The Accessibility NP

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The Accessibility NP Working in partnership with clients to provide inclusive access to all through Assistive Technology

Some people spend the whole day trying to keep up—and still go home believing they didn’t do enough.With ADHD, the effor...
10/13/2026

Some people spend the whole day trying to keep up—and still go home believing they didn’t do enough.

With ADHD, the effort can be easy to miss. Starting may take everything. Staying focused may mean fighting through constant distractions. Remembering one more thing may depend on a reminder, an alarm, and someone who understands that forgetting is not the same as not caring.

The answer isn’t more shame. It’s more curiosity.

What is making this hard? What could make it more manageable? Could the instructions be clearer? Could the task be broken into steps? Is there another way to learn, work, or take part?

When we make room for different ways of thinking, people have more room to show what they can do.

ADHD is not a measure of someone’s intelligence, potential, or worth. Let’s build spaces where people don’t have to hide how hard they’re working just to be understood.

Every morning is another opportunity. Not necessarily to accomplish something big, reinvent your life, or pretend that e...
10/11/2026

Every morning is another opportunity. Not necessarily to accomplish something big, reinvent your life, or pretend that everything is okay, but simply to begin again.

Yesterday may have been difficult. You may have gone to bed carrying worries, disappointment, grief, or exhaustion. But this morning arrived with something yesterday could not give you: another chance.

A chance to breathe.
A chance to try again.
A chance to ask for help.
A chance to make one different choice.
A chance to believe that what you are feeling right now will not last forever.

You may not be able to see the entire road ahead, and that is okay. You only need enough strength for the next step. Your future is still being written, and today can be the beginning of something gentler, lighter, and more hopeful.

Keep going. There is still more ahead for you. 💙

✨ NEW BLOG ALERT ✨My newest blog is live!Why Should Access Depend on Someone Having to Ask?We often talk about accommoda...
10/06/2026

✨ NEW BLOG ALERT ✨

My newest blog is live!

Why Should Access Depend on Someone Having to Ask?

We often talk about accommodations as the answer to accessibility, but what happens when the responsibility for access begins with the disabled person or family having to ask?

In this blog, I’m taking a closer look at what it means to plan for access before someone has to request it—and how schools, businesses, community organizations, and faith communities can become more proactive in the way they think about accessibility.

Because access shouldn’t begin with a request. It should be part of the plan from the beginning.

Read the full blog at www.theaccessibilitynp.com or visit the link in my bio.

A person’s voice may be quiet, different, or not spoken aloud. Their thoughts and feelings are still there.Too often, pe...
10/02/2026

A person’s voice may be quiet, different, or not spoken aloud. Their thoughts and feelings are still there.

Too often, people mistake the absence of speech for the absence of understanding. They talk around someone. Make decisions without including them. Assume there is nothing more to know.

But not speaking does not mean not thinking. It does not mean not feeling. And it does not mean a person has nothing to say.

Communication can take many forms: a device, a gesture, a movement, a look, a written word. Every person deserves the time and respect it takes to understand what they are communicating.

So let’s stop measuring someone’s intelligence by how they speak. Let’s make room for different ways of communicating, and include people in conversations about their own lives.

The question isn’t whether a non-speaking person has something to say. The question is whether we are making room to hear them.

Twenty-five years ago today, our world changed.September 11, 2001 is remembered not only for unimaginable loss, but also...
09/11/2026

Twenty-five years ago today, our world changed.

September 11, 2001 is remembered not only for unimaginable loss, but also for the courage, sacrifice, compassion, and humanity witnessed in the hours, days, and months that followed.

Today, we remember the lives lost.
We honor the families who have carried that loss for 25 years.
We recognize the first responders, survivors, caregivers, and communities forever changed by that day.

And within the accessibility community, this anniversary is also an opportunity to remember something important:

Everyone deserves to be considered when we plan for safety.

Emergency preparedness must include disabled people, older adults, people who use assistive technology, people with sensory or communication needs, and anyone who may need additional support during an emergency.

Accessibility isn’t something we think about after an emergency happens. It belongs in the planning from the very beginning.

Twenty-five years later, may we continue building communities where no one is forgotten, overlooked, or left behind.

Today, we remember.
Today, we honor.
And we carry forward the lessons of compassion, preparedness, and caring for one another.

🇺🇸 Never forgotten.

Fear does not always sound like “I’m afraid.”Sometimes it sounds like:Maybe I should wait until I know more.Maybe I am a...
09/07/2026

Fear does not always sound like “I’m afraid.”

Sometimes it sounds like:

Maybe I should wait until I know more.

Maybe I am asking for too much.

Maybe I should stay quiet.

Maybe things will improve on their own.

Maybe I am not ready yet.

But fear has a way of keeping us in places we have already outgrown. It can convince us to accept inaccessible environments, delay necessary conversations, minimize our needs, or question whether we belong in spaces that were never designed with us in mind.

Letting go of fear does not mean that fear disappears. It means we stop allowing it to make our decisions.

For disabled individuals, families, educators, advocates, and professionals, moving forward may look different from one person to the next. It may mean requesting an accommodation without apologizing. It may mean speaking up during an IEP meeting. It may mean trying a new assistive technology tool. It may mean challenging a policy that creates unnecessary barriers. It may mean starting the business, submitting the application, making the call, or finally trusting the vision placed inside you.

Courage is not always loud. Sometimes courage is sending the email. Asking another question. Saying, “This is not accessible.” Trying again after being dismissed. Choosing not to shrink yourself to make other people comfortable.

Your goal does not require you to have every answer before you begin. It requires a willingness to take the next step, even when you cannot see the entire path.

Access creates opportunity, but courage helps us pursue it.

Today, identify one fear that has been keeping you still. Then ask yourself what would become possible if that fear no longer had the final say.

You do not have to make the entire journey today. Just take the next brave step.

What is one step you are ready to take?

There’s a conversation happening right now around Olmstead, and if you’ve never heard that word before, you’re probably ...
08/15/2026

There’s a conversation happening right now around Olmstead, and if you’ve never heard that word before, you’re probably not alone.

So, what is Olmstead?

In 1999, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Olmstead v. L.C., a landmark disability rights case. The Court ruled that under the Americans with Disabilities Act, disabled people have the right to receive services in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs.

In everyday language, a person should not be unnecessarily placed or kept in an institution simply because they need significant support.

Olmstead helped reinforce something that should be pretty simple: disabled people have a right to be part of their communities.

That includes having access to the services and supports that make community living possible.

Right now, Olmstead has not been overturned. It is still the law.

But there are potential changes we need to pay attention to.

The Department of Justice has announced a shift away from longstanding Olmstead guidance and is reconsidering how these protections are interpreted and enforced.

Why does that matter?

Because having a right on paper and having that right meaningfully protected can be two very different things.

Families already spend countless hours navigating Medicaid waivers, waiting lists, provider shortages, service authorizations, housing, transportation, and everything else it takes to make community living work.

We’ve spent decades moving away from systems that separated disabled people from their communities simply because they needed support. We cannot take that progress for granted.

Olmstead may sound like a legal or policy issue, but it’s really about people.

Where they live. Who they live with. The choices they get to make. And whether needing support determines whether they get to be part of their own community.

This is something I’m watching closely, and I think we all should be.

Somewhere along the way, many neurodivergent individuals learned that being accepted meant becoming less noticeable.Spea...
07/04/2026

Somewhere along the way, many neurodivergent individuals learned that being accepted meant becoming less noticeable.

Speak a little quieter.
Don’t stim so much.
Make more eye contact.
Smile more.
Try harder to fit in.

But what if the goal was never to fit in?

What if the goal was to build a life where you don’t have to constantly edit yourself just to make everyone else comfortable?

Your brain isn’t a problem to solve.

The way you communicate, process information, regulate, create, and experience the world has value. The people who truly belong in your life won’t only celebrate the parts of you that look “typical.” They’ll make room for the parts that make you you.

If you’ve spent years wondering whether you’re “too much” or “not enough,” here’s your reminder today.

You were never meant to spend your life shrinking.

Take up space.
Ask for accommodations.
Use your AAC.
Wear the headphones.
Take the break.
Stim if it helps.
Rest without apologizing.

You don’t have to earn belonging by pretending to be someone else.

You already belong.

💜 If this is something you needed to hear today, save this post for the days you forget.

Many of us are getting ready to experience several days of extreme heat. While it may be an inconvenience for some, it c...
07/02/2026

Many of us are getting ready to experience several days of extreme heat. While it may be an inconvenience for some, it can become a serious health risk for others.

Disabled individuals, older adults, young children, and individuals with certain medical conditions are often at greater risk for heat-related illness. Some medications affect how the body responds to heat, and some individuals may not recognize or communicate that they’re becoming overheated until they’re already in distress.

If you have plans over the next few days, consider making a few adjustments.

🌡️ Choose indoor activities when possible.

💧 Stay hydrated throughout the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty.

👕 Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.

❄️ Keep your home as cool as possible with air conditioning, fans, or by visiting a cooling center if needed.

📱 Use assistive technology to help you stay safe. Voice assistants can set hydration reminders, smart thermostats can help maintain a comfortable temperature, and medication or health apps can remind you to drink water and take breaks.

🗣️ If you or someone you support uses an AAC device, avoid leaving it in a hot car or direct sunlight. Extreme heat can damage batteries and screens. Keep devices charged and, if possible, have a low-tech communication backup available.

⏰ Avoid being outdoors during the hottest part of the day, typically between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

🤝 Check in on disabled neighbors, older neighbors, friends, and family members who may need extra support.

🚗 Never leave a child, disabled adult, older adult, or pet in a parked vehicle—not even for a minute.

Remember that accessibility includes environmental conditions. Technology can help, but planning ahead matters too. Sometimes the most inclusive choice is moving an activity indoors, changing the time, or postponing it.

Let’s all do our part to keep one another safe over the next several days.

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and take care of each other.

Until next time… keep making space for everyone.

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