Center for Family Involvement

03/09/2026

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03/09/2026

Dyslexia workshop!

DYSLEXIA WORKSHOP | REGISTER TODAY!
The Ruth Harris Professorship at the VCU School of Education presents the third of its 3-part series of FREE virtual professional development workshops. The workshop is FREE and is open to community members, parents, teachers, and other professionals.

WORKSHOP 3: Using MTSS (Multi-tiered System of Supports) to Identify Dyslexia
w/ Dr. Stephanie Stollar, creator of the Reading Science Academy and co-creator of MTSS Collective
Wednesday, March 18 at 7 p.m. EST via Zoom
REGISTER: https://bit.ly/RH26-Workshop3

Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS) offers an alternative service delivery model focused on improving the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction in the general education classroom so fewer students need intervention. Dr. Stollar will share examples from schools that have used MTSS to improve reading outcomes, reduce the number of students who need intervention, and streamline the process of identifying students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

Please email Heidi Dixon at ruthharris@vcu.edu with any questions.

03/09/2026

Access in Action ~ Green Man+

In Singapore, seniors and people with disabilities use a special card, tap a reader that's mounted above the push-button and the pedestrian "Green Man" signal is extended by 3 to 13 seconds, depending on the length of the crossing.

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Association of University Centers on Disabilities Partnership for People with Disabilities

03/07/2026

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03/06/2026

💥Access in Action ~ Dementia Village

A secure village in the Netherlands designed to look and feel like a normal town, allowing residents with severe dementia to live independently.

Opened in 2009, it features a 4-acre, enclosed facility with a supermarket, theatre, pub, and restaurants.

Trained staff in civilian clothing provide care while enabling residents to safely socialize, shop, and use common areas.

Roughly 150-188 residents live in 23-27 small, themed group homes based on shared lifestyles, such as cultural or religious preferences.

The focus is on a high quality of life through daily activities like gardening, cooking and shopping, with no real money used.

Nurses and caregivers are integrated into the community, acting as shopkeepers or neighbors to support residents.

The model, often called "reminiscence therapy," has inspired similar, smaller-scale projects globally.

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Association of University Centers on Disabilities Partnership for People with Disabilities

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03/05/2026

💥Access in Action ~ Anti-tremor cutlery is one of those innovations that feels small in size but huge in dignity.

At its core, it's smart engineering built to give people with Parkinson's and essential tremor more control and a more independent mealtime experience.

The internal gyroscope senses motion in multiple directions. When it detects a tremor it generates an equal and opposite movement to stabilize the utensil.

This is similar to how camera stabilizers keep video smooth.

The result: the spoon stays level even when the hand doesn't.

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Partnership for People with Disabilities Association of University Centers on Disabilities

03/04/2026

💥Access in Action ~ Greece has installed over 150 (with plans for nearly 300) solar-powered, remote-operated chair-and-track systems on public beaches, allowing wheelchair users to enter the ocean independently.

Independent Access: Users transfer from their wheelchairs onto a seat that glides along a fixed track into the water using a remote control.

Accessibility Chain: The installations often include wooden walkways and accessible changing rooms.

The project has grown into a major national initiative to make coastal tourism inclusive, allowing individuals to navigate the sea unassisted.

A map on the Seatrac website allows users to locate equipped beaches, which also provide video cameras to monitor sea conditions.

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Association of University Centers on Disabilities Partnership for People with Disabilities

fans

03/04/2026

The number of people with disabilities in the workforce has surged in recent years, new research shows.

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

"We should bring disabled perspectives to the center because these perspectives create a world that is more imaginative, more flexible, more sustainable, more dynamic and vibrant for everyone who lives in a body."

These are Rebekah Taussig’s words in her memoir Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body.

She reminds us of the transformative power of inclusion. When we prioritize the voices and experiences of people with disabilities, we build not only a more inclusive but also a richer and more innovative world.

Wishing you all a good week.

03/03/2026

Fabulous idea 💡

A school in Baltimore has come up with a brilliant idea to avoid the typical detention routine that many schools rely on. Instead of punishing kids by locking them in a room, they replaced detention with mediation. You read that right—mediation, which has resulted in ZERO suspensions for a whole decade.

This isn’t just about kids sitting down and talking things out. It’s a philosophy that teaches emotional intelligence, resolution skills, and empathy—things that the typical school system doesn’t often teach. It’s easy to criticize, but the success of this system shows that maybe it’s time to rethink how we deal with behavior.

It’s a bold, innovative approach that could change the way schools handle discipline across the country. If one school can do it, why can’t all of them? 🧘🏾‍♂️✌🏽

03/02/2026

🔦SHINING THE SPOTLIGHT💥Creative Factory AT KYUNGPOOK NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Innovation: A yearbook you can feel!

A South Korean school created 3D-printed portraits so blind students can finally perceive the smiles and features of students they have spent years in school with.

Process:

•Faces scanned
•Models refined
•3D-printed portraits + Braille names
•Audio buttons with each student's voice message

Impact:

•Memories with shape
•Friendships with texture
•Inclusive design
•Turning technology into something deeply human

Who are we?
tinyurl.com/CFI-PPD-VCU

1 ON 1 SUPPORT | ALWAYS FREE

Find us on Instagram: center4familyinvolvement

The Center for Family Involvement is affiliated with: VCU School of Education Association of University Centers on Disabilities Partnership for People with Disabilities

Credit: AsianFeed