SCATP Webinar

Please join us for tomorrow’s webinar:  Fine Motor and the Family
Nov 5, 2025 10:00 AM  in  Eastern Time (US and Canada)
 

Description
Target Audience: Families of infants and toddlers who are blind or low vision Description of Webinar: Families will learn easy strategies to implement at home that promote fine motor skills in their infants/toddlers who are blind or have low vision. Participants will learn: 1. Importance of fine motor skills in early childhood education. 2. Learn importance of fine motor skills and how it relates to literacy development for children who are blind or low vision. 3. Learn simple strategies to promote finger strength and dexterity through fun household routines.
Speaker: Alicia Pugh is a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS). She has a M.Ed from the University of Louisville and M.A.T from USC Upstate. She has been in the field of visual impairment for over 20 years in South Carolina. She resides in Summerville with her husband, son and stepdaughter. She loves gardening, shopping and photography.


Rachell Johnson, MCD., CCC-SLP, ATP
Program Manager
SC Assistive Technology Program
Center for Disability Resources

8301 Farrow Road
Columbia, SC 29203

rachell.johnson@uscmed.sc.edu
https://sc.edu/medicine/scatp
Phone: 803-935-5301 | Fax: 803-935-5342 | ​Toll Free: 800-915-4522

SCATP Webinars

 SCATP Webinars

To register click the links below.  

Please join us online for our November Webinar Series: 

11-5-25 Fine Motor and the Family

11-12-25 Sensory Play with Toys and Tots

11-19-25 Smart Phone Secrets

Please register for our in-person Adapted Toy Workshop:

11-13-25, 11-14-25 Adapted Toy Workshop

Rachell Johnson, MCD., CCC-SLP, ATP

Program Manager

SC Assistive Technology Program

Center for Disability Resources

8301 Farrow Road

Columbia, SC 29203

rachell.johnson@uscmed.sc.edu

https://sc.edu/medicine/scatp

Phone: 803-935-5301 | Fax: 803-935-5342 | ​Toll Free: 800-915-4522

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New Mobility, Caregiver Crisis

 

NEW MOBILITY HEALTH & WELLNESS October 2025 - View in browser IN PARTNERSHIP WITH KALOGON — SMART SEATING SOLUTIONS —

THIS MONTH: SURVIVING THE CAREGIVER CRISIS By Ian Ruder I remember the days when I could post a caregiver ad on Craigslist, and before I could sign out, I would be inundated with eager respondents. I’d offer slightly more than the minimum wage, with flexible hours and a fun work environment, and that was more than enough to entice a diverse pool of candidates. Those were the golden days.  The last couple of times I've tried to hire a caregiver, you would have thought I was asking for volunteers on a suicide mission. Despite offering significantly more than minimum wage, my posts were received as enthusiastically as Congress proposing to cut Social Security.  We've covered the caregiver crisis facing our nation multiple times over the last few years, but there's no getting around the fact that things seem more dire than ever. So let’s first look at the crisis facing caregiving in America, and then at what we can do to make the best of a difficult situation.   SPONSORED CONTENT Does your seating system adapt with you? Orbiter Med and Bondar offer a fully-coded system that supports overall seated health. Orbiter Med features Kalogon’s Advanced Pressure Management System (APMS) and custom cushion design to influence posture and maintain skin integrity. Bondar is a 3D-printed back support with easy adjustments. Whether you're navigating daily life or high-risk pressure needs, choose a system that adapts with you. Call 321.465.4504 A WORSENING CRISIS In 2015, Josie Byzek wrote a New Mobility cover story about the impending caregiver crisis. One of the main issues advocates raised was that caregiver compensation was so low — then averaging $9.57 an hour nationally — that not enough people were filling caregiver roles to meet rising demand. Fast forward a decade, and the state of caregiving wages has only gotten worse. Yes, wages have risen — to an average of $14.07 an hour nationally — but inflation has made it so that today, those wages are even less competitive than they used to be. As one longtime advocate explained it in John Mohler’s 2023 story, “For Wheelchair Users, Finding Attendants Has Gone From Crisis to Catastrophe:” “Regardless of where you are, it’s more difficult to fill these caregiving jobs, because other jobs in the area are paying more that are much less emotionally taxing and that have opportunities for growth. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Portland or if you’re in central Illinois, the wages down the street are still going to be higher than whatever the home care wages are. The (home care) workforce crisis was in a crisis for decades before the pandemic. We’re at a point where it’s getting to catastrophic levels.” Add to the worsening crisis the recent congressional budget bill that is estimated to reduce Federal Medicaid spending by almost $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Medicaid accounts for more than half of the money spent on long-term care services every year. It’s hard to envision how states are going to improve compensation and working conditions for caregivers to help meet the rising demand for caregivers. And boy, is there a rising demand. As Mohler detailed in 2023: “The needs going forward are dizzying. From 2020 to 2030, the total home care workforce, including home health aides and nursing assistants, will grow by almost 1 million new jobs, but they will have to fill 4.9 million openings due to workers leaving for other jobs or retiring. Likewise, the number of adults aged 65 and older is expected to nearly double from 49.2 million in 2016 to 94.7 million in 2060. In other words, the problem is not going away. In the future, the need will be even greater.”   Join United Spinal's Care Support Advocacy Efforts Improving caregiving support is one of United Spinal Association’s advocacy priorities. We’re working to improve working conditions to attract more caregivers to the workforce, expand eligibility for paid caregiver funding for family members, and strengthen home and community-based service policies. You can learn more about our advocacy efforts, find care support resources, and join our Care Support Working Group to collaborate with other advocates on this vital issue. Finding the Right Fit For those of us who depend on caregivers, we have little choice but to soldier on. This means being creative, being persistent and learning from those around us. I've always enjoyed writing about hiring and managing caregivers because it gives me a chance to talk with other wheelchair users to learn what works for them. If I had to pick, the most valuable thing I've learned is that, when it comes to hiring and managing caregivers, you first need to understand yourself. Knowing your own needs, who and what work well with you, and who and what don't, can solve a lot of problems before they start. For some, relying on family for caregiving help is the best option. But burnout is real. “A Labor of Love — Beating the Stress in Long-Term Caregiving,” by the late Richard Holicky, examines the common problems in long-term caregiving relationships and potential solutions. Some wheelchair users find long-term success with parental caregivers, but it can be a tricky transition when parents age out of caregiving and need care themselves. Others can’t imagine relying on family, and develop business-like systems to hire and retain caregivers. Unfortunately, even if we know what we need and have systems in place, sometimes we find ourselves in situations where there are no ideal candidates, but we have to hire someone. This happens all too often, and it can lead to dangerous or nerve-wracking hires.  I first wrote about avoiding bad hires in 2012, and looking back on that article now, I think I was a little cavalier. As nice as it would be to say that the good hires outweigh the bad hires, the reality is that bad hires can leave physical and emotional scars that long outlast their tenures. Sometimes, questionable hires lead to incredible excuses, though, as Jenny Smith found in “I Was Attacked by a Cat.” I spoke with several long-time caregivers in 2020 to try to understand the flip side of the equation, “What Caregivers Care About.” While I didn't uncover anything groundbreaking, hearing caregivers’ side of the relationship and getting their perspectives did provide some valuable insight. It reinforced my conviction that mutual respect and clear communication of expectations are at the heart of almost every good caregiving relationship. When either of these is compromised, problems inevitably follow.  As the caregiver hiring process gets ever more difficult, building lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with the good ones may be the best bet we have. FUNCTIONAL TIP Caregiver-Assisted Transfer Techniques Mastering safe, efficient transfers is one of the trickiest and most important tasks with any caregiver. Craig Hospital has put together an excellent series of instructive videos covering everything from Hoyer transfers to pivot transfers and beyond. If you and a caregiver are having any issues, these videos are a great resource to simplify this daily task.

New Mobility publishes member content for United Spinal Association, whose mission is to improve quality of life of people with spinal cord injuries and all wheelchair users. It's free to join United Spinal. Join here.

Copyright © 2025 United Spinal Association. All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 102 Duane Road Fort Totten, NY 11359

NADD Newsletter

 

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for NADD’s Annual Conference. Whether you attended, presented, exhibited, or supported behind the scenes, your participation made this our best conference yet! We hope you returned home inspired—ready to share what you’ve learned and apply it in both your work and daily life. Congratulations to NADD's 2025 Award Winners! We extend our warmest congratulations to all of this year’s honorees for their outstanding contributions and dedication to advancing the field. NADD Member of the Year Award: Kelli Bodie-Miner NADD DSP Award for Excellence: Jasmine Nunery Earl L. Loschen Award for Clinical Practice: Shaina Knight Frank J. Menolascino Award for Excellence: Dr. Susan Havercamp Steven Reiss Research Award: Dr. Jonathan Weiss NADD Award for Innovation & Excellence: Brad Hagan NADD's Research Journal Read the latest open access article in The Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities (JMHRID), NADDs official research Journal:  Children with Developmental Disabilities: A Scoping Review of Interventions to Support Caregivers’ Well-Being Abeasi, D. A., Nkosi, N. G., & Suglo, J. N. (2025).  READ NOW As part of our partnership with the Link Center—a free online library of trustworthy models and evidence-based practices has been created to support capacity building across states and systems. Tips for Online Meetings with AAC Users, by AAC Users – Link Center's featured resource from CommunicationFIRST offers practical, experience-based advice from augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) users on how to organize and host inclusive online meetings. People who use AAC are often overlooked or spoken over in virtual settings. This guide shares lessons learned from over five years of hosting and participating in accessible online meetings and webinars for individuals with diverse communication disabilities.   This and many other helpful resources are available anytime through the Link Center website. READ MORE BoggsCast: Technology that Empowers In this episode of BoggsCast from The Boggs Center on Disability and Human Development at Rutgers University, faculty and staff explore best practices, share success stories, and envision possibilities for innovation through conversations with state and national experts. Guests Aaron Kalinowski, Self-Advocate and Podcaster; Nathan Gerhard, Associate Executive Director at Keystone Human Services; Martin Noah, Senior Director of Information Technology at The Arc of Essex County; and Meghan O'Sullivan, Sales Director at SimplyHome, discuss how enabling technologies are expanding independence and choice for people with disabilities. LISTEN NOW NADD Membership Benefits Did you know that employees of NADD Member Organizations enjoy complimentary NADD Membership as part of their organization’s benefits? NADD Membership provides a range of benefits, including unlimited free access to the Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities (JMHRID)—NADD's international, peer-reviewed research journal; focused on individuals with IDD/MH needs and the systems that support them. Members also enjoy exclusive access to webinars, conference discounts, and opportunities to network with professionals in the field. In addition, members receive 15% off all print and digital products in NADD’s Online Store. Not a NADD Member? Become one today, starting at just $99 per year. JOIN NOW The 2026 NADD Annual Conference will take place October 7-9, 2026 at the Omni William Penn in Pittsburgh, PA Stay tuned... FOLLOW NADD ON SOCIAL MEDIA

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