We regularly report on challenges and solutions from the disability community. Here is one recent example: Broadway Grand Rapids: Accessibility, innovation raise the curtain for all tells the inspiring story of breaking down access barriers so everyone can enjoy live theater's magic together.
It turns out when we consider how to provide oral healthcare for people with varying needs, we end up with better oral healthcare for everyone. That's one takeaway from Inclusive dentistry: Transforming access for patients with disabilities, part of a new series focused on challenges and solutions related to oral health in Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio.
Recently published in Southwest Michigan Second Wave, Battle Creek Truth Racial Healing and Transformation still a change agent in a changing world directly addresses the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion in a time when those very concepts are under attack.
It took just a few hours for Hurricane Helene to devastate Clearwater Beach late last September. But the community came together and rebounded: Hotels are wrapping up repairs in anticipation of the spring break season; grants from the local chamber of commerce have buoyed small businesses from bakeries to barbershops; neighbors have shown grit and resilience as they pitch in to help one another. The result: a sense of progress and optimism in the new year.
In Michigan’s rural counties, the dozens of miles between a patient and a therapy session can mean they are navigating anxiety, depression, or a severe and persistent mental illness on their own. Stigma and small-town toughness can keep rural residents from asking for help in the first place. This piece explores how three community mental health agencies are tackling these challenges through innovative programming and effective outreach.
In a two-part series, Model D asked two critical questions: “What is it like to be homeless and Detroit?” and “What would it take to end homelessness in Detroit?” With humanity and curiosity, these stories delved into the experience of losing your home and trying to find your footing again, as well as the creative and grinding work of those who work to end homelessness.
Everyone deserves to be able to have a space that they can be themselves comfortably—but not everyone feels welcome or worthy in their community’s typical social hubs. Inspired by her brother, who has a disability, Paula Roessle created a space in the heart of Bay City for adults of all abilities to enjoy art, music, and connection. While other organizations help those with disabilities find career opportunities, the Ability Social Club is focused on helping people find friendship and happiness.
And in Detroit, an installment in our “Resilient Neighborhoods” series was about how a community is beginning to rebound in part because of a focus on the health and quality of life of its residents. The executive director of HOPE Village Revitalization told us that “the timeliness of the story was perfect.”
Last March, we wrote about tree, park, and trails equity in Grand Rapids (bet you didn’t know there is something called a Tree Equity Score), and that story directly resulted in Friends of Grand Rapids Parks getting inquiries from other media outlets, growth in their social media following, and interaction with their newsletter.
In Mt. Pleasant, we wrote about a public charter school innovating in education through project-based learning and real-world applications. The coverage generated excitement for the Renaissance Academy, and it contributed to enrollment growth at the school.
