Advocacy

Learn how to advocate for medical, educational and governmental support at both a local and state level for your child with special needs.

Mother supporting sweet down syndrome daughter to learn and relax from the internet.

Advocacy, Special Needs

Advocacy Strategies for Parents of Special Needs Children

Learn about effective advocacy strategies for parents of special needs children and discover how to ensure the best possible outcomes for your child.

Boy taking his blood pressure test

Advocacy

How to Work with Difficult Doctors & Therapists

As the parent of a disabled child you probably have to meet with quite a few doctors and therapists. What can you do if you just don't agree with their...

lily pads

Advocacy, Parenting

Family vs Ableism: What I’ve Learned As a Mother of a Child with a Disability

Is it more important to be worried about how you're presenting yourself and your family to the outside world and the wider disability community, or to focus on the needs...

Make your own white cane lapel pin with beads

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Make Your Own White Cane Lapel Pin for White Cane Day

Celebrate White Cane Day with your very own white cane lapel pin! Show your white cane pride with this hand-made bead pin.

proud special needs girl

Advocacy, Parenting

I’m Raising My Special Needs Child with Dignity – Are You?

Special needs children deserve honor and respect. As parents, we need to maintain their dignity and help them present themselves at their best in public.

a girl in class looking frustrated

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Learning Advocacy When You Have Low Vision

L. Penny Rosenblum is a TVI, a parent and student advocate, and has a vision impairment. She writes about what it was like learning to advocate for herself as a...

three women in a meeting

Advocacy

5 Tips to Becoming a Legislative Advocate for Your Special Needs Child

Penny discusses how to become more active in advocating for your child through the legislative system. When you have a child with a disability you need to be heard -...

Lucas being independent

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

This Blind Boy Can! How to Teach Your Child Independence and Start a Movement

Sarah writes about the journey her family has traveled as they've taught their blind son Lucas to be as independent as possible. And now she wants to start a movement!...

protestors walking down a street

Advocacy

An open letter to protestors from a special needs mom

I support your right to have your voice heard, but I have one request: Please keep your protest on the sidewalk.

toy doll with guide dog

Advocacy, Toys

#ToyLikeMe Brings Disability Awareness to the Toy Box

#ToyLikeMe is bringing revolution to the toy box by advocating major toy companies to include representations of disabilities in their product lines.

speaker silhouette background with title

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

5 TED Talks by Presenters Who Are Blind

Here are five TED Talks given by presenters who are blind. Not only are they entertaining and educational, each speech is perfectly balanced with the right amount of seriousness and...

Holly with her kids

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Sometimes I just don’t feel like “teaching” people about blindness

As members of the blindness community, we find ourselves with the opportunity to teach others about blindness all the time. But do you ever want to just skip the teachable...

My child will live an enviable life

Advocacy

The Day I Realized That My Special Needs Child Deserves to Live an Enviable Life

All children with special needs deserve to live an enviable life! Do you agree? And do you know what this really means?

Advocacy

Advocacy

Learning Advocacy and Self-Advocacy

Marianne Haas, a TVI, disability advocate and employment counselor, gives strategies and tips on how to advocate for your blind child.

Lesley and her dog

Advocacy

How My Disability has Taught Me to Embrace My Own Uniqueness

Perhaps if we all made a positive difference in our own unique way we would feel more connected to each other and less afraid to be imperfect.

10 dollar bill

Advocacy

Changes Coming to Make US Currency Accessible

What's your opinion of the need for accessible currency in the US? Should we change our money so that it's accessible to the blind?

Ivan with his father on father's day

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Person First Language: “Child Who is Blind” or “Blind Child”

Have you thought about how you refer to your child? Do you say, "my blind baby" or "my baby who is blind"? Does it matter?

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Awareness T-Shirts for Kids who are Blind or Visually Impaired

Check out these childhood blindness Awareness T-Shirts from Eye Power Kid's Wear! Express yourself and raise awareness for your cause!

Nancy Shugart on stage for her TED talk.

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Learning to Overcome Fear and Not Give Up When Growing Up Blind

Nancy Shugart talks about growing up with vision issues and how that affected the choices she made going into adulthood. This TED talk is about learning to live without fear.

Ivan reading the book

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

What to Read When you Learn your Baby is Blind

A list of books (and videos) that parents of blind & visually impaired children should read (and watch). We've listed only the best of the best here so you can...

Abi

Advocacy, Support

Friends Helping Friends: Why Special Needs Parents Have to Rely on Each Other

Where can parents of children with special needs find the services, resources and programs designed to help them? Noelia says most of her information comes from other parents.

Lesley with her husband

Advocacy

Learning to Forge my Own Identity while Living with Cerebral Palsy

Lesley Potgieter writes about how it can be difficult to live up to mainstream standards as a person with disabilities. She encourages parents to help their children create their own...

blind students exploring employment

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Helping Your Blind Child Transition to Adult Services

Beth Jordan from Helen Keller National Center's Kansas office shares her insights into preparing for transition to adult services for blind students.

Social Worker helping a blind child to get services

Advocacy, Visual Impairment

Fighting for Services for Your Blind Child

Why is it so hard to find good help? In many states, services for visually impaired children, though mandated through strict federal laws, are very hard to come by. Many...