disability | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published February 26, 2020 at 7:30AM

Transit Union Gets Its Money Back from Dorsey — “Union verifies (to me, 5 minutes ago) that it has received [embattled County Board member Christian Dorsey’s] repayment of $10,000 campaign donation.” [Twitter]

Board Advances Reeves Farmhouse Plan — “The [Reeves] farmhouse will be preserved and protected as a historic site, the parkland around the house will stay as parkland, and the County will get much needed housing for people with developmental disabilities without our taxpayers footing the bill. It’s a win-win-win.” [Arlington County]

Around Town

Parents: Arlington is a Special Place to Raise Children with Down Syndrome

By Airey

Published November 22, 2019 at 3:30PM

Suzanne Garwood's two children, Connor and Sloane, have Down Syndrome (Image via Will Schermerhorn)

Over the past two decades, parents say Arlington has become known as one of the best places in the country to raise a child with Down Syndrome.

Three local families with children with Down Syndrome told ARLnow that the county is renown for investing in resources, and its proximity to D.C. means parents are often uniquely suited to lobby for legislative fixes.

Events

Regional Group to Hold Halloween Event Accessible to People with Disabilities

By Airey

Published October 25, 2019 at 2:00PM | Updated October 25, 2019 at 3:28PM

Halloween decorations at a home in the Aurora Highlands area

(Updated at 2:30 p.m.) A regional nonprofit for people with disabilities is hosting an accessible Halloween event for families this weekend.

The Arc of Northern Virginia is hosting its annual “Arctoberfest” this Saturday, October 26, with a range of activities including a haunted house, graveyard, a costume contest, and a DJ, designed for people with and without disabilities.

Around Town

Arlington Teen to be Featured in Video at Times Square

By Airey

Published July 26, 2019 at 11:15AM

An Arlington teenager has been selected to be featured in a video about Down syndrome, which will be shown in New York City’s Times Square.

Suzanne Garwood says her 14-year-old daughter Sloane was among the 500 chosen to be featured in the video by the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), out of 3,000 people who submitted photos nationwide.

News

ART’s Phone Line for Seniors, People with Disabilities Goes Down, Prompting Headaches

By Alex Koma

Published June 29, 2018 at 1:45PM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 3:07PM

A handicap-accessible Arlington Transit bus (file photo)

(Updated at 3 p.m.) Arlington Transit’s phone system to connect disabled and elderly riders to bus service has been hobbled by technical problems all week, prompting big headaches for people who rely on the program.

ART’s “Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents” service, commonly known as STAR, has been dealing with “technical difficulties” at the agency’s call center since Tuesday (June 26), according to a series of alerts sent out to riders.

Schools

Amid Concerns, School Board Says New H-B Woodlawn Building is Inclusive of Students with Disabilities

By Anna Merod

Published February 6, 2018 at 3:50PM

Exterior rendering of future home of H-B Woodlawn in Rosslyn (Via APS)

As plans for a new building for the H-B Woodlawn Secondary Program move forward, members of the Arlington Special Education Advisory Committee (ASEAC) say the design is not inclusive enough for students with disabilities.

In emails sent to the Arlington School Board, ASEAC and other groups expressed concern about a separate entrance intended for disabled students in the Stratford Program.

Schools

More Than 300 APS Teachers Trained in Multi-Sensory Education to Combat Dyslexia

By Chris Teale

Published November 16, 2017 at 5:00PM | Updated November 16, 2017 at 5:20PM

The Institute for Multi-Sensory Education’s Orton-Gillingham approach trains teachers to have students learn language by listening, speaking, reading and writing. So, for example, a dyslexic student is taught to see the letter A, say it and write it in the air at the same time.

Students are also taught to read and write various sounds in isolation before making them into words, and learn the history of the English language to understand its rules and patterns.

News

Blind Triplets Make History With Eagle Scout Recognitions

By Chris Teale

Published October 26, 2017 at 9:15AM | Updated October 26, 2017 at 11:57AM

The Cantos brothers receive their Eagle Scout pins

(Updated 12 p.m.) As elementary school students, blind triplets Leo, Nick and Steven Cantos were bullied, had few friends and no role models.

But that changed when, at the age of 10, blind attorney and Crystal City resident Ollie Cantos became their mentor after learning about them through a friend at church. He legally adopted them two years ago, and turned their lives around.

News

STAR Call Center to Move to Columbia Pike Building

By Kalina Newman

Published July 17, 2017 at 6:30PM | Updated July 18, 2017 at 8:51AM

ART bus (file photo)

Specialized Transit for Arlington Residents will move to 2301 Columbia Pike, Suite 120, near Penrose Square, after the Board agreed to rent the property from the landlord.

STAR’s existing call center is located at 2300 9th Street S. in the same neighborhood. Its lease on the property expired on June 30, and while it can be renewed on a monthly basis, the landlord plans to redevelop the office building and no longer wanted a long-term tenant.

Schools

The Children’s School Plots Move, Possibly Parting Ways With Integration Station

By Tim Regan

Published February 17, 2017 at 11:00AM | Updated February 17, 2017 at 11:35AM

The Children's School's current home in Ballston (via Google Maps)

(Updated at 11:15 a.m.) A co-op child care center for Arlington Public School employees has plans to move to a new space in Ballston, possibly splitting it up from a special needs program it has long integrated with.

The Children’s School’s board of directors this week signed a letter of intent to relocate its program to 4420 N. Fairfax Drive for the 2017-2018 school year.

Schools

Parents Wary of Plan That Could Separate APS Daycare, Special Needs Program

By Tim Regan

Published February 3, 2017 at 2:30PM

Westover/Reed building (photo via Google Maps)

A plan to build a new educational facility at the Reed School in Westover has some parents worried for the future of a daycare and special needs program there.

Last year, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy announced a renovation project to create a new 725-seat elementary school at the site of the Reed School building in Westover.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published September 22, 2016 at 9:30AM

Arlington Golfer Competing for Amateur Title — Psychotherapist Matthew Sughrue, an Arlington resident, has advanced to the championship match of the U.S. Senior Amateur golf tournament. Sughrue, 57, will face 62-year-old Dave Ryan, of Illinois, in a final round today. [ESPN, USGA]

Local Photographer Has Overcome Many Obstacles — Susan Bainbridge, a freelance news photographer and journalist, has a remarkable story of overcoming obstacles. Bainbridge, who also co-founded Arlington County Crime Solvers, has battled disabilities and a series of debilitating accidents from birth into adulthood. Since 2011 Bainbridge has served as an usher during Sunday evening mass at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More, even working through a torn knee ligament and a hip injury from a fall last year. [Catholic Herald]