Blog

How to rate public venue accessibility: A primer

November 25, 2022

Mobilize Waco, an initiative of the Amberley Collaborative, is encouraging Wacoans to use an app called iAccessLife to rate businesses and public venues for accessibility. On iAccessLife, users can post a star rating for the accessibility of any venue’s entrance, restroom, parking, and interior, as well as leave a written review. Then others can check […]

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More than therapy

March 1, 2022

I have been in therapy for almost half of my life. Sure, it’s great. I have an outlet to talk about things, I learn new ways of coping, I build a healthy relationship with my therapist. But why is that always the first thing I’m told to do? Someone is having trouble in their life, […]

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Voting during Covid: A Q&A with election administrator Kathy Van Wolfe

August 26, 2020

McLennan County, Texas, elections administrator Kathy Van Wolfe kindly sat down for a Q&A with the Amberley Collaborative to clear up questions about voting during the Covid pandemic—especially for voters who have a disability that makes voting in person less safe this year. Thank you, Kathy! We appreciate your commitment to our community, especially in […]

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ABLE accounts for people with disabilities:
A Q&A with attorney Elisa Rainey

September 25, 2019

People with disabilities who are receiving SSI (Supplemental Security Income) benefits or Medicaid need to be careful about how they manage their funds because their benefits can be reduced or discontinued if they receive or save too much money. But it can be very difficult to meet monthly expenses without exceeding those limits. Even modest […]

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Autism acceptance for 30 days and every day

May 1, 2019

Michael Lopez, a founding member of the Texas Democrats with Disabilities Official Discussion Group on Facebook, published a series of daily posts for Autism Acceptance Month in April 2019. With Michael’s permission, I am republishing the series here. Michael’s bio, in his own words: “I was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome as an adult after I […]

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“People are for each other”

October 1, 2018

By the time the computer shop owner unlocked the door, it was close to 7 pm, and I was a basket case. I had just left a full-time but dead-end job with a magazine. I had started a class in grad school so I could get student health insurance for my family. I had lined […]

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