Embrace Abilities

Embrace Abilities Empower. Advocate. Connect. https://linktr.ee/embraceabilitiesms We’re here to celebrate differences and ensure every family feels a true sense of belonging.

Established in February 2024, we’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit building an inclusive community for individuals (3–21) with different abilities and their families on the MS Gulf Coast. Embrace Abilities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, founded by Bridgett Lee in 2024. Inspired by lived experience, our mission is to create a welcoming, inclusive community where children, teens, and young adults with different abilities—and their families—can thrive. We proudly serve families navigating a wide range of disabilities, including genetic disorders, developmental and intellectual disabilities, neurodiversity (like autism and ADHD), and rare conditions. Our vision is a future where every child is valued, respected, and empowered—no matter their diagnosis or background.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨:
• Host monthly inclusive events, sensory-friendly activities, and social meetups
• Offer programs like Play & Connect meetups, Coffee with Caregivers, and Sibshops, with a focus on whole family support
• Provide caregiver resources, peer support, and advocacy for families navigating all types of disabilities—ensuring everyone feels seen, supported, and included.
• Partner with local clinics and professionals to expand access to therapy, education, and community connections

𝐖𝐡𝐨 𝐖𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐞:
• Children and young adults (ages 3–21) with a wide variety of abilities—including but not limited to autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, Fragile X, cerebral palsy, rare genetic conditions, and more—plus their families, caregivers, and allies across the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡:
• All participants, regardless of age, must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at events for safety and support
• We strive to accommodate allergies, accessibility, and communication needs—just let us know during registration
• For those aging out of our youth programs, we offer guidance and referrals to community resources like the DREAM program

At Embrace Abilities, we believe diversity, acceptance, and empathy make our community stronger. Join us as we work together to build a more inclusive world for everyone!

If you were on the PCM course list, you should have received an email and text with your registration link. Because we h...
01/21/2026

If you were on the PCM course list, you should have received an email and text with your registration link. Because we have a strict 30-person capacity, we can only accept registrations from those on the PCM course list.

𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭. After that, any remaining openings will be offered to families on the wait list.

To keep things fair for everyone, registrations submitted without an official link will be voided and you’ll receive an email notification.

This is a six-hour course, and we’re grateful for the community support making it possible. Our meeting room and lunch are sponsored by Golden Nugget Biloxi . Empowered Pathways, LLC is donating the training, and Embrace Abilities is covering course materials and certification fees.

Because this initiative is a significant investment, we’re asking everyone to please read and follow all registration terms, deadlines, and attendance expectations before signing up. Thank you for understanding and helping us keep this process smooth.

We’re so excited to partner with Gulf Coast Content Studio for photography and videography coverage of our Krewe of Wond...
01/21/2026

We’re so excited to partner with Gulf Coast Content Studio for photography and videography coverage of our Krewe of Wonder Mardi Gras Ball! They will be capturing the joy of the night and the moments our families will remember long after the last song.

https://www.gulfcoastcontentstudio.com/

We’re excited to announce an upcoming Professional Crisis Management (PCM) training for our community, and it’s happenin...
01/20/2026

We’re excited to announce an upcoming Professional Crisis Management (PCM) training for our community, and it’s happening thanks to the generosity of Empowered Pathways, LLC, who has donated the training.

PCM is a 6-hour course that equips caregivers and professionals with practical tools to help prevent crisis situations and respond safely when behaviors escalate, while keeping dignity, support, and inclusion at the center.

We’re also proud to share that our very own Nicki Kopp will be leading the course. Nicki brings a steady, compassionate approach and the kind of real-world experience that makes this training meaningful and approachable.

Official registration will go out this week to everyone who signed up on our course interest list. If you’re on the list and can’t commit, please let us know so we can offer your spot to someone on our waitlist.

Empowered Pathways, thank you for making this possible for our families and community.

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose courageous leadership in the fight for racial justice continues to ins...
01/19/2026

Today, we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose courageous leadership in the fight for racial justice continues to inspire movements for equity and inclusion across our communities. Dr. King’s dream—a world where everyone is treated with dignity, respect, and equal opportunity—reminds us that true justice is only possible when all people are welcomed and valued.

At Embrace Abilities, we are guided by Dr. King’s vision as we work to build a future where children and young adults of all abilities can belong, thrive, and participate fully in community life. While our mission centers on supporting families of children with different abilities, we recognize that the path toward inclusion is one Dr. King helped illuminate for us all.

We are grateful for his enduring example and remain committed to advancing a world where everyone has the chance to be seen, heard, and empowered.

We’re beyond grateful to Golden Nugget Biloxi for generously donating meeting space and lunch for our upcoming Professio...
01/18/2026

We’re beyond grateful to Golden Nugget Biloxi for generously donating meeting space and lunch for our upcoming Professional Crisis Management (PCM) training! Their support is a huge reason we’re able to bring valuable resources like this to our community.

PCM is a 6-hour course that equips caregivers and professionals with essential skills for safely and compassionately navigating crisis situations. Thanks to Golden Nugget Biloxi, we’re able to offer this training in an accessible, welcoming environment—at no cost to our participants.

Official registration emails will go out later this week to those on our course list. If you’re unable to attend, please let us know so we can offer your spot to someone on our waitlist.

Partners like Golden Nugget Biloxi make our mission possible. Please join us in thanking them for investing in a safer, more inclusive community!

We loved seeing so many repping their Krewe of Wonder shirts yesterday! 💜✨For the past year, Morgan at Tiny Toes Boutiqu...
01/18/2026

We loved seeing so many repping their Krewe of Wonder shirts yesterday! 💜✨

For the past year, Morgan at Tiny Toes Boutique has brought our team shirt designs to life, making it possible for us to show our Embrace Abilities pride at every event. We’ve decided it’s time to share them with everyone!

Morgan has created an Embrace Abilities Collection page on her website, where all of our shirt designs—past, present, and future—are now available to the community at the same $12 price you’ve seen for the Krewe of Wonder shirts.

To be clear: Embrace Abilities does not make a profit on these shirts. Our goal is simply to keep things affordable for families, knowing how costly being a special needs parent can be.

You’ll find our Krewe of Wonder shirts, Team Inclusion cheer-themed shirts, a football version, and more designs coming soon.

We always get so many compliments on our shirts, and now everyone can join in—no limited editions, no pressure, and all designs will stay available.

Thank you, Morgan and Tiny Toes Boutique, for supporting our mission and helping us spread inclusion in style!

𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: https://ttbtees.com/collections/embrace-abilities

We’re less than 2 weeks away from our first Coffee with Caregivers event of 2026!Join us January 31st at Ocean Springs M...
01/18/2026

We’re less than 2 weeks away from our first Coffee with Caregivers event of 2026!

Join us January 31st at Ocean Springs Municipal Library for a special session with Beth Robertson from USM’s Institute for Disability Studies. She’ll share all about the ToTAL program—designed to help teens and young adults with different abilities explore job skills, internships, and independent living as they prepare for life after school.

Don’t miss your chance to connect, learn, and enjoy delicious drinks from the A Latte Friends coffee cart!

Register here: https://embraceabilitiesms.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/365470

Spots are limited—secure yours today!

01/18/2026

Catch the highlights from yesterday's event! 🎬 The energy, the smiles, the community coming together. This is what it's all about. ✨

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠! 🎉 Our first event of the year and wow, what a day. Big thanks to Encore Rehabilitation,...
01/17/2026

𝐖𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠! 🎉

Our first event of the year and wow, what a day. Big thanks to Encore Rehabilitation, Inc. (Ocean Springs Pediatric Rehab) for collaborating with us to make this happen, and to all our amazing volunteers who showed up and poured into this.

The energy was incredible, the smiles were endless, and seeing so many in our Krewe of Wonder tshirts made it even more special. We ended it all with some yummy snacks to refuel.

This was our second time collaborating on this event, and based on today, we have a feeling this won't be the last. 💪

We wanted to take a moment to recognize the people who made today possible. 🙌 We are so grateful for our partners at Enc...
01/17/2026

We wanted to take a moment to recognize the people who made today possible. 🙌

We are so grateful for our partners at Encore Rehabilitation, Inc. (Ocean Springs Pediatric Rehab) who volunteered their time to plan and execute today's activities. These are the people who work with some of our kiddos in therapy every week, and getting to celebrate alongside them outside of appointments is always super special. You showed up big for us, and we love you.

To Jamie, Ansleigh, and Madison from Ocean Springs High School Cheer, Jenna from Jones Physical Therapy, and Macie and Carter for stepping up and lending a hand, thank you.

And to our incredible team Jennifer, Maryjo, and Iliana who handled prep and logistics this week and today, you are the backbone of what we do.

Thank you to Cheer Force One - Mississippi for the space and for partnering with us.

You all make events like this possible, and we're truly thankful. Photos to follow, and if you grabbed some today, drop them in the comments and we'll add them to the album! 📸

🎭✨ A big thank you to Ocean Springs Coca-Cola Bottling Co. for their generous donation of water for our Krewe of Wonder ...
01/16/2026

🎭✨ A big thank you to Ocean Springs Coca-Cola Bottling Co. for their generous donation of water for our Krewe of Wonder Ball on February 7!

Events like these are possible because of community partners who believe in inclusion and support our mission. Your generosity helps us create a welcoming Mardi Gras celebration for children and families of all abilities. Thank you for being part of our story and helping us let the inclusive times roll!

Address

P. O. Box 1594
Ocean Springs, MS
39566

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Embrace Abilities posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Embrace Abilities:

Shortcuts

Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share via Email
Share on WhatsApp Share on Instagram Share on Telegram

Category