Cover Photo: Rick Guidotti, Positive Exposure

August 2026

Our August cover features Sophia, 6, and her big sister Olivia, who are fierce advocates for inclusion.

Sophia is a book lover, a dancer, and a budding pianist who is happiest anywhere near a pool. She is living with Kleefstra syndrome, and every new word, step, and milestone is hard-won. She meets each one with a determination that lights up her family, teachers, and everyone lucky enough to know her.

Read her story and see how her family is working to provide better answers for families in the Kleefstra syndrome community.

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Cover Story

Meet Sophia and Olivia, two sisters whose joy, creativity, and advocacy remind readers that inclusion begins with seeing every child’s gifts, voice, and place in the community.

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President’s Message

Dr. Steve Perlman reflects on Martha Ann Lillard’s life in an iron lung and the early professional experiences that shaped his lifelong commitment to caring for people with disabilities.

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The Hippocratic Oath

Dr. Rick Rader revisits the Hippocratic Oath, its ancient origins, and how medical ethics have evolved toward autonomy, respect, and the responsibilities of modern care.

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Helen’s Heroes

Crissy Renner

Andrea Dalzell’s journey from childhood diagnosis to becoming New York State’s first registered nurse who uses a wheelchair highlights resilience, representation, and the power of breaking barriers in healthcare.

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A Gap in Doctor Training

Jim Brett and Maura Sullivan

A new report highlights the urgent need for disability competency in medical education and calls on healthcare systems to better prepare clinicians to care for people with autism, intellectual disability, and other disabilities.

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Last Iron Lung Patient

KFLOR News

The life of Martha Ann Lillard, believed to be the last American to live in an iron lung, offers a powerful reminder of polio’s history, medical innovation, and human endurance.

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Trap Makes Learning Fun

Eddie Tuduri reflects on kindness, connection, and the growth of The Rhythmic Arts Project as a teaching method that helps people of all abilities learn, participate, and thrive.

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Project DIME

Vanessa Rastović, JD

Project DIME reframes disability competency as an essential part of healthcare education, urging training programs to prepare clinicians for respectful, accessible, person-centered care.

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Book Review

Elena Salgado

A review of Dale Evans Rogers’ Angel Unaware explores love, grief, disability, and the lasting advocacy message carried through the story of her daughter Robin.

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School Without Seasons

Paul Carter

A review of year-round school calendars weighs potential benefits and challenges, with special attention to how extended breaks and learning loss can affect students with disabilities.

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Learning Without Limits

Helena Delbecgon

A global look at inclusive education explores how different countries support students with disabilities and what schools can learn from models that prioritize access, collaboration, and belonging.

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A Strong Start to School

Robyn Linscott & Katy Neas

A practical back-to-school guide helps families of children with disabilities prepare for IEPs, accommodations, routines, communication with school teams, and a strong start to the year.

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Key Issues

Crissy Renner

This Key Issues report examines why people with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be recognized as a medically underserved population and what that designation could mean for healthcare access.

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To Cure or Not to Cure

Dr. Rick Rader reflects on the limits of cure-focused medicine and the deeper professional meaning physicians can find in supporting people with chronic conditions and disabilities.

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Overlooked Underdogs

Martha Summa-Chadwick, DMA and Alice Smith

Written from the perspective of Trevor Chaplin, this piece invites readers to see overlooked underdogs differently and celebrate the creativity, resilience, and potential found in being unique.

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A College Survival Guide

Tina Gower

A college survival guide for students in inclusive postsecondary education programs offers practical encouragement for navigating campus life, building independence, and asking for support.

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Core Concepts

Dr. Rick Rader

This Core Concepts backgrounder introduces menopause and women with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing awareness, education, symptoms, treatment options, and the need for better support.

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More Than a Place

Laura Flynn and Kristen Baughman

Makom’s story shows how one organization has grown from a family-driven effort into a community-centered catalyst for inclusion, choice, rights, and belonging.

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Medical Decisions With, Not For

Ruth Benjamin, RN outlines how families, nurses, and healthcare teams can support person-centered medical decision-making during serious illness, palliative care, and end-of-life planning.

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Places That Change with You

Matthew P. Janicki, PhD

A dementia-capable framework helps residential and day-service providers adapt environments, routines, staffing, and supports as adults with intellectual disability experience cognitive change.

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