And so it Begins!!!!! 5th Annual Advocacy Conference....

We kicked off our 5th Annual iMatter Conference last night at the W Hotel in Dallas! Jeff Brady of Brady Media and former evening News Anchor of WFAA Channel 8 delivered some opening remarks to all of the participants to get everyone settled in.



People from across the country had the opportunity to catch up and spend some good time together on the Wet Deck of the W, which overlooks the entire Dallas skyline and is breathtaking!

This morning, we were fortunate enough to have Judy Woodruff, Broadcast Journalist of the PBS Newshour to deliver our opening keynote to the participants of the conference. Mrs. Woodruff spoke about her own experiences of being a parent of a child with a significant disability. Mrs. Woodruff touched on so many important aspects of disability advocacy and to highlight one piece of what she discussed, she said that "everyone has the ability to give" and that "we have to continue to be advocates and do all that we can to ensure that people with disabilities have every opportunity to achieve their God given talents."



Our morning keynote was followed by Dr.Daniel Baker, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Transition, Supported Employment, and Positive Behavioral Supports from the Elizabeth Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities to discuss Employment and Wellness.



Dr. Colleen Wieck, Executive Director of the Minnesota Council on Developmental Disabilities conducted a breakout session on Investigating Employment Outcomes for Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum.



We were also very fortunate to have Samuel Bagenstos, Principle Deputy Assistant Attorney General discuss the Department of Justice's efforts in enforcing the Olmstead lawsuits across the country and the status of each state that continues to operate institutions to warehouse people with disabilities.

Our closing session was comprised of Lon and Jackie Pinkowitz of FuturAge along with Lisa Smith of Community Options to discuss our implementation of the Precision Care Software across the country.

Great day! So much information and knowledge shared. Looking forward to tomorrow. Laura Shumaker, Author of a Regular Guy: Growing up with Autism!

HGTV Host and WNBA Champion to Speak at Advocacy Conference for People with Disabilities

Community Options, Inc. a national nonprofit organization that has been developing homes and employment for people with disabilities since 1989, will be holding its 5th Annual iMatter Conference on September 27, 2010- September 30, 2010.

The “Advocacy – Connect. Share. Live,” national conference will be taking place at the W Hotel in Dallas. The conference will be the culmination of a years worth of
work by parent groups the organization has assembled across the country to increase access and resources for children with disabilities.

On Wednesday, September 29, 2010 from 1:30-3:30pm at the W Hotel in Dallas, Fran Harris will be conducting a breakout session for participants of the Advocacy
conference.

Fran Harris is America's No Excuses Coach and recently hosted her own show on HGTV, "Home Rules". A business & life coach she's appeared on hundreds of TV and radio shows including CNBC, CNN, FOX Business, TLC, HGTV, The Today Show, Oprah's Radio Network and many others. A WNBA Champion, she's also a fitness, lifestyle & team building expert whose clients include Fortune 100 companies, organization and teams worldwide. For more on Fran visit http://franharriscoaching.com and
http://franharristv.com.

"What I love most about Community Options, Inc.'s work is that it focuses on the many wonderful assets of those it serves rather than on any perceived deficits. Now, that's real empowerment,” says Harris.

For more information about Community Options and the conference, please visit them at
www.comop.org or www.comop.org/conference. Follow the organization on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter at COINATIONAL.

Healthcare professional discusses 'Parenthood's' handling of Asperger's syndrome - Los Angeles Times

More than two decades ago, Dustin Hoffman won an Oscar for his portrayal of an autistic adult in the 1988 film "Rain Man." This year, Claire Danes snagged an Emmy for her role in "Temple Grandin," an HBO movie that chronicled the remarkable life of an autistic woman who graduated from college and became an expert in the humane handling of livestock. Movies and TV shows can be a powerful force in shaping attitudes about mental health disorders, but do Hollywood-crafted tales tell the whole story?

The NBC TV series "Parenthood" (10 p.m. Tuesdays) returns this season with a continuing story thread about how the Braverman family deals with their son, Max, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Lauren Presti, director of a program at Trellis Services Inc., which treats children with autism and related communication disorders, discussed how "real" the series is on the Baltimore Sun's Picture of Health blog. Presti says, in part:

" 'Parenthood' also gives its audience an insight into the family dynamic. We could see how the entire family responded to Max's diagnosis and struggled as a whole in adjusting work and school schedules as well as daily home routines. In my own experience, I have had parents like Max's mother who completely break down in intake or call to express their frustrations with the different therapies, diets, schools, etc. they are juggling for the benefit of their child. The frustration in the mother and even the father made the depiction incredibly true in my perspective."

To read more of this article and other links related to it, please visit the Los Angeles Times.

Picture Caption - Minka Kelly as Gaby, left, and Max Burkholder as Max Braverman, who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, in NBC's "Parenthood." (Justin Lubin / NBC)

First Lady Mary Pat Christie Highlights Importance of Skills Training to Empower People with Disabilities to Succeed in the Workforce

From the Governor's Office:

Trenton, NJ – New Jersey First Lady Mary Pat Christie got a first-hand look at job training activities for people with disabilities today during a tour of Morristown’s The Daily Plan It, one of several organizations operated by Community Options Inc. Mrs. Christie’s visit is part of her ongoing commitment to recognize groups and agencies that encourage and inspire people to have pride in themselves and their state.

“No matter who you are, furthering your education and receiving new skills is critical to feeling confident in the workforce.  This center provides people living with disabilities the skills they need to truly be empowered through employment,” said Mrs. Christie. “I commend Community Options Inc. for the good work they are doing everyday to help incorporate these individuals into the workforce, and strengthening their participation in our larger New Jersey community.”

The Daily Plan It is a professional conference and copy center where space is made available to small business owners to develop and operate entrepreneurial businesses that train and employ people with disabilities.  The employees provide the entire infrastructure of the business from phone reception and copying to mail delivery and cleaning.

“I feel very fortunate that we are able to have First Lady Christie to our Morristown Daily Plan It,” said Robert Stack, founder and CEO of Community Options. “The Daily Plan It is at the essence of what we do – social inclusion – where a person’s disability does not define who they are or what they are capable of doing”.

After the tour, Mrs. Christie participated in a roundtable meeting with agency officials to further discuss training models for people with disabilities.

Incorporated in 1989, Community Options, Inc. helps develop residential and employment supports for people with severe disabilities, utilizing technology and training. Today, Community Options has grown to encompass 24 offices in nine states, including three offices in New Jersey.  The organization is renowned for providing quality, cost effective administration that encourages individual choice and flexibility.

First Lady of New Jersey Mary Pat Christie, to Tour Social Enterprise for People with Disabilities

Community Options, Inc. a national nonprofit organization that has been developing homes and employment for people with disabilities since 1989, will be welcoming the First Lady of New Jersey, Mary Pat Christie to tour one of its Daily Plan It’s on Friday, September 17, 2010 at 10:00am. The Daily Plan It is a complete conference and copy center where space is made available to small business owners and people with disabilities provide the entire infrastructure and concierge of the business.

The Daily Plan It is only one of the ways that Community Options combats a sheltered workshop setting for people with disabilities. The organization owns and operates five other social enterprises across New Jersey that allow people with disabilities to gain a relevant and portable skill set to move on to more competitive employment.

First Lady Christie will be joining leaders of the organization for a tour of the Morristown Daily Plan It as well as the facilitation of a round table discussion about replicable models of employment for people with disabilities and decreasing the wait list for employment and day services in New Jersey.

Robert Stack, founder and CEO of Community Options is an expert on national disability policy and has dedicated his entire career to emancipating people with disabilities out of state run institutions to provide them with a better quality of life in the community. Stack develops small, two to three person homes in eighteen out of twenty-one counties in New Jersey. Stack’s social enterprise models are the most replicable and practical business systems in the United States that offer a stepping stone for people with disabilities who have a desire to learn a skill set and earn a paycheck.

“I feel very fortunate that we are able to have First Lady Christie to our Morristown Daily Plan It,” says Stack. “The Daily Plan It is at the essence of what we do – social inclusion – where a person’s disability does not define who they are or what they are capable of doing,” added Stack.

The First Lady of New Jersey, has successfully combined her roles as wife and mother with a business career and community service. Born in Paoli, Pennsylvania, Mrs. Christie is the 9th of 10 children. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware, and she earned a master’s degree in business administration and finance from Seton Hall University. Mrs. Christie currently is senior vice president in the high yield corporate bond department at Cantor Fitzgerald. FShe participates in her daughters’ Girls Scout and Brownie troops and serves as a team mom for various baseball and soccer teams. Mrs. Christie is involved in her church, St Joseph’s in Mendham, and contributes to the family liturgy, confirmation class activities, and soup kitchen outreach.

There is a press pass required for this event for security purposes. Press will be allowed to enter the building located 150-152 Speedwell Avenue in Morristown at 9:45am to set up for the tour beginning at 10:00am. The roundtable is not open to the press.To obtain a press pass, please contact Jessica Guberman at jessica.guberman@comop.org or 973-390-0357. For more information about Community Options, please visit them on their website at www.comop.org.

Award-Winning Television New Anchor to Deliver Opening Remarks at Advocacy Conference for People with Disabilities

Community Options, Inc. a national nonprofit organization that has been developing homes and employment for people with disabilities since 1989, will be holding its 5th Annual iMatter Conference on September 27, 2010- September 30, 2010.

The “Advocacy – Connect. Share. Live,” national conference will be taking place at the W Hotel in Dallas. The conference will be the culmination of a years worth of work by parent groups the organization has assembled across the country to increase access and resources for children with disabilities.

Jeff L. Brady is an award-winning TV News Anchor and Reporter who spent 18 years in broadcast journalism, working in newsrooms across the southwest. Most recently, he anchored the 5pm news at WFAA-TV in Dallas-Ft Worth. Throughout his time with Channel 8 he consistently led rating victories and shepherded a large audience to ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

In 2009 Jeff retired from WFAA-TV and the news industry to launch Brady Media Group, a Media Strategy and Content Development agency in Dallas, Texas. BMG offers several core services: (CRITIQUE) evaluating your current brand messaging and media, (CREATION) developing new digital content or soliciting targeted media coverage, and (COACHING) teaching your team the necessary skills to leverage your enhanced brand and unique media for maximum reach.

Jeff teaches and mentors other fellow journalists including those at the prominent Poynter Institute for Media in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is also a highly sought speaker and coach for executives and networking organizations throughout North Texas.
Jeff graduated from Texas A&M University in 1986. While there he was Company Commander in the Corps of Cadets. He served on the Ross Volunteers. Jeff was also a staff writer for the Battalion.

Before becoming a journalist, Jeff served as a U.S. Marine Captain on active duty in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. He now lives in Dallas with his wife Wesley and their three children.

“As a journalist, I learned more than once about personal strength, stamina and integrity from special needs children and their families. They are, more often than not, leaders and role models in every city and state across America. I believe that civic governments and municipalities should make every effort to enhance people with disabilities opportunities and access, which educates us all,” says Brady.

Brady will be speaking on Sunday, September 26, 2010 at 6:30pm at the W Hotel in Dallas.

Please visit the conference website for registration information!

Judy Woodruff to Deliver Keynote Advocating for People with Disabilities

The “Advocacy – Connect. Share. Live,” national conference will be taking place at the W Hotel in Dallas. The conference will be the culmination of a years worth of work by parent groups the organization has assembled across the country to increase access and resources for children with disabilities. The conference keynotes are made up of award-winning journalists, celebrities and state and federal officials who are true advocates for people with disabilities.

The opening keynote of the conference is Judy Woodruff. For 12 years, Woodruff served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday political program, "Inside Politics." Woodruff also played a central role in the network's political coverage and other major news stories. At PBS from 1983 to 1993, she was the chief Washington correspondent for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. From 1984-1990, she also anchored PBS' awardwinning weekly documentary series, "Frontline with Judy Woodruff."

“As the mother of a son with physical disabilities -- I appreciate the mission of Community Options, to help individuals like Jeff find a place to live as normally as possible, and a job that allows him to be a contributing member of society, which is what he and so many others like him, want,” says Woodruff.

The organization is thrilled to offer to conference participants the knowledge and wisdom of Woodruff who has been an advocate for people with disabilities for decades. Robert Stack, President and CEO has been a loyal follower of Woodruff since the inception of Community Options. “The parents, staff and people with disabilities we support are so lucky to be hearing and learning from this icon. She is an inspiration to me and a role model for all of us,” says Stack.

Woodruff will be delivering her keynote on Monday, September 27, 2010 at 9:15 at the W Hotel in Dallas. To receive a press pass for this event, please contact Jessica Guberman at jessica.guberman@comop.org.

For more information about Community Options and the conference, please visit them at www.comop.org or www.comop.org/conference. Follow the organization on Facebook, or follow them on Twitter at COINATIONAL.

Dana Marlowe - Accessibility Advocate to Present at National Advocacy Conference

Dana Marlowe’s voracious passion for equal access for all has made her an advocate for people with disabilities for as long as she can remember. It was that passion that put her on the path to start her academic career studying sign language interpreting at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. As her focus on communication and interest in technology to help people with disabilities grew, she continued on with degrees in Technical Communications from the Rochester Institute of Technology and lastly a Masters in Communication from the University of Texas at Austin.

She is currently the Principal Partner and co-founder of the company, Accessibility Partners LLC, an accessibility and information technology consulting firm headquartered in Maryland. She has gained national and international recognition for her support of disability rights in society and the workplace, where she works to break down attitudinal barriers. She strives to make technology more usable and accessible to all and in doing so partners with Federal Agencies and Fortune 500 businesses. She has won the Rising Star award from “Government Computer News” and “Federal Computer Week”, appeared on the cover of, “Washington Technology”, and has been featured in a Tech Biz Now column. She recently received an award in December 2009 as one of the top 35 professionals in Maryland by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Prior to Accessibility Partners, Ms. Marlowe was the Senior Vice President at TecAccess, LLC, where she created corporate partnerships with corporations and through those efforts generated over five million dollars of revenue annually. Dana has an impressive record in business management, marketing, and communications as it relates to accessible technology and disability in both government and private industry. She has served on numerous committees and performed national speaking engagements with such agencies as the Federal Communications Commission (Consumer Advisory Committee 2004-2005), Interagency Disability Educational Awareness Showcase (IDEAS) Advisory Board (2005), National Organization of Disability, and DC Metro Business Leadership Network board (2008-2009).

Most recently, Dana has been invited to present to countries throughout South America, Europe, and Africa on topics ranging from disability employment and assistive technology, to the business case for accessible technology. In the past few years, she was the keynote speaker at the International Information and Communication Technology and Accessibility Conference in Africa, as well as the keynote at the Conference on Assistive Technologies for the Vision and Hearing-Impaired in Spain.

Dana has also written several articles that have appeared in such diverse publications as Professional Woman´s Magazine, “The Chicago Tribune”, Teen Ink, Sign News, and Deaf Women United.

With over fifteen years dedicated in the accessibility industry, Dana is known for her stewardship in advocating for all aspects of disability rights. She lives in Maryland, with her husband, toddler, and one very sweet Labrador Retriever who is actually the real boss of the house.

For more information about the conference and to register please click here.

Hot off the Press! The Summer 2010 Choices Newsletter

Please click here to read Community Options latest Summer 2010 Choices Newsletter. Information about our upcoming Advocacy conference, the iMatter Surf Camp for Children with Autism, a San Antonio Fashion Show Fundraiser and employee appreciation in Syracuse are all featured!

For more information about our upcoming conference, please visit our website.

Jeff Brady, CEO of Brady Media Group and Award-Winning TV News Anchor and Reporter to Deliver Opening Keynote

Jeff L. Brady is an award-winning TV News Anchor and Reporter who spent 18 years in broadcast journalism, working in newsrooms across the southwest will be delivering the opening keynote at Community Options national Advocacy Conference on September 26, 2010. Most recently, he anchored the 5pm news at WFAA-TV in Dallas-Ft Worth. Throughout his time with Channel 8 he consistently led rating victories and shepherded a large audience to ABC World News with Charles Gibson.

In 2009 Jeff retired from WFAA-TV and the news industry to launch Brady Media Group, a Media Strategy and Content Development agency in Dallas, Texas. BMG offers several core services: (CRITIQUE) evaluating your current brand messaging and media, (CREATION) developing new digital content or soliciting targeted media coverage, and (COACHING) teaching your team the necessary skills to leverage your enhanced brand and unique media for maximum reach.

Jeff teaches and mentors other fellow journalists including those at the prominent Poynter Institute for Media in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is also a highly-sought speaker and coach for executives and networking organizations throughout North Texas.
Jeff graduated from Texas A&M University in 1986. While there he was Company Commander in the Corps of Cadets. He served on the Ross Volunteers. Jeff was also a staff writer for the Battalion.

Before becoming a journalist, Jeff served as a U.S. Marine Captain on active duty in the Persian Gulf during the first Gulf War. He now lives in Dallas with his wife Wesley and their three children.

Judy Woodruff to Deliver Keynote Advocating for People with Disabilities

Community Options, Inc. will be holding its 5th Annual iMatter Conference on September 27, 2010- September 30, 2010.

The “Advocacy – Connect. Share. Live,” national conference will be taking place at the W Hotel in Dallas. The conference will be the culmination of a years worth of work by parent groups the organization has assembled across the country to increase access and resources for children with disabilities. The conference keynotes are made up of award-winning journalists, celebrities and state and federal officials who are true advocates for people with disabilities.

The opening keynote of the conference is Judy Woodruff. For 12 years, Woodruff served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday political program, "Inside Politics." Woodruff also played a central role in the network's political coverage and other major news stories. At PBS from 1983 to 1993, she was the chief Washington correspondent for The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour. From 1984-1990, she also anchored PBS' awardwinning weekly documentary series, "Frontline with Judy Woodruff."

“As the mother of a son with physical disabilities -- I appreciate the mission of Community Options, to help individuals like Jeff find a place to live as normally as possible, and a job that allows him to be a contributing member of society, which is what he and so many others like him, want,” says Woodruff.

The organization is thrilled to offer to conference participants the knowledge and wisdom of Woodruff who has been an advocate for people with disabilities for decades. Robert Stack, President and CEO has been a loyal follower of Woodruff since the inception of Community Options. “The parents, staff and people with disabilities we support are so lucky to be hearing and learning from this icon. She is an inspiration to me and a role model for all of us,” says Stack.

Woodruff will be delivering her keynote on Monday, September 27, 2010 at 9:15 at the W Hotel in Dallas. To receive a press pass for this event, please contact Jessica Guberman at jessica.guberman@comop.org.