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Special Education by the Numbers
By Caroline Linne, USC Rossier Recent changes to the California Department of Education’s teacher education curriculum is ushering in a new age of inclusion in today’s public school classrooms. In the fall of 2017, they introduced a significant change that will include special education into all general education programs. Before this, the two teacher preparation programs…
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Essential Educational Tips for Parents Raising Special Needs Kids
By Sherie Raymond Parenting isn’t easy at the best of times and having a child with a disability creates new challenges that the majority of parents could never imagine facing. This is especially true when it comes to education. There’s a lot of pressure to succeed and a lot of steps that have to be…
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ABC’s ‘Speechless’ Calls for Abilities Expo
By Julienne Dallara, Abilities Expo Abilities Expo was called to action, and that call came from TV’s Speechless. In the last two decades television has tried, with varying degrees of success, to accurately represent the disability community. With only a few exceptions, that has meant putting an able-bodied actor in a wheelchair and sending him…
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How a Caregiver Can Apply for SSI on Behalf of a Child
By Deanna Power, Disability Benefits Help Children with a wide range of medical conditions are able to qualify for Social Security disability benefits. When a child receives benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), these benefits are usually paid through the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, a need-based form of disability that requires a detailed review of medical…
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Sitting Ground for Disability Rights Against Medicaid Cuts
By Stephanie Woodward, Center for Disability Rights I was arrested four times in five weeks because I refused to sit quietly when the lives and liberty of Americans with disabilities are at risk. I am used to strangers stopping me in public to compliment me on my brightly colored wheelchairs; I am not used to…
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Superfest, The Oldest Disability Film Festival, Returns to Los Angeles
By Emily Beitiks and Anna Goose, Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability Superfest International Disability Film Festival is pleased to announce that it will be returning to its home of origin in February for a Showcase at the Abilities Expo! Superfest, the longest running disability film festival in the world, first debuted in a small Los Angeles…
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Get in Synch with Synchronized Swimming
By Tina Boales, Synchronized Swimming Athletes with Disabilities Adaptive Sychronized Swimming will be featured Abilities Expo Bay Area, November 21-23, 2014. Ever wonder how they do it? How they can hold their breath and flip upside down so “easily” and dance in the water? It’s ALL in the magic of the pool! The combination of dance, gymnastics, ballet…
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Target Features Model with Disabilities to Pitch Iconic Disney Costume
Elsa’s exquisite, ice blue gown has been the go-to Halloween costume for little girls since Disney’s mega-hit Frozen graced the silver screen. Retailers nationwide watch happily as they fly off the shelves. This year, Target’s choice to feature a little girl with leg braces and forearm crutches as the ice queen in their Halloween-time advertisements has met…
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The Art of Self Expression
Because disability spans all races, creeds, genders and orientations, Abilities Expo is very much a “slice of life.” While all attendees are members of a very large, but uniquely connected community, their individual diversity is especially apparent in the ways they choose to express themselves. Take the following group of Expo-goers, proudly distinguishing themselves through…
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ACEing Autism Serves Positive Development for Kids with ASD
ACEing Autism a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing our adaptive tennis program to the lives of children with autism. Connecting kids through tennis has been our aim for ten years and counting. Our goal is to provide an hour of fun, adaptive tennis to children and an hour break for parents, during which, they…
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Cannabis Facts: THC, CBD and the Cannabinoids
By Lex Pelger, Bluebird Botanicals Here at Bluebird Botanicals, we loved getting the opportunity to engage with the Abilities community. Two of our bluebirds, Allie and Katie, recently attended the expo in Chicago and fell in love. With everybody being so warm and open, they said it didn’t feel like a work trip but more like coming…
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Dance with the Rollettes in Houston and Los Angeles
By Chelsie Hill, The Rollettes It all started with our very first Dance Intensive in October of 2012. At the time, I was determined to put on a dance showcase for the disability community, but what emerged was so much more. Our Rollettes team came together because of our shared love of dance and, through our…