Special Needs Shelters

With the possibility of Tropical Storm Dorian turning into a hurricane that will hit Florida, this is the time to think about where you'll go if you have to evacuate. There are special needs shelters for people with disabilities and medical conditions that don't require hospitalization. You need to submit information about yourself online in order to be placed on the Florida Special Needs Registry. This will enable you to receive information from emergency management officials about evacuation and sheltering options, which will be revealed when a hurricane approaches Florida. However, being on the Registry doesn't mean you'll automatically be taken to a special needs shelter. If you need assistance in getting to a shelter, contact Brevard County Emergency Management at (321) 637-6670, option #2. For more information, go to https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/disability/.

Brevard County Emergency Management logo

(image via spacecoastdaily.com)

Grandparents' Impact on Special Needs Children

Today's post is dedicated to my maternal grandmother (Nana) Shirley Jensen, who passed away from cancer at age 83 last Friday. Grandparents play an important role in a family with a special needs kid. Borrowed from a Her View from Home article by Sara Borgstede, below is a list of tips on how you can be a wonderful grandparent to a child with a disability:

1. Accept your special needs grandchild's diagnosis.
2. Have faith in your child's ability to parent.
3. Be open to different ways of parenting and grandparenting.
4. Help your child with your grandchild whenever you can.
5. Love your grandchild unconditionally.
6. Celebrate your grandchild's successes.

My Nana (who lived 15 miles from my parents and me for more than 30 years) did all of the above, making my childhood with disability more pleasant. She was always one of my biggest supporters. Life without Nana won't be the same, but she wouldn't want me to mourn her for long. Therefore, I intend to continue living with a zest for life, which she taught me to do. For more information about grandparents' impact on special needs children, go to https://herviewfromhome.com/an-open-letter-to-grandparents-of-kids-with-special-needs/. Grandparents Day falls on September 8 this year.

My Nana and I

(Photo by Tracy Jensen-McGrath)

More Opportunities for UCF Students with Disabilities

As a proud University of Central Florida (UCF) alumna, I was pleased to read two stories about students with disabilities in the Summer 2019 issue of the alumni magazine Pegasus. The first story describes the first graduating class of UCF's Inclusive Education Services (IES) program. The class consisted of 13 students with intellectual and development disabilities (IDDs), who participated in commencement on May 3. Established in August 2015, IES provides program participants with a curriculum and college experience while earning a professional services credential in hospitality, education, or social services. The intent of the program is to help students with IDDs get a job. For more information about IES, go to https://www.ucf.edu/news/first-class-ucfs-inclusive-education-services-program-graduates/.

UCF's IES graduates

(image via orlandosentinel.com)

The second story features blind triathlete Kyle Coon, who graduated from UCF with a communications degree in 2013. His eyes had to be surgically removed by age seven because he had bilateral sporadic retinoblastoma, a form of eye cancer. Coon, who has sisters, was inspired by a blind extreme athlete and his parents to be physically active. He was unable to get a job after graduation, so he decided to try running and was matched with a guide through the C Different organization. His goal is to compete in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo. The #18 visually impaired triathlete in the world, Coon currently lives at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he exercises by swimming and running or biking every day. He has started competing in qualifying races. For more details on Coon, go to https://www.ucf.edu/pegasus/life-without-limits/.

Kyle Coon

(image via twitter.com)

Note: Yvonne Roberts, a 1990 UCF alumna mentioned in Pegasus, is the new chief donor relations officer for Whistlestop (https://whistlestop.org/), an organization that provides services for the independence of people with disabilities as well as older adults in San Rafael, California.

Tommy Hilfiger's Adaptive Clothing

It's time for back-to-school clothes shopping, and I know just the place to go. Along with its other products, clothing company Tommy Hilfiger sells adaptive clothes for children and adults with disabilities. The adaptive clothes have been divided into the following four categories: Easy Closures, Fits for Prosthetics, Ease of Movement, and Seated Wear. These modifications make putting modern-style clothes on easier for people who use wheelchairs and prostheses. The company founder's connection to disability is he has a daughter and a stepson with autism. To view specific items, go to https://usa.tommy.com/en/tommy-adaptive. Retailers such as Kohl's and Target also offer adaptive clothing.

Tommy Hilfiger Adaptive models

(image via mashable.com)