reflections
March 2007: My sixty-six-year-old father is rushed to the hospital after surviving a fairly major heart attack while living in another country. I fly to the city where he is, assess the cramped and disjointed medical infrastructure and immediately initiate plans to Medevac him home for care. He tells me
I want to thank the members of this committee for the opportunity to raise my voice against the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett and in support of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to share my family’s story. While I appear alone in this room, I bring with me
pandemic
My name is Erin Gabriel. I live in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania with my husband and three children, Collin, Bridget, and Abby. My youngest daughter Abby is a beautiful, fun, mischievous ten-year-old who loves playing with her big sister and brother, going to the theater, exploring the outdoors, and,
reflections
I love the sound of my daughter's voice. Like any mama who adores her kiddos, the sweet, small sound of their voices are music to my ears. My twin girls, Emma and Sara, will celebrate their 7th birthday later this month. They are happy, rambunctious, curious and remarkably
federal-issues
As far back as I can remember, I have always found ways to express myself that others can understand. It is why I escaped the discrimination others still endure. I have significant motoric, and speech, disabilities due to cerebral palsy. On the wall of my office hangs a piece of
journey-with-jeneva
Jeneva is thrilled to interview Alice Wong (she/her), a disabled activist, media maker, and consultant. Alice is the Founder and Director of the Disability Visibility Project® (DVP), an online community dedicated to creating, sharing and amplifying disability media and culture created in 2014. She is also the editor of
reflections
As the mother of a young man with complex medical needs and disabilities, health care means peace of mind: knowing that Rob’s medical and adaptive needs will be met. That Rob can take advantage of technology and medical advances, such as his augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Rob’
pandemic
“Back to school” has been my favorite time of year since I was a kid looking forward to new friends, activities, things to learn, and (my favorite) school supplies. As a mom, I still look forward to the promise and potential a new school year brings (and I still love
pandemic
Our families are being confronted with the terrifying decision to send our kids back to school, risking their lives, or keep them home and miss critical instruction and therapy. The ramifications of these choices are mind-blowing. From learning to therapy to social integration, school is the cornerstone of community inclusion
health-care
It has been three years since I co-founded Little Lobbyists, a family-led group advocating for children with complex medical needs and disabilities. We formed because the health care that helped kids like my daughter Xiomara survive and thrive was under urgent threat. Along with an incalculable army of organizations and
101-series
In 1998, when my son Rob became disabled at the age of one, I knew nothing about disability services or advocacy or rights. I just knew that I wanted Rob to live at home with us, where any child belongs. Rob was a busy toddler who loved going to the
pandemic
It defies logic that any human being would refuse a simple action such as wearing a mask which, however inconvenient, could prevent the completely preventable: passing a potentially deadly virus to a loved one, a friend, or a child like our Gabriel. Gabriel will be five in November, having long