There’s a cartoon that shows a preschooler in a waiting room, asking his mother, “Do doctors ever get sick like real people?” Apps for teaching kids about doctors’ work: Doctors may seem superhuman to many who depend on them, but…
Category: Feature (page 8)
3 Key Challenges for the Autistic Volunteer
Today’s post is in honor of National Volunteer Week—and of all people, with or without special challenges, who make time to help build a better world. “Volunteering defines America,” states President Biden in this year’s Volunteer Week proclamation. “We seek…
Autism Awareness: How Do People with Autism Want to Be Seen?
Understanding of autism has come a long way since doctors began researching it in the 1940s. However, it’s still easier to get a job without autism; there are still schools that refuse needed accommodations; and there are still too few…
Autism Awareness: How It Started, How It’s Grown
April is Autism Awareness Month—also known as Autism Acceptance Month, Autism Advancement Month, or World Autism Month. Official name and focus are still evolving half a century after the observation was founded, but few would disagree with the goal of…
Judy Heumann, Mother of Disability Rights: A Tribute
“Judy Heumann was a trailblazer [who dedicated] her life to fighting for the inherent dignity of people with disabilities. … Her legacy is an inspiration to all Americans, including many talented public servants with disabilities in my Administration.” –President Joe…
Traveling with Mobility Impairments, Part II: Destination and Stay
Welcome to Part II of “Traveling with Mobility Impairments,” based on Andi Fry’s New York trip with her family last fall. Andi is our BridgingApps Coordinator for Montgomery County Outreach; her daughter Megan is a graduate student who uses a…
Traveling with Sensory Disorders
As the year turns toward warmer seasons, thoughts turn toward vacation. And after months of COVID-19 travel restrictions, long-distance travel is particularly popular now—notwithstanding the extra work and planning involved. With disabilities in the picture, planning gets even more complicated.…
What’s So “Different” about Down Syndrome?
This Tuesday (March 21) is World Down Syndrome Day. You likely know that Down syndrome, the result of an “extra” chromosome in one’s genes, is associated with low IQ scores. Unfortunately, that’s all that many people know—and, for far too…
Surviving the Loss of a Companion Animal
“Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all,” wrote the poet Alfred Tennyson, processing his grief after the death of a close friend. While mourning has its regrets, these rarely include, “I wish I’d never…
Coping When You Have a Disability: Natural Disasters
Wherever you live, chances are that natural disasters interrupt your business-as-usual from time to time. You don’t have to suffer direct injury or property damage: schedule disruptions, power outages, and evacuations impact everyone in the area. Even breaking-news bulletins can…