Archive for Disabilities

Appointed to Florida Developmental Disability Council

| February 15, 2013 | No comments

Thomas Moon has recently been appointed to the Florida Developmental Disability Council by Governor Scott.

The purpose of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council is to engage in advocacy, capacity building, and systemic change activities that contribute to a coordinated, consumer and family centered, consumer and family directed, comprehensive system of community services and individualized supports that enable individuals with developmental disabilities to exercise self-determination, be independent, be productive, and be integrated and included in all facets of community life.

The federal law that created the Council states that the purpose of the Council is to assure that individuals with developmental disabilities and their families participate in the design of and have access to needed community services, individualized supports, and other forms of assistance that promote self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life, through culturally competent programs authorized under this title.

The Council will accomplish its mission by supporting innovative initiatives that demonstrate new approaches to enhance the independence, productivity, inclusion and self-determination of individuals with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life.

This is such a great honor for Thomas Moon to be appointed to the FDDC. Thomas will be going to the annual DD Days held at the capital in Tallahassee Florida on March 6 and 7. During these days the FDDC and many advocates and self-advocates will do around the capital talking to different legislators about people with disabilities and how they can live a full life with some help depending on the individual with a disability.

Thomas is going big places and you can too if you just put your mind to going after your goals and dreams.

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , , , ,

Happy New Year 2013

| January 1, 2013 | 2 comments

With the New Year starting, it is time to start looking closer at your life’s future.

Most people stick them self in a box and do nothing to get out of it and stay out of it. This includes you working all the time and not spending enough time with friends and family, complaining that things keep going wrong but doing nothing to stop it, letting your health go to shambles, etc.

I tell you now, from this point forward, no more sitting on your butt and complaining. Taking action and keeping positive thoughts is what’s going to make you successful and live a life that you are proud to call your own.

Did I graduate college, start my own business and become president of Ocala Business Leaders by sitting on my butt and feeling sorry for myself/thinking success will just come to me, or did I go after what I wanted and didn’t stop until I got it? (Please leave your answer below).

This year I have many new things planned for my life including going full force on motivational speaking, blogging, advocating, growing my business, finding that special lady, traveling more and much more.

I am available to speak at your next conference, event, business event, nonprofit, church, etc. Contact me at tj@moonscapes.org or by phone at 352-502-5994.

I wish you a very happy and successful new year. May you realize the more important things in life and start focusing more on that. Squeak those wheels until you have a better future you can really be proud of!

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Growing Up Disabled, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , , ,

Hurricane Who Orlando

| November 14, 2012 | No comments

Wearing my leather jacket, burgundy shirt and black pants, I jumped in the Tardis. I decided to take a trip through time to November 2, 2012, where there was the Hurricane Who Convention going on (All about Doctor Who)

After settling in, I headed down to the convention hall where the dealer’s room was open. There was some awesome stuff including a tardis, a few weeping angels and many people were taking pictures of each other wearing their costumes of different Doctor Who characters. People asked to take my pic/a pic with me and it was so cool. The convention was comprised of different sessions and a masquerade party.


Fantastic!
I was so lonely and was looking for a companion to travel in the tardis with me and look who I found (Rose)

People did not care that I was in a wheelchair or that I had a disability. Everyone treated me the same as everyone else, asked to take a picture, talked to me and had a blast. I had so must fun and I learned that if people really wanted to, they could care more about what’s on the inside than what’s on the outside. Instead that is not the case today and people treat people who are different, like they don’t deserve to breathe the same air as them. (BTW it is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside).
Well, I told you how much fun the convention was and hear are a few pictures for you to see.
There was even the cutest little whovian at the convention
This lady with the tardis on wheels won the masquerade costume contest
Don’t blink

The doctor scanning for weeping angels
The universe will explode because two doctors are together at the same time
Remember that there is more in this world then to worry about others, money, and other things that ruin this world. Begin to make this world a better place, kind of like The Doctor does, Squeak, Squeak!

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Growing Up Disabled, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , , , , ,

APD Presentation in Orlando at the Faith Based and Community Event:

| October 31, 2012 | No comments

I was sitting in my comfortable recliner on a Thursday a couple weeks ago, when I received a call from Lane with the Agency for Person with Disabilities.  He explained that Barbara, the director of APD, heard me do my speech accepting the Idelio Valdes Award, at the capital in Tallahassee Florida. She loved my speech so much that she wanted to invite me to a presentation she was doing on October 24, 2012 in Orlando Florida.  She said she wanted me to share my story as well.

I said that I would be glad to do it but the only issue was I had no transportation. Lane told me that he would look into finding me a ride and get back to me. Lane called me back a couple days later to say he found a ride for me. My ride was Clearance, who is a local Marion County APD Employee.

When I got to the presentation room, Barbara and Lane came in and said that it was an honor that I came. Barbara did her presentation about APD and why we all were there. She shared a couple videos, in which one of them was a video of the Ellen Degeneres show where Ellen interviewed a lady with cerebral Palsy and was Ms. Tennessee. What a very inspirational video and it even made me cry. (I want to be on the Ellen show one day, what an honor it would be)

Barbara then introduced me and I did my awesome presentation. Please check out the presentation below: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F–j-vpALxU)

This is proof that if you live your life and do extraordinary things, the person you would least expect to call you, asks you to help them with a presentation, do an interview, etc.

We all need the keep squeaking our wheels to make better things happen!

 

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Growing Up Disabled, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , , , , ,

A Driverless Car? Yes!

| October 5, 2012 | No comments

A Driverless Car, Say Whattt!:

I must be dreaming, pinch me. I had a dream one night about 15 years ago about getting in my own car and telling it where to take me.  Then the car takes me to my destination without me having another person in the car, not even having to touch the wheel or pedals.

Guess what? You may think I am crazy at first, but Google is currently working on a driverless car. Why would anyone need a driverless car and what would be some benefits?

  1. For people who can’t drive, it gives you more freedom to go where you want without counting on anyone else to drive you.
  2. People who are blind or with disabilities that limit them from driving, it gives them freedom and a way to live their own lives without having to count on others all the time.
  3. This will help stop the stupid driving and accidents on the road.
  4. It will stop you from losing your temper due to someone else’s stupidity getting upset changes you in many ways and makes your day horrible.

I don’t know about you, but because I can’t dive, right now, I spend most of my time at home. I get bored out of my mind and wish I can go somewhere. This driverless car will allow me and many others to go anywhere at any time. I can just get my keys, get in car, tell the car where I want to go and sit back while the car takes me to my destination.

The future I getting better and better for so many! Take a look at this video about the driverless car that I found on YouTube and has been on the news

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdgQpa1pUUE

Squeak those wheels because you don’t know but you actions might be something that takes us in a better direction!

 

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Living With A Disability, News Story | Tags: , , , ,

Blogging Conference

| September 20, 2012 | 2 comments

Earlier this September I went to my very first bloggers conference with my dad and brother.

I have been blogging part-time here and there so you can probably imagine that I was nervous and shaking in my boots, to find out more.

The conference was held at the Orlando Science Center with over 1000 attendees. Beginning with the keynote speaker, Lou Mongello, who is a blogger about Disney this and Disney that. He talked about how he began blogging about his passion which was Disney. He then went on to explain that you can quit your job if you want and go blogging full time. Now you are probably saying, “What about money, how am I going to pay my bills just blogging?” Lou explained how bloggers monetize their blogs in many ways, sponsors, donations, sell ads, etc.

After the Keynote speaker, we all headed out to different sessions that were held throughout the day. The sessions I went to in the morning, were Basics of monetizing a blog, navigating facebook promotions and using SEO to improve your blog being found in Google, etc.

Everyone then headed off downstairs about 1 pm, to lunch, provided by Bahama Breeze, and my dad, brother and I were led to an elevator that brought us downstairs where lunch was being served. That elevator was the biggest elevator I ever seen, of course it was a freight elevator.

We had to wait until 2:30 pm for the next session, since we did not want to participate in the yoga session, even though it might have been good for me. We spent the time after lunch talking to other bloggers about what they blog about, what things do they do that keep their fans coming back, etc.

2:30 pm came and my dad and I headed upstairs to the session on Blogging for a Cause. Laura, who was the speaker, spoke about how she has spina bifida and blogs about it. She says to blog about your passion. Laura told us how she was in New York for a convention and the hotel was not accessible to people with disabilities, so she wrote a letter to the hotel and also blogged about it. The hotel manager contacted her and explained that they were sorry and that because of her actions, they already started making the hotel more accessible for all. To learn more about Laura, check out her blog at http://www.holdinoutforahero.org/

We attended a few more sessions and then headed back home. After attending this great conference, I decided to try blogging full-time.

I would be happy to share a story you have, life issues, overcoming obstacles, disabilities and also if you want me to speak about a specific topic on this blog. Please comment below and make it a great day.

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities | Tags: , ,

Voting, What a Concept!

| August 31, 2012 | No comments

Do know the importance of voting?

We as the American people run our country, not the president, congress, etc. We make the laws for our country and elect who we think will be good leaders. So did you vote and will you vote?

We have a current election for president coming up in 2012. This is a very important action you need to take because voting for who you want as our countries different leaders, will be what will help change the world and make a future for so many. Make sure you are a voice for people with disabilities.

You need to research and stay up on the candidates. Putting the wrong people as leaders might be a horrible thing that might tear this country apart.

Research the candidates and when it comes time to vote in 2012, make sure you show up and make your vote!

We as a people can make this world a better place so keep on squeaking those wheels!!!

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , ,

Florida – Rate of physical restraints in schools is alarming

| August 29, 2012 | No comments

From a post on www.theviewfromthedarksideofthemoon.com

http://blog.viewfromthedarksideofthemoon.com/?p=347

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Education, Growing Up Disabled, News Story, Raising A Disabled Child, Restraint | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Putting Others First

| August 28, 2012 | 2 comments

You are probably saying, “What does he mean put others first, it is my life.”

Yes it is your life but when you put others first, favors of all sorts  eventually return. People have a very hard time putting others before themselves. Let’s say someone could make lots of money even though they are doing well, but another person is really struggling and could use the money more.  Alot of people will take the money for themselves and let the person who is struggling, keep struggling. That is totally screwed up and needs to change, if you can give a person a better life by putting yourself on the back burner and allowing whatever it is to help that other person, than do it without hesitation!

We are going to struggle but won’t it be a better world and make you feel better that you gave others a better future and put yourself last?

I am not saying to forget about yourself, no you can and should make your life amazing, but make someone else’s life better first.

Squeak those wheels and don’t ever give up on your goals and dreams!

 

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Growing Up Disabled, Living With A Disability | Tags: , , , , ,

Can cameras protect special-needs kids from abuse?

| August 25, 2012 | No comments

A Fox news story from Texas.

More school districts and states are looking at cameras as a way to protect children with disabilities in our schools.

It is sad that we have to resort to monitoring or spying on teachers to ensure they do not abuse the children they are supposed to be caring for and teaching.

Category: Being Disabled, Disabilities, Education, Growing Up Disabled, Living With A Disability, News Story, Raising A Disabled Child, Restraint | Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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