November 9, 2022 | Issue 52 (View newsletter as webpage) Para leer este boletín en Español, haga clic aquí

Important News

Mourning the Passing of Lois Curtis

Lois Curtis - a Black disabled woman activist icon - has passed away. Her legacy and life will forever be a part of the disability movement for freedom.

She was the lead plaintiff in the historic Supreme Court Case Olmstead v. Lois Curtis.

In 1995 the Atlanta Legal Aid Society assisted Lois with filing a case against the state of Georgia. The defendant in the case was the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Tommy Olmstead. His name is how the community uplifts this case by calling it the Olmstead case.

The erasure of Lois Curtis’ name when discussing the case has been harmful to many BIPOC disabled people for many years...but even more so to the legacy of this phenomenal Black disabled woman.

Lois Curtis had Pancreatic cancer and passed away on November 3, 2022. A Go Fund Me page remains open for donations to close out her life and give her the amazing homegoing service that she deserves.

Consider making a donation in her memory here

Read "Olmstead: Where are We 23 Years Later" on the SPAN Blog

Resources

Family Planning for Rare Disease Families

United MSD Foundation is excited to present "Family Planning for Rare Disease Families," a conversation about all things reproductive for members of the rare disease community, on Saturday, November 12th at 8:00 AM CT.

Please join Deirdre Leahy, MS, CGC and Brenna Bentley, MS, CGC to learn more about inheritance, pre-conception options, prenatal testing, and adoption.

Rare disease families are often left to wonder about the risk for future children and the options they may have for family planning. This presentation will review the numerous ways a family can grow.

Online Center for Safety

Children's Specialized Hospital

Living Safely with Disabilities and Special Health Needs is a program developed by Children's Specialized Hospital in partnership with self-advocates and community partners.

The Online Center for Safety is a part of this program. It includes:

Accessible and inclusive safety resources
Safety tools
Guidance documents
Public Service Announcements

The focus is supporting the interests and safety needs of people with disabilities. Some materials are for an audience of self-advocates and others are for community members who interact with a variety of individuals. Materials are available in multiple formats and are translated into Spanish.

View a video about the Online Center for Safety here

Check out all of the resources in the Online Center for Safety here

Upcoming Events

SPAN offers a variety of learning opportunities for families and the professionals who work with them.

Highlighted Event This Week

A Camping We Will Go - Books, Balls & Blocks

November 18 2022

6:00 - 8:00 PM

SPAN's NJ Inclusive Child Care Project is a partner in this upcoming virtual event for families of children birth to five years of age.

This free, fun event helps families to learn about how their child talks, plays and interacts with their world. Families will also learn about tracking and promoting their child's developmental milestones.

Each child who participates will receive a free book and S'mores kit.

See all of SPAN's upcoming events with details and registration links here

Para recibir la edición en Español de este boletín semanalmente en su correo electrónico

haga clic aquí para suscribirse

POSTPONEMENT NOTICE: We regret to inform you that due to several factors beyond our control, we will be postponing the November 10th Community of Care Consortium meeting. We anticipate rescheduling the meeting to celebrate Diana Autin early in the new year. Stay tuned for the Save the Date notification.

SPAN Youth Hub Discusses Inclusive Holidays

Halloween is a nationwide celebration for millions of families. But there is still much work to make it an inclusive holiday for individuals with disabilities. Read more on how to make future Halloweens inclusive in the newest blog post, "Halloween for All."

Click here to access the blog

Share your SPAN testimonial story! CLICK HERE

Join the SPAN Team - View Open Positions here

SPAN Parent Advocacy Network | spanadvocacy.org

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