Jean’s Story
I was at my breaking point, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, trying to secure full Medicaid coverage for my son, Collin. He had a $1,000 monthly cost-share (like a deductible) with…
I was at my breaking point, feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, trying to secure full Medicaid coverage for my son, Collin. He had a $1,000 monthly cost-share (like a deductible) with…
Sometimes, all it takes is talking to someone, hearing other’s stories, or attending an Advancing Families & Individuals Needing Services (AFINS) workshop to feel motivated and take action. I had…
Kevin and I just got back from our first Buddy Cruise, and it was amazing! We spent eight days at sea on the Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas, along…
On August 9, 2024, the Federal Register published the Department of Justice’s final rule updating the regulation for Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The final rule…
Navigating the Transition for Special Needs Families This story talks about the emotions and challenges that come with a parent’s experience when their child with special needs begins to live…
What is Medicaid?Medicaid EligibilityApplying for MedicaidAdditional Available ServicesApplication TimeframeRenewalMedicaid Gold CardMedicaid RedeterminationHow to File ComplaintsHealth Care Facility ComplaintsHealth Care Provider ComplaintsMedicaid Fraud and Abuse ComplaintsStatewide Medicaid Managed Care ComplaintsCivil Rights…
Welcome to The Villages, Moving can be stressful for anyone but even more so for someone with special needs and their family. This web series is an expansion of our…
NBC Nightly News reports that millions of low-income and disabled people are loosing their Medicaid health benefits as states re-examine who qualifies for the Program. Many healthcare advocates are saying…
Drivers License & ID Card Many special needs assistance programs and services you will be applying for require the applicant and caregiver to have a current Florida drivers license or…
🗓️ Wednesday, August 13, 2025
🕙 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon
🧑🏻💻 Webinar
Join us for a hybrid Family Care Council meeting. You may join us via GoTo Meeting or in person at their Central Region office, located at 901 Industrial Drive, Suite 100, Wildwood, FL 34785. Paula Whetro, Family Care Council Area 13 Chair, will be hosting this meeting. The meeting agenda is as follows:
🗓️ Tuesday, August 26, 2025
🕑 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
🧑🏻💻 Webinar
Safety planning is an important tool for survivors of domestic violence, used to ensure that the survivor has a plan in place under a variety of circumstances when an abuser may become dangerous. Survivors with disabilities experience a number of unique factors that advocates must take into consideration while safety planning to be effective. For instance, abusers use unique tactics that are often not accounted for when planning for safety within the relationship. Additionally, survivors with disabilities who escape the relationship experience limited community resources – such as transportation options and accessible shelter – which need to be accounted for in their safety plan.
In this webinar, we will explore the unique dynamics experienced by survivors with disabilities and how they factor into their safety plan. We will review strategies for supporting survivors with disabilities to create safety plans that respond to these dynamics.
The webinar will be presented by Sandra Harrell, Senior Managing Director of Survivor Advocacy Initiatives at Activating Change.
🗓️ Tuesday, August 19, 2025
🕜 1:30 PM – 2:30 PM
🧑🏻💻 Webinar
People with disabilities are among those most at risk of human trafficking—yet too often, they remain invisible in prevention and response efforts. According to the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report, individuals with disabilities are one of the groups most vulnerable to being trafficked. A small but powerful study in Florida revealed that girls with intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely to be trafficked than their peers—an alarming finding that has received far too little attention.
Despite growing evidence of this crisis, professionals on the front lines still lack the training, tools, and resources to identify and support trafficking survivors with disabilities.
In this insightful and powerful event, Activating Change will share findings from a national needs assessment exploring how systems are—or are not—responding to survivors with disabilities. You’ll learn directly from the staff who led this assessment as they share key insights, unexpected discoveries, and the most urgent opportunities for change.
Whether you work in anti-trafficking, victim services, disability advocacy, or systems change, this session will offer essential information to strengthen your work and help ensure no survivor is left behind.
The 2025 Special Olympics golf season begins the first week of August. Special Olympics Florida has secured funding for these two golf locations. Approved golfers – Single 9-Hole and Unified teams approved by Lenny Kemp – can tee off at these courses at no cost:
If you choose to play at a different course, you must pay out of pocket and, scan and email your scorecard and receipt to Lenny Kemp.
Skills Golfers wanting to practice may do so at
Lady Lake Golf Driving Range
230 Rolling Acres Rd
Lake Lake, FL 32159