GIVE MIAMI DAY 2014

DIG is excited to announce that we will be participating in The Miami Foundation's Give Miami Day 2014! Give Miami Day is an online giving event that encourages people to donate to nonprofits in Miami. This is our first year participating, and we couldn't be more excited. The competition will take place from midnight on November 20, 2014 until midnight on November 21, 2014. Be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter over the next two months for updates about the competition, as well as about our many projects.

WWII Veteran Receives His Purple Heart After 70 Years

By: Chris Arroyo 

Robert C. Bohm was born October 8, 1920, in Lorraine, Ohio.  He lived in Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa growing up and graduated from Muscatine High School in Iowa.  On October 29, 1940, he signed up for the US Army.

His first tour was in North Africa an his job was a lineman/communication specialist.  One day his troop was given orders that they would be joining forces in Italy.  Someone had o be left behind to close down the switchboard, and Bo was selected.  Several days ate when he caught up to his troop, he found that the previous night their campsite had been bombed and all had perished.  (click here to read more)

Autism CARES Act Renewed

By: Deborah Dietz    

President Obama signed the Autism CARES Act last month. The Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2014, or Autism CARES Act, will reauthorize the Combating Autism Act for the next five years. The law will allow for $260 million annually for autism research, prevalence tracking, screening, professional training and other initiatives. The new law will also require that a point person be designated within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to oversee autism research, services, and support activities.

The Interagency Autism Coordinated Committee (IACC) will be expanded to include family members and self-advocates and there is a mandate to create a new report that focuses on the needs of young adults and youth during transition.

This is a very good news for the autism community. Stay tuned for more information in the future.

Luisa's Art Exhibition 

At the Colombian Consulate,

 280 Aragon Avenue - Coral Gables, Florida 33134

on Friday October 3rd, 2014

at 6:00pm-9:00pm. 

To see more of Luisa's work click here.
 
  

Know Your Legal Rights

By: Matthew Dietz

On Saturday, September 20^th, I had the opportunity to put on my professor hat and teach Criminal Procedure 101 to a very eager class of persons at the University of Miami. No, not for law students at the Law School, but instead for a class teens and young adults who have Autism and their parents.

A systemic problem in our community, and communities throughout the United States, is that police do not identify that certain behaviors of Autistic people are not indicative of criminal behavior. Disability Independence Group, UM/NSU Center for Autism and Related Disabilities and Lt. Bart Barta of the Coral Gables Police Department developed a program to assist both Autistic people to self-identify when encountering a police person, and the police in how to identify a person who may have Autism. The seminar is just one part of the program, and the other portion is a video that presents scenarios that may occur in police interactions and a wallet card that an Autistic person can use as a tool to self-identify to the police. For more information, please go to our website at www.justdigit.org

Accessibility Features of the iPhone 6 and iOS 8

By: Rachel Goldstein

Apple just put its two new iPhone models, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, on the market and introduced the Apple Watch, which is set to be released in early 2015. Built-in accessibility features and the ability to download thousands of specialized apps have made the iPhone a popular smartphone choice amongst people with disabilities for the last few years. The new operating system, iOS 8, for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch was also just released and offers some new possibilities for users with disabilities. With the recent release of the new iPhones, as well as iOS 8, it is important to explore the assistive features that enhance the devices usability for people with disabilities. (click here to read more)

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