to a few of the many people that make up this “family” and encourage you to consider joining, or referring someone… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner – Nick’s Adventure in Disney World – Part 3

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Welcome back to the March edition of Kids Crusaders Corner. This month I will wrap up the last of my 3 part story that began in January regarding a solo trip that I took my son Nick on for his 16th birthday. (If you haven’t read the first two parts, please do, as it… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Julie Fioravanti This is Part 2 of Julie’s story.  Stay tuned for more in the next newsetter.  Welcome back Crusaders! Greetings from Upstate New York where we are currently a balmy -2 degrees with expected wind chills to hit all-time lows in the (negative) – 20’s tomorrow. Needless to say, we are buried under… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Julie Fioravanti  One of the greatest joys I have learned on my journey of raising a child with special needs is the magic of “paying things forward.” The act of doing something for someone who least expects it, without expecting anything in return. Often on this journey there is great joy in knowing… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Julie Fioravanti   Stay tuned next month for another article by Julie.  She is going to discuss her summer vacation and random acts of kindness and paying it forward.

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Julie Fioravanti   This summer Julie and her husband took Nick to a fun evening event.  They took Nick to Painting with a Twist.  They all worked together and made a beautiful masterpiece.      

Kids Crusader Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

By Julie Fioravanti  Someone I Love  by: Lori Hickman “Someone I love relies on me in ways you will never understand. Someone I love endures pain and challenges that break my heart and renew my spirit at the same time. Someone I love is unable to advocate for themselves for thi…ngs that most of us… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

  Happy Spring, finally!!! Welcome back to Kids Crusaders Corner. The month of May (at least in the area in which I live) usually brings wonderful spring-like weather, flowers blooming (as well as allergies), and Mother’s Day among a long list of other things. This year we saw a final snowstorm, torrential rains, flooding,… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

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 »

Siblings Corner – A sibling’s perspective

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

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.

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

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 »

Julie’s Kids Crusader’s Corner

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

  Welcome back to the Kids Crusaders corner. This year has been off to a wild and crazy start. Depending on where you live, if you are anything like me, you are probably already contemplating 1001 ways to (humanely) terminate the groundhog for seeing his shadow. Another 6 weeks of winter. I am SO… Read More »

Kids Crusaders Corner by Julie

By Disability Independence Group, Inc. |

Happy New Year, and welcome to the Kids Crusaders corner of the Disability Independence Group, otherwise known as DIG. I am honored to be a part of such an amazing organization and will be writing for Kids Crusaders from the perspective on being the parent of a child with special needs. This will be… Read More »