April 2022: Autism Acceptance Month Fundraiser!
April 2022: Autism Acceptance Month Fundraiser!
April is commonly associated with Spring and marks the end of blistering winter transitioning to the scorching Summer. At the same time, it is the month to celebrate awareness and acceptance of our brothers and sisters with Autism.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition of variable severity with lifelong effects that can be recognized from early childhood, chiefly characterized by difficulties with social interaction and communication and by restricted or repetitive patterns of thought and behavior (Oxford Dictionaries). Dreamscape Foundation is an organization focusing on accessibility for people with disability.
We know living with a disability can negatively impact one’s chances of success in education and employment. But we believe that we have the power to do something about it and knowing is not enough. While nothing can equip anyone for an unanticipated disability, we can take an action to offer hope. We can take steps to help the disabled community adjust to today’s world in a way that allows them to move forward. We invite you to join us in our fundraising event for the Autism Acceptance Month with our 4 awesome streamers starting this
Meeting the Dream Team!
First on our list of four streamers is Lennic, influenced by one of his best friends who’s also streaming, Lennic started streaming and found that it worked for him within just a few months. He is described by his community as chill and laid back with a focus on gameplay.
Lord, mostly known as Lordsbathwater on Twitch, began streaming around a year ago mainly for his friends who wanted to watch. Eventually, a couple more people started tuning in and he started making new friends to hang out with. His community would describe him as a dumb doodoo who does stupid stuff and laughs at himself.
Another streamer that will be joining this event is “the imfamous test subject but the rest of the world knows me as imfamousx1x. She initially stepped into streaming through a friend by the name of DarkZero_Omega and has been streaming for 5 years since then.
Our Mission
Dreamscape Foundation understands the challenges of millions and many more people across the globe that is affected by disabilities. The struggle is right in front of us, yet too often our eyes miss it. Our Mission is to actively work to ensure that anyone who lives with this struggle is provided with the tools and resources needed to meet their educational, employment, and independent living goals. We share these sentiments with our 4 streamers. When asked how disabilities impacted their life or the lives of people around them? One of our streamers responded with –
“My grandma! She met with an accident when I was a kid and was disabled for the rest of her life. Seeing a loved one going through such tribulations as a kid and growing up, it was disheartening and impacted me a lot in my teenage years.” – Lord
Join the Fun!
In line with this month’s event, we will be sharing half of the gathered donations to My Autism Connection, Inc. A 501(c)(3) organization located in Southwest Florida that offers services to autistic adults between ages 18 and 50. So we invite you to gather and unite to raise $ 2,500 for Dreamscape Foundation’s Autism Acceptance Month Event. Join us (April 8 to April 15) on Twitch and Tilitfy!
If you have anything to give, please consider how much of an impact you can make for someone’s livelihood. Depending on how much you donate, you will be eligible to win a variety of prizes. From redeemable Steam keys, to Dreamscape branded T-Shirts, Magnets & Drawstring Backpacks. If you are unable to lend anything, just know that Sharing The Dream is all that counts!
« PreviousMay 2022: Global Accessibility Awareness Day Charity Stream Marathon!
May 2022: Global Accessibility Awareness Day Charity Stream Marathon!
Global Accessibility Awareness Day is a global event that provides visibility on digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities. This started from a very small celebration, with 16 in-person events worldwide in 2012, and bloomed to more than 200 annual events each year. Born out of the belief that every user, including people with disabilities, deserves a first-rate digital experience on the web. That belief made more people think and learn about digital access and inclusion.
Dreamscape Foundation believes in making today’s world more accessible for people with all types of disabilities. We focus on visual impairments because it is the heart of our mission as part of how Dreamscape foundation originally was founded. In line with this celebration, we have gathered a few streamers to Join us and raise $1500 to help improve accessibility for disabled people.
Making The World Accessible For All
The majority of people are not aware that millions of Americans and many more across the globe are affected to live with some form of severe disability. In reality, one out of five Americans is experiencing struggles of surviving with a disability. Our goal through this event is to raise awareness, funds, and actions for the improvement of these people’s lives.
As a charity for people with disabilities, we fight to restore the independence of the individuals we help. We believe that they should never be a prisoner of their impairments.
Gathering Around A Great Cause
We appreciate everyone who will join us at this event, especially the streamers who responded to our call for help as a part of giving back to Dreamscape’s disabled community. Our Global Accessibility Awareness Day event will be full of fun from different communities all around the globe. Let us all gather and unite to raise $1,500 for Dreamscape Foundation!
According to Twitch Streamer MechromancerGaige, accessibility means making it possible for people to have access to things they need and that make their life easier/better. Either it being money for a surgery they really need or receiving prosthetics to make them walk again for example.
Join us (starting this Friday, for a week straight) on Twitch and Tilitfy! If you have anything to give, please consider how much of an impact you can make on someone’s livelihood. Depending on how much you donate, you will be eligible to win a variety of prizes. From redeemable Steam keys to Dreamscape branded T-Shirts, Magnets & Drawstring Backpacks. If you are unable to lend anything, just know that Sharing the Dream is all that counts!
« PreviousNext »Love Is In The Air, And So Is Raising Funds For Accessibility!
Love Is In The Air, And So Is Raising Funds For Accessibility!
Everyone in the world has been affected by accessibility advancement, though some more than others. That’s where Dreamscape Foundation comes in! As our very first Stream Team fundraiser of 2022 kicks-off, we wanted to introduce everyone to our hand-picked Charity Streamers this week!
Jessyabeb Draws Attention To Disability Awareness
Jessy, aka Jessyabeb, is a former mental health nurse turned freelance digital artist and variety streamer. She is someone who has personal experience streaming for charity in the past like the b-present foundation which works to help educate and support young adults with cancer, along with “It Gets Better“, an organization that works to uplift, empower and connect with LGBTQ+ youth all around the world.
Jessy is selfless enough to help raise funds with Dreamscape Foundation because she finds herself an adult living with a disability. Knowing the experience first-hand, Jessy wants to help in any way she can. Viewers can expect a lot of art streams during the event, along with some Spelunky 2. “I will have some art up as donation incentives! I’ll also be doing some more viewer interactive stuff like marbles and some other games.” Jessy explains.
TheSaffronMan Raids For Accessibility
Meet Saff, also known as TheSaffronMan! Saff has had a lot of experience volunteering, ever since he was young. Things like summer camps and charity volunteer work to name a few. Where does all this inspiration to do good come from? In our interview with Saff, he mentioned that his late grandmother who had Parkinson’s was a massive role model for him, and continues to motivate him to this day!
For our Charity Stream with TheSaffronMan, the plans are to play a variety of games during the week; from Raid: Shadow legends, Halo Infinite, and GeoGuessr. The fun to be experienced is limitless! Saff also intends to mix it up with music and interact with his community by chatting on any relevant topics. Saff wanted to extend his support and that is how we met HWZ67!
HWZ67 Lends A Helping Hand
Coming in later to the Stream Team is Kofi or HWZ67! Kofi is known throughout his chatroom as a Teacher and a Musician, especially for his interest in creating meme music. His streaming journey began at the end of 2020 as he wanted to connect with more people in the Raid Shadow Legends community.
As an Elementary School teacher, HWZ has constant exposure to fundraising at his school, as well as some volunteer work with an organization called “Hosea Helps” who help families with a wide range of services, based out of Atlanta, GA. When asked why he wanted to join in this Valentine’s Day event, HWZ told us that ” I genuinely enjoy helping others! My fiancé and I are always talking about charity work so I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. She was very happy when I told her.”
JohnKozlov Blasts Off For Charity
Now introducing.. John Kozlov! John happens to be a full-time programmer, while also working as a part-time content creator. During our interview, Kozlov mentioned that he sees himself as a perfectionist who likes to do everything to the next level. Our new streamer friend is known to have a deep passion for simulation games, especially the Star Citizen universe which became one of his favorite games.
John Kozlov started streaming as a way to find like-minded people with whom he can share common values and ideas. After all said and done, Twitch streaming ended up as one of his greatest passions. Kozlov mentions that “It helped me evolve and express myself better.” We are very happy that he joined our week-long charity, and even though this is his first charity stream, we are happy to have him a part of our growing Valentine’s Day event Stream Team!
Sarcastickelly Welcomes Donations For Dreamscape
Meet Kelly, another friendly streamer we found on Twitch, where she is known as SarcastiKelly; A name her chatroom said fitted her perfectly – due to the fact that her sense of humor is very silly and ironic! As a self-described introvert, she always seems to make sure everyone feels included. According to Kelly, she is very reserved and quiet with people she hasn’t met before.
Although this will be the first Charity Event for Kelly, we can tell that she is very excited to lend her support! As she described in our interview, “This is something that I have always wanted to do and it’s just always been a question of when or how?” She explained ”I have always wanted to get into raising money for charities, there have just been so many questions and not knowing where to start. Once I got in contact with Dreamscape Foundation and got a good understanding of what they do and trying to achieve, I realized it’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
“Mental illness is something I’m way too familiar with, both myself and in my family, and I’ve always felt like it’s rarely taken seriously. I think that’s why I’ve grown to be so passionate and empathetic about wanting to help people, whether it’s to help someone move, or just be there if someone wants to talk, or just cheer someone up to make them forget about something that’s bringing them down if only for a moment.”
During the Charity Event, we can expect lots of fun, goofiness, and nothing but great time. Sarcastikelly adds “Not only will there be giveaways, but there will also be donations that’ll trigger certain actions that change the way I play whether it’s being blindfolded or choose what build/weapon to use, but you could also decide a future cosplay or a game to play and much more.”
How You Can Help Share The Dream:
We appreciate what these amazing streamers are doing as a part of giving back to Dreamscape’s disabled community. This Charity event will be filled with fun and passion from different people all around the globe. Let us all gather and unite to raise $5,000 in the spirit of Accessibility and Valentine’s Day.
All week long, February 7th to February 14th, 2022 we will be LIVE on Twitch and Tilitfy raising awareness of Dreamscape Foundation’s cause. Depending on an individual’s amount donated, donors will be eligible to win a variety of prizes, from multiple redeemable steam keys, to Dreamscape merchandise like T-Shirts, Magnets & Drawstring Backpacks. If you have anything to give, this is an amazing cause. Help us Share the Dream!
« PreviousNext »A Small Girl with a Big Heart, Xsharls to Host Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
A Small Girl with a Big Heart, Xsharls to Host Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
Dreamscape Foundation is happy to introduce our first Charity streamer for 2022! Meet Sharls, also referred to by her twitch community as “xsharls”. Described as a small girl with a big heart. She may seem chaotic and never fails to fail streamer as she always tries to make people laugh and entertain others through her antics on stream, but everyone knows that she is a fighter, someone who does not give up easily despite the challenges life throws at her and is always about spreading love and kindness to one another.
Some Dreams Come True
As a bubbly teenager, she had always dreamed of being a content creator. Early in her endeavors, Sharls started filming YouTube vlogs as well as live stream using Bigolive to interact and make more friends online. Due to lack of time and switching her priorities towards studying, she was unable to continue those ventures. After which, an online friend named spadefanatic insinuated the idea about streaming on Facebook Gaming. Spade also shared the same dream about being a full-time streamer; thus, encouraging her to do the same.
After the friendly encouragement, xsharls founds a goldmine of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It didn’t take her long to take the idea into action and embark on her first streaming journey through Facebook. With a few months of streaming experience under her belt, Sharls made the move to Twitch, which allowed her to grow her community.
“I never once regretted my decision to stream, as it has been so awesome so far! In my streams, we celebrate being our authentic selves – we celebrate being unique and weird, as I am as transparent and open to my community. I treat my stream as a safe haven – where anyone can come by to share and be open about themselves, as it is all about love!” – xsharls
First Time Charity Streamer!
This may be her first time doing a charity stream, but xsharls is not new in helping those around and in her community. From local volunteering to personal donations, we are very honored that she decided to have her first charity stream with Dreamscape Foundation. According to Sharls, she was elated to do a charity stream with Dreamscape as it resonates with her hopes that with everyone’s help, anyone could have a better future.
“What resonated with me is that Dreamscape believes in offering hope and that knowing is not enough. Hope is understanding that we can do better for the future, and we have a role to play in making that future a reality. I am a strong believer that we should take action and do our part to continue spreading awareness, in order for us to grow as a society. I impart this vision through my mental health podcasts that I do bi-weekly, which places emphasis on continuing to have these difficult conversations, as it gets better as we continue to talk about it. I felt that my vision was in line with dreamscape, therefore it was a no-brainer for me!” – xsharls
What to Expect During the Charity Stream
One thing that she will surely bring for her stream is “FUN” as she tries to make it an exciting experience for everyone! Participants will be able to use their donations to trigger certain actions on stream such as drinking her least fav drink – matcha, or to make her play a horror game, just to name a few.
When & Where Can I Donate?
Xsharls will be raising funds for Dreamscape Foundation’s mission on her Twitch channel on Friday, January 28, 2022, at 8:30am EST. Her hope is to raise $200 for our disabled community by the end of the stream. Depending on the amount given, donors will be eligible to win a variety of prizes, from redeemable random steam keys to Dreamscape branded physical gifts like T-shirts, Magnets & Backpacks. If you have anything to give, this is an amazing cause. Help us Share the Dream!
« PreviousNext »Stream Team Knights Of The Order raises funds for Disability Awareness
Stream Team Knights Of The Order raises funds for Disability Awareness
We at Dreamscape know a thing or two about Charity Streaming. It’s an enormous task for an individual to raise funds all while maintaining an entertaining persona for hours on end. Dreamscape is happy to announce our collaboration with, not only one streamer, but a group from a recently created Stream Team! They’re called The Knights Of The Order, and at the helm of the ship is Twitch Partner TheOrderOfDylan. We sat down and got to know Dylan, and we’re excited to share his story.
A Pandemic Metamorphosis
As the pandemic began, many of us have been working at home now under lots of different circumstances. At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dylan started as a moderator and video editor for Twitch Partner / Solar Stream CEO Lowco. At the moment, our streamer friend is taking on new, exciting projects. Some of which include streaming and creating a stream team!
As Told By Dylan
Dylan started his Twitch journey as AsToldByDylan (a reference to the Nickelodeon show As Told By Ginger). But when he settled into Star Wars content, Dylan opted to change his name to reflect the name of his community: The Order of Dylan!
His channel specializes in carefree gameplay with a highly interactive, engaging chat. The content he provides includes talks about life, food, Marvel, and everything in between, all while playing games with all of his viewers. He also takes viewers on IRL stream adventures to Disney World every now and then.
Surpassing The Odds
Dylan’s father suffered from complete renal failure and was told he may not make it past dialysis. Four years later, he received a kidney transplant and has lived a healthy life ever since. His story, and the story of other achievers, motivate Dylan to push past the difficult challenges in life and persevere.
Dylan believes everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves the opportunity to be successful and have the tools they need to succeed. Dylan added, “I lived with a visually impaired friend in college who struggled to find the right equipment to get through many of his digital technology classes. An organization like Dreamscape spoke to me personally and is a cause I couldn’t wait to get behind.”
Knights Of The Order Event Details
Our campaign will begin with TheOrderOfDylan on December 11, 2021, at 12:00 pm, followed by _, _ and _. They will be playing Knockout City, a fun, fast-paced multiplayer game, along with viewers from the community! From there, the following Knights members will be streaming everything from Art, to Halo Infinite, and more! All with their own unique incentives!
Dylan added, “I am excited to work with Dreamscape to help provide the disabled community with the accessibility and access to tools they need to build a better tomorrow for themselves and the world!”
You can follow our Twitter & Facebook accounts to stay up to date with all the event details, as we lead up to our Charity Stream with Knights Of The Order.
« PreviousNext »DamnitKid Shares The Dream During 2021 Giving Season
DamnitKid Shares The Dream During 2021 Giving Season
The 2021 Giving Season is upon us, and that means more fundraisers! As a new holiday season begins, new faces will emerge to help spread awareness of Dreamscape Foundation’s cause. We’re happy to announce that on December 14th, Dreamscape is collaborating with a brand new Twitch streamer, and we’re excited to share his story with you.
A Streamers Humble Beginnings
Meet Conor Dennis, or as his chat more commonly knows him, Damnitkid. Conor came up with his username when he was 18, after being called “The Kid” at a brewery he used to work at. Dennis explained to us that whenever he made a mistake a work, his peers would always say “Damnit, Kid”. Conor decided to keep that banter label to this day and uses “Damnitkid” as his handle across all online community platforms.
When meeting someone new, we find it extremely telling of who a person is by how their friends describe them. Let’s just say, Damnitkid’s online friends stood up to the plate and didn’t hold back:
Black_Frost22: “A very kindhearted person, who when allowed will do everything in his power to achieve a goal. Always looking out for everyone he knows. Determined, strong, caring, giving puts other before himself! Gives good advice and a very helpful attitude always out to do well!”
Full Tryhard: “Conor is the kind of person you meet late in life and wish you’d met sooner. He’s classy and sophisticated without being stuffy or condescending. He brings joy to those fortunate enough to know him. His charisma lands him naturally into leadership roles where those around him don’t feel a sense of devoir, rather, a desire to follow his lead. His friends are loyal and quick to come to his defense. He doesn’t make his happiness anyone else’s responsibility, nor does he appear to allow anyone to get under his skin. In colloquial terms, the sun shines out his a** and he’s an absolute Chad.”
His love for playing games started when his older brother gave him his old Gameboy Color with a copy of the Pokémon Blue Version. In 2019, Conor discovered his now ‘go-to’ streaming game Escape from Tarkov, 2 years ago. He not only fell in love with the game but with the Tarkov Twitch online community as well.
Upon further inquiry, Damnitkid explained “The Tarkov Twitch community is full of incredibly helpful people that make the brutal nature of the game much easier to get through. These amazing people inspired me to start streaming and try to do something good of my own, while also playing a game that I fell in love with.”
Like Mother, Like Son
When you lose a loved one, especially a parent, it can be earth-shattering. In 2019, Conor lost his biggest motivator, his Mother, to Breast Cancer. He described her as someone who would put others before herself, no matter who you were. Going out of her way to make meals for the less fortunate during Thanksgiving, participating in Charity Walks, and giving out toys during Christmas to name a few examples. You could say that Conor’s Mom was an all-around Charity Allstar. In her memory, Conor strives to make her proud by participating in charity drives as often as he can!
A few months ago, an opportunity was presented to him when Dreamscape reached out for help. When asked about his interest in our disability charity, the streamer said “I don’t have a big twitch following, but that doesn’t seem to matter to them. They just want to do everything they can to help individuals with disabilities, and I am thankful for the opportunity to help in any way I can”. Conor added, “I have an odd work schedule which I know is not easy to work around, but they’ve been very patient, and I seriously appreciate that.”
During an earlier fundraiser this year, he was able to raise a bit over $1200 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and while he still feels like it is not enough, it is a step up from the $50 he was able to raise last year.
Damnitkid Upcoming Event with Dreamscape & What to Expect!
During Damnitkid’s Tuesday stream on December 14th, he will be playing his favorite game Escape from Tarkov! Tarkov being as serious as it is, Conor will make sure it will be a fun time. Charity donations will mess with the game, doing stuff like making him throw grenades, or even closing the game entirely! Dennis will also have some donation milestones set up: Activities like painting his nails, having a pie thrown into his face, putting on a costume, drinking some extreme hot sauce, and even shaving a reverse mohawk into his head!
Together with Damnitkid, we invite you to watch our Charity Stream on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, at 4:00PM EST. Conor will be streaming for 12 hours straight and the event will be jam-packed with fun! We hope to see you there as we attempt to reach our $500 donation goal for our disabled community!
Damnitkid concluded our interview with, “I just want to thank Dreamscape again for this awesome opportunity. I want to make it as fun, as possible and hopefully, we can reach our goal! Dreamscape has also set up some amazing prizes for donors, so be sure to check it out!”
You can follow Dreamscape’s Twitter & Facebook accounts to stay up to date with all the event details, as we lead up to our Charity Stream with Damnitkid.
« PreviousNext »Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
Sh0wtig3r Returns for Second Fundraiser Supporting Accessibility
We are happy to announce that Sh0wtig3r continues to support Dreamscape Foundation and our cause to make life easier and more accessible for people with disabilities.
Sh0wtig3r is Back with Support!
You might remember Brianna Ritchie, better known to her Twitch community as Sh0wtig3r. She hosted a charity stream for Dreamscape Foundation this past May! Ritchie has been doing great in the past few months since we spoke to her. According to our updates, “Since the last time we spoke I have received a promotion at my office job which is helping my boyfriend and I get closer to our goal of moving back home to Vermont in Summer of 2022.” Brianna explains.
Brianna’s Favorite Holiday Traditions
As she gets ready for her first Giving Season fundraiser with us, we asked about her favorite parts of the holidays: “Since I am the youngest in my family, I was always peeking around during the holidays to find where my parents hid the gifts. It was always a blast brainstorming with my older siblings on where the new hiding place was and if the parents would catch us. In the end we never found where the gifts were hidden, probably because my parents knew we were looking for them, but it was always a good time just laughing.” We here at Dreamscape are guilty of gift hunts as well!
Round Two for Accessibility
Our good friend Brianna excitedly accepted our call for action due to our previous work and our mission statement. She quoted “I love working with Dreamscape not only because of the passion of the staff but also because of the mission statement. Dreamscape goes above and beyond to do everything they can to help get their message across including making great bonds with content creators by working together for a great cause. I enjoyed working with Dreamscape in the beginning of 2021 and I am excited to be working with them again with hopefully more to come in the future!”
Dreamscape is counting down the days for our collaboration! Her cheerfulness and creativity are an inspiration to everyone she interacts with. One of Brianna’s favorite memories from her 1st charity stream with Dreamscape was having to draw a goatee using an eyeliner on her face, and wearing it for the remainder of the stream! She made this one of her higher incentives – and her community made sure that no matter what, she was going to look silly for charity.
This time around, she has a few returning ideas from her last charity stream, “…googly eyes and of course eyeliner facial hair, but I look forward to sharing some of my secrets that I have up my sleeve. We will be streaming for 12 hours on December 4th and it is going to be jam packed with fun!”
A Big Thank You To All
Sh0wtig3r concluded our interview with a heartfelt message: “I just want to thank everybody for taking the time out of their day to help support Dreamscape in any way that they can. With it being the holiday’s even if you cannot physically donate which is more than okay, spreading the word helps just as much!”
Together with Sh0wtig3r, we Invite you to watch our Charity Stream on Saturday December 4,2021 at 3PM to 3AM EST. We hope to see you there as we attempt to reach our $500 donation goal!
« PreviousNext »CombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
CombatNursing Targets Accessibility for Dreamscape’s Next Charity Stream
One glance at Twitch streamer CombatNursing’s handle, and you can likely guess its origins. The name reflects her past experience as a combat medic for the Army as well as her civilian career as a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) nurse. However, this carefully chosen name means more to CombatNursing than just her resume. It also holds a deeply personal meaning to its owner.
“It’s about making sure that I always acknowledge where I came from,” she said. “The people who trained me, the people I worked with, my patients, they really taught me a lot… They can show you how to survive.”
As a NICU nurse, CombatNursing witnessed firsthand just how resilient humans can be, even in their earliest moments of life.
“Things that you wouldn’t expect a little tiny human like that to be able to handle, they handle it. Watching them leave the NICU, and then years down the line come back for a reunion really teaches you resilience; resilience as a person and an inner strength that you might not know you have. So it’s a very personal and very important tag for me.”
CombatNursing Promotes Awareness and Support for Individuals with Disabilities
Dreamscape Foundation’s mission to help improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities is one that hits close to home for CombatNursing. She knows firsthand the impact that physical disabilities and mental health struggles can have on day-to-day life, and she actively advocates for assistance and resources to help improve the lives of those who struggle with them.
“My father’s a Vietnam veteran and is also a disabled veteran,” she said. “He was wounded in combat. My husband was injured while serving in Iraq. He suffers from PTSD, but he also has injuries that made him disabled. So working with organizations that make it a point to highlight disabilities, and that work for accessibility for the disabled – that is a big part of what I feel is necessary. I love to do charities to raise awareness.”
In the past, CombatNursing conducted charity streams to support Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that not only addresses mental health impacts on soldiers, but also provides support for those who become physically disabled due to injuries sustained while on duty. It’s a cause she is passionate about supporting. However, when she heard about Dreamscape Foundation, she found it to be an opportunity to extend that mission beyond just service members.
“Wounded Warrior Project is the military side, but there’s also a need for the civilian side, and so I felt like [Dreamscape] would be a perfect fit.”
CombatNursing’s Week-long Charity Event Begins in November
CombatNursing’s charity event to support Dreamscape Foundation will be held from November 1 to November 5. She will stream each day from 9:00pm to 7:30am EST. During that time, she will be playing Destiny 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Her goal is to raise $1,200 for our organization.
“I would love to see if we could pass the $1,200 goal, but if not, it’s a worthy goal to go after,” she said. “Hopefully we have people from all over the world come out and show support.”
Those who tune in can use their donations to win prizes, as well as trigger incentives or on-stream antics. To tune in, simply go to CombatNursing’s Twitch channel during the appointed dates and time.
« PreviousNext »C.A.B.S. Autism: Inspiring Motivation-Led Growth
C.A.B.S. Autism: Inspiring Motivation-Led Growth
The World Health Organization reports an estimated one in every 160 children have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), though that number has the potential to be higher. Currently, the prevalence of ASD in low- and middle-income countries remains unknown.
However, what we do know is that ASD presents itself in a myriad of ways, and that presentation varies tremendously from one individual to another. This diversity – or spectrum – makes every case unique. That’s Why CABS Autism and Behavioral Specialists provide individualized consultations and therapy services, whether it’s from home, at school, in a clinical setting, or even a community environment.
CABS uses Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA, in their one-on-one therapy sessions with their clients. In these sessions, they tune into what motivates the individual they’re working with to inspire engagement. By focusing on their client’s interests, they encourage communication and enriching interaction.
“Our approach is very child-led by their motivation,” said CABS’ Outreach and Development Coordinator Wendy Craven. “It’s not what we plan and set to do for the day necessarily. We identify what’s motivating them, and we go with that.”
CABS’ programs serve ASD clients ranging from the age of two to 26. While they create individualized goals catered to each individual, all treatment plans focus on creating a long-term quality of life while fostering a love for learning.
Led by a director who is a Board Certified Behavioral Analyst (BCBA), CABs prides itself on its strong foundation of qualifications and training. Each of their BCBAs possess an average of six years’ experience, and nearly half (43%) of their Registered Behavior Technicians (RBTs) are pursuing either their Master’s Degree or BCBA certification. That high level of talent is matched by its empathy and compassion.
“I always hear the staff supporting each other, helping each other or sharing ideas,” Craven said. “I hear the kids laughing and having fun. Nine times out of 10, our therapists typically will say the rewarding part of their jobs is who we work with. Seeing them learn and grow.”
CABs has locations and services available in Itasca, Illinois as well as two Georgia cities: Savannah and Rome.
ReAbility and the Necessity for Autism Resources Like CABS
CABs offers significant resources to those within the radius of their Illinois and Georgia locations. However, a medical study published in 2019 revealed sparse and uneven distribution of diagnostic resources for ASD within the U.S. The consequences of this leave many in need of services like CABS on lengthy waitlists or forces them to travel long distances to access the resources they need.
This challenge was brought to Dreamscape Foundation’s attention by Chris Myers, who is a parent of an autistic child. Together with him, we helped to create ReAbility, a search engine for individuals with disabilities that helps identify nearby resources, programs, and events based on their specific needs. While its reach is currently restricted to Tennessee, Dreamscape and Myers both aim to grow the website through partnerships with organizations like CABS in order to expand its usability across the U.S.
« PreviousNext »Friends Life Community: Promoting Self-Advocacy and Independence Within the Disabled Community
Friends Life Community: Promoting Self-Advocacy and Independence Within the Disabled Community
The word friend is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a favored companion” or “one attached to another by affection or esteem”. True to its meaning, Friends Life Community (FLC) aims to create a place of belonging for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Its broad services provide teens (16+) and adults a safe haven to grow personally, develop socially, and establish a sense of community.
FLC’s Taylor Wigginton (Client and Family Experience Coordinator) and Olivia Moore (Program Director) are passionate about their cause and the programs they offer to help the disabled community, including those that promote life skills, advocacy through the arts, and service learning and employment.
“We provide opportunities for the friends to really shine and be in the spotlight, and to be seen for who they really are,” Moore said. “Diversity has become a really big topic of discussion, which is amazing. Still, those with disabilities are often left out of that conversation.”
FLC originated in 2007 with four families and friends, all of which are still heavily involved in its programs to this day. The organization began in a church basement before expanding to a larger location based in Granny White Pike, Nashville, Tennessee. There, they refer to their program participants as “friends”. The term makes it easier for both clients and staff to get along with as it retains the dignity of each member.
“It keeps everyone kind of on the same level,” Wigginton explained. “Often people want to refer to our friends as students or kids or anything less than an adult. [The term “friend” allows us to] make sure that we’re talking about them as an adult, and not anything less than that.”
During the pandemic, FLC managed to transition their programs to an online setting. These online programs enabled them to expand their reach beyond their local environment and across the country. As a result, they doubled their friends served from 40 to 96 since March 2020.
FLC provides both day and evening programs. The day program is the largest of the two. Although they are held Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm, the schedule is very flexible. Friends are welcome to join the program at whatever time works best for them. One of their biggest day programs is called Advocacy Through the Arts.
“Our Advocacy Through the Arts program involves the performing arts and the tandem troupe theater, which is our theater group that travels and performs original plays that they write,” Moore said.
In addition to performing, friends also have the opportunity to sell their visual art at the program’s events.
“We try to put self-advocacy at the forefront of everything that we do. Our arts program highlights that in a way that that I’ve not seen done before,” Moore explained.
In addition to Advocacy Through the Arts, FLC has a variety of coaching sessions for life skills, health and nutrition, drama therapy, and free employment training. These coaching sessions are designed to help equip friends with skills that will improve their ability to find employment.
The smaller, evening programs belong to the Social Club, which meets three times a month. During these evening events, five friends are accompanied by FLC staff as they engage in social activities. This may include visiting restaurants or other places of interest for the friends.
“I feel like we have a little more flexibility in the things that we can do because we’re setting the standards and the parameters in which we’re wanting to function,” Wigginton said.
ReAbility Makes Programs Like FLC’s Easier to Find
ReAbility is a search engine for individuals with disabilities that helps identify nearby resources, programs, and events based on their specific disability and needs. Dreamscape Foundation collaborated with Chris Myers to create this resource, which is currently within its early stages, but evolving with each new partnership.
FLC sees ReAbility as an opportunity to reach more people in the future and connect them with the curriculum best suited to their unique skills and needs. “The biggest thing that’s going be so wonderful with [ReAbility] is that people can set their preferences on what they wanted to be alerted about and they automatically get those notifications,” Moore said. “I know families and individuals that are constantly on the search for what they need and what they’re looking for.”
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