A new Disability and Health website has been launched that features four narrated slideshows developed with women from Florida who are living with physical disabilities. These slideshows (called Photo-maps), show and tell about the helpful and challenging things that these women encountered while getting to and from, and during an actual health care appointment (such as: transportation issues, and accessible tables). We are inviting everyone to log on, view the Photo-maps and provide feedback through a brief and easy online evaluation. These Photo-maps should be of interest to anyone who is living with disabilities, providing health care or assistance to persons with disabilities, or  interested in disability and access to healthcare. We are offering an optional one credit hour of continuing education for health care providers who complete the evaluation. This project was developed as part of the WITH~USS study; a Komen for the Cure-funded research partnership between the Center for Independent Living of North Central Florida and the University of Florida to better understand the barriers and facilitators to breast health screening for women living with physical disabilities.

The Brain & Spinal Cord Injury Program, the Centers for Independent Living and Prevent Blindness all benefit from the motorcycle specialty license plate or “Biker’s Care Tag”.  Show your colors and show you care!

The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council (FDDC) has a great new publication entitled “Let’s Go! — A Guide to Getting Around Your Community in Florida”.  This shows you a county by county overview of Medicaid and public transportation services available for each county with maps and the contact information for the Medicaid transportation provider for that county.  Also included for each county is information about who to call for information about disaster planning in each county.

To check it out on-line, or to order copies, go to the FDDC website:  http://www.fddc.org/publications and scroll down to that title.

The Florida Disabled Toll Permit Program was created in 1988 because some disabled drivers expressed concern with their inability to toss coins into the toll baskets on Florida’s toll roads. The legislature passed this legislation with the intent to eliminate these barriers for disabled drivers. Since this legislation passed, approximately 4000 disabled drivers have been issued permits.