Upsides and Bird Boxes – The Disability in Film Conversation Continues…

Disability in Film

Disability in film isn’t a new topic, but recent films have taken on the subject matter both in positive and not-so-positive ways. We’ve had Bird Box, The Upside, Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, and others. Television has also joined in with such shows as Speechless, Atypical, and The Good Doctor. We’re happy to see these projects come out and hope more will follow to help further expose people to the world of disability. Still, not all exposure is good exposure and we want to make sure we point out what’s working and what isn’t so we can all learn from these issues moving forward. For the purposes of this article, we’d like to focus on the two most recent films to be released, The Upside and Bird Box, to help us explore this topic of representation of persons with disabilities and special needs in our media.

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100 Years of Changing the Way the World Views and Defines Disabilities

Easterseals is 100 Years Young

In 1919, Edgar Allen founded a service organization that eventually became known as the National Society for Crippled Children which eventually became Easterseals. He discovered that people with disabilities were hidden from the public eye due to a lack of support in their communities. He wanted to change all that.

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Medication for Mental Health: Stopping the Stigma – Part I

Medication for Mental Health

Medication for Mental Health

It’s time to talk about medication. Not for a cold, not for an infection, but for managing the symptoms surrounding mental illness. Specifically, we’d like to address the stigma that surrounds just one of those three examples we just named. Taking medication for mental health should be treated no different than taking an aspirin for a headache. Something is causing us distress and we take medication to correct the issue. It’s as simple as that.

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Disability and Dental Care PART I – The Basics You Need to Know

disability and dental care

It is time to talk about disability and dental care. When you have a disability or special need, keeping up with daily dental care or finding a dentist that can cater to your needs can be quite a challenge. That’s why we sat down with Keith Libou, D.M.D. of Delta Dental of New Jersey. He answers all our questions about disability and dental care in a multi-part blog series. We hope these posts will serve as a useful resource for you or your loved one and give you something to smile about.

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Where’s All the Accessible Transportation in New Jersey?

Accessible Travel

Accessible Transportation For All

There are plenty of ways to get around (or get out of) New Jersey. We have NJ Transit providing trips throughout New Jersey and into New York. Septa can take you into Pennsylvania and can be picked up inside Trenton train station. Cars and buses whiz through the Parkway and the Turnpike (at least when there’s no traffic) and you can book your next Caribbean vacation at Newark Airport. But can you take advantage of all these travel options if you or a loved one has a disability or special need?

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How I Make Accessible Trips from New Jersey to the Big Cities

Disability and the City

Those of us living in New Jersey are lucky enough to have easy travel access to two of America’s greatest cities: New York City and Philadelphia. However, having a disability can make these trips tricky to manage. Hi, my name is William Volkmann and I have Cerebral Palsy. When I was younger I could walk down city streets and hop into cabs, although it was demanding. Now that I’m older, I see now how much harder

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Tech & Disability: The Future of Access

Future of Access

The Future is Now!

Brain-Controlled_Prosthetic_ArmWithin the past few decades, technology has advanced to a point where science fiction has become science fact. From the internet to smartphones, we have seen a dramatic change in the way technology has affected our daily lives. This is perhaps most apparent when you look at the multitude of ways technology is helping increase accessibility options afforded to people with disabilities and special needs.

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Disability, Life, and Moments That Matter

Quote of Teddy R "Nothing worth having was ever achieved without effort"

#lifesmoments

Moments pass, life changes, we move on.

There are those times however, that stick out as significant and universal. Maybe it’s when you graduated high school? Or got your driver’s license? Or the first time you tied your own shoes? These moments are milestones. We use them as indicators of a life fully lived. All people, whether they have a disability or not, are entitled to

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6 Helpful Tips For Caregivers During National Family Caregivers Month

DSP COLLAGE
Thank you to all family caregivers!

Easter Seals New Jersey recognizes the various struggles that many caregivers sometimes face when they are caring for a loved one.  Often times, these same individuals neglect to care for themselves.  For all of you that do not know, November is National Family Caregivers Month, and to honor all of you caregivers out there who work hard all day, every day, to care for your loved ones, this post is for you.

In the most recent studies on Caregivers in the US there was an estimated:

  • More than 65 million caregivers nationwide
  • 52 million caregivers caring for adults with an illness or disability
  • Caregivers spend on average 20-35 hours per week providing care
  • 17% feel their personal health suffers due to caregiving
  • 40%-70% of caregivers show significant signs of depression
  • Only 12% of caregivers report using respite services
  • 78% report needing more help and information about caregiving
  • 35% of caregivers report having difficulty finding time for themselves,
  • 29% report trouble balancing work and family responsibilities

Source: www.seniorcarecorner.com

As most of you know, being a caregiver can be extremely stressful, not giving yourself enough time in the day to worry about your own needs because you are always concerned about someone else’s.  When you do focus on your needs, it may feel selfish and unnatural.  It is important to understand that an essential part of being a caregiver is to make sure you put yourself first at times.  While you may think it will compromise the care of your loved one, you have to understand that it will not.  Both your life, and the life of your loved one, depends on your well-being.

With that being said, here are 6 helpful tips on how to manage caregiver stress and the busy lifestyle that comes with it.

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