Katherine Swarts – Page 34

school cafeteria workers serving lunch to students

School Assistance and Free Lunches: Programs Born in the COVID Era

Read Time 5 Minutes In 2020, as COVID-19 outbreaks forced education online, it became painfully obvious how heavily many families depended on in-person schooling. Among the federal assistance programs originated in 2020–21 were a number specifically designed to bridge the…

BridgingApps Reviewed App | WW / WeightWatchers

BridgingApps just published the following BridgingApps Reviewed App on the site: The WW / WeightWatchers app is a user friendly “healthy eating” app. Rather than counting calories or requiring a certain daily amount of servings per food group, it assigns…

Special Needs and Unwanted Surprises: Dealing with Last-Minute Disruptions in an Uncertain World

Read Time 5 Minutes If there’s anything worse than having your plans spoiled, it’s having plans spoiled when they include someone who has autism or Down syndrome, who never heard the unspoken “circumstances permitting” behind “we’ll go to the beach…

Emotional Support Dogs (And Other Emotional Support Animals)

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…

Five friends smiling and looking at a laptop together

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…

girl wearing a mask giving a thumbs up after getting a vaccine

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.…

girl in wheelchair hugging golden retriever

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…

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…

2 adults holding child's hand between them carrying shopping bags

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…

man in wheelchair sitting at table with laptop. female sitting next to him

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…