LEAP Cleveland

04/16/2026

Yesterday, LEAP staff participated in a Blindness Basics training with Alicia and Sully at the Cleveland Sight Center. Staff were able to practice escorting blindfolded partners and participate in a group discussion. It was very informative and will be helpful when we interact with our blind and low-vision community members. Many thanks to Alicia and Sully for taking the time to educate us!

Prior to the training, LEAP staff enjoyed an outing and lunch at the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was a great opportunity for team building and strengthening relationships.

If you would like to learn more about the services that the Cleveland Sight Center offers, click on the following link to their website: https://www.clevelandsightcenter.org/

04/13/2026

Partner Spotlight: Youth Challenge

Youth Challenge pairs children with physical disabilities with trained teen volunteers for adaptive sports, recreation, arts, and life skills programs—all at no cost to families. LEAP and Youth Challenge are both active members in NOCDO (the Northeast Ohio Coalition of Disability Organizations) and have partnered together on projects about advocacy, inclusion, recreation, and accessibility. This relationship has even led to several of the Youth Challenge Alumni to be hired at LEAP.

We are fortunate to have this fantastic partnership with such a great organization and look forward to future projects with Youth Challenge. To find out more information, click the link here:

Youth Challenge provides year-round adaptive sports and recreation for kids with disabilities in Northeast Ohio through a unique 1:1 participant-volunteer model.

04/10/2026

It’s time for a new session of Quantum LEAP!

The Spring 2 Session of adapted activities is beginning on April 20th and will run for six weeks until the end of May. We are offering many great weekly activities and a Baseball Movie Night on April 24th. The session will be capped off on May 29th with our 4th annual Prom!

For more information or to register for activities, click on the link below.
https://www.leapinfo.org/services/recreation/registration-info

04/09/2026

Thank you !

Almost 30 Quantum LEAP participants and their guests attended the Cavs Autism Awareness game after tickets were donated by the team. Everyone had a great time seeing the Cavs pull out a win. This is just another example of how LEAP helps individuals with disabilities engage with their community!

To learn more about the Quantum LEAP Adapted Recreation Program, follow this link to our website: https://www.leapinfo.org/services/recreation/about-quantum-leap

04/07/2026

Introducing Doug Blecher as a new member to LEAP’s Board of Directors

Doug Blecher is the founder of Autism Personal Coach and creator of the Neurodiverse Culture Festival and is very committed to “making this world a place where disabled people can live, thrive, and lead.” As an autistic person, Mr. Blecher sees the opportunity to join LEAP’s board to learn from the other members while “helping carry out LEAP’s mission in providing equal opportunity for all people in Northeast Ohio, regardless of disability”. He is looking forward to getting involved with Disability Rising CLE, our advocacy group that is led by people with disabilities and currently focused on voter engagement.

As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, we are so fortunate to have Mr. Blecher join our board to help us achieve our mission. If you would like to learn more about Mr. Blecher, click on the link below to read his complete interview answers

https://www.leapinfo.org/news/news-and-media/2026/04/07/new-board-member-doug-blecher

03/31/2026

Remembering Judy Heumann for Women’s Awareness Month

As we come to the end of March, we wanted to recognize “the mother” of the disability rights movement, Judy Heumann. She was instrumental in raising public awareness of the challenges people with disabilities face in society, as well as uniting advocates and the disabled community to work together to enact change.

Ms. Heumann was a founding member of THE Center for Independent Living in Berkley, CA and helped promote the Independent Living Movement. As a Center for Independent Living, LEAP would not be the organization that it currently is without the efforts of Ms. Heumann. Everyone associated with CILs across the nation owe her a debt of gratitude.

To learn more about Judy Heumann, click here:

Judith Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community & lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people

03/30/2026

Introducing Shalida Dobbins as a new member to LEAP’s Board of Directors

Shalida Dobbins wants “to continue making the world equitable for people with disabilities” and believes that joining LEAP’s board can help her to do so. As a disabled Afro-Latina woman, she “was happy to find out that most of the board members are other people with disabilities. It is important that decisions made for the disabled community come from those in the disabled community.”

As we continue to celebrate Women’s Awareness Month, we are so pleased to have Ms. Dobbins bringing her knowledge and experiences to our board so that we can improve our services for people with disabilities. If you would like to learn more about Ms. Dobbins, click on the link below to read her complete interview answers.

https://www.leapinfo.org/news/news-and-media/2026/03/30/new-board-member-shalida-dobbins

03/27/2026

Introducing Kelle DeBoth Foust as a new member to LEAP’s Board of Directors

Kelle DeBoth Foust recently joined our board and believes it is important because it “provides me the opportunity to be a part of real change-making.” She is passionate about making our community more accessible and states, “I recognize as an occupational therapist of 20+ years that barriers to access continue to persist and are a significant challenge. These barriers are not just physical, but also social, psychological, in additional to environmental – and I am passionate about findings ways to better promote participation and engagement.”

As we continue to celebrate Women’s Awareness Month, we are proud to have Ms. Deboth Foust working with us to try and improve our community for people with disabilities. If you would like to learn more about Ms. DeBoth Foust, click on the link below to read her complete interview answers.

https://www.leapinfo.org/news/news-and-media/2026/03/27/new-board-member-kelle-deboth-foust

03/26/2026

We are excited to announce the Spring Session of our Peer Support groups! These Peer Support groups are a space for people with disabilities to give and receive support. Each group is facilitated by a trained LEAP staff member with experience in the group’s subject matter. Tap the link below to learn more about the Spring 2026 groups; all group meetings will be held on Zoom.

03/23/2026

Join us for a night of fun, wine, and giving back! LEAP’s 2026 Sip & Support Wine Tasting Benefit is happening on Monday, April 27, from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Solon Community Center.

For just $75, you’ll enjoy:
🍇 Wines from Ohio wineries
🍷 10 wine tastings
🧀 A curated charcuterie board
🤝 New connections with friendly community members
🎉 The chance to buy tickets for fantastic raffle baskets
🎵 Live music

This event will be a fun and engaging way to meet new people, enjoy great music, and to taste some fantastic wine! And what's more fun than winning raffle baskets! The only thing better than making a positive impact on the disability community is having fun with a glass of wine while doing so. Join us for this opportunity to mingle and have a great time!

Limited tickets are available—get yours today and make a positive impact on your community!

Click here to register: https://leapinfo.networkforgood.com/events/97856-leap-s-2026-sip-support-wine-tasting-benefit

03/20/2026

Elizabeth Brassell, one of LEAP’s Community Engagement Specialists, spoke today at the Every Vote Counts event hosted by Cuyahoga DD at Bedford’s Ellenwood Center. She spoke about her voting experiences and advocacy efforts for people with disabilities who want to vote. Elizabeth was also featured in the documentary “Voting in the Land” that was shown at the event.

To get more information about voting from Cleveland Votes, check out www.clevotes.com.

03/18/2026

🎉Honoring Alice Wong for Women’s Awareness Month! 🎉

Alice Wong (1974-2025) was a powerhouse! As a disability rights activist and the founder of the Disability Visibility Project, she dedicated her life to amplifying disabled voices and creating a more inclusive world. Her work shines a light on the importance of disability media and culture, fostering understanding and breaking down barriers.

This Women’s Awareness Month, let’s celebrate Alice’s incredible contributions and unwavering commitment to justice and equality. She’s a true inspiration!

If you would like more info, Click Here:

Alice Wong, disability rights activist and founder of the Disability Visibility Project, passed away in 2025. Learn about her life, advocacy, and enduring legacy in promoting disability justice.