When the fundraising paper came home from school for the Healthy Heart Challenge (sponsored by the American Heart Association), I thought it was important for my daughter to learn about the importance of being active and to raise money for heart health along side her peers. We worked with her gym teacher and physical therapist […]
Posts with the inclusive tag
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 […]
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. […]
Deep thoughts about dancing…
This Mother’s Day weekend, I kept finding my mind flittering back to our 20 week ultrasound with Lily, and the time before she was born. The ultrasound tech mentioned Lily’s long legs and pointed toes, and my husband made a comment like, “maybe she will be a ballerina!” I remember seeing a look flutter across […]
Zubits – Adapting Shoe Laces – Open & close with magnets!
Tonight I came across a new product that I think could be life changing for many people who have trouble with their fine motor skills, or who have to wiggle and squish bulky braces (AFOs, etc.) into shoes. My daughter has challenges in both of these areas, so I’m super excited (and hopeful) about this new […]
Crutches & kindness
We met a pretty fantastic milestone last month. In some ways it seems little because we’ve slowly been progressing this direction for a year and a half. But it’s big because… well… we’ve been working towards it for a year and a half!! Are you ready?!? Drum roll please… Lily is using her crutches ALL MORNING […]
How to use a posterior walker in a Halloween costume
Halloween is just around the corner, and while the holiday can pose some challenges for kids with disabilities, having extra equipment can make costumes even more fun. Pirate… Aargh! Two years ago, Lily had just started using her walker when Halloween rolled around. I found a really cute pirate costume, and then got super excited about […]
Approaching Disability: In many ways, we are the same
One of my passion areas is educating people on what disability looks like “behind the scary curtain.” Disability is a topic people have a natural tendency to avoid, but this natural tendency has unintended consequences like separating people with disability from the rest of society. This is partly why I blog, why I share so […]
3 Signs You Might be an Ability Hacker
Sometimes when I tell people the name of my blog, they look at me sideways with a slightly puzzled expression. Eventually, the question comes: “What exactly is an Ability Hacker?” I decided it’s high time for me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys as the case may be) to put together a formal definition. […]
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 […]
A simple fix for helping kids clear their place at the table
One of the things I feel very strongly about is that kids with limited mobility should be required to do as much as possible for themselves. This past week, I was trying to figure out how I could enable Lily to clear her own place at the table when I remembered a microwave cart we used to use for […]
Spring opens the door to playing outside – find an accessible playground near you!
This past weekend I sat outside under the bright sun and spring flowers, and drew pictures on the sidewalk with my kids. There is something magical about playing outside in the bright warmth after a long, gray, cold winter. I can’t seem to soak up enough of the sun. When I think about fun outdoor spring […]
3 Reasons Why You Should Never Underestimate My Child
My daughter recently aged out of our state’s early intervention program. As a result, she now attends preschool at our local elementary school, getting physical and occupational therapy as part of her school day. The initial process of qualifying for therapy and establishing her IEP was overwhelming and confusing. However, once we got past that […]
Allowing children to be children, regardless of mobility
I crossed paths with the question “when is the right time for a mobility device?” multiple times today. It’s an interesting question. When really is the right time? Should we follow a “typical” timeline? Should we listen to our mommy gut? Should we be the catalyst for getting new equipment? Should we assume our medical team and therapists […]
Before I Met Her
I read an article today posted by themighty.com (My Child’s Disability is Not a Tragedy) which threw me back to my daughter’s prenatal diagnosis of Spina Bifida when I was 20 weeks pregnant. What I realized while reading this article was at THAT moment I DID believe it was a tragedy. It felt like a tragedy. It hurt. It […]
Bowling: A surprisingly inclusive sport
On Friday afternoon, Lily and my husband played hooky to celebrate my brother-in-law’s birthday. We went Bowling! Old school. It. Was. Seriously. Awesome. Why? Bowling is actually quite fun. The local place, while a bit run down, was super friendly. They weren’t busy, so they provided an exclusive toddler lane FREE of charge! Everyone could participate.