Many parents find it challenging to balance the care and attention they give to each child, but this can be especially difficult when one child has a disability and another does not. Caring for a child with a disability can be so all-consuming that parents often worry their other children are falling by the wayside….
Psychologists across the country agree that a key element of self-care during the quarantine and isolation periods associated with the COVID-19 pandemic is staying connected to one another. Most disability service centers that normally provide adult day programs, support groups, recreational activities, and events have had to shut down in order to maintain the safety…
During the COVID-19 outbreak, families across the country are practicing social distancing, quarantining, and isolation. Children are home from school and parents are home from work. For parents, this can mean planning activities to keep their kids busy at home when they aren’t in school. Why is self-care important? According to a recent article in…
The city of Midland, Michigan recently started a campaign to raise money for a new baseball field where people with physical and cognitive disabilities can enjoy accessible sports opportunities. This “Miracle Field” will be made of rubber and completely flat, which will make it easier for participants to move around. Traditional baseball fields can be…
A recent study by the Center for American Progress found that parents of children with disabilities are experiencing “meaningful obstacles to accessing child care” (1). This conclusion came from several data sources, including the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), the 2016 Early Childhood Program Participation Survey (ECPP), and interviews conducted in 2019…
Social Security Income (SSI) is an income supplement program for people who are aged, blind, or disabled, and have little to no income. The funds supplement basic needs, such as clothing, food, and shelter. Unfortunately, as it stands, SSI benefits change when people marry. Because it is based on income, the funds will then be…
“Crip Camp,” the Netflix documentary about a ‘70s summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, took the Sundance Film Festival by storm this past weekend. Camp Jened in upstate New York encapsulated a revolutionary spirit, much like neighboring Woodstock (1). But what was so revolutionary about it wasn’t just the hippie mindset of its patrons; it…
A study published in JAMA in November revealed that the percentage of U.S. medical students who disclosed their disability to their schools has risen dramatically over the last three years (1). In 2016, only about 2.7% of medical students disclosed their disabilities, whereas in 2019, roughly 4.6% of them did (2). The survey noted that…
NPR Michigan Radio’s Clare Lombardo reported in December that roughly 365,000 student loan borrowers were identified as possibly being eligible for loan discharge as a result of permanent disabilities that keep them from employment (1). These borrowers, however, have not gotten their due loan relief. This most often happens because they aren’t aware they could…
Raising a child can have profound effects on marriages and relationships between parents. For parents of a disabled child, the effects may be heightened because the child’s care needs can introduce unique challenges into the romantic partnership. This is not to say that these relationships are doomed to fail. Many parents of children with disabilities…
