Hello Ability Hacker Friends! It’s been a while, and I’ve missed you. Just as our life started getting back to normal after a year full of medical challenges for our family, the Novel Coronavirus entered the picture – throwing life sideways once again. This past week has been full of stress for me (as I’m […]
Posts in the Communication “Hacks” category:
One by Kathryn Otoshi will help you talk with kids about inclusion, acceptance & courage
The book “One” by Kathryn Otoshi reminds readers that everybody counts, and is a great tool for facilitating conversations with kids about inclusion, acceptance & courage. The story highlights the message that when one person is brave and confident enough to stand up to a bully, their actions can give others the courage to stand up along […]
How “Jessica’s Box” by Peter Carnavas helps readers connect with the character and see past her wheelchair
The book “Jessica’s Box” by Peter Carnavas is my favorite type of inclusive book because it shows a child with a disability experiencing the same feelings and concerns that all children have, without making the disability a central aspect of the story. By not making the story about Jessica being in a wheelchair, it helps all children connect with […]
Why you should read “Can I Play Too?” by Mo Willems to promote inclusion & acceptance
The book “Can I Play Too?” by Mo Willems promotes acceptance of people different from ourselves, demonstrates creative problem solving, and helps kids see the importance of resilient perseverance. It’s a great book for talking to kids about disability and inclusive play, especially when a peer uses equipment such as a wheelchair, walker, or crutches, has […]
Changing How the Media Portrays Life With a Disability
As I watched the coverage of Stephen Hawking’s passing, it became clear it’s time to start a revolution on how we talk about people with disabilities and how we represent them in the media — big media and social media. The way we talk about people “escaping” their disability and being “free” after they die is not OK. […]
Visiting “the big robot” as a 5 year old
Today was Lily’s yearly MRI, and it seems fitting that my “Big Medical Tests – When Kids Have to Be Brave Beyond Their Years” post from last year popped up in my memories on Facebook. This year, her brave pillow looks much more worn, and her face looked super nervous as we entered the hospital for the […]
Fear was holding me back from giving my kids an awesome summer
When Lily was first born, one of the things I struggled with the most was approaching a child care center and asking if she could attend. I wrote a post about it here, and what this experience taught me about bravely asking bold questions. These last few months I’ve been struggling with something very similar. […]
3 Lessons I learned about bravely asking bold questions
One of the tasks I found the most difficult when I was pregnant with my daughter was calling a daycare center to inquire about her attending. I simply could NOT make myself pick up the phone and dial. I delayed… and delayed… and delayed. At that time, it felt like the many pieces of me were […]