News

Miami Gardens resident Denise Prehay received the 14th Annual Idelio Valdes Leadership and Advocacy Award – the state’s top honor recognizing an individual with a developmental disability. The award is presented each year by the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) to a self-advocate who has helped develop partnerships for the facilitation of community integration, employment, […]

I was born into “generation ADA,” which is anyone born around or after the time the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed in 1990. I am fortunate to benefit from having curb cuts for my wheelchair, have the ability to ride almost any form of public transportation with few barriers, and attended and graduated from

Air travel for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities can be challenging. There can be a lot of confusion, lack of assistance and damaged wheelchairs. Please click here to see the most recent version of the Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights, which includes links to a video and a downloadable PDF: https://conta.cc/3uXYvb7

Beginning July 16, 2022, dialing “988” will route calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In 2020, Congress designated 988 as a new three-digit dialing, texting, and chat code for direct connection to support for anyone experiencing substance use issues, a suicidal crisis, or mental health-related distress. When people call, text, or chat 988, they

Last month, Governor DeSantis signed Florida’s Freedom First Budget to continue his commitment to helping individuals with developmental disabilities. For the first time ever, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) will have a record high budget totaling over $2 billion for Fiscal Year 2022-23, providing record provider rate increases to give Direct Support Professionals (DSPs)

There are plenty of color-coded alerts in Florida — Amber, Silver, Blue and now Purple. The newest color-coded alert, which went into effect July 1, 2022, will assist in the location of missing adults with mental, cognitive, intellectual or developmental disabilities. You must SIGN UP to receive email or text alerts when a Purple Alert

Attention self-advocates and family members! There is a savings program for Floridians with disabilities to leverage called ABLE United. Managed by Florida Prepaid, ABLE United offers a savings program specifically for individuals with disabilities and has helped thousands of Floridians save, while maintaining benefits from programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Medicaid. Learn more about ABLE

October is Disability Employment Awareness Month in Florida. This is when our state and the nation focus on job opportunities for people with disabilities. In today’s business world, talent is in demand. Many businesses are opening their doors to people with disabilities and have discovered a wealth of dependable job talent. The Agency for Persons