This extremely versatile wheelchair offers the user freedom of mobility, the subject of an article featured under “People with a Disability in the Community.”
At Advancing Opportunities, we excel in providing residential and respite services to people of with all disabilities, along with advocacy and education services for parents and guardians and assistive technology support. As a leader in the field, we are pleased to share our experience, knowledge, and expertise with the disability community through our social media outlets: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Pinterest. In our Disability and Ability Highlights of the Week column, we will select the best of what we found and shared and present them. Please click on the titles with embedded links to find the full article.
In addition, we are specialists in the area of assistive technology and offer a huge array of services; the Assistive Technology Center is New Jersey’s premier source of information and equipment.
Advancing Opportunities job announcement of the week:
We’re hiring! Advancing Opportunities is seeking a full-time Assistant Director of Intake and Behavioral Services in our Residential Services Department.
JOB SUMMARY
The Assistant Director of Intake and Behavioral Services shall be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive internal and external marketing and intake plan that fulfills Advancing Opportunities’ residential contract and expands the residential services throughout the state. The Assistant Director of Intake and Behavioral Services promotes the professional development that enhances operational activities and the specialized services provided to learners/clients of Advancing Opportunities. The Assistant Director of Intake and Behavioral Services will be proficient in Behavior Analysis in order to complete professional assessments of those consumers referred for services. He or she will performs other duties, as deemed necessary for the agency.
For more information on this position, please visit us online, at: https://advopps.org/job/assistant-director-intake-behavioral-services-2/
Disability in the news (mostly in New Jersey, the population we serve):
More and more schools in New Jersey see the many benefits of inclusion of students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers.
How diverse are those companies issuing reports on their diversity?
For parents of a child with a disability (parenting):
One kind woman surprised a mom during her son with autism’s meltdown. 
The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health & Addiction Services, announces toll-free access to the publicly funded substance-use treatment provider community for adults affected by the disease of addiction.
Special Education:
The idea of Universal Design is not about kindness, or about compliance with the ADA. It is about common sense. When more people participate, everyone wins because human beings learn from each other.
Assistive technology:
This new touchable tablet helps guide people with vision disabilities.
Augmented ability: “Assistive Tech Gets Smart”: from braille smartwatches to GPS-enabled shoes, intuitive, connected technology is changing the game for people with disabilities.
BackMap helps visually impaired navigate cities and indoor areas
This 3D-printed arm was designed to help a boy play the cello.
Employment for people with disabilities:
One small business is hiring autistic adults and finding success.
Newly published: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA): New Resources
Informative, positive, noteworthy (or all three!):
Here is a playlist from TED Talks – Ten talks on “Designing for Disability”
Meet the dad who quit his job to run a Minecraft server for autistic children. Autcraft is a haven like few others on the Internet: free from bullying, with a strong and supportive community.
People with a disability in the community (disability rights and acceptance; inclusion):
The star of a new comic book has Down syndrome.
Even with ADA, people with disabilities in a wheelchair too often find themselves relegated to de facto segregation. Other times, freedom of movement is severely impinged. These issues are particularly acute for disabled black men and women.
Disability awareness and appreciation:
This Oscar-nominated documentary about autism celebrates the outsider.
Blog piece: How Having a Disabled Mom Helped Shape My Identity As a Disabled Woman
A character with autism is at the center of prime-time TV drama coming this fall.
Medical news – research:
A recent study shows that treatment with the common type-2 diabetes drug metformin improves social, behavioral, and neuron deficits in mouse model of fragile X.
A survey finds that one in two autistic adults have a low sense of well-being.
