The Choice Group

One of our clients recently presented a speech at John Rolfe Middle School as a Global Messenger for the Special Olympics of Virginia.  In her speech, she speaks to her the challenges that she’s faced and her passion to overcome them.  We couldn’t think of a better way to represent her than through her own words! "Hi!! my name is Emily Bower.  I want to thank you for having me speak here for team excel at John Rolfe middle school. Today, I want to convey my message of how I got involved with Special Olympics Virginia, why I wanted to become a global messenger, and what the campaign to end the r-word means to me.  While I was an intern at TechAccess, 5 years ago I met my current work coach, Pam Russell, through the choice group. It was through her that I got the opportunity to interview for a position as an office assitant at Special Olympics Virginia or, what we commonly call SOVA. Guess who got the job?!  At the time, I didn't know much about S...

     Today is "Give Kids a Smile" Day, you know, one of those random holidays you never knew existed, like "Talk Like a Pirate" day and "Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast" Day!  Well, in honor of today's holiday AND tomorrow's "Take Your Child to the Library" Day, we thought we'd share this thoughtful article with tips on how to help make learning fun for children with learning disabilities.  It can seem hopeless and disappointing to any child who isn't given the proper attention when trying to learn in school, which can make them give up altogether.  With just a little bit of knowledge in part of the educator, learning can be fun again for students with learning disabilities.   3 Tips to Make Learning More Fun for the Child with Learning Disabilities  By Heather Gilmore, MSW, LLMSW, BCBA  Academic tasks can be challenging for kids with learning disabilities and related disorders (such as dyslexia, ADHD, Autism, et...

     We found this great article by Teresa Thomas on DisabilityScoop.com !  We need more outreach committees actively creating awareness and an inclusive environment for all students to learn and play.  We especially loved that they were calling it Ability Awareness, "because we want kids to focus on the fact that we all have abilities even though we're different."  That's the message we try to send out through our work at The Choice Group- that skill, talent, and hard work aren't exclusive traits but can be fostered in inclusive workplace environments. Kids Get 'Ability Awareness' Training by Teresa Thomas, Mail Tribune/TNS | January 26, 2016 MEDFORD, Ore. – Hayden Allen, 9, gestured wildly as he tried to communicate instructions to his classmates without using words. As he acted out “arranging toy cars in a row,” his classmates guessed that he was counting, dancing and even flying. Hayden finally gave up. “It was hard and frustrating, ...

    With this weekend's weather report comes to mind the needs of people with disabilities in the event of inclement weather.  It usually requires a little extra planning for people who require medication or those with special equipment to consider in the event of a power outage.  This advice comes straight from the American Red Cross. Considerations for people with disabilities     Those with disabilities or other special needs often have unique needs that require more detailed planning in the event of a disaster. Consider the following actions as you prepare: • Learn what to do in case of power outages and personal injuries. Know how to connect and start a back-up power supply for essential medical equipment. • Consider getting a medical alert system that will allow you to call for help if you are immobilized in an emergency.  Most alert systems require a working phone line, so have a back-up plan, such as a cell phone or pager, if the reg...

We found some inspiration this week from lifehack.org ! 4 Reasons Why You Should Embrace Your Disability Disabilities are tied to struggles and setbacks, sending false messages that disabled individuals are incompetent and incapable. Those struggles are real, but can be overcome by embracing your disability. That means, learning to look squarely at success as a product of struggle, which can make a significant difference in your education, career and personal life. When you love yourself, disability and all, no one can deny you your power, passion and influence. It’s all about perspective! Here are four positive products of embracing your disability. 1. You become a teacher It’s natural for people to have misconceptions of disabilities and individuals that have them.  When you embrace your disability you begin to become an expert of it.  Therefore, you can enlighten others in a way that produces awareness and breakdown myths about disabled individuals. When a pers...

    At The Choice Group, we strive to help people with disabilities discover their ability.  This includes young adults in transitional periods of their lives.  From leaving home for the first time to attend postsecondary schools, to preparing meals, or scheduling transportation, The Choice Group is here to help our clients work through any challenges they may face step by step.      A greater awareness of issues like accessibility and inclusive work or educational environments help make these transitions less daunting for people with disabilities.  This article by Michelle Diament sheds light on how unprepared universities seem to be for the growing number of students with disabilities, and how we need to step up the game! Greater Transparency Urged for College Disability Services Amid concerns from advocates, a U.S. senator is calling on federal education officials to make information about disability services at the nation’...

     We have four offices throughout Virginia dedicated to helping people with disabilities find meaningful employment.  Our staff goes above and beyond every day to help people understand their benefits, find a job suited for them, and help their clients reach goals they might not have thought previously possible.  This is why we'd like to introduce our enthusiastic counselors in the Northern Virginia area that are committed to helping our clients reach their employment goals. James Tarawali Shadi Zadeh Kisha Joseph Tiffany Brown Jamie Malloy Erica Johnson - Manager John Callahan Travis Greene Kim Warfield Stephanie Hill - Lead Counselor

It has been rainy and dreary all along the East Coast going on over a week now.  And, after all of the excitement over the bike race, the “slower pace” of these rainy days seems to be affecting Richmond citywide.  This article provides some much needed Monday Inspiration.  It is easy to keep a closed mind about yourself and the world around you and that’s what this article highlights as the biggest disability of all.  Believe in yourself and what we can accomplish as a community through inclusion of everyone.   Here are some of the solutions the article offers: UNCONVENTIONAL SOLUTION TO BIGGEST DISABILITY ON THE  PLANET - Use digital technology to offer free mindfulness training - and practice support - to every person on the planet who can access the Internet. - Prioritize de...

Recently, the 16th Annual Virginia Rehabilitation Association Benjy Burnett Memorial Golf Tournament was held and we were so happy to have a team participating for such a great cause. Proceeds of this tournament go towards VRA's educational programs for rehabilitation professionals as well as services for people with disabilities.

Just in time for school to start, we thought we'd share with educators some advice and requests from parents of children with disabilities.  Numbers 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 20 to be particularly inspiring! Article written by Melissa McGlensey from TheMighty.com 22 Things Parents Want Special Educators to Know Before School Starts As back-to-school time draws near, we know parents have a lot on their minds (and to-do lists). Jumping into a new school year with a new special educator can be daunting for moms and dads. So  we asked our parent readers what they wanted their children’s special educators to know . Here’s what they had to say: 1. “Read the IEP and, as my special educator, please tell the inclusions teachers to read it, too. I do appreciate you… But I am still the parent and we need to be a team.” —  Doreen Duran 2. “A lways communicate with parents. We want to know everything going on — improvements, failures, what they’re doing, are they making f...

A recent article on Disability.gov’s blog, written by Angela M. Hooker, was brought to our attention that highlights a lot of the points we’ve tried to make in our own blog posts.  We want to change perspectives of thinking what people with disabilities CAN’T do, to an inclusive attitude of what they CAN achieve.  We strive to end the misconception that job accommodations have to be expensive and inconvenient. Or, even that hiring a person with a disability means they’ll be somehow less productive or qualified for the job when there are abundant examples of the opposite.  She says: " Are we, through discrimination, fears and preconceptions, depriving our nation of the next Steve Wampler, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Hawking or Stephen Fry — all of whom have disabilities? Imagine our world without the art, skill and knowledge that they bring and contribute to our society. And there are even more dynamic and talented workers out there, and we should have the opportunit...

      Recently, The Choice Group was fortunate enough to have a dynamic guest speaker.  She is almost fully blind and has been most of her life.  Her experience is not unique, but her perspective on disability is.  She shared with us this perspective and how she gained it when seeking to learn the martial art of Krav Maga.      When she first approached her martial arts teacher revealing her desire to learn Krav Maga, he sat in thoughtful contemplation for a minute, before replying.      “Krav Maga is a striking art, which relies heavily on awareness from a distance of your opponent’s motions and location.  What if you tried Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, instead?” He replied.  “It’s a grappling art, and might be better suited to someone with reduced vision.  Lots of people practice Jiu-Jitsu with their eyes closed.  You are in close contact with your opponent the whole time, which would allow y...