Read Time 5 Minutes Service dogs have been around for over a century (or much longer than that, if you count “unofficial” service dogs that have been trained by individuals since early domestication days); but the concept of Emotional Support…
Author: Katherine Swarts
Getting the Word Out: How You Can Help Others Find Affordable Digital Access
Read Time 2 Minutes As discussed in our recent post, “Library Hotspots and Lift Zones,” lack of reliable high-speed internet is an educational, economic, and vocational disadvantage. Fortunately, there are many options for getting advanced digital access on a limited…
Straight Talk on Vaccinations
Read Time 3 Minutes August is National Immunization Month, and also back-to-school month in many parts of the United States. An appropriate combination, since preparations for starting or returning to school typically include bringing a child’s immunizations up to date.…
A Brief History of Service Dogs | National Dog Month
Read Time 3 Minutes In honor of National Dog Month, BridgingApps dedicates this post to all hardworking service dogs past and present. Working dogs have been part of human civilization for thousands of years. Once upon a time, a wolf…
Back to School with Special Needs
Read Time 4 Minutes Within a month after this is published, most U.S. schoolchildren will begin the 2022-23 school year. Including the demographic of kids who—along with their families—find that “back to school” involves more-complicated-than-average challenges. If your child has…
Texas Youth2Adult: Recommended-Reading Roundup
Read Time 4 Minutes “TexasYouth2Adult is an interactive tool created to empower youth with special health care needs to grow successfully into adulthood. It was created with input from parents, health care providers, educators, transition specialists, and youth. Families can…
Shopping with and For Special Needs
Read Time 4 Minutes If August comes, can back-to-school sales be far behind? For those who like getting an early start on things and saving money as a bonus, the next tax-free weekend is just a few days away (August…
Siblings Have Needs, Too: “Typical” Children in Special-Needs Families
Read Time 5 Minutes “Siblings of individuals with disabilities face unique challenges, and the sibling experience tends to change over time as siblings age.” -Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, UMass Chan Medical School Of all people whose lives are…
Celebrating 32 Years | ADA Anniversary Is July 26
Read Time 4 Minutes “The Congress finds that physical or mental disabilities in no way diminish a person’s right to fully participate in all aspects of society, yet many people with physical or mental disabilities have been precluded from doing…
Library Hotspots and Lift Zones: Making the Internet Universally Accessible
Written By Katherine SwartsRead Time 3 Minutes After the initial COVID outbreak of 2020 shut down public gatherings, the disadvantages of living without reliable broadband internet became obvious. School kids in low-income families, cut off from in-person education and unable…