On today's dojo, Tony talks to us about physical activity- the importance of moving and being active on a regular basis in our daily lives. Tony has a wealth of experience in adaptive physical activity, teaching people with disabilities how they can be physically active no matter what kind of disability you may have. The amazing thing about adapted physical activity is that we can modify movements that are based on people’s capabilities and skills. He also breaks down the principles of fitness to help us stay consistent along our journey of implementing physical activity into our daily lives, which include: the principle of overload, progression, recovery, specificity, and variety. Tony also discusses the importance of being in line with your why and aligning yourself with the right motivation to go the extra mile in adhering to physical activity in order to take care of your body and overall health.

If you have topics you'd like for us to discuss with our community and listeners, leave a comment or contact us at [email protected]! We'd love to have guests participate with Tony on our Disability Dojos- so if that person is you, reach out and let us know!

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

The Center For Independent Living North Central Florida's Wheelchair Ramp Building Program continues to make a difference in people’s lives, improving their quality of life, emotional well-being, and their ability to live independently and have adequate access into the community.

People needing wheelchair ramps are often without the financial means to have one built themselves. In Florida, there are very limited resources to assist individuals with disabilities in building a ramp at their home. Having a wheelchair ramp is not a luxury, but a necessity that many people are living without, and there continues to be an overwhelming amount of requests for wheelchair ramps to the Center, almost every other day.

Imagine not being able to access your own home or enjoy going out into your community any time you wish. Imagine being so dependent on others and being carried in and out of your own home when you have appointments or simply want to go shopping. This is the daily reality for so many people, such as Mark, a wheelchair user who recently shared his story of needing a wheelchair ramp years ago and the difference it has made. For three years, family and friends had to carry or pull him in and out of his home for doctor’s appointments, errands or simply wanting to enjoy the outdoors. After a long wait, Mark eventually had his ramp built, and he is thrilled that he has access to the community, and is living a more independent life!

Mark Brisbane is the program manager for one of the five core services that The Center For Independent Living offers. He’s also the Director for CIL’s Building Ramps, Building Lives program, which installs wheelchair ramps into the homes that do not have the financial means to obtain a wheelchair ramp. On this special episode, Tony and Mark aim to raise awareness and to raise funding for this prevalent issue faced by too many people in our community: access to a wheelchair ramp so they can go to and from their home safely.

To Donate: https://www.theamazinggive.org/organizations/center-for-independent-living-of-north-central-florida

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

Riding the continual momentum of the spring season, on today’s dojo, Tony talks about how we can be in alignment with this time of the season. The season of spring is vibrant with energy and vitality. He shares his that he often struggles with feelings of not being able to meet the demands of everyday life with a certain level of energy. Tony’s goal for the next few dojos is to share about how we can maximize the energy systems of our body, mind, and spirit.

Resources:

If you have topics you'd like for us to discuss with our community and listeners, leave a comment or contact us at [email protected]! We'd love to have guests participate with Tony on our Disability Dojos- so if that person is you, reach out and let us know!

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

Deidra Simon is the Executive Director at Gainesville Opportunity Center. Her passion for serving persons with disabilities has allowed her to operate in fulfilling roles. Deidra has had the privilege of providing accessible communication, employment services, and direct case management to the disabled community. These efforts have led to the reduction/removal of barriers, allowing persons with disabilities to live more independent lives. Additionally, Deidra has earned a Bachelors degree in Public Administration, which supports her passion for leadership in the nonprofit sector. She enjoys connecting with individuals who care about professional development and providing life changing support and services to others.

Resources:

Spring is a time of renewal and blossoming of life. On today’s dojo, Tony shares how he sees his life occurring in seasons and just like the onset of spring- the new season ahead allows us to be renewed with fresh energy and inspiration. He talks about how we can integrate spring and the newness of it, into advocacy. At Centers For Independent Living, just as in life, there will always be issues that will never fully be solved because these issues will long outlive all us.

Spring has a way of offering a sense of renewed energy, enthusiasm, and motivation to address these ever present and infinite issues that will always be a cause for work to be done. While routine is important to the ways we operate, variety is also necessary to really change things up and, to see and do things differently. While ongoing issues may seem familiar, there is a newness and freshness to these issues with a new season because there may be new eyes now be present to see the situation from different lenses and provide different perspectives. It is important to have a renewed sense of motivation and inspiration to tackle these ever present issues that will be with us for a long time. Spring brings newness to provide a burst of renewal for continuing on the path to always improve upon ourselves and the organization we serve, helping us to achieve our goals.

Claudia Friedel managed the University of Florida’s portion of the Florida Disability and Health Program (FDHP) for over 11 years. The FDHP was one of 19 CDC-funded, state-level Disability and Health grants working to make evidence-based health promotion programs accessible to persons with disabilities. Claudia first came to work for the FDHP after receiving her Master’s in Public Health from the University of Florida. Her past experiences interacting with children and persons with disabilities fueled her motivation to make the program a success.

The FDHP coordinated with several programs to ensure they were being inclusive of children and persons with disabilities by working closely with the Florida Department of Health and various other state-wide and National disability programs to implement adapted evidence-based programs with inclusion in mind. The FDHP implemented adapted school health programs at several Florida elementary schools and adapted Diabetes Prevention Programs in several counties, as well as training healthcare providers on the importance of being disability competent.

Claudia now works for a private healthcare company and enjoys spending her time with her husband and two young boys.

Resources:

• UF Office on Disability & Health

If you have topics you'd like for us to discuss with our community and listeners, leave a comment or contact us at [email protected]!

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

• 352-378-7474 (Gainesville office)

Alex Cavalcante joins Tony on this special dojo to share his perspective on a simple, yet deeply insightful poem written by Portia Nelson that beautifully describes the stages of transformation in a simple and concise way.

I walk down the same street.

I walk down the same street.

I walk down the same street.

I walk down another street.”

― Portia Nelson, There's a Hole in My Sidewalk: The Romance of Self-Discovery

Emergency Management Specialist, Kevin Towles joins us to talk about emergency management and how centers for independent living are involved in emergency management. Also, why are they involved in emergency management? People with disabilities tend to be most impacted by disasters and are most vulnerable before, during and after disasters. Centers for Independent living is in the business of keeping people with disabilities in the community. When disasters like hurricanes and pandemics occur, people with disabilities tend to be more susceptible to being institutionalized. Their mission is to divert any institutionalized care from happening in the first place and to ensure that people stay in their community to whatever extent possible. Kevin works hard to ensure those in the community are ready; that they’re prepared and are able to respond to any disaster that might happen.

Register for the Emergency Preparedness Expo in Marion County and Alachua County below:

5th ANNUAL MARION COUNTY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXPO

• English: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-emergency-prep-expo-for-people-with-disabilities-tickets-183672026977

ALACHUA COUNTY EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EXPO

• English: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/emergency-preparedness-for-people-with-disability-in-alachua-county-registration-185091091437

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

• 352-378-7474 (Gainesville office)

Two years ago in 2020, shut downs began to happen all over the world as a result of COVID-19. On this dojo, Tony reflects on these past two years in terms of the changes that have occurred, the shifts that we’ve been forced to make, and the lessons we can take away from this to ensure we live our lives to the best of our ability. When confronted by our own mortality, how can be best take care of ourselves and how can we be there for others and lift them up?

If you have topics you'd like for us to discuss with our community and listeners, leave a comment or contact us at [email protected]! We'd love to have guests participate with Tony on our Disability Dojos- so if that person is you, reach out and let us know!

For More Information visit: Center For Independent Living of North Central Florida

• 352-378-7474 (Gainesville office)

The 2022 legislative session has been quite the roller coaster ride. Jane joins us once again on today’s episode to share an update to the end of the legislative season. While the process may be messy and feel discouraging along the way, making an impact requires consistent effort to yield progress over time and to allow continual movement forward. The election in November will bring new faces to the senate so it is important for CILs to get to know their legislators and meet their elected officials so they can see the good work being done in the community. There is always work to be done; a lesson to take away from this legislative season is that its never over until its over and to never give up advocating.

For helpful general information and links to the House and Senate websites, statutes, the Florida Constitution and a directory of Florida lobbyists visit: Online Sunshine

You can also visit:

• Florida House of Representatives