Able Opportunities, Inc.

12/10/2024

Congratulations to Madison Tevlin who was named as one of the BBC's 100 Women 2024.
https://loom.ly/BGZrOz0

Madison fronted the hugely successful CoorDown video as part of World Down Syndrome Day 2023; Assume That I Can https://loom.ly/CGonK90

Plans are already under way for awareness week 2025, so watch this space for more information 🌎

11/15/2024

07/14/2024

11/26/2023

New Disabled South's plain-language dashboard makes dense bills far more accessible.

04/18/2023

Jennifer White of Able Opportunities, Inc. will be presenting! Be sure to register for the upcoming Technology for all Summit on June 15 to hear her as well all all of our other dynamic presenters... https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAode2vpz0rHNLSMmPozu6uTwN-c8E0LKJZ #/registration



[image description: text: Technology for All Tech Summit, June 15, 2023; Featured Presenter Jennifer White, Able Opportunities, Inc.. Image of Jennifer - a white woman with short dark hair, wearing glasses and smiling a the camera]

Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council (PADDC)

12/07/2022

02/01/2022

UPDATES:

Hi everyone!!! Here are some updates. I was bombarded with emails/messages (a great problem to have!). I talked to Serena & got more updates. She created this updated flyer. Her sister, Rachel, who is deaf, will be leading this 14 free sessions (weeks) that will be on zoom on Mondays. The zoom number is on the flyer, however, you can go ahead and email her at [email protected] to give her a headcount of how many people to expect to come. I know some people say they cannot come to all. That’s ok. As much as u can come, great. Again, I’m not the teacher but the messenger, sharing the post. You can email to get more information. Yes, free! This is via pacific standard time.
I do want to highlight that this is one opportunity, and there are many other asl classes that you should also sign up that are taught by deaf and hard of hearing individuals in the community with more structured plans and classes in depth. The more you can attend, the better your skills are. If you can literally interact with the deaf/hh community in person, that would enhance your skills even further.
Thank you all for the questions & interest. Again direct to Serena Riray] & [email protected]. Serena Riray]

01/29/2022

Um. Exactly.

My friends have shared that they have spent hours inside working on their speech while watching their peers play outside during recess and more. That’s simply not right.
If they are able to pick up speech and be a kid, then that’s also fine. Unfortunately that doesn’t happen for many. Language should be natural and not so much “work” to the point where one cannot be a kid anymore because the world thinks they should accommodate them.

Let Deaf kids be kids. They have the same amount of time and energy in one day as their peers. Why do they have to work exponentially harder for things that should be a given? They deserve language and communication and relationships and play that doesn't come with a price tag of exhausting work.

NOTE: We use the word "Deaf" as an inclusive term for all Deaf, hard of hearing, DeafBlind, DeafDisabled, and late-deafened children.

Image description: Why should Deaf kids have to work ten times as hard as everyone else to acquire language? Deaf kids need and deserve to be kids. They deserve breaks, rest, play, and downtime. Their whole life shouldn’t have to revolve around attempting to learn language through their weakest sense. This cuts dramatically into their time to just…be kids.

01/29/2022

Inclusion is not just physical or proximal. It must be meaningful and it must be intentional and it must be non conditional. Every single student has a right to be included in their education as well as in their class and school community. Inclusion is not "earned" or awarded as some kind of goal - it is a right that is bestowed upon every student by the fact of their existence.

Disabled students have a right to be included. Full stop.