July is Disability Pride Month!

Join us in celebrating the identity, diversity, and culture of individuals with disabilities.

Disability pride celebrations began in July 1990, when the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. The legislation was the first of its kind, protecting those with disabilities from discrimination. In 2015, Disability Pride Month was officially expanded into a month-long celebration after 25 years of protecting those with disabilities.

The Arc is a great resource for more information, history, and local events related to Disability Pride. ABLE NH is another organization which focuses on disability advocacy in New Hampshire. They are having a Disability Pride Parade on July 18th, and further details can be found in this newsletter!

Thank you to everyone who visited us at Market Days!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by to support us at Market Days last month. Your stories and support mean the world to us. Be on the lookout for these stories in future campaigns, as they fuel our drive to have a continuing impact on the community.

Join us for our "Beat the Heat" Walk or Roll on Friday, July 31st!

We are meeting up at the Les Clark Nature Trailhead in northern Concord at 9:00 AM. No RSVP is needed, and the trail is highly accessible. Come if you would like, our Family Support Specialists would be thrilled to see you!

Save the Date! - August 8, 2026

The Family Support Council at Community Bridges wants you to join them for an outdoor showing of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, along with an Appleseed BBQ, on the evening of August 8, 2026. Look out for more information on our social media!

Partnership with CATCH for New Housing

+ Concord Monitor Feature!

Community Bridges has recently partnered with CATCH, a housing association in Concord, to fundraise for a new housing development for adults with developmental disabilities. The development, Eastern Avenue Supportive Living, is located off Loudon Road, and will have 17 units for rent. Pricing will be calculated by an individual's income, and one or two units will be for live-in caretakers.

The Concord Monitor published an article on July 11th with more information and history around the project and partnerships, click here to read it!

Individuals and

Families Encouraged

to Apply for New State

Oversight Commission

Senate Bill 670, recently signed into law, establishes a new Developmental Services Oversight Commission charged with reviewing health and safety data, identifying best practices, and making recommendations to strengthen New Hampshire's developmental services system. The Commission will also review performance measures, training requirements, proposed rule changes, and other information to support continuous quality improvement.

Importantly, the legislation reserves four seats for people with lived experience:

Two parents of individuals receiving developmental services
Two individuals receiving developmental services.

If you are interested in helping shape the future of developmental services in New Hampshire, we encourage you to consider applying for one of these appointments through the Governor's Office.

Community Bridges believes the voices of individuals and families are essential in creating a stronger, more responsive developmental services system. We encourage anyone interested in serving to learn more about the appointment process and submit an application.

Apply through the Governor's Office at this link!

ABLENH is hosting a Disability Pride Parade and Festival TOMORROW, Saturday, July 18th, from 10 AM to 1 PM at the State House Plaza!

Over 40 advocacy organizations will be there, along with music, refreshments, coffee, festivities, and local Concord attractions. Take the opportunity to connect with those who have experienced a disability, their knowledge, and their advocates.

Come to celebrate every body and every mind!

Learn more about ABLENH and the parade here.

HB 1337 Vetoed by Kelly Ayotte!

On July 2, 2026, Governor Kelly Ayotte rejected House Bill 1337. This bill would have repealed the New Hampshire council on autism spectrum disorders, which was established in 2008 to establish organized leadership for individuals experiencing autism or related disability. According to Vermont news station MyChamplainValley, Ayotte believed the committee had "done good work at no cost to taxpayers". The NHCASD website can be found here.

Recent notices on formal public comment opportunities regarding Administrative Rules impacting disability services have been posted to our Call to Action page on our website.

Disabilities and Voting Rights

The New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities has a bounty of information pertaining to disability services and voting rights. This link provides articles on disability voting rights, accessibility options for voting, and more.

NHRA Annual Conference

The NHRA Annual Conference will occur on Thursday, September 4th, 2026, in beautiful Waterville Valley.

Established individuals will be hosting sessions and presentations on this day, including • Susanne Schmidt, Julie Lago (Executive Director of the National Center for START Services), Brendan Madden (Founder of Service Dogs NH), Kelly Nye-Lengerman (expert in workforce development and inclusive employment), and Brad Brooks (Director of Student Services for Newburyport Public Schools).

Additional engaging and informative sessions will also take place throughout the day.

A room block is available at the Snowy Owl Inn for the night of Wednesday, September 23.

To reserve your room, please call 603-236-8383 and reference the NHRA block.

The deadline to reserve at the conference rate is July 26, 2026.

Riverbend Informational Session on July 29th

Community Bridges is partnering with Riverbend Community Mental Health for an informational session on their services for developmental disabilities, mental health and more. It will be held at the office, on 162 Pembroke Road, on July 29th from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM.

There will also be light refreshments! RSVP by July 27th to sfisher@cbinnh.org.

Roadmap to the Future

The Parent Information Center has recently published a Roadmap to the Future, which is a comprehensive, interactive web page with information, action items, and pertinent aquestions for high school students with disabilities and their families. The webpage provides videos, website links, and significant information on this important time of an individual's life. The link to this roadmap can be found here.

The Parent Information Center also publishes a seasonal newsletter for families and professionals, taking care of children from birth to age 26. They are in partnership with NH Family Voices. This is their second edition (Spring/Summer 2026), which contains articles and resources on accessible summer activities, summer planning for children, shifts within routines for summer learning opportunities, and more. The newsletter can be found here.

Want some outdoor, accessible fun locations to visit this summer? The New Hampshire Council on Developmental Disabilities has developed an interactive map which highlights recreational areas in the state which may have wheelchair ramps, low elevation gain, harder walkway surfaces, and other accessible elements that let everyone have fun in the sun. The map can be found here.

Friends-A-Palooza is Next Saturday!

The Friends Program is hosting their 5th annual Friends-A-Palooza celebration on Saturday, July 25. The event will run from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at Keach Park in Concord. They are celebrating International Friendship Day and raising awareness about their programs and partners.

There will be crafts, games, and fun for all ages, so celebrate with the Friends Program if you are free! Here is the link for free registration.

Congrats to the Project SEARCH Graduates!

The Project SEARCH program at Concord Hospital held its graduation ceremony on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 with seven graduates. Over the last nine months the graduates have completed three internships at Concord Hospital.

This year’s graduates included from left to right: Liam Dennehy, Andrei Bonnem, Nate Morse, Brody Stevens, Sophia Bush, Adrian De Vera and Shannon McGrade.

Over the summer months, the interns will take the next steps in applying for positions that match their interests and the skills they have learned in their internships. The goal is with the support and the experience gained from participating in the Project SEARCH program that all the graduates will be employed soon. For more information about the Project SEARCH program, please contact Stephanie Brasley, Coordinator and Instructor at sbrasley@sau8.org or at (603) 415-6646.

The staff had a fun time on Hat Day, which was July 8th. Thanks for your Community Bridges spirit!

Welcome Interns!

Community Bridges is excited to be hosting several interns over the summer. Students from various fields of study are joining us to learn more about the disability community and participate in hands-on learning that will support their education and the work we do here at Community Bridges! We are excited to share with you that this month's newsletter was developed by our talented communications intern, Joseph! Be on the lookout for more of his work on social media and future newsletters.