Jess Ronne found a play space where her son Lucas, who is autistic, could come along with his siblings. The accessible playground and barn at Benjamin’s Hope in Holland is a place designed for those with disabilities but welcomes everyone.
The pandemic has caused health departments and community-based organizations to establish and strengthen relationships that are continuing to pay dividends for their communities.
Jon Cauchi, who became blind at age 12, performs a comedy routine called “The Real and Funny Side of Having a Disability” that brought down the house during Laughfest in March 2020.
Over half a million Michiganders stand to lose their coverage again whenever the federal government revokes the public health emergency declared in January 2020.
Despite a labor shortage, people with disabilities are dramatically underemployed. But there are employers leading the way in providing accessible accommodations so they can tap into this often-overlooked talent pool.
More robust mental health care delivery and reduced stigma are among the silver linings emerging from the COVID cloud.
Even with masking and other precautions, Elizabeth Ferry said that she – like other people with disabilities she knows – lived in fear during the pandemic, afraid that her aides would quit, and she would be unable to replace them.
1.9 million Michiganders experienced food insecurity during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, leading Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to launch the council.
This article begins a weekly series that will explore the challenges faced by those with disabilities along with the efforts across West Michigan to address the discrimination and inequity.
Even as mental health issues have risen worldwide, Michigan has fallen behind on having enough health professionals to address that trend.
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