No sooner had I considered that someone in a political office needed to be vocal for those with special needs that I read about Rosa’s Law (U.S. Senate Bill 2781) where Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) and Michael Enzi (R- WY) have co-sponsored the bipartisan bill to replace the words “mental retardation” with the words “intellectual [...]

… I had.  No matter which party you are affiliated with or where your politics lie, there’s no denying you know the name Sarah Palin.  But many people in the Lower 48 states had never heard of her until that hot summer August 29 day in 2008 when John McCain announced she would be the [...]

A Knocking Success
On a quarterly basis, the boards of directors for ARC Marion and the Heart of Florida Hope Foundation receive success story reports for clients at ARC.  Each time I read them, I’m amazed.  I’m not surprised by how wonderfully the staff adapts and adjusts to each individual client’s needs, because the people who [...]

…A question so appropriately asked recently by one of the ARC program directors.  With tears in her eyes she continued, “For all these years we’ve been telling our folks that they could make choices.  If they want to attend ADT (adult day training) today, they can.  If they want to go out on enclave (a [...]

Allow me to step back on my soapbox for a few days. 
Want to know how the Medicaid waiver works for the developmentally disabled in Florida?  This year, it goes something like this.  If you aren’t already on the waiting list, apply.  Get your name on the list and sit there for the next seven years [...]

When I have the opportunity to write about a cause in which I am extremely passionate, I’m sure it’s easy to see my heart in print even if you can’t see it on my sleeve.  From time to time I get a little hot under the collar fighting for people with developmental disabilities who don’t [...]

The fact remains, there are certain people groups who frankly need assistance from the government.  As much as I hate to admit it sometimes from the political standpoint, without government assistance and intervention for certain folks, like those with developmental disabilities, they just wouldn’t receive the care and training they need.
However, just as we as [...]

I’m officially hot and bothered!  The Florida legislature has gone to great heights to get me to this level, and I just really can’t believe what I’m reading in the press day in and day out about their most recent special session. 
I’ve mentioned in this blog before the fact that the state of Florida ranks [...]