Butterfly Dreams

Butterfly Dreams is a children's book by Leslie Montali in which a girl who uses a wheelchair is able to do whatever she wants in her dreams. The book was inspired by the author's 13-year-old daughter Ashtyn, who has cerebral palsy. Butterfly Dreams is also the name of the non-profit organization that Leslie and her husband Adam founded to provide equipment and financial assistance to children with special needs and their families. For more information, including how to order a copy of Butterfly Dreams, go to http://ashysbutterflydreams.com/.

Tek RMD

Five years ago, Matia Robotics began selling a mobility platform called Tek RMD for people with paraplegia and other walking disabilities. Tek RMD, which stands for Robotic Mobilization Device, makes it possible for its user to go from a sitting position to standing on his or her two feet and then move around indoors. The battery-operated device comes with a remote control to aid movement and belts that wrap around the user. A significant amount of hand and arm strength are necessary to use Tek RMD. For more information and to watch videos of how Tek RMD works, go to http://matiarobotics.com/.

Peaceful Fruits

Peaceful Fruits is a social good company that sells fruit strips. These fruit strips are unique in that each of them is made of more than 25 acai berries harvested in the Amazon rainforest and mixed with other fruits such as apple or pineapple. The fruit strips are made, packaged, and shipped by a team of people with developmental and other disabilities in Akron, Ohio. Peaceful Fruits founder and CEO Evan Delahanty, a former Peace Corps volunteer, presented his product on Shark Tank a week ago. Even though none of the Sharks made an investment in his company, Delahanty should be commended for his efforts. To learn more about this company and order some fruit strips, go to http://peacefulfruits.com/.

 

Acai berries

Glimmer: A Dating App for People with Disabilities

Glimmer (http://glimmer.tech/) is a dating and friendship app intended to make people with disabilities feel more comfortable about revealing their handicaps. They have the option to select their disability from a list and have it included in their profile. Entrepreneur Geoffrey Anderson was inspired by his brother (who has a cognitive impairment) to create Glimmer, which people without disabilities can use as well. For more information on Glimmer, go to https://www.thememo.com/2017/02/08/glimmer-dating-app-for-people-with-disabilities-disabled-dating-app/.

Speaking About Inspiration

Yesterday morning, I was one of four local authors who participated in the Brevard Authors Society Writers Forum at the Central Brevard Library and Reference Center in Cocoa. Representing the inspirational genre, I spoke about how I got started writing and my autobiography UnabASHed by Disability. During my speech, I mentioned the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series as a source of inspiration for me. A title that may be of interest to parents of kids with disabilities is Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs. A little inspiration can go a long way for someone with challenges.

 

I at the writers forum