The Lord's Chips

03/23/2019

03/22/2019

Happy World Down Syndrome Day! In honor of this day dedicated to supporting the rights, inclusion, and well-being of people with Down syndrome worldwide, we're sharing the inspiring story of Kayla McKeon, the first registered Washington lobbyist with Down syndrome who is fighting for change on behalf of people with disabilities across the country! Kayla began working as the Manager of Grassroots Advocacy for the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) last year, lobbying for laws that will make it easier for people with disabilities to be independent and thrive. She also hopes that her example will inspire other people with disabilities, especially people with Down syndrome, by showing them that they can achieve their dreams. "We are most definitely ready, willing and able to do anything we set our minds to — getting a job, driving a car, going to college," she asserts. "We want to showcase our abilities, not our disabilities."

Kayla, who is from Cicero, New York, was already familiar with the work of NDSS when the job opportunity came up: she was a member of the group's self-advocate advisory board and was named their self-advocate of the year in 2016. When NDSS President Sara Hart Weir offered Kayla the position, she was hesitant at first: it not only meant new responsibilities, but also a move to a new city, away from her parents. "In the beginning, I needed help with the metro," Kayla says, but now "I've been taking the metro independently in the morning. It's huge just to be independent." Today, she loves her work, which involves both lobbying elected officials and reaching out to NDSS members; as she says, "When I'm at the office I make phone calls after phone calls after phone calls... I love it because this is how we can get our message out."

Kayla's work has already helped other people with disabilities enjoy greater independence; her work helped pass the ABLE to Work Act and the ABLE Financial Planning Act, which allows people with qualifying disabilities to work and save funds in a tax-advantaged savings account without losing state-provided benefits. "I feel the power. And how amazing it feels, just knowing I'm on Capitol Hill. And I get to talk to people that can help me enact laws," says Kayla. "Being a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, I don't realize how many lives I touch. This is why I love being a role model for others... Me being in Washington D.C. is just beyond every expectation I could ever dream of. I love my job. This has always been my dream and I'm following my dream."

For books to help children and teens understand that diversity comes in many forms, including ableness, check out our blog post “Many Ways To Be Mighty: 25 Books Starring Mighty Girls with Disabilities” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12992

Among the recommendations are two wonderful children's books about kids with Down syndrome both for ages 3 to 7: "My Friend Isabelle" (https://www.amightygirl.com/my-friend-isabelle) and "We'll Paint the Octopus Red" (https://www.amightygirl.com/we-ll-paint-the-octopus-red)

For adult readers, there is also a touching memoir by the father of a daughter with Down syndrome, “An Uncomplicated Life: A Father’s Memoir of His Exceptional Daughter” at https://www.amightygirl.com/uncomplicated-life

And, for two excellent books to give all Mighty Girls the confidence to pursue their dreams like Kayla, we highly recommend "The Confidence Code for Girls" for ages 8 to 12 (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-confidence-code-for-girls) and "The Self-Esteem Workbook for Teens" ages 13 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-self-esteem-workbook-for-teens)

03/16/2019

02/28/2019

After repeated job rejections for not being a "good fit," Collette Divitto, a 28-year-old woman with Down syndrome, decided to strike out on her own and start her own cookie company! Three years after Collette Divitto founded Collettey's Cookies, she's sold hundreds of thousands of cookies and has hired 13 other people, including several with disabilities. "It is such a great feeling. I am so proud," she says. But Collette knows there is still a lot of work to do, especially to achieve her dream of helping more people with disabilities find employment. "My biggest challenge is reading all my emails," she says. "[There are] so many emails from people needing jobs so bad, and I want to help them now."

Collette perfected her craft in her family's kitchen for over ten years but, when she tried to make her love of baking into a career and applied for jobs at local bakeries, she was turned down countless times year after year. Finally, Collette, who said "it was really hurtful and I felt rejected a lot," had enough -- she started her own cookie company, Collettey’s Cookies, selling her signature cinnamon-dipped chocolate chip Amazing Cookie. She started out making 100 cookies per week for a local grocery store, but after a story by CBS Boston went viral in 2016, the surge of support allowed the young entrepreneur to move from a home-based business into an industrial kitchen in Boston and vastly expand production.

Collette's struggle to find work prior to starting her business is a common one for people with disabilities; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 10.7% of people with disabilities who are actively looking for work were unemployed in 2015, twice the rate of people without disabilities. To Collette, this reality "is very upsetting... It's very hard to find a paying job for people like me who have special needs." For this reason, she hopes to open more Collettey's locations across the U.S. in the future, explaining that "it's about getting jobs for everyone who deserves jobs." Collette also hopes to inspire other people with disabilities pursue their dreams and find their own paths to success. "Don’t let people get you down, and never give up," she asserts. "If you find a road block, then find another road."

To learn more or order cookies, you can visit Collettey's Cookies website at https://www.colletteys.com/shop

For two fantastic children's books about kids with Down syndrome, both for ages 4 to 7, we recommend "We'll Paint the Octopus Red" (https://www.amightygirl.com/we-ll-paint-the-octopus-red) and "My Friend Isabelle" (https://www.amightygirl.com/my-friend-isabelle)

For more books to help children and teens understand that diversity comes in many forms, including ableness, check out our blog post “Many Ways To Be Mighty: 25 Books Starring Mighty Girls with Disabilities” at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12992

For adult readers, there is also a touching memoir by the father of a daughter with Down syndrome, “An Uncomplicated Life: A Father’s Memoir of His Exceptional Daughter” at https://www.amightygirl.com/uncomplicated-life

For tolerance-building books for children and teens that encourage acceptance of differences, be they due to gender, race, ethnicity, religion, class, sexual orientation, appearance, or ability, visit our "Tolerance & Acceptance" section at http://amgrl.co/2nui6vU

02/22/2019

02/09/2019

12/11/2018

12/05/2018

Penelope Lamadeleine is only 4 years old but she’s already making history. One might say that young Penelope is a cover girl. But know this – she’s also

11/28/2018

09/28/2018