The Family Cafe

09/05/2026

Today is ! 🤝

The UN defines like this: “An expression of global solidarity. It brings people together to build more just and resilient societies, whether through direct giving, volunteering, or collective action.”

At The Family Café, we’re proud to bring people together - all disabilities, all ages, all backgrounds. We couldn’t do it without our generous sponsors and donors. ❤️ Consider becoming a donor today: bit.ly/FamilyCafeDonations 🔗

09/04/2026

What are your favorites at The Annual Family Café? 👀

09/03/2026

We were so excited to see the trailer for this film! 🎥🍿

It was an honor to have the great Judy Heumann join us at The 21st Annual Family Café, and it’s so wonderful to see that her legacy will be portrayed on screen for the next generation of advocates.

Being Heumann is in select theaters November 6. Streaming November 13 on Apple TV.

[Image descriptions: A film poster for “Being Heumann” showing awards and actor names. A photo of Judy Heumann smiling on stage at The 21st Annual Family Café.]

08/21/2026

It’s National Senior Citizens Day! 🌟

Did you know 1 in 4 adults aged 65 to 74 report having a disability? And nearly HALF of adults 75 and older report having a disability. Aging and disability are often deeply connected, and today we’re celebrating the wisdom and resilience of the senior members of our community.

Have you learned something important from a senior in your life? Feel free to share it in the comments! 💭

[Image description: two senior men sit next to each other smiling at The Annual Family Cafe. The man on the left has down syndrome, and the man on the right has his arm around the man on the left.]

08/20/2026

Our Café “Why”: Jeremy ❤️

Everyone has a reason for attending The Annual Family Café, donating to The Family Café, volunteering, and more. Our team is so grateful for everyone who helps us make an impact every day, so we’re sharing OUR “whys”!

THANK YOU Jeremy for your dedication to our mission all these years.

If you’d like to contribute to our mission, consider donating today: https://bit.ly/FamilyCafeDonations 🔗

[Image description: one image shows a quote from Vice President Jeremy Countryman about how he first got involved with the organization and why, the next image shows Jeremy and his son at one of the first Annual Family Cafe’s.]

08/18/2026

How many of you are VOTING today? 🙋 We hope everyone is ready to exercise their right to vote, and to help, we’ve added some great voting tips below from our friends at Disability Rights Florida.

When voting in person:
*Bring a valid photo ID.
*For quick decision making, fill out your sample ballot ahead of time and bring it with you.
*The way you vote has to be accessible - you are entitled to your right to cast your ballot!

And most of all, remember - as a voter with a disability, you have a right to:
*Vote privately and independently
*Utilize accessible polling sites and tools
*Receive assistance from any person of your own choosing (other than employer or a union representative) to cast a ballot

For more accessibility tips and answers, check out Disability Rights Florida’s brochure in English, Spanish, or Haitian Creole here: bit.ly/AccessibleVotingFL 🔗

Use your voice! Vote today! 💪

[Image description: a black and white photo taken in 1978 shows a member of “The Gang of 19” in a wheelchair. Next to him, a sign reads “I can’t vote. I can’t get in.”]

08/14/2026

Disability News: New study shows chat AI models perpetuate implicit biases against people with Intellectual Disabilities. 📰

A new research study published in the Disability and Health Journal shows that Large Language Model (LLM)-based chat AI models (like ChatGPT and Claude) perpetuate implicit biases against people with Intellectual Disabilities. After thoroughly analyzing AI responses, the study found an abundance of the following:

*Infantilization and paternalization
*Depicting people with ID as “inspirational” and symbolic
*Depicting people with ID as dependent and needing “saving”
*Negative perceptions of people with ID and a hesitation to include them

Read more here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1936657426000634 🔗

Have you noticed this tendency? Share your experiences below. ⬇️

[Image description: a little boy faces a lit tablet screen, tapping on it with his fingers extended.]

08/13/2026

On July 26, we celebrated the 36th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a monumental piece of legislation that laid the foundation for disability rights in the United States. ⚖️ But what does the ADA do? Click below to read more. ➡️

Title I: Employment protections
Title II: State & local governments
Title III: Public places
Title IV: Telecommunications
Title V: Additional provisions (including protection from coercion and retaliation)

Got questions? Ask below! We’re happy to help explain or to direct you towards further resources.

Note: The ADA was amended in 2008, broadening the definition of disability to make protections easier to enforce and shifting the legal focus from proving disability to proving discrimination occurred.

[Image description: Six infographic slides showcase the titles of the ADA and the legal protections they put in place for people with disabilities.]

08/05/2026

We know you’ve been waiting for these! 👀 Photos from The 28th Annual Family Café are now LIVE on our Flickr account. 🙌

Check out all the lovely moments our photographer caught here: https://bit.ly/Cafe28Photos 🔗

Looking back through these photos makes us even more excited for next year!

08/02/2026