Hy-Vee KidsFit is an interactive health and wellness website for children, teens and families that offers a free, online personal trainer. The workouts and activities featured on KidsFit require no equipment or gym memberships, making it accessible to children and teens of all skill levels. The website — www.hy-veekidsfit.com — also features fun workout videos, nutrition blogs written by Hy-Vee dietitians and health…

Sunday, July 26, 2015, marked the 25^th year of the ADA (The Americans with Disabilities Act). Cities across the country held their own celebrations over the weekend. Hopefully you were able to get out and celebrate!

The march in Des Moines, Iowa, took place on Friday, July 24.…

A test may be able to tell if a child will have literacy challenges later in life, well before he or she even attempts to read. 

All reading begins with hearing, which is the basis of this reasearch. We need to learn how to catalog important sounds and separate them from pure noise.

Learn more about this test here. 

What if we could test…

Help your community learn about accessible information and communication technology.

Accessible Information and Communication Technology can be used by people with a wide range of abilities and disabilities.  By sharing information about the webinar series below, you can improve access in your community.  This training was developed by and for "techies" that do this type of work. 

 Who to share it with:  educators at local schools and…

The Iowa State Fair is having a coloring contest!

Youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can show off their creative side in the 2015 Coloring Contest. See rules and entry form for more information.

Download entry form and coloring sheet:…

https://iowaable.org/   

The Iowa Able Foundation helps Iowans with disabilities and their families achieve and maintain independence through lending and financial coaching.

Since its inception in 1998, the Iowa Able Foundation has been offering loans to Iowans who need to purchase assistive technology such as specialized computers or software, wheelchairs, communication devices, home modifications, vehicle modifications and other devices. In…

Want to learn create ways to share stories with your child or the children you teach? ZLS has a division called Book Blast! to help all families help their child reach their reading potential. Videos are added to demonstrate activities and our newest resource sheets can be printed off…

The answer... Texas! 

From Disability Scoop:

In what’s believed to be a first, a new law in Texas will require schools to install cameras upon request in classrooms serving students with disabilities.

The law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this month mandates that school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in the…

Every Child Matters in Iowa has an important message for 2016 presidential candidates:

"Every Child Matters in Iowa believes that everyone deserves a shot at the American Dream. Unfortunately, the increasingly unequal opportunities for kids and working families is threatening that dream. 

During this presidential election cycle,…

First lady Michelle Obama is headed to Los Angeles next month to cheer on athletes with disabilities at the Special Olympics World Games, organizers say.

Obama will attend the opening ceremony of the games on July 25 at the Los Angeles Memorial…

Who knew wearing a hearing aid could be fun. Learn more about the mom who sells these creative hearing aids, so kids can get excited about wearing a hearing aid.

Cool, right?…

Any parent who’s had to patch a young child’s good eye knows how frustrating it can be. A few weeks ago, I saw a Today Show article about a dad who’s using his creative skills to make wearing an eye patch fun for his young daughter. I was immediately intrigued, and I began following his Instagram account. All I think is…

Reading activities make learning more fun! Here are some ideas from the Iowa Reading Research Center:

Sight Word Hopscotch   More Reading Games

On July 2, 2015, the Governor signed 14 bills into law. Included in the bills are the Health/Huma Services Budget (SF 505). The Governor approved:

• Funding to implement the ABLE Act
• Increase in HCBS Waiver Provider Rates (.5% increase)
• Increase in supported employment provider rates (10% increase)
• Gap funding for two M/DS regions in trouble ($2 million)
• Elimination of the Medicaid offset (repayment of savings due to Medicaid expansion) for…

This website offers innovative tools, reliable research and interactive training to help address the challenges of moving onto employment, college and life in the community.   Check it out!  www.PACER.org/transition  One of the current feature stories as about assistive technology (AT) > which I of course really like! 

Everyone on FIND has a Comment Wall. Comment Walls are excellent for contacting FIND members who are not your friends. On FIND, you have to be friends with someone to private message them. If you wish to reach out to someone who hasn’t accepted your friend request, try leaving them a brief message on their profile. You’ll usually find the Comment Wall at the bottom of a person’s profile. …

Because of his autism, 7-year-old Timothy Rhynold had never attended a birthday party. His mother, Tricia Rhynold, felt it better to keep Timothy away from settings where he would be overstimulated. …

Telecommunications Access Iowa, TAI, is a program supported by the Iowa Utilities Board. They will now purchase/give an iPad to those individuals who meet the criteria listed below.  The device comes with an OtterBox, a 3 year warranty and Prolouque2Go.  The user is able to use the iPad for additional communication instance beyond the typical replacement of phone access.  This is HUGE!  The user can purchase any additional apps for communication if necessary. 

Below are the 4…

Stella Young is a comedian and journalist who happens to go about her day in a wheelchair — a fact that doesn’t, she’d like to make clear, automatically turn her into a noble inspiration to all humanity. In this very funny talk, Young breaks down society's habit of turning disabled people into “inspiration porn.”

Stella raises some interesting points in her talk. Living – just living – with a disability doesn’t have to be inspiring. Disabled individuals may be…