Ability Training Services OR

📣𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵📣 Introducing Oregon's 2026 DD awareness poster & theme: “𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗨𝘀.” Join us! —We're kicking off our yearlong campaign with a virtual session tomorrow March 3rd and an in-person celebration in Salem on March 10. Get all the details here: https://www.ocdd.org/dd-awareness/

Share how you show up for yourself, or others have a chance to win a $50 gift card! Join us for our virtual kickoff tomorrow, March 3rd, 12-1 PM and learn how to use our toolkit to tell your story: https://bit.ly/Oregon-DD-Awareness



Join us for all our March events:

Virtual Kick Off Event:
Tues, March 3, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Join us for a reading of the 2026 Developmental Disability Awareness Month Proclamation by OCDD Chair Kelly McCauley and a sneak peek at the 2026 poster.
Get access our campaign toolkit and shareable templates to add your own brand and photos!

Main Event—In-Person DD Awareness Celebration:
Tues, March 10, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Lobby Area, Barbara Roberts Human Services Building Salem, OR 📍 500 Summer St. NE, Salem 97301​
Join us in celebrating with special guest speakers, unveiling the 2026 poster, cake and refreshments

Virtual Self-Advocate Panel Discussions (2 Options):
Tues, March 17, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, or
Tues, March 24, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM
Discussions will center around "Nothing About Us Without Us," highlighting advocacy and meaningful representation by people with IDD in all spaces where decisions are made, and address barriers.

Virtual Spanish Language Discussion:
Thursday, March 19, 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
This session will be facilitated in Spanish. Registration Required.

Get event details & links here: https://www.ocdd.org/dd-awareness/

A very important read from Disability Rights Oregon!!!

Finding Hope in the Fight for Care: One Family's Story — DRO When the Oregon Needs Assessment slashed home care hours by nearly 40 percent, one family faced an impossible choice. Here's how advocacy made all the difference.

We got to celebrate our amazing providers today, celebrate a win, and share the word that “ATS raises the bar for Disability Supports!”

Some important thoughts to consider!

Planned communities for people with intellectual disabilities are often sold as progress. They come with glossy brochures and careful language: safety, belonging, independence, “community.”

And I understand the appeal. Families are tired of waiting lists, crisis placements, and broken supports. When the system fails this badly, anything stable can feel like hope.

And yes, there may be people who want to live in a setting like this. Some may prefer being near others or having supports close by. The problem isn’t that this option exists. The problem is what happens when it becomes the option. How many people truly choose this, and how many accept it because other real choices were never built, funded, or offered?

Choice isn’t real when it’s “take this or have nothing.” It isn’t real when individualized supports in ordinary neighbourhoods are unavailable. And it isn’t real when safety is used to justify segregation.

We also need to talk about power. Parents are often the driving force behind planned communities, acting out of deep love, fear, and exhaustion. Their advocacy can move governments and unlock funding in ways their sons and daughters cannot. But this places people with intellectual disabilities in a difficult position: living in environments chosen for them, not always by them. When parental voices dominate planning, self-direction can quietly disappear, even when everyone believes they are doing the right thing.

Planned communities also send a message to the rest of society: “Don’t worry. We’ve taken care of them.” It relieves the neighbourhood, the employer, and the community from having to learn how to include. It allows exclusion to remain intact, and simply builds an alternate world for the people who are excluded.

But inclusion is not a disability service. Inclusion is a community responsibility.

We don’t need “a community for them.” We need a world that makes room. That means ordinary homes, individualized supports, flexible funding, and support teams that follow the person rather than buildings that require the person to fit the program.

We already have communities.

What we lack is the will to share them.
..

ID: Image shows plans for a planned community for people with intellectual disabilities in a very isolated location. Text reads: People with intellectual disabilities...? "Don't worry. We've taken care of them."

Part 2 of celebrating our ATS athletes at this past weekend!

We love being creative and exploring our wonderful surroundings as the beautiful fall colors come into view!

Important information about SNAP benefits!

OSAC wants to make sure that self advocates in the I/DD community across the state are staying up to date on changes to SNAP benefits. Please share this post to get the word out in our community!

Right now, October SNAP benefits have not been impacted. People received their October benefits as usual, and anyone newly approved during October will also get their full benefits. ODHS received a memo from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that November benefits will be disrupted if a federal shutdown continues.

Here is what you can do to make sure you have access to food if your benefits are affected and how to stay informed:

1. Talk to your supporters to make a plan for you to access food if your benefits are affected. You can call your case managers and talk to them and ask them about local resources in your community.

2. Find out where your nearest food bank is by using the website: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/pages/default.aspx?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

3. Contact 211info by dialing 2-1-1, texting your ZIP code to 898-211, or visiting www.211info.org.

4. Older adults and people with disabilities: Connect with the Aging and Disability Resource Connection of Oregon (ADRC) for help finding government and community resources. Call 1-855-673-2372 or visit www.adrcoforegon.org

5. Sign-up for an ONE Online account and download the Oregon ONE Mobile app at benefits.oregon.gov to get notices about your SNAP case. Here is a video to learn how to do that: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j85LjipK4PY&t=5s

6. Stay up to date with federal changes by visiting this ODHS webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/odhs/news/pages/federal-updates.aspx

Calling all self advocates who use TriMet services to get around the Portland and Beaverton Metro area to share your feedback on the potential bus and MAX service cuts on October 28 from 5-7pm. Scan the QR code below to attend.

You can also share your feedback using this survey link: https://trimet.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8J1yEdTdeSoaIL4

A few weeks ago our founder, Mindee, bumped into Jaison (almost literally). . Jaison was on an outing at the @bridgeportvillage @shakeshack with a group of friends he helps cares for. Since that time, Jaison, Danya and the team at Ability Training Services have poured out so much time, wisdom and encouragement for our Miah Families vision. We are thrilled to honor their team as we launch our first (of many) Miah Moments. These will be truth bombs, tips and joyful stories from seniors, adults, children, caregivers, and community members sharing more of how we live better lives together - with understanding, awareness and regular connection to each other. . In our first interview with Jaison, he shared some of his favorite things about being a leader, caregiver and advocate for adults with disabilities. . . . #community #miahfamilies #seniorcare #together #accessible #multigenerational #children #adultswithautism #autism #togetherwethrive #disabilitycare #caregiver #tips #adultswitheds #stories