DISABILITIES

Changes are coming to signs posted in parking lots, near doorways and on restroom doors that indicate accessibility for people with disabilities in Michigan.

Coffee chain Bitty & Beau's employs individuals with disabilities.

You might have noticed in this story that I used the phrase “people with disabilities” a lot instead of using things we’re used to seeing or hearing more often like “handicapped” or “disabled.”

From the start of the COVID pandemic, people with disabilities have been left out of the conversation when it comes to fighting the virus, even though they’re members of highly vulnerable communities.

Over the course of the COVID pandemic, people with disabilities have been some of the most at-risk and often the least protected from a virus that is more likely to kill them.

A new program is working to teach adults with developmental disabilities how to cook, shop for groceries and even train for jobs in the restaurant industry.

DiVierti has sacral agenesis, which is a rare condition that limits her mobility and any feeling from the waist down. It’s why all of her work is to also raise awareness to people with disabilities.

DETROIT – An organization advocating for those with disabilities is claiming the state of Michigan left its most vulnerable population behind during the COVID-19 pandemic. For Chuck Kupovits and his 39-year-old daughter Pamela, the pandemic has been nothing short of life or death. As the state moved through the pandemic, Kupovits said they left people like his daughter out, even after multiple attempts to reach out to state and federal leaders. It’s really bad,” said Dessa Cosma, with Detroit Disability Power. More information can be found on Detroit Disability Power’s official website here.

Anastasia and Katie’s Coffee Shop and Café, in Livonia, Michigan, is one of those businesses. But this coffee shop truly embodies its core values and principles, and is working toward its mission every day. The nonprofit organization didn’t just fall into this project of opening and running an all-inclusive coffee shop. And Mi Work Matters aims to create these paid work opportunities for people with developmental disabilities, so it just made sense. By late 2019, the coffee shop had become a reality, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony taking place Jan. 14, 2020.

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – Anne Hathaway apologized on Instagram Thursday for how her role in the HBO movie “The Witches” could hurt children with limb differences. The apology featured a video from the Lucky Fin Project, a Metro Detroit nonprofit started by Molly Stapleman after her daughter Ryan was born missing fingers on her right hand in 2007. “It really hurt my heart as a parent of a child is born with less than 10 fingers. “As someone who really believes in inclusivity and really, really detests cruelty, I owe you all an apology for the pain caused,” Hathaway posted on Instagram. “Especially right now.”Ryan said she wants everyone to know about her “lucky fin" and anyone else with a difference.

Parents, who are now more deeply involved in their child’s learning, are increasingly raising concerns about their child’s inability to pay attention or complete tasks. “I do encourage parents to remember this -- this is not necessarily what your child is like in the classroom. She stresses, if there were not any concerns about your child’s attention or learning before the pandemic, other factors are likely to blame. “I think some parents are maybe surprised at some of the skills that their students haven’t mastered yet. If you have any concerns about mental health or learning disabilities, talk to your child’s pediatrician.