Join us in October for a conversation with Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) and Assistive Technology (AT) creator Jessica Smith, who was featured in a 6 abc Hometown heroes segment for her work with first responders.

Here is how Jessica describes herself:

“My name is Jessica Smith. I am a class of 2023 high school graduate with High Functioning Autism. I make communication boards for first responders to help them communicate with people who are non speaking. I also make adapted switches for people with fine motor issues so they can play with toys and control appliances. I work with assistive technology as well making these things and helping other state programs. I started doing these things when I was in the 9th grade and I continue to do these things and now I give presentations about these projects. Please check out my Instagram for more of my projects and events I go to.”

Are you interested in learning more about technology that can help you or your loved one live more safely and independently? Join us on September 16th to learn from our presenters. Representatives from Safe in Home will be sharing potential solutions.

Safe in Home empowers people to live more independently in their own homes and communities through the use of remote supports and assistive technologies. Safe in Home’s person-centered services vary by the individual, and may include real-time check ins, remote monitoring through sensors, or other technologies.

Join us to learn more!

Does thinking about your loved one's financial future keep you up at night? Are you ready to take the next steps, but you're not sure how to start? Join presenters Jerry Ruttenberg and Brian Smith of Firstrust Financial Resources as they share the basics of financial planning.

About our presenters:

Jerry Ruttenberg (MBA) is a financial consultant with Firstrust Financial Resources. He dedicates his practice to planning for families with children with disabilities, a passion derived from his own family experiences.

Previously as a Special Needs Financial Planner with the MetLife Center for Special Needs Planning, he assisted families in planning for the financial future of their children or other dependents with special needs.

This requires in depth knowledge of the federal laws as they pertain to government benefit eligibility, legal documents such as special needs trusts and guardianships, and financial considerations for providing quality lifetime care.

Jerry holds a BBA in marketing and an MBA in Industrial Management from Temple University, and is a retired adjunct professor of Economics and Finance at Community College of Philadelphia.

Brian Smith is the Vice President of Firstrust Financial Resources. He assists families and small business owners in the areas of retirement, investments and life insurance protection. Recognizing that long-term healthcare needs are a major factor in prudent retirement planning, he commits a substantial portion of his time to long-term care insurance planning.

Brian received his B.S. in Finance from Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania.

This month, we’re turning the meeting over to the real experts: our amazing community members!

Join us for a community resource swap! Whether you’d like to share info about an awesome local inclusive business or you’re looking for ideas for a cool new hangout spot, join us to share with your fellow community members.

Bring your recommendations for social and recreational activities, inclusive employers, welcoming community spaces, sensory friendly professionals, or organizations you want to share.  And if you are looking for resources in any of these categories (or others) please bring your requests for information to the group!

You have the waivers, the special needs trust, the benefits, Now What? 

In this presentation, our guest presenter Michele Leahy will will talk about SSI/SSDI to DAC transition, how to revise ISP plans, how to organize all the information in one place and, importantly, how pass the baton to the next generation. 

Her presentation will cover how to navigate services when life changes and how to deal with the stumbling blocks of changes in benefit status. She’ll also explain how to organize your plan and bring the next generation "up to speed" to start the succession now.

Join us to learn about Housing from Self Advocates United as One (SAU1) Power Coaches!

For the past several months, Families CCAN and SAU1 have been working on a grant project . This project is funded by the Pennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council. To learn more about this project, click here.

This presentation will share some common myths about housing for people with disabilities, and then help to explain why those myths are not true. This will be an informative and interactive presentation geared towards older teens and adults with disabilities, as well as their families, and the professionals who support them.

Feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of financial planning for yourself and your loved one? Join guests Brian and Sean Sykes of Sykes Financial Solutions to learn about new tools and strategies to make sure that you can continue to live your best lives in the future. They will bring their presentation, “Special Plans for a Special Life”, which covers:

• 3 Key Resources for Financial Security

• 4 Crucial Financial Areas of Focus in Special Needs Planning

• Special Needs Trust Overview

• The Living Balance Sheet: a new Tool in the Financial Planning Process.

About our presenter: Brian Sykes, CFP®, ChFC®, ChSNC®, CExP™; is a financial professional with more than 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. He specializes in providing financial planning and business consulting services, focusing on a holistic approach that addresses clients’ entire financial pictures, from their current circumstances to their long-term goals. His clients include individuals, families, executives, and owners of closely held businesses. Wherever they are in life or the financial planning process, he believes it is critical to educate clients on their opportunities and explain the reasoning behind his recommendations. By doing so, he strives to help clients feel confident in their future and more empowered to make decisions and take an active role in their financial strategies.

This meeting is free to attend and all are welcome. Registration is required.

Community-based housing opportunities for adults with disabilities can be hard to find. Join us on November 20th as we discuss community-based housing solutions. Our guest, Bill Meltzer, will share lessons he has learned as a member of The Housing Initiative, a parent-driven initiative to create an affordable and inclusive housing solution for individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in Allentown, PA. The Housing Initiative has created a plan for an inclusive apartment building. Their building project is now underway, and will offer affordable community-based housing opportunities to adults with and without disabilities. Check out news about the project here and here.

About our presenter:

Bill and his wife of 39 years, Anne Marie Dolinish-Meltzer, have three adult children and a grandson. Their oldest son has Down syndrome. Bill has been engaged in advocacy activities for people with disabilities since 1999, when he co-founded the Eastern Pennsylvania Down Syndrome Center (EPDSC), a non-profit 501(c)3, whose mission is to provide medical evaluations for individuals with Down syndrome in a family centered environment.

Bill also has experience as a Special Olympics basketball coach, Pantry manager and Board member for the Whitehall Coplay Huger Initiative, and Board member for Alliance for Building Communities (ABC), a local non-profit whose mission is to create community partnerships dedicated to revitalizing neighborhoods by developing safe and affordable housing that fosters independent living and enhances quality of life for seniors and families.

Bill provided this background on the Housing Initiative:

“As with many grass roots initiatives, it began when our children were born. As you are likely aware, advocacy does not come without obstacles. We advocated for their education in a classroom with their peers. We helped develop a three-year post-secondary education program at East Stroudsburg University. We advocated for their inclusion in the community, and we advocated for competitive employment. But have you ever wondered where your son or daughter would live when they become an adult? These issues and questions are hard enough for our “typical” children. But what about those that have an intellectual disability?

In September of 2014, the Eastern Pa Down Syndrome Center charged a small group of parents to come up with a creative living option that would allow our adults with intellectual disabilities to live independently in their community. This group along with others from the autism community came to be known as The Housing Initiative or THI.”

Would you like to learn about inclusive and sensory-friendly Arts opportunities in the Philadelphia Region? Join us on October 23rd as we welcome representatives from cultural institutions committed to welcoming and including all community members.

About our presenters:

Bailey Gamberg, Educator of Adult and Community Programs at the Brandywine Museum of Art in Chadds Ford, PA, will join us to share more about their sensory-friendly programs. Four times a year, the museum invites people on the autism spectrum and their families to experience art galleries in an immersive and low-stress environment. Along with specialized hours for minimal crowds, these programs feature multi-sensory gallery stations, craft activities, sensory break areas, and pre-visit materials. Learn more about some of the fun themes and activities from previous events, and upcoming dates for your family to join us.

Mark Sylvester and T.J. Sokso will join us from the Walnut Street Theatre. Through their Access to Walnut program, they are committed to making live theater accessible to everyone in our community.

Mark Sylvester, the Walnut Street Theatre’s Managing Director is proud to be celebrating his 30th season at the Walnut. His extensive career has spanned Summer Stock to Broadway as an actor, stage manager, box office treasurer, theatre manager, marketing and public relations director and general manager. After several years working with commercial theatre, he has devoted his career to non-profit theatre companies since 1987. To date, Mark has been associated with more than 500 stage productions.

T.J. Sokso is Walnut Street Theatre’s Director of Education and oversees the Theatre School, Touring Outreach, Residency Programs, Disney Musicals in Schools, Camp Walnut, Adopt-a-School programs, and WST for Kids Series. He has spent the past fifteen years working for the School District of Philadelphia as a CAPA Specialist. His experience includes over 100 productions as an actor/director and seventeen years of teaching in the Walnut’s Theatre School.

Walnut Street Theatre is America’s Oldest Theatre and the most popular theatre company in Philadelphia. As a producer of live theatre, many of the artists on the stage, in the orchestra, and behind the scenes are from the Philadelphia area. As a non-profit institution, the Walnut is recognized nationally for bringing affordable theatre and diverse stories to more subscribers than any other theatre company in the world. In addition to its five Mainstage productions, the Walnut’s education and outreach programs bring live theatre to over 125,000 students, teachers, parents, and kids every year.

Join us on September 11th as we welcome community members who have successfully launched social enterprises: businesses that have a mission to create competitive job opportunities for people with disabilities. In practice, these businesses create not only unique job opportunities, but also inclusive community spaces that we can all enjoy together.

About our presenters:

Aimee Rubin will be joining us from Game on State. Game on State is an innovative, inclusive arcade in Media, PA. From their website:

“The Game On State Story

Game On State opens its doors every day as a modern twist on a retro video game arcade. Families no longer need to go to the shore for their fill of Skee-ball and candy; it’s here in Media.

After making Delaware County their home for decades, the Rubin family has joined the downtown State Street community in offering a safe and memorable family entertainment experience. Media, long known as Everybody’s Hometown, offers a nostalgic walkable main street with shopping, dining, and festivals. Game On State is a new place for kids and anyone who wants to feel like a kid again.

This is “Everybody’s Arcade.” From the guests to the employees, we welcome the entire community.

The fun is here for lunch breaks, after-school entertainment, business gatherings, and birthday or private parties. Everyone will feel like they have the high score!”

Kelly Weiss will join us from Perkiomen Valley Brewery, a brewery and fully accessible taproom that is both sensory and mobility friendly. Kelly describes the brewery as follows:

“We like to brew good and interesting beers. We love bringing community together. We believe in belonging. We believe that inclusion can be put into action everywhere, including a space where it may be least expected, like a brewery.

Perkiomen Valley Brewery in Green Lane, PA is a tiny scratch beer brewery in the smallest borough in Montgomery County. We specialize in foraged beers hitting the many trails, woods, and fields surrounding us, as well as our and friends’ gardens for ingredients to add to our beers. We are family-owned and operated. Our sons, Noah & Jonah, both on the autism spectrum, work at PVB doing all our bottling, packaging, and keg washing.

Though small, our brewery is a trendsetter. We were the second brewery in the United States to intentionally make our taproom fully accessible for people with physical disabilities and neuro-diversities. From our double entryway to level floor, to ceiling with LED daylight lights to assist with low vision, to menus with dyslexic friendly font, to our sensory room, to a companion bathroom with full-sized and motorized changing table for ages birth-adult. Kelly and Tom designed Perkiomen Valley Brewery for comfort, safety, ease of use, and aesthetics to prove that inclusive design and trendy spaces can be meshed. Some breweries and businesses have taken some of our designs and included them into theirs. Three Cheers! The more inclusive spaces the better!   

Outside of the brewery, Tom and Kelly love being together, spending Q-time with our kids and friends, walks in the wild, staring at the clouds or stars, and floating in the pool with a good beer and good music. “

Register now at the link below!

Join us for a discussion about innovative employment solutions for yourself or your loved one with disabilities. Alex Clark of Ken’s Krew and Kelly Carroll of Community Integrated Services will provide information about inclusive, integrated employment solutions that work.

About our Speakers:

Alex Clark will join us to talk about Ken’s Krew, a nonprofit providing vocational training and job placement services to people with neurodevelopmental disabilities. To learn more about Ken’s Krew, check out their website.

Kelly Carroll will join us to share about Community Integrated Services (CIS). Kelly oversees daily operations at CIS, including promoting community partnerships, facilitating training and development activities, partnering across funding sources, and overseeing quality management. She also oversees several Project SEARCH programs in Philadelphia, including one of the first two pilot projects in the nation that adapts the program for students with a dual diagnosis of autism and intellectual disability. Kelly is also sought after to assist with employment planning projects across the state and has presented at numerous national conferences. A graduate of Temple University, Kelly has worked at CIS for over 25 years supporting the agency’s remarkable growth from a university pilot program to the region’s largest supported employment agency serving over 2,000 people annually in Southeastern Pennsylvania. To learn more about Community Integrated Services, check out their website here.

Join us for a discussion about creating and maintaining connections in your community!

Are you wondering how you or your loved one can continue to grow socially and intellectually in adulthood?

Are you interested in forming strong bonds around common interests?

Join us on May 15th to hear about two successful community groups: Community Connections and the Girl Talk Book Club.

Our presenters for the Evening:

LeeAnne Fura, a parent/professional, is the co-founder and leader of the Girl Talk Book Club. The book club is designed for persons with intellectual disabilities built on the premise that no one stops learning after high school graduation.

Nicki Habecker, also a parent/professional, is the founder of Community Connections, a grass-roots organization in Berks County. The young adults of all abilities involved in the group are dedicated to fostering friendship and performing acts of service. They show that all of us have something important to contribute to our communities.

Planning for college and a career can present an overwhelming array of questions. What can college look like for a person with intellectual disabilities and/or autism? What are the differences in expectations between high school and college classes? What supports are available? What type of degree or certificate program will help you to meet your career goals?

For adults with intellectual disabilities and/or autism, planning for a future career can be a daunting process. Luckily, information is available to help you along your journey! Join us on April 17th for a presentation from Dr. Kathleen Becht of Think College. Think College is a national initiative dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving research and practice in inclusive higher education for students with intellectual disability. It is based at the Institute for Community Inclusion, University of Massachusetts Boston.

About our presenter:

Previously, at the University of Central Florida, Kathy was director of Florida’s Consortium on Inclusive Higher Education (FCIHE), where she provided technical assistance and professional development to institutions of higher education, community agencies, K-12 schools, and families throughout Florida as well as conducted and disseminated research.  Dr. Becht has spoken at national and state conferences in the areas of inclusive secondary and postsecondary education, transition, supported employment, self-advocacy, and families. Kathy works to inspire the literate citizenship of individuals with intellectual disability; as consumers, employees, neighbors, college students, and life-long learners.  To read a blog post that she wrote about belonging and inclusion, please click here.

Are you or your loved one interested in learning money management skills? Do you have questions about how an ABLE account might help you or your loved one save for the future? Join us on March 20th to learn more about financial tools that can help you on your path to a more independent future.

We will be joined by two presenters for the evening. Karen Hassett, Financial Education Director from Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation (PATF), will be sharing information about PATF’s innovative financial education curriculum designed for people with intellectual disabilities. Karen Carr, Outreach Specialist from The Pennsylvania Treasury Department, will be sharing information about the PA ABLE program, designed to help people with disabilities save money for their futures.

We hope that you can join us to learn more about these important programs!

Meet our presenters:

“All About Jobs!” is a presentation that empowers people with disabilities to think about REAL jobs for REAL pay. Learn how to plan for and find the job that works for you. Find out about waiver services and other supports to help, and how to work and keep your benefits.

Presenters: Our presenters for this meeting are Power Coaches from the Self Advocacy Power Network for All (SAPNA), a project of the PA Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) of the Department of Human Services, managed by Self Advocated United as One (SAU1).

The Power Coaches—all people with disabilities— lead talks about things important to people with intellectual disabilities and/or autism.   All materials are written by Power Coaches and approved by ODP. Click on their logo below to learn more.

Do you or a loved one receive Supports Coordination services? Are you unsure how to read an ISP or have unanswered questions about ISPs? Join Families CCAN and our special guest Amanda Hundley of The Arc Alliance. Amanda will review the purpose of an ISP, the ISP meeting process, how to read an ISP, understanding outcomes, and addressing discrepancies.

Presenter: Amanda Hundley is the Quality Manager for The Arc Alliance Supports Coordination Organization (SCO). The SCO provides supports coordination services to people of all ages with an intellectual disabilities and/or autism diagnosis. Amanda has been with the agency for almost 9 years, starting as an SC and is now overseeing incident management, agency training, and community outreach.  

Please join us for our December 2022 Families CCAN Film Fest!

We will be watching several animated shorts & discussing how they depict disability, inclusion and friendship.

Bring the whole family to laugh, cry, and wonder! This will be a great opportunity to connect with other families. These films are appropriate for people of all ages.

Please note: there has been a change in our event schedule. Our “All About ISPs” resource meeting, hosted by Amanda Hundley, will now take place on January 23rd. (registration open now).

Do you have questions about accessible transportation, mass transit in the Philadelphia region, or travel training? You are not alone!

Please join us as we welcome representatives from the Partnership TMA of Montgomery County and SEPTA’s Accessible Travel Center.

To learn more about our guests, check out their websites (linked below)

What are Centers for Independent Living, and how can they help you live your Best Life?

Centers for Independent Living are an amazing resource for people with disabilities and their families! Please join us for a conversation with representatives from local Centers for Independent Living (CILs), and learn about their 5 key services:

• Advocacy

• Information and Referral

• Independent Living Skills

• Peer Support and Mentoring

• Transition

Please bring your questions and your whole family, as this will be a great introduction to the amazing programming that CILs provide for (and with!) our community. Feel free to invite friends!

Families CCAN Film Fest

Join us for a Free screening and discussion of My Disability Roadmap, a short film by 21-year old film-maker and college student Samuel Habib. My Disability Roadmap documents Samuel’s transition to adulthood. As he seeks advice from a few of America’s most high-profile (and rebellious!) disability rights advocates,  Samuel starts to gain a sense of what his full and joyful adult life might look like. 

We’ll join in discussion and reflection after watching the film – and see what take-aways there are for us!  We promise a fun and insightful evening. 

Finding the “Just Right” Job through the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)

With Allison Heinemann, M.Ed., CRC; Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor; PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Norristown PA

Come learn more about the wide range of services that OVR offers!  Staffed with trained professional Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors, OVR helps with job preparation, job discovery and other aspects of the employment process. They also use a network of vendors to help you achieve your goals.  

Have questions about how it all works? Want to get started looking for a job?  Join us for this free meeting to learn more!

Creating Connections through the Arts

Are you interested in making connections with new friends while embracing your creative side? Perhaps your loved one is interested in the theater, music, or dance, and is looking for a way to share their talents.

This month, we are pleased to welcome representatives from three different organizations that foster connections through the creative arts: Bright Invention, Top Hat Dance Studio, and Our Community Cup Coffeehouse.

About our Presenters:

Our Community Cup Coffeehouse was created by the New Avenue Foundation and the Tree of Life Church. The coffeehouse offers a space for people with disabilities to gather, connect, and enjoy excellent live music from a variety of musicians every Friday night.

Please join us to learn more about ways to make connections through the creative arts!