Disability Empowerment Center

Election Day is fast approaching, here is some key information you need to know!!

https://apiavote.org/how-to-vote/in-your-state/Pennsylvania/?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIr8nMlI71hwMV6TIIBR1YhjMtEAAYAyAAEgK6TfD_BwE

Visit https://vote.pa/ to:

Register to Vote
Check Your Status
Request Mail Ballot
Make a Plan

You may also attend a meeting at the Lancaster YMCA, more information about that here: https://ywcalancaster.org/events/electiondeclassified/

🎉 Just reminiscing on the consumer events we hosted this month for our consumers! From informative workshops to fun activities, they are always filled with empowerment and connection. We love creating inclusive spaces where everyone feels welcome and supported. Can’t wait for the next one! 🌟✨

Changing Hands has a variety of shower chairs available in our reuse program. If you or someone you know needs a shower chair, please e-mail [email protected] to schedule a time to pick one up in Camp Hill.

A new Pennsylvania website is helping families of children with disabilities find parks and playgrounds that meet their child's needs with a search based on accessibility and location. The website is called Park Finder and can be found using the QR code or this link: https://www.goodforpa.com/park-finder/

Come out and visit us at 5 Guys on Lincoln Highway East

A message from Jaclyn Michelle Nagle, our executive director on the 34th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As we have a generation that has never had a life without the ADA we need to remember that we still need to work with legislators, communities, and everyone we know to make sure that the rights provided to us by the ADA stay intact. We also need to continue to fight for the rights of people within the disability community. We still have a long way to go, not only do we need access, but we also need a fair and just system where people with disabilities have the right to work, live, and prosper in the communities in which they choose with supports and services. We need those services and supports to grow to ensure that they don’t go away and that we can hire the individuals we need to support us. Wages for direct care workers need to increase so that we can expand our support pool and retain the wonderful workers who help us every day. They deserve greater wages, and that are not provided to them currently through the state of Pennsylvania.

As a community, we should not have to beg to stay in our own homes or to find a home that is cost-effective for a person who relies solely on Social Security benefits. We need housing that is affordable and accessible to the community in which we serve. People with disabilities have the right to live where they want and not be imprisoned in nursing homes just because they don’t have housing or the support they need to live within the community.

Not only do we need housing within the community, we also need to be respected as the strong, independent, people that we are. We have wonderful gifts to offer to our community and others at large. We have a right to work, we have the right to access libraries, we have the right to assume that businesses will be accessible for us to shop and eat in. We have the right to share our knowledge about our own communities and be respected for our ideas and our plans for the future.

All of these things we may take for granted as part of the current status quo, but if we don’t continue to fight as our forefathers in the independent living movement there’s a strong possibility that we could lose it in the very near future. We need to stand up, raise our voices and demand to be heard. The Disability Empowerment Center wants to join with you, our partners to ensure that people with disabilities have every right as their non-disabled peers. We are here to assist you in any way possible.
God bless America and our forefathers who fought for the passage of the ADA.

Logo Credit: ADA National Network (adata.org) 1-800-949-4232

upcoming virtual family recovery courses through CompassMark

Family Recovery Course We have been right where you are. The Family Recovery Course (FRC) is a three-part series of peer-led interactive educational trainings for parents or guardians whose child, at any stage of life, has struggled with addiction to drugs or alcohol. Part 1 – Addiction 101: Exploring this

Today we swing down into southeastern counties and spotlight the Disability Empowerment Center where, through all of our individual and collective efforts, we work to eliminate barriers, ensure access, protect civil rights, and affect positive social change.

Serve: Lebanon and Lancaster

🎉 Happy World Emoji Day! 🌍 Let's celebrate the universal language of emojis that brings joy and expression to our digital conversations. 🥳 Share your favorite emojis with us and spread the love! 💖 😊🎈

If you need supplies

Happy World Chocolate Day! 🍫🎉 Indulge in the rich, creamy goodness of this timeless treat and celebrate all things chocolate with me today. Whether you're a dark, milk, or white chocolate lover, let's savor every bite and spread the joy of this delectable delight together!

In observance of Independence Day, the office is closed today. We will reopen the next business day.

KidsPeace Clinical Café – Zoom Webinar

**Upcoming event**

DragonFly Ranch: Fragile X

Friday, July 19th, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM (EST)

Webinar Event – $10 for NASW members AND for non-members
(2 CEs/2CEs PSNA for Nursing/Act 48 credits for Educators)

General tickets (non-CEs) are FREE!

KidsPeace, with co-sponsor NASW-PA Chapter, invites you to the July Clinical Café webinar available on Zoom. Join us as we learn about the great work accomplished by the DragonFly Ranch. Their mission is to provide an opportunity for adults who have aged out of the school system to achieve growth in independent skills, life skills, and self-confidence.

Presenter Kristin Strauss, Executive Director and Founder of DragonFly Ranch, will provide an overview on Fragile X, as well as highlighting differences between Fragile X and more commonly diagnosed ASD. She will also bring awareness and discuss opportunities offered at the DragonFly Ranch.

Please see the attached flyer for webinar event details, including the link to register. If you have a co-worker, other professional, or anyone that may benefit from the training, please share.

I have also included the link to register here: https://ow.ly/qgMe50Ss12s. The deadline to register is July 12th, 2024.

Clinical Cafe: Dragonfly Ranch: Understanding Fragile X Understanding Fragile X. Presented by Kristin Strauss Found and Executive Director of DragonFly Ranch.

upcoming training on the difference between Service Animals and Emotional Support Animals:

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟

Three Legacies Wrestling is thrilled to announce that we're partnering with the Disability Empowerment Center to offer FREE tickets to their amazing community for the Red Rose Rumble 2 on August 3, 2024! 🎉🤼‍♂️

Join us for an electrifying night of jaw-dropping action, heart-pounding excitement, and unforgettable moments in the ring! 🌹💥

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to be part of the action-packed Red Rose Rumble 2! Spread the word and let's make this event one for the books! 🎟️💫

ever wondered what the meaning is behind the colors of the Disability Pride Month Flag mean?

Red represents physical disabilities
Yellow is for Neurodiversity
White is for invisible and undiagnosed disabilities
Blue is for emotional and psychiatric disabilities including mental illness, anxiety and depression.
Green is for sensory disabilities including blindness and deafness.
Black is for anger and mourning over the Eugenics and neglect that disabled folks fight against.

We share this from our friend and fellow advocate Monica Albert

AAA Lebanon

Happy ! Today we celebrate the power of connection, sharing, and community that social media brings into our lives. Let's raise a glass to all the laughs, likes, and love that we've shared together online. Cheers to you, my amazing followers! Here's to many more happy memories ahead 🎉📱✨

Free movie

Prepared Renter Education Series in July