This October, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) marks the 75th observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) in addition to the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which occurred in July. Both milestones are being commemorated with a range of events and activities centered on the theme "Increasing Access and Opportunity."
In recognition of NDEAM, we are sharing new Stories of Success this month from our WorkFirst Employment Services. The stories demonstrate how participants have been provided with benefits from their jobs that go beyond a paycheck, starting with Orion.
Orion
Orion has been employed at Little Caesars Pizza for more than a year. He assists with food preparation, restocking inventory, and keeping the kitchen area tidy. He is working more hours now than he was when he started, per his request.
To Orion, having a job, “means that I am capable of motivating myself to do something new.” In addition to the financial benefits, he also feels that it “helps me learn new things that I have not done before, and helps me gain experience for other things in the future.”
After searching for a job a few years on his own, Orion was connected with Easterseals, where he received guidance and support with contacting employers, applying for jobs and the interview process.
His boss, Jazmin, says that Orion is a great employee and gets along well with all his co-workers. She says Orion's work shows, like any individual, “people with disabilities work in competitive jobs."
Orion’s Easterseals Job Coach Veronica support’s Orion in his job by reviewing his job tasks and the employer’s company policies and procedures with him. She also is available to, “assist him with advocating for himself, if needed.”
Orion added, “working is good for people because they experience things they have probably never done before and it will bring more financial liberation to them. The longer someone works the more financial freedom they will get."
"My advice is to go out, be confident, stay motivated and do not give up.”
Sounds like good suggestions to us!
Learn more about WorkFirst Employment Services and our WorkFirst Transition Project.
Friday, March 15, 2024, 3:24 PM
On Monday, March 4, Easterseals Southern California staff, board members and participants enjoyed th…
On Monday, March 4, Easterseals Southern California staff, board members and participants enjoyed the inaugural “Easterseals Night” with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Before the game, Easterseals board members Maria Serrao and Nic Novicki were deemed honorary team captains, and our Adult Day Services participants Kevin and Jahad proudly delivered the game ball to referees.
Throughout the night, Easterseals signage lit up the arena, including our PSA video, which displayed on the scoreboard during half-time! Easterseals is so excited for this new partnership and looks forward to spreading the word about disability inclusion alongside the Lakers.
Visit our website to learn more about Easterseals Southern California and how we are leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access through life-changing disability and community services.
The post Easterseals Night with the Los Angeles Lakers appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.
Friday, March 15, 2024, 2:39 PM
The end of tax season is quickly approaching! Learning how tax strategies can help you optimize your…
The end of tax season is quickly approaching! Learning how tax strategies can help you optimize your charitable donations not only benefits you, but also the non-profit organizations you support.
Here are three strategies to optimize your charitable contributions for this year and in the future:*
1. Open a Donor-Advised Fund
One of the most common strategies for increasing deductions for charitable donations is to open a donor-advised fund.
These accounts let a taxpayer donate a lump sum upfront to claim the deduction in that tax year, and then dole out the money to nonprofits over time. A significant contribution can enable the taxpayer to itemize deductions, rather than take the standard deduction, and receive a tax benefit for their charitable giving.
2. Donate Appreciated Stock
Donating appreciated stock gives investors the opportunity to shelter the gains from taxes. If you have held the stock for at least a year, you can generally take its fair market value as a deduction. This is a significant opportunity and benefits people that are looking make a charitable gift.
Donating appreciated stocks also complements the use of a donor-advised fund as you can give the shares either to a donor-advised account or directly to a non-profit organization.
3. Make Qualified Charitable Distributions
A qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, is a direct distribution from a pretax individual retirement account or a 401(k) to a charity. Retirees who must take required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from such retirement accounts can benefit from fulfilling a portion with a QCD. Doing so helps satisfy the RMD, and the transfer isn’t counted toward their adjusted gross income.
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Make sure to take advantage of these breaks in 2024. Most laws around charitable giving may change as provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act end by the end of 2025.
Learn more about how you can support Easterseals Southern California while optimizing your tax strategies by visiting easterseals.mylegacygift.org.
*This article is informational purposes only. Always consult your tax, financial and/or legal advisors before implementing any transactions or strategies concerning your finances.
The post Planned Giving Persceptive: Three Tax Strategies To Optimize Your Charitable Giving appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 4:40 PM
Take a look at the impactful work of four leaders who are using their platforms to change the way we…
Welcome back to Easterseals SoCal’s “Disability in Pop Culture” blog series, where we take a deeper look at the pop culture moments that promote disability representation and inclusion.
As Black History Month comes to a close we are continuing the celebration by featuring the impactful work of four black and disabled advocates who are using their platforms to change the way we see disability.
@Keah_maria
Keah burst into the spotlight nearly a decade ago when the disability hashtag #DisabledAndCute, which she created for X (formerly Twitter) to show her disability pride, went viral. The phrase amplified her writing career, which had just started to gather steam the year before. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Teen Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Essence.
Her use of the word “cute” as part of the #DisabledAndCute hashtag caused some pushback in the disability community. Some members of the community saw it as a label that people without disabilities would use to infantilize them. Keah saw it as a declaration of self-love and was delighted to see how many others used it to tell their own stories, joining in her celebration of disability.
Keah has also authored three books. Her debut novel, “The Pretty One,” is a collection of essays exploring what it means to be a black woman with disabilities. It became a New York Time’s bestseller when it was released in 2019.
Since then she has written a children’s book called Sam’s Super Seats, about a disabled girl with cerebral palsy who goes back-to-school shopping with her best friends, and a Young Adult queer romance novel entitled The Secret Summer Promise.
Keah’s popularity as a disability advocate also led her to present a talk titled, “The Power of Self-Love. Unapologetic Ambition, #DisabledandCute and Choosing Joy” at TEDxPrincetonWomen.
Today, Keah is exploring the fields of TV and film and is a co-writing a musical about twins who are looking for adventure. Her impact on disability representation is sure to leave a legacy.
@GarrisonRedd
Garrison Redd, an American Paralympic athlete and TEDx speaker, exemplifies determination and resilience. In the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, Garrison placed sixth overall for Team USA in men’s Para Powerlifting competition, which consists of one discipline: bench press.
Before becoming a Paralympic athlete, Garrison was paralyzed at the age of 17 after being struck by a stray bullet. The accident shattered his dream of becoming a professional football player. He discovered a new way to compete in 2018, when a wheelchair-racing coach at his local gym noted his upper-body strength and introduced him to the world of para powerlifting.
Garrison is currently training to rejoin Team USA at the Paralympics in Paris, France in 2024!
Beyond the sports arena, he actively engages in public speaking to raise awareness of the challenges faced by persons with disabilities.
Garrison hosts empowerment seminars and motivational workshops through his non-profit, The Garrison Redd Project, to motivate people with disabilities and provide opportunities to become independent.
His commitment to promoting inclusivity makes him a powerful force in the fight for a more accessible world!
@crutches_and_spice
Imani is a disability advocate, dynamic content creator, and public speaker who uses her large social media following to amplify the disability community’s voice and raise awareness for topics that are often overlooked by the mainstream media.
She does this through the creation of viral hashtags, like #DisTheOscars, which allowed her to call out the Academy Awards Ceremony for its lack of accessibility and disability inclusion. Imani launched the advocacy campaign to discuss disability representation in media, using the popularity of the annual awards show to reach over one million Twitter (X) users!
Imani’s viral videos and thought-provoking commentary have also been featured in national publications such as Forbes, Cosmopolitan, NPR, and Vice.
She also writes a blog called “Crutches and Spice,” where she explores current events and topics such as the intersection of race and gender, providing another outlet for the disability community’s voice to be heard.
@Shaheem
An inner ear infection at age four caused Shaheem Sanchez to lose his hearing, but it didn’t prevent him from finding the beat. By feeling the vibrations and letting them drive his rhythm, he was able to continue dancing to the music. Shaheem is an actor, self-taught dancer, and a TikTok star with 1.6 million followers. His passion for dance influenced his young siblings, and they joined Shaheem to form the “Family First Dance Crew.”
You may have seen him in his debut role in the Oscar-winning film, “Sound of Metal.”
As an advocate for the deaf community, he works to bridge the gap between the deaf and hearing community by educating his social media followers on what life is like for those with hearing impairments, all while promoting inclusion. Shaheem also uses his platform to teach American Sign Language (ASL). Currently, he is advocating for ASL to be taught in schools.
Shaheem also encourages everyone to amplify the voices of black deaf creators in the digital community.
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As these black disability advocates continue to find new ways to amplify their voices, Easterseals Southern California stands alongside them, offering support to drive change in the digital community and the world.
Stay tuned for more from our “Disability in Pop Culture” blog series, where we explore the latest in disability inclusion and representation in entertainment!
The post Disability in Pop Culture: 4 Disability Advocates and Influencers Pushing for Change appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.
Monday, February 26, 2024, 5:20 PM
In honor of Developmental Disability Awareness Month this March, we sat down with Amber Carey-Navarr…
Written by Adrienne Hedger, Internal Communications Manager for Easterseals Southern California
An exciting change is underway in Adult Day Services at Easterseals Southern California (ESSC), and it’s transforming the way people think about their lives. In honor of Developmental Disability Awareness Month this March, I sat down with Amber Carey-Navarrete, Director of Person-Centered Services, to talk about what’s happening and what it means for the future of disability services.
Across the nation, Adult Day Services play an important role by providing a place where people with disabilities can stay mentally and physically active and connect with others. As part of this mission, service providers will typically ask: What can we do to help you during your time with us?
“At ESSC, we’re trying something different,” said Amber Carey-Navarrete, Director of Person-Centered Services. “We are stepping outside of that traditional timeframe, looking at the bigger picture, and asking people, ‘What do you want out of life?’”
A deep question, yes. And it’s leading to some remarkable results.
Exploring Hopes, Dreams, and Goals
This “whole-life” approach is built on a concept known as Personal Outcome Measures, or POM. It’s a discovery tool created by the Council on Quality and Leadership.
To be sure, a person-centered philosophy is not new in the aging and disability services community. It’s existed for decades and continues to evolve. But the POM approach takes a clear step forward by transforming the philosophy into a practical tool that leads to concrete results.
“Through guided POM discussions, people in our Adult Day Services are sharing what really matters to them,” said Amber. “Their hopes, interests, aspirations and dreams. During these talks, people gain a stronger sense of who they are and what they want from their lives. For some, it’s the first time they’ve been asked these questions.”
The insights they share guide our approach at ESSC. We can connect them with the tools and resources they need, as well as support them in making informed decisions.
From Weekend Meet-Ups to Culinary School
Very often, people express a desire to spend more time with particular friends and family members. One person regularly started talking to a relative in Ireland over Zoom. Another was able to connect with her father in Arizona. Many others have learned how to travel to see nearby friends or sweethearts. Still others are exploring sports, hobbies and international trips. Weekends that used to be socially limited are now an opportunity to connect.
One man expressed a desire to move out on his own. Over time, he achieved this goal and now lives in his own apartment with some in-home support. He uses his time at Easterseals Adult Day Services to work on his grocery list and go shopping.
Another woman, Michelle, had a dream to cook and sell food. Her coach helped her with the process of getting into culinary school and learning various cooking techniques.
Gaining Confidence and Getting Motivated
“Across the board, people are gaining confidence and speaking up for themselves,” said Amber. “It’s clear that they feel a stronger sense of self-worth.”
Angelica Real, Director of Adult Day Services North, made a similar observation. “A lot of our young adults have always looked to others to answer for them about what to say and do. We’re teaching them, no, this is your life, your plan, your future. Now individuals are speaking up about their rights and their wants.”
This approach isn’t just beneficial for those who come to ESSC, it improves the lives of our associates as well. One associate noted about someone she’d known for years: “It was like meeting them for the first time and seeing them through new eyes.”
Another associate said, “This really opened my eyes to the ways in which we provide support. Before the training, I found myself wondering and contemplating about what was best for the individual. Now I stop and ask them what they think is right for them and their life.”
It’s motivating and energizing to establish that deeper connection, and to support someone in achieving a personal goal.
Spreading the Knowledge
What started with one pilot location, has now expanding to more than 100 ESSC associates trained in POM, and more than 130 people completing a POM conversation in 2023.
In addition, the Person-Centered Culture and Practices (PCCP) manual ESSC created in 2019, focuses on how to facilitate person-centered change within services. It has attracted interest from other local and regional organizations, and we’re seeing that a person-centered culture change could be far-reaching. With the combination of POM and PCCP, we are changing how services are provided—and that’s changing the outcomes of the services.
Ultimately, the hope is that this raises the bar for what’s expected from adult day services. We know that people living with developmental disabilities often face a range of obstacles. The time they spend with us can be a place where they feel safe to grow in their voice and their advocacy.
“We are here to listen, to honor people’s rights, and to support them in the ups, downs, mistakes, and successes,” said Amber. “We want every person to know that no matter what, we will always have their back. This is their life to live, and they can make it fully their own.”
The post Getting to Know You: How an Individualized Approach is Changing Adult Day Services appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.
Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 5:10 PM
In an effort to improve mental health among California’s youth, the Department of Health Care Servic…
In an effort to improve mental health among California’s youth, the Department of Health Care Services is introducing two groundbreaking tools for families in the state.
These tools are free to all California residents, regardless of income, health insurance or immigration status. No insurance and no referrals are needed. For more information about these tools, visit calhope.org.
BrightLife Kids: A CalHope Program by Brightline
BrightLife Kids is a virtual mental health platform for California families with children ages 0-12. Support your kids’ behavioral health and wellbeing with digital tools, resources and virtual support from experts in youth mental health.
BrightLife Kids is available for download on iOS devices in the Apple App Store and will be available for Android devices in mid-2024. You can also visit brightlife.kids to create an account.
Soluna (ages 13 – 25)
Soluna is a free mental health service for 13 – 25 year olds in California. Teens and young adults can chat confidentially with coaches or explore mental health tools.
Soluna is available for download on iOS and Android devices.
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For more resources, visit our Support and Education webpage. To learn about Easterseals Southern California’s resources and services for children, including Head Start and Early Head Start programs, visit our website.
The post Free Help: New Virtual Mental Health Resources for California’s Youth appeared first on Easterseals Southern California Blog.
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