Through the Looking Glass

Through the Looking Glass (TLG) is proud to support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 34th Anniversary. On July 26th we celebrate this important civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.
Image Credit: ADA National Network (adata.org)

We would like to introduce our doctoral capstone student!
Janae has been working with TLG and on a project within our adaptive babycare program focusing on advocating for universal design and accessibility in community environments including playgrounds in the San Diego area.
We are happy to have Janae with us on this journey!
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In honor of the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we celebrate Disability Pride Month every July. In 2024, the theme "We Want a Life Like Yours" reflects the dreams and aspirations of individuals who too often face exclusion and discrimination. https://buff.ly/3zyWKWF

This article discusses some of the driving forces that led some practitioners to the space of working with parents! Through the Looking Glass has the additional specialty of centering and with and their families. are uniquely suited to support people through life changes such as welcoming a new to the .

What do occupational therapy practitioners who specialize in maternal health have in common? — Maternal Health OT The thing I wanted most in life was to become a mother. I practiced non-stop as a child, hauling around my baby dolls and stuffed animals. I would pretend to walk to the park, pushing my baby in a stroller and talking to my best mom friend on my mobile phone about the trials and tribulations of rai

We welcome Camacu to our playhouse stage in Palo Alto tonight.

Join us for a melodic and easy-going evening with lots of harmonies!

We will live stream all concerts to the Magical Bridge page.

For detailed information on each concert, please visit magicalbridge.org/upcoming-events.

The Magical Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Magical Bridge Foundation, Palo Alto Children's Theatre, The Escher Fund for Autism, and the City of Palo Alto (City of Palo Alto - Public Agency).

Time to come together, honor our ancestors, and celebrate our culture! Check out this Juneteenth Bingo game, created by DRC’s Umoja (Unity) Employee Resource Group, that is all about vibing with each other, remembering our history, looking to the future, and enjoying some good times at this year’s Juneteenth celebration!

View and download the Bingo game here:https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/system/files/file-attachments/Juneteenth-Bingo-Card.pdf

For an accessible version, visit this link:
https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/juneteenth-bingo

Celebrating

Today on and in honor of , we're featuring Barbara Jordan, a groundbreaking disabled Black le***an lawyer, educator, and politician with multiple sclerosis. Barbara Jordan lived and led in Texas, the state where Juneteenth's history occurred and the freedom day was first celebrated. Representing Houston, Jordan was the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South and a leader in the Civil Rights movement.

She was the first woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention in 1976, the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South and a leader in the Civil Rights movement. Jordan created legislation to broaden the 1965 Voting Rights Act to include and protect Latinx voters. Jordan is also famous for her powerful opening statement at the House Judiciary Committee hearings during the impeachment process against Richard Nixon.

In 1994, President Clinton appointed her to lead the Commission on Immigration Reform. Jordan received nearly two dozen honorary degrees and, in 1990, was named to the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca, New York.

As we celebrate the freedoms associated with Juneteenth and Pride, we remember Barbara Jordan's words to motivate us all in the fight for multiply marginalized disabled people:

“The imperative is to define what is right and do it.”

As a part of the work in adaptive parenting research, TLG is exploring methods to support increased independence for disabled parents in community spaces.
Please take a moment to read up on the action that the DRA is taking to support accessible park spaces, and trapping if applicable.

We want to know YOUR experiences with parks in LA!

DRA + Schneider Wallace Cottrell Konecky LLP, Law Office of Paula Pearlman & Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho are investigating systemic access barriers with the City of Department of Recreation and Parks, including accessible parking, park entrances, signage, restrooms, walkways, playgrounds, and picnic areas.

Please fill out the survey if you've experienced access barriers at parks in LA: https://dralegal.org/case/los-angeles-parks-investigation/



Image: "Share Your Experience on Parks in LA" + Clip art people with different disabilities in front of a forest background

This Friday, June 21st in Palo Alto, we welcome Camacu to our playhouse stage.

Join us for a melodic and easy-going concert with lots of harmonies!

We will live stream all concerts to the Magical Bridge page.

For detailed information on each concert, please visit magicalbridge.org/upcoming-events.

The Magical Summer Concert Series is sponsored by Magical Bridge Foundation, Palo Alto Children's Theatre, The Escher Fund for Autism, and the City of Palo Alto (City of Palo Alto - Public Agency).

June is Men’s Health Month, and June 10-16 is Men’s Health Week! Men often face unique challenges with chronic pain and the stigma surrounding it.

Redefining “manliness” in the face of chronic pain requires open communication and joint efforts toward greater understanding. How have you seen chronic pain affect men? Are we perpetuating the belief that pain is a sign of weakness? Men, what are your experiences with chronic pain and stigma?

Read more in our article about chronic pain and manliness:
https://invisibleproject.org/redefining-manliness-when-living-with-chronic-pain/

Let's break the stigma together.

https://www.php.com/elearning/ihss-overview-and-qa-with-public-benefits-consultant/

https://www.php.com/elearning/what-is-an-able-account/

https://www.php.com/elearning/creating-a-successful-social-security-disability-application/

https://www.php.com/elearning/shift-from-ssi-to-ssas-disabled-adult-child-dac-program/

Summer is coming and many opportunities for families to come together. Here is one opportunity if you’re in the South Bay Atea.

We are overjoyed to announce that our MAGICAL SUMMER CONCERT SERIES is right around the corner. Join us on Friday evenings!

We kick off the series on June 14th: Nancy Cassidy from 4pm - 5:30pm and Caitlin Gjerdrum and Palo Alto Children’s Theatre Sing-Along from 6:00pm - 7:30pm.

All ages and abilities are welcome.

Concerts will run every Friday evening until August 9th. All concerts in this series are free, will take place at the Magical Bridge Playground in Palo Alto, and will be live-streamed to our page.

For detailed information on each concert, please visit magicalbridge.org/upcoming-events.

This summer concert series is generously sponsored by the Magical Bridge Foundation as well as our friends at the Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, The Escher Fund for Autism, and the City of Palo Alto.

See you at the playground!

Register today! https://supportforfamilies.org/event/reasonable-accommodations-drc/

Thanks for the shout out and for spotlighting parents with disabilities.

Blog: Resources for Parents with Disabilities Whether you have a visible disability, invisible disability, chronic illness, or other health issues, being a parent with a disability is possible.

Have you heard? ADAPTS Portable Transfer Sling is now a fixture on Kenya Airways planes to ensure that passengers with disabilities can easily and rapidly deplane in the event of an emergency. Time for all the airlines to follow suit! 🤩
https://www.kget.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/702481736/adapts-slings-bring-safer-flights-transfers-for-passengers-with-disabilities-aboard-kenya-airways/

These slings are not only ideal for evacuations, they are also great for everyday transfers. Learn more in the .
https://www.abilities.com/community/adapts-sling.html

[ID: "ADAPTS Slings Bring Safer Flights, Transfers for Passengers with Disabilities Aboard Kenya Airways" appears over a map of Kenya with two images of the ADAPTS sling.]

Flash back to last month's AWESOME panel hosted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
If you missed it, this weekend is great opportunity to check out this replay!
Leave a comment to let us know your most impactful or favorite takeaway!

Motherhood with Paralysis Being a mother living with paralysis comes with its own challenges, including accessing healthcare, attitudinal barriers from others, and providing care with...

Celebrate Women’s History Month by joining us for a discussion with mothers living with paralysis about their lived experiences, as well as tips and tricks for parenting!
Register here: https://bit.ly/49So6Et

Please consider donating to support your community! With your help we can continue to work towards equity for us all!

https://lookingglass.org/donate/

Thank you!

Magical Bridge Playgrounds are designed for all ages and abilities. This overview, created by Sydney Loew in October 2023, was presented during the San Andreas Regional Center's ceremony celebrating 2023 award recipients. Magical Bridge was named Community Resource of the Year!

TLG will continue to tirelessly work to promote and advocate for accessible community resources such as these!

Magical Bridge Playgrounds Overview - San Andreas Regional Center Community Resource Award Magical Bridge Playgrounds are designed for all ages and abilities. This overview, created by Sydney Loew in October 2023, was presented during the San Andre...

Week 3 of good reads brings us to this non-fiction novel by Emily Rapp Black titled "Frida Kahlo And My Left Leg".
Since adolescence, Emily Rapp, herself an amputee since the age of four, felt that there were many things she had in common with Frida Kahlo. From the first sight of Kahlo's painting of the devastating bus crash that almost killed her, Rapp felt a sense of kinship with the artist. They both endured numerous operations; both alternately hid and revealed their altered bodies; and both found a way to live and create despite physical and emotional pain. In this riveting read, Rapp gets to the essence of Kahlo through her art, her letters, and her diaries. Rapp tells her own story of losing a child to Tay-Sachs; finding love, and becoming pregnant with her daughter; and of how Kahlo's life and work helped her to find a way forward when all seemed lost.
Find it on amazon here: https://a.co/d/iK3eFkk
How are your new year resolutions holding up? Drop us a comment to let us know!

Frida Kahlo and My Left Leg Frida Kahlo and My Left Leg

Continuing with our theme of good reads for 2024; if you haven't checked out "Date Me" by Kristin Beale (Gupta) then you're missing out!
Relatable for many people who have dated in the 21st century, Date Me offers a different perspective from a wheelchair user and how to interact with them. With a few extra indiscriminate stories thrown in, Kristin’s stories keep readers entertained as she reveals the struggles and triumphs of living in a wheelchair in today’s world.
Find it at: https://www.kristinbeale.com/buy-a-book/p/yapretz27om06qy8o026r29rwroqut
or on amazon!

Drop us a comment and share your relatable dating stories!
❤️

Date Me — Kristin Beale Date Me is a collection of comics that tells stories of dating in a wheelchair, social situations sculpted by people’s response to a wheelchair, and the struggle of trying to fit in from a different perspective. Dating is hard enough as an able-bodied person. Throw in the variable of a wheelchair ...

Happy New Year!
If you're looking for a good book to start your 2024 reading off right, check out "We’ve Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents"!
In We’ve Got This, parents around the world who identify as Deaf, disabled, or chronically ill discuss the highs and lows of their parenting journeys and reveal that the greatest obstacles lie in other people’s attitudes. The result is a moving, revelatory, and empowering anthology that tackles ableism head-on. As Rebekah Taussig writes, ‘Parenthood can tangle with grief and loss. Disability can include joy and abundance. And goddammit ― disabled parents exist.’
Find on amazon here: https://a.co/d/fwIIdU1

Drop us a comment with other good reads!

We’ve Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents We’ve Got This: Essays by Disabled Parents

Merry Everything!


Image description: Text reading "our warmest wishes this holiday season. We wish you cheer in all of the ways you celebrate the season; is centered on the page. On the tan background are blue and white stars. Across the bottom of the page are houses and trees sitting in the snow. The TLG logo is nestled among the houses.

Have you ever wondered how estimates of people with disabilities are determined? A proposed change and how disability questions are. May change the estimate. Read more about the criticism of this change.

A controversial Census Bureau proposal could shrink the U.S. disability rate by 40% The Census Bureau has proposed changing how it produces data about people with disabilities. It could reduce the national rate of disability by about 40%. That's sparked controversy among advocates.

Talking Disability The latest news and important information to keep you up to date about disability services.

Looking to check something off your holiday to-do list? Order your free COVID-19 tests to have on hand! It just takes a few minutes. Already ordered tests this year? You may be eligible to order more! https://COVIDTests.gov/