Happy May. We had such a fantastic Supper Social Club event at the end of April, that we decided to add a bowling event this summer, in July. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the event. We will be posting information on our social media accounts and in our next newsletter.

You can also join us at our next Supper Social Club Pizza night on June 3^rd . You will find out more information in this newsletter about how you can register and join us for dinner. I really love how our group has grown. We started with one table at California Pizza Kitchen, and now we almost fill the entire restaurant at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza. We had 48 people join us at the last dinner.

I have included a picture from the first dinner and you can see all of the pictures from the April dinner, below, in this newsletter. Everyone is smiling and we are all having so much fun. Thank you to everyone that has donated gift cards for our raffle. I love being able to call out the names and give out the raffle prizes, it is the perfect way to end the evening.

Featured Article

The View From Here

By: Justine Chichester

On some days, my disability whispers. On other days, it roars.

This September will mark ten years since I fell in front of my house and became paralyzed. Since that rainy September evening, I have been told I would most likely never walk again, became a wheelchair-user, learned to drive with hand controls and generally navigate my “new normal” as a person who used a wheelchair full-time. I never gave up, however, in my fight to walk again, to stand again, to live life like I once knew it…again.

Some would say I’ve succeeded. I’ve defied the odds. I am actually walking again. Using a walker full-time, I’ve left the wheelchair behind, now I’m moving on to using a cane. And I recognize how fortunate I am to be doing the things “they” told me I never would again. On some days, though, just when I think I’m getting back to that person I was before my injury, my disability goes from a mere whisper in my life, to a roar that is so loud, I can’t even hear anything else. Continue Reading The View From Here

This month, some 65,000 Americans will experience a stroke. Many will be unaware that they were even at risk. Less than a third will arrive in the emergency room within three hours, which is the optimal time period for better outcomes.

May marks National Stroke Awareness Month. The National Stroke Association spotlights the modifiable risk factors that account for 90 percent of all strokes. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is the single most important modifiable risk factor, accounting for nearly 48 percent of strokes.

With eight in ten people experiencing their first stroke having hypertension, getting your blood pressure checked is an important first step in controlling your stroke risk.

It is also important to know the warning signs of a stroke. Remember this phrase: “B.E. F.A.S.T.” 

For more information, visit The American Stroke Association.

Join Us on June 3rd for

Our Next Pizza Night

We Can't Wait to See you There!

Raffle Prizes!

We are looking for donations for Raffle Prizes for our DIG events! Specifically, we are looking for gift cards to fun places or restaurants. The purpose of the gift cards is to give our guests a reason to try something new, or to go out in the community and be involved.

Examples are: A gift card to any restaurant, or a movie theatre or another entertainment place. Or a gift card for a cup of coffee or any drink at Starbucks.

We want our group to be out in the community having fun, socializing, and living a fabulous life!

Please bring your donated raffle prizes to our next event, or you can mail them to us at:

Disability Independence Group

P.O. Box 140850

Coral Gables, FL 33114-0850

Do you have other ideas for our DIG Event Raffle Prizes?

Please send them via email to Debbie Dietz

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health awareness month was started so that people could recognize the vital role that mental health plays in the overall health and well-being of a person.

Here are some key messages to remember:

1)     Everyone deserves access to respectful and culturally appropriate care.

2)     Addressing and reducing barriers to treatment are the first steps to building more equitable health systems.

3)     Cultural differences should be respected and celebrated when providing mental health support.

4)     Acknowledging and celebrating the identities of LGBTQIA+ people helps build their self-confidence and emotional well-being.

5)     Good mental health increases the ability of children and teens to practice self-care and face challenges with resilience.

6)     Friends and family can experience meaningful mutual connection by spending time visiting with older adults.

7)     Proper self-care and seeking help when you need it can help you maintain good mental health.

8)     It’s never too late to get help.



9)     Remember Help is always available – The 988 Lifeline provides 24/7 Free and confidential support. 

WIPA program and SSA Beneficiaries with Psychiatric Disabilities

By: Lesly Quintanilla Lopez

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. Read More Here

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Your Upward Journey – by Patricia Perisse

A three-part project that includes a book, self-help seminars and merchandise.

Do you have suggestions for future content or articles for our DIG newsletter?

If so, email your ideas and suggestions to our newsletter editor, Justine Chichester.

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