I love May! It makes me feel like summer is starting, the days are longer, and it is time to relax and play.

When May begins, I always smile. This month we are having a spring fundraiser for DIG. The fundraiser will begin with our May newsletter and will last for one month, until our June newsletter.

Last year, DIG was selected by the Miami Foundation to participate in the Jumpstart Program. This program was created to help non-profits elevate their mission, secure community support, and to build capacity. Through this program, we were assigned a virtual coach. Our coach is Lucas Metropulos, and he shared his expertise with us, and consulted with us on how to develop a fundraising strategy. So, Lucas, we are taking your advice and starting with our first fundraiser for DIG.

Our Goal is to Raise $20,000

You can support our Spring Fundraiser by donating online through our website. Throughout the month we will tell you about our main projects and the impact they are having throughout the community.

Justine, our social media maven, will be posting both online throughout the month and we will be sending emails, also, once a week. We are going to share pictures and videos that show you the power of our work.

I hope you join us in making our first-ever fundraiser a success, and allow us to keep doing the work that we love.

Thank you! 

Featured Article

The Things We Don’t Talk About

By: Justine Chichester

2017 - Taking the first few steps during physical therapy

“Losing is a learning experience. It teaches you humility. It teaches you to work harder. It’s also a powerful motivator.” – Yogi Berra

I was having lunch the other day with a friend out at a restaurant in Coral Gables. We hadn’t seen each other in a while, so we sat and talked for hours, catching up, eating great food and reminiscing about old times. When we were finished, I stood up, using my walker, as I always do, and I noticed as I started to walk that my right leg wasn’t cooperating. More than just not cooperating…it wouldn’t even move. I gave it a minute, still nothing. It wouldn’t advance forward when I tried to walk. Even take a step. I knew I’d have to revert back to using the pressure of my arms on my walker to bring my leg forward, just to be able to walk, so we could get back to the car. This was how I began walking, years ago, when I was able to stand up from my wheelchair and take a few steps. So, the movement was familiar to me…this very laborious way of walking…I just hadn’t done it in a very, very long time and I was mortified that it would take so long for us to walk back to the car.

Not two days before this, I had boasted on Instagram that I finally conquered being able to step on and off of a curb, using only a cane. I had been working on this for a very, very long time and I was so proud to share the video of me accomplishing this, with my physical therapist at my side. In the video, we are laughing and smiling and so proud of what I’ve been able to do, when I was told as a spinal cord injury survivor, that I would not ever even walk again. Using a cane to walk, and now to step on and off of a curb, was a huge milestone. And I happily celebrated it. But, now here I was, just a couple of days later, struggling to walk at all, with my walker.

I began writing my “The View From Here” monthly articles for Disability Independence Group many years ago. And throughout those years and those articles, I’ve shared mostly my triumphs, such as the curb step with the cane, and my accomplishments throughout my recovery journey; occasionally sharing my struggles, but definitely never focusing on them. While I don’t regret sharing my accomplishments, here or on my social media, I’ve noticed that it’s the struggles that we keep hidden from others, while we seemingly only highlight the milestones. So, I hadn’t shared that incident after lunch with my friend, until now.

Years ago, I followed Victoria Arlen when she was on Dancing with the Stars. Arlen is a television personality for ESPN and a former Paralympian swimmer. At the age of eleven, Arlen developed transverse myelitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. She spent nearly four years “locked” inside her own body and doctors believed (and told her parents and family) there was no hope for survival and recovery was unlikely. At age 15, Arlen actually began to recover and speak, eat and move once again. Her legs, however, were the only thing that did not come back, and she remained a wheelchair user for a decade, until she ultimately began walking again and, yes, dancing on Dancing with the Stars. During a final dress rehearsal, Victoria was dancing with her partner, Valentin Chmerkovskiy, and she began to freeze up. It was suddenly clear that she couldn’t move, so Val brought her gently to the floor and called out for her Mom, who was backstage, to come and help. Victoria later explained that her right side seized up due to spasms, which those of us who have any neurological injuries know all too well, and experience daily. She ultimately was okay, the spasms passed, and she was able to dance that night, live on television.

The point is, I remembered Victoria Arlen the other day while leaving the restaurant with my friend. And knowing someone else had gone through something similar, the freezing up of one side, the spasms, this helped me get through my difficult moment.

While I know how important it is to celebrate our milestones, oftentimes even the smallest ones, it can be just as important to share the toughest times.



Since my spinal cord injury in 2014, I’ve really come to admire those of us who live every day with a disability and share the struggles we face, as well as the milestones. Someone very dear to me said recently, “When you win, you always celebrate the victory, but when you don’t win, you learn from the loss.” That’s what I’ve taken from sharing my challenges, and what I've learned from my fellow spinal cord injury survivors who share theirs. We can often learn more from our struggles than from our triumphs. And we can certainly help others along the way, just by doing so.

2023 - Stepping on and off of the curb, using only a cane

My Experience as an Intern at DIG

By: Sabrina Zeghibe

As a graduating senior at the University of Miami studying Community and Applied Psychological Studies, we are required to complete a practicum at a non-profit organization, and I was lucky enough to get into contact with Disability Independence Group. I chose to work with DIG because throughout my high school and college career I have been involved in organizations like Special Olympics and the Martin Richard’s Foundation to advocate for inclusion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in recreational sports. However, I have only worked at the individual level of advocacy. DIG does a lot of large-scale policy work that I wanted to get some experience with.

Working at DIG has been an extremely valuable experience for me. I was able to receive a hands-on experience in the non-profit world. I still remember my first meeting at DIG with my coworkers Debbie and Justine. They jumped right into the meeting and had me following along. They explained that they want me doing the work with them, so I was thrown right into the mix. I followed along in the meeting, asked questions, and was given my first assignments. This was the best thing that could have been done for me because it allowed me to contribute to the non-profit while learning about all of the work that I was doing simultaneously. With the limited time I had to complete my hours while still learning, I have learned an immense amount about disability rights, networking, and nonprofits in general. I have many deliverables from working with DIG because they have truly allowed me to be part of their team. I have contributed to the monthly newsletters, assisted with the Wallet Card Project, helped with the Enable Project Trainings, organized Supper Social Club, helped create the iPad Manual for Accessibility features for the Miami Inclusion Alliance, and so much more.

My time at DIG has opened my eyes to all of the difficulties individuals with disabilities face in their daily lives that are typically looked over by people who do not have disabilities. From no curb openings in the sidewalk, to adding alternate texts for images, to closed captioning, even to the use of appropriate fonts and text color, all of which are quick, easy steps society could make to ease some of the barriers people with disabilities have to face yet they are often skipped over. Disabilities are often an afterthought in our society because we are not educated on these difficulties or how to avoid them. Another lesson I learned was that it is one thing to learn about these theories and topics and it is a whole other thing to enact it in the real world. Learning about funding is one thing, but you do not realize how difficult this is until you enact it in a real-world setting. There is a lot more that goes into grants and fundraising than we are taught in the classroom because there are real-life barriers that cannot be accounted for. My experience at DIG helped me learn more about my whole major than the classes have because I was applying the concepts that we were learning.

I learned a lot about myself while working with DIG. I learned that I work well on a collaborative team. I was also proud of myself for contributing and sharing my ideas with the organization. As an intern, I would not typically have a high status in the organization, but with the help of my supportive coworkers, I felt comfortable sharing my viewpoint on projects we were conducting, and my coworkers valued my thoughts. It has been a transformative experience for me, and I just want to thank everyone at Disability Independence Group for making this such an enriching practicum experience. Special shoutout to Debbie and Justine for being there every step of the way and supporting me in my practicum experience; you guys truly made the experience as amazing as it was for me, and I cannot be more thankful! Check out my poster presentation that I made summarizing my experience at DIG, what I worked on, and the lessons I have learned! 

Last month was Sexual Assault Month, and I wrote about the efforts being made to recognize it's impact on victims with disabilities.

While doing my research, I came across an article by Dr. Betsy Kanarowski, Ph.D.L.C.S.W. on the Sexual Assault of Children with Disabilities. She has spent 20 years in the field and shares her insight on this important and troubling topic. The whole article can be read here:

https://defendinnocence.org/child-sexual-abuse-risk-reduction/proactive-parenting/reduce-risk/disability-child-sexual-abuse/

This month, I want to share a brief overview of her findings because I believe few of us have considered the unique needs of these child victims.

There are still many myths that surround children with disabilities. Sometimes you hear, “No one would hurt a child with a disability” or “It is not appropriate to talk to kids with disabilities about sexuality. They can’t understand and it will put ideas in their head."

These myths are not supported by the statistics that are alarming:

• Children with disabilities are 3 times more likely to be victims of sexual abuse.

• Children with multiple disabilities are even more vulnerable.

• Well over half of women with developmental disabilities are survivors of sexual assault.

Here are some of the reasons those numbers are so high:

• Children with disabilities often need help with personal care and rarely have the right to refuse that care.

• They may have the desire to fit in and be like others, making them more vulnerable.

• There may be the inability to report abuse because of communication limitations.

• There is still a lack of education about healthy sexuality, sexual abuse and how to get help for these children.

There are solutions that have proven to work, but parents, caregivers, and those that interface with these children must be proactive. 

They must understand the signs of abuse and trauma. These can be the same in children with or without disabilities. 

• Teach boundaries and what is a safe touch and how to say no.

• Teach developmentally appropriate sexual development.

• Give children a vocabulary of words to report abuse.

• Be aware of any changes in behavior and don’t assume it is disability related.

• If sexual abuse does happen, report it and get help.

I believe we must bring this issue into the open and develop a robust system of care for children with disabilities who have been abused.

We must train all of those who may interface with children with disabilities on this topic and give them the resources they need to recognize abuse and stop it.



We have work to do, and I hope to continue to keep you informed on this important topic. 

Helping People with Disabilities Communicate with First Responders.

This project has several components:

• We make customized wallet cards for people living with intellectual/developmental disabilities and Autism.

• We make customized caregiver wallet cards for caregivers of people living with disabilities.

• We have an online training program for law enforcement.

• We have a program for schools, parks programs, or community organizations.

Please click the link below to learn more about this project and to order your own customized wallet card or caregiver card.

If you have any questions, please email Debbie at debbie@justidigit.org.

Subscribe to the Florida Access Coalition Mailing List to get the Most Updated Information!

WIPA program and SSA Beneficiaries with Psychiatric Disabilities

A large portion of beneficiaries who could potentially receive WIPA services are individuals with mental health diagnoses. There is a high rate of unemployment/underemployment of this population.

Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Social Security Income (SSI) both provide needed financial assistance to many people in the United States who have mental health conditions. The two programs are run by the US Social Security Administration (SSA). SSDI provides monthly income to individuals who are limited in their ability to work because of a physical or mental disability. Currently almost nine million individuals receive SSDI, and as of 2013, 35.2% of recipients qualify for disability based on a mental health condition.  85% of people with Mental Illness want to work but are afraid to lose their disability status and healthcare

How WIPA can help?

Community Work Incentives Coordinators, CWICs, address employment barriers by educating beneficiaries and their advocates/professionals and supporting the various federal and state work incentives.

Counseling beneficiaries to understand in their individual situation

• SSA benefits
• Healthcare
• Housing and work incentives
• Other federal and state benefits and incentives

Community Work incentives Coordinator can provide thorough, timely and accurate information, a variety of benefit scenarios, and facilitate the beneficiary to make informed choices about work, benefits, and financial stability and as a result the SSA beneficiaries with psychiatric disabilities will be able to:

• Develop economic security and the ability to support oneself and/or family
• Develop assets and achieve financial goals and
• Achieve a higher socioeconomic status

If you are one of the many SSDI or SSI disability beneficiaries who want to work, a WIPA project can help you understand the employment supports that are available to you and enable you to make informed choices about work and achieving financial independence. For additional questions please call your local WIPA project at 305-453-3491.

Resources:

https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Public-Policy/Social-Security-Income-(SSI)-and-Social-Security-D#sthash.pbJOrPbS.dpuf

https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Living-with-a-Mental-Health-Condition/Succeeding-at-Work

https://choosework.ssa.gov/findhelp/

Lesly Quintanilla Lopez

A Win for Dominion is a Win for the Disabled Community

Check out Debbie Dietz's Op-Ed article, published in the Miami Herald, in it's entirety, here!

Access The Vote Florida (ATVFL) is a state chapter of AAPD’s REVUP Campaign. REV UP stands for: Register! Educate! Vote! Use your Power!

The chapter is a statewide coalition of organizations and self-advocates that are working to raise awareness about issues that impact persons with disabilities, encourage people with disabilities to participate in the voting process, and educate elected officials on issues important to persons with disabilities.

Email Olivia at oliviab@drflorida.org to get on our mailing list.

Vote-by-Mail and How to get an Accessible Vote-by-Mail Ballot

By: Deborah Dietz

At the end of 2022, all requests for vote-by-mail ballots expired. This was because of a new state law passed in 2021.

What this means is that if you want to continue to vote-by-mail you need to submit a new request to the elections department.

In Florida, if you are a voter with a qualified disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) you have the option to receive an accessible vote by mail ballot by email. This option allows voters to cast their ballot independently without the assistance of another person.

Click here to request a vote-by-mail ballot in Miami-Dade County.

Click here to request an accessible vote-by-mail ballot in Miami-Dade County.

*NOTE: Requesting the accessible ballot will prompt the paper and electronic portions to be sent to the voter.

If you have any questions, please contact the Miami-Dade County Election’s Department at soedade@miamidade.gov or 305.499.8509 with any questions you might have regarding this program.

Voters who have questions should email votebymail@miamidade.gov or call 305.499.8444.

City of Coral Gables Events

If you have any questions, please email the City at PlayForAll@coralgables.com.

Sensory Friendly Fourth of July

July 4th, 5 - 10 p.m. at the DEI Clubhouse.

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Cost: $5 per person. Space is limited.

Register at: playgables.com

DEI Clubhouse Hours (adults)

Mondays, 3 – 7 p.m. at the DEI Clubhouse, No registration. No Fees.

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Unprogrammed social time to hangout.

My Squad (adults)

Last Wednesday of each month, 6 – 9 p.m.

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Ticketed Monthly $5 each

May 31: Pizza, Fairy Houses and Puzzles

June 28: Pizza, Rug Weaving and Games

Teen Scene (ages 13-17)

Last Thursday of Each Month, 5 – 8 p.m. (companions are welcome to eat and join all activities).

DEI Clubhouse, 3940 Granada Blvd., Coral Gables, FL 33134

Registered seasonally $50 per season

Visit DIG at the Family Café

June 9 – 11, 2023

Orlando, Florida

Saturday, June 10 at 9:30am in Bayhill 30

Debbie and Kat Magnoli will be speaking about the Intersection of Disability and Abuse.

Saturday, June 10, at 11am in Bayhill 31

Debbie, Laura-Lee, and Sarah will be speaking about ATVFL, voting in Florida, and youth engagement.

988 is now active across the United States.

988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) and is now active across the United States.

When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.

This new, shorter phone number will make it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services.

(Please note, the previous 1-800-273-TALK (8255) number will continue to function indefinitely.)

LEARN MORE

Litigation Update:

Disability Independence Group’s Litigation Department closed in

2022.

If you have a disability legal question, you can contact Professor Matthew Dietz at the Disability Advocacy and Inclusion Law (DIAL) Clinic at Nova Southeastern University Law School. His email is: mdietz@nova.edu.

If you have a disability education issue, such as an IEP or Exceptional Student Education, you can contact Stephanie Langer at Langer Law, PA. Her email is: helpline@langerlawpa.com.

Follow DIG on Social Media!