Houston Space Center Now a Certified Autism Center
First Space Center in the World with a Certified Autism Center Designation
HOUSTON, June 25, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) has designated Space Center Houston as the first space center in the world to become a Certified Autism Center (CAC). The designation is awarded to organizations who have completed a professional training and review process with the goal to better serve individuals with autism and other sensory needs.
"Science, technology, engineering and mathematics education is for everyone," said William T. Harris, the center's president and CEO. "This certification highlights our dedication to be inclusive and to inspire the next generation of problem solvers."
The certification process involves rigorous training for staff, inspections and improvements that enable Space Center Houston to better welcome and accommodate guests with autism spectrum disorder and other sensory and cognitive challenges. Earning the Certified Autism Center designation also includes a commitment to maintain that training and provide the best guest experience possible.
United Nations Association-USA Hawaii Member to Compete in Ms. America Pageant
The Chamber of Commerce for Persons with Disabilities Hawaii is partnered with UNA Hawaii-Honolulu and wants to wish Ms. Maldonado the very best of luck on her mission.
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Zoom to China
A Traveler With Disabilities Takes on China
Washington Post Travel July 25 2013 By Carole Zoom 
"...I’d been to China once before, in 1988, as part of a Mobility International USA delegation to meet with leaders in the growing disability rights movement. Twenty-five years later, I would discover that although China has undergone enormous changes in accessibility, it still has a long way to go to be truly accessible to everyone. But it’s still more than worth the hassle."
Life with a Hidden Disability: A Conversation with Shaw Bates
Beyond Suffering for the next generation
a study guide
Excerpts used with permission from Beyond Suffering For the Next Generation Study Guide (c) 2015 All Right Reserved by Joni & Friends Inc.
Upon meeting Shaw Bates, it may not be immediately obvious that he has a disability. He has what is called a “hidden disability”—in his case, a learning disability. What will become readily apparent is that Shaw has a passion for ministering to people affected by disabilities, and that he is deeply committed to seeking and fulfilling God’s plan for his own life. He finds comfort and encouragement from the biblical example of Moses, through whom God worked mightily despite Moses’ speech impediment. If God could powerfully use Moses, Shaw reasons, then he can use me too—learning disability and all.
Hawaii Mandates Movies for Hearing & Visually Impaired
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Honolulu, Hawaii, May 6, 2015 - Hawaii Governor David Ige made Hawaii the first state in the nation that mandates movie theatres statewide to accommodate hearing and visually impaired customers.
HB1272 takes effect Jan. 1, 2016 and requires motion picture theater operators with more than two locations in the state to provide open captioning during at least two showings per week of each motion picture that is produced with open movie captioning. The bill also requires theatres to provide audio description of any movie produced with audio description.
See Opportunities for Consumers and Business Movies for the Blind and Entertainment Business News
See The Office of the Governor of the State of Hawaii Press Release 5/6/2015
Caring for Elderly - Hawaii Gets A+
But Alzheimer's Costs Skyrocket
By Ryan Jaslow / CBS News / September 20, 2013
An April study in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated the yearly cost of caring for someone with dementia at about $70,000.
Rabbit Acts of Kindness
October is Anti-Bullying month, and this special puppet show combines sign language, fun and a great message.
Marianne Ambrose aka Marianne of Waikiki has a remarkable show "Rabbit Acts of Kindness", which combines a puppet show with lessons of compassion and sign language. Read more to see the video.
Hula Hearts Designer Unisex Fashion
Heart-wear is born from hard work, love and a desire to “do something about it”
(Honolulu, Hawaii USA – Nov 5, 2013) While working two jobs, one with an international airlines & the other for a famous US restaurant, Derika Tamura always had a burning desire to be a fashion designer. As a national championship soccer player she developed fortitude & determination. In the Cover Girl and Young Miss magazine competitions she learned poise under pressure. Even as a student majoring in religion & mathematics, she pinched pennies to visit businesses in different countries to understand the nuances of the global fashion world. Where to buy fabrics? Who does fabric art? Where are the quality manufacturers?
College, Career or Job?
Your future depends on planning as soon as possible. It doesn't have to be a perfect plan, it just has to be a plan that lets you know where you want to be. You can always make adjustments to adapt to the uncertainties of life. Planning makes it easier.
We all want the best of all worlds but how do we recognize opportunities when it sneaks up on us? Questions, questions, questions....fortunately AppleRED is here to provide personalized, one on one help. (click Read More below)
OMG! I left the stove on!!
PANIC!
Realizing the STOVE IS ON! Do I go back home - will I get home in time - call the neighbors - hope they're home - oh noooo, they dont have the key - WHAT CAN I DO?!?
Don't Short Change Our Kupuna
Neighbors Oppose Affordable Housing at Historic Senior Care Home
Honolulu by Derek Tamura July 30, 2013 - In what is expected to be a heated discussion, neighbors of Lunalilo Home will weigh whether the importance of property values or affordable senior housing is better for Hawaii Kai. The exchange will occur at the Hawaii Kai Neighborhood Board 7pm 7/30/13, at Hahaione Elementary School Cafeteria and may be a defining moment for the integrity and character of the East Oahu community . See: Follow Up.
Obamacare Disallows Parents as Caretakers
Deana Copeland (right) fears that a new provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would eliminate her as the caregiver of her 22 year old daughter, Andrea Hood, who has cerebral palsy, spina bifida and autonomic dysreflexia.
Poor Wheelchair Assistance Nets $1.2M in Penalties
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY November 4, 2013 story reported that the Transportation Department fined US Airways $1.2 million for a disability case because of its poor performance to passengers needing wheelchair assistance in Philadelphia and Charlotte. It is the largest penalty for a disability case against an commercial airlines.
World's 1st Fully Accessible Water Park
Entertainment News
ABC News Genevieve Shaw Brown Jun 16, 2017 Genevieve Shaw Brown Jun 16, 2017 - Morgan’s Inspiration Island overlooks the theme park’s 8-acre catch-and-release fishing lake. The focal point is a seven-story lighthouse with a rotating beacon on top. Six major elements – including Calypso Cove, a water music garden splash pad and Shipwreck Island splash pad, which includes an accessible pirate ship with a giant dumping water bucket on top -- comprise the $17 million tropically themed island paradise inspired by Hartman and his wife Maggie’s 23-year-old daughter with special needs, Morgan.
Mahalo Tulsi
A Thanksgiving message from Representative Tulsi Gabbard
In a March 2013 letter from Representative Tulsi Gabbard:
