Author | Lightnews

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 2d

Happy Halloween, Ontario!

As you make your display's final preparations, consider these inclusive tips!

#FunFactFridays #empoweredkidsontario #HappyHalloween

#FunFactFridays

As you put the final preparations on your display, consider these:
- Place treats at an accessible level (best is at the end of your driveway)
- Be patient and kidn with trick or treaters
- Go easy on sound and intense light effects
- Keep your pathways clear
- Offer choices: candy or something else like a small toy

Have fun tonight!

#FunFactFridays #empoweredkidsontario #HappyHalloween

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 2d

EKO Scholar Bryce Desrochers is not only a lifelong Toronto Blue Jays fan, but his love for baseball changed the game for kids across Ottawa.

Read all about it in The Globe and Mail.

Please join Bryce in cheering on Canada’s team! GO JAYS GO! 🧢⚾💙

#EkoScholars #BlueJays #JaysCare

Kristy Kirkup @kkirkup.bsky.social · 3d

Miracle League of Ottawa: How a Blue Jays fan’s love of baseball made the game more inclusive for other kids www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Miracle League of Ottawa: How a Blue Jays fan’s love of baseball made the game more inclusive for other kids

Bryce Desrochers, who lives with cerebral palsy, and his parents founded league to ensure all individuals can play ball

www.theglobeandmail.com

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 4d

Congrats to Autism Canada for their launch of Empowering Connections, a national support line dedicated to Autistic and neurodivergent people across Canada.

Check it out: https://bit.ly/3L4lHiO

#EmpoweringConnections #EmpoweredKidsOntario #AutismCanada #NeurodivergentSupport

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

fibrocanada.bsky.social @fibrocanada.bsky.social · 9d

Invisible Disabilities Week – Day 6 💜

Not all struggles can be seen.
Invisible disabilities like #fibromyalgia remind us to:

➡️Ask, not assume
➡️Support, not judge
➡️Believe, not doubt

#InvisibleDisabilitiesWeek #EmpathyMatters #InvisibleButReal #EndTheStigma

2 1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 9d

October is International AAC Awareness Month!

AAC (short for Augmentative and Alternative Communication) includes ways people share their thoughts and ideas without speaking.

#AACAwarenessMonth #EmpoweredKidsOntario #CommunicationForAll

October is International AAC Awareness Month, featuring a child using a laptop, with the hashtag #FunFactFridays.

1

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

Kids Brain Health Network @kidsbrainhealth.bsky.social · 12d

CADDAC has created a YouTube playlist designed for kids, teens, and adults with ADHD!

Check it out and find tools, tips, and support for every stage of life with ADHD. 🧠💙

buff.ly/t4cwSWs

#ADHDAwareness #CADDAC #ADHDSupport

ADHD Speaks, ADHD Awareness Month, October 2019 Releases

Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

www.youtube.com

1 1

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

ImmunizeCanada @immunizecanada.bsky.social · 11d

It’s #MythbustingMonday! Let’s tackle some misinformation. immunize.ca/sites/default/f... #measles #VaccinesWork #VaccinesSaveLives #GetImmunized #TogetherAgainstMisinformation

immunize.ca

1 1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 11d

Here’s another shoutout to our Member of the Month: Five Counties Children’s Centre!

Their website’s resources section is packed with valuable assistance, no matter where you live...
https://bit.ly/4oqYw0d

#EmpoweredKidsOntario #MemberOfTheMonth #FamilySupport #FiveCounties

EKO’s Member of the Month for October is Five Counties Children's Centre, supporting Peterborough, Northumberland, Kawartha Lakes, and online across Ontario. Includes logos for EKO.

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 13d

“AI is going to be in every business and every industry,” says Maayan Ziv. “It’s really changing the way in which we understand the world.”

Ziv joined Google Canada’s Natasha Walji to talk about how artificial intelligence is rewriting accessibility.

www.digitaljournal.com/business/ai-...

Natasha Walji, Managing Director for Google Canada and Maayan Ziv, founder & CEO of AccessNow (photo by Brandon Ferguson Media, courtesy of Elevate Festival)

1 1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 13d

Not all disabilities are visible, and not all challenges can be seen. This week and every week, let’s create greater understanding and inclusion to empower every child to thrive!
#InvisibleDisabilitiesWeek #InclusionMatters

fibrocanada.bsky.social @fibrocanada.bsky.social · 14d

Did you know❓

Not all disabilities can be seen.

Did you know❓

Millions of people live with disabilities that you can't see like #fibromyalgia❓

Our fibromyalgia may be invisible, but we are not!

#InvisibleDisabilitiesWeek #YouDontLookSick #EndTheStigma #SeeTheInvisible

2

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 16d

Our members serve more than 150,000 kids with developmental, physical, communication and cognitive disabilities.

Learn more about what we do to change kids' lives at www.empoweredkidsontario.ca

#EmpoweredKidsOntario #childdevelopment #FunFactFridays

A group of children sitting on a gym floor, one child holding a basketball, with text stating '#FunFactFridays - EKO members serve more than 150,000 kids with developmental, physical, communication and cognitive disabilities.'

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 17d

Canadian cities have just made October 16 National Treat Accessibly Preparation Day! That means more homes are getting ready to make trick-or-treating easy and fun for kids of all abilities.

Grab a free Treat Accessibly lawn sign - www.TreatAccessibly.com

#TreatAccessibly #EmpoweredKidsOntario

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

Accessibility in the News @a11ynews.bsky.social · 18d

At 72, this wheelchair user travels the world on her own www.usatoday.com/story/travel... #a11y

Meet the 72-year-old who travels the world alone in a wheelchair

Ann Marie Jones was born with a birth defect and uses a wheelchair, but she continues to see the world as a solo traveler.

www.usatoday.com

1 1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 18d

We’re writing the next chapter in EKO’s history. Learn about what's coming in EKO’s Strategic Plan 2025 – 2032: https://bit.ly/4hfVny4

EKO detailing its strategic plan to evolve, activate, and elevate as leaders in developmental healthcare in Ontario.

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 19d

It’s time to get ready for #Alloween! 🎃

Empowered Kids Ontario is proud to share that our Member of the Month, Five Counties Children's Centre, is once again hosting this event!

Register today: fivecounties.on.ca/mt-event/alloween

#TrickOrTreat #EKOMember #AccessibleForAll #Halloween #Alloween

Poster for the Five Counties Children's Centre's event, All'oween.

Graphic for Five Counties Children's Centre. It features text announcing that registration is now open at their All-O-ween events in Peterborough, Cobourg and Lindsay.

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 23d

Did you know? Exercise and fidgeting can improve focus and memory for kids with ADHD.

#FunFactFriday #ADHD

A child using a hula hoop on a grassy field with text discussing the benefits of exercise and fidgeting for improving focus and memory in kids with ADHD. #FunFactFridays

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 23d

This #WorldMentalHealthDay, take a moment to start a conversation about mental well-being, check in with someone who may need support, or share a resource that encourages understanding. Small actions can help build a more compassionate, stigma-free community for all.

WHO @who.int · 23d

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, we shine a light on mental health in humanitarian crises.

When homes are lost & families separated, recovery must include #MentalHealth care.

Let’s ensure support is part of every response—before, during & after crisis http://bit.ly/3KBMUcp

1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 24d

Congrats to Empowered Kids Ontario Scholar William Tomlinson!

“My hope is that this scholarship will help pave the way for a successful career in engineering and thus, in life.”

Read more about William:
https://bit.ly/4gLQE7d

Special thanks to the Quinte Children's Treatment Centre
#EKOScholars

Image featuring William with a quote about the impact of a scholarship on a career in engineering, depicted alongside an emblem with a graduation cap.

Image highlighting William's qualities and participation in science fair competitions. Also there’s mention of securing a place at Carleton University, mentioning a chance to win an EKO scholarship and a trophy graphic at the bottom.

Graphic featuring text that commends William for their problem-solving skills and teamwork, accompanied by an illustration of puzzle pieces fitting together.

A graphic with purple background and white text expressing gratitude to EKO for allowing more focus on engineering problems instead of financial ones, accompanied by an icon of two gears at the bottom right.

1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 25d

Everyone must read this op-ed – CHEO's President and CEO, Dr. Vera Etches, highlights the urgent need to prioritize children’s health in Canada.

Our kids are not alright. Investing in them is a social and economic opportunity

We cannot forget the investments in children’s health that represent our greatest untapped opportunity for prosperity. But perhaps more importantly, we cannot forget our kids — the ones we’re building...

www.ipolitics.ca

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 25d

Congrats to Empowered Kids Ontario Scholar Sable Pryznyk!

Sable is a natural leader whose abilities inspire so many others. She is now attending the University of Ottawa!

Read more about Sable at https://bit.ly/46E0XFH.

Thanks to ErinoakKids!

Image featuring a text overlay that reads, "This scholarship inspires Sable to keep pushing for a world where every kid can find their own role model and place to belong." Below the text is an illustrated hand gesture of a heart on a purple background.

Image features a purple background with a white text box containing a motivational quote about overcoming adversity and inclusion. Below the quote is a simple icon of five stylized people standing side by side.

An image featuring a graphic of a graduation cap and diploma on the lower right, with text celebrating Sable's achievements in sports and academia, highlighting their role as a complete human being and urging others not to essentialize them based on physicality.

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

McMaster University Department of Pediatrics @macupediatrics.bsky.social · 27d

How do young people with cerebral palsy see themselves? A McMaster-led study is amplifying their voices on body image, identity & representation.

Learn more about what they want you to know this #WorldCerebralPalsyDay.

pediatrics.healthsci.mcmaster.ca/body-image-a...

#PedSky #MedSky #ChildHealth

1

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · 27d

💚 It's World Cerebral Palsy Day! Let's stand with children, youth and families living with CP: raising awareness, celebrating abilities and working toward a more inclusive future. #WorldCerebralPalsyDay #empoweredkids

World Cerebral Palsy Day ribbon with earth image. October 6.

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · Oct 3

Did you know that in 1985, Five Counties Children's Centre became the first children’s treatment centre in Ontario to be accredited?

Thank you to Five Counties, our Member of the Month, for "building abilities for life for 50 years!"

#FiveCounties50 #funfactfridays

1

Reposted by Empowered Kids Ontario

Accessibility in the News @a11ynews.bsky.social · Oct 2

‘Deafness is not a disability — it’s just a difference’: Reflecting on Deaf Awareness Month www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2025... #a11y

‘Deafness is not a disability — it’s just a difference’: Reflecting on Deaf Awareness Month

Throughout this month and beyond, University students and faculty alike have worked to strengthen understanding about deafness and foster inclusion of Deaf individuals, building bridges that…

www.cavalierdaily.com

2 2

Empowered Kids Ontario @empoweredkidson.bsky.social · Oct 2

Congrats to Rebecca Doherty, an Empowered Kids Ontario Scholar!

Rebecca combines academic excellence with a lifelong passion for math, sports, and volunteering. She's now attending @ubishops.bsky.social!

Read more: https://bit.ly/4gKwpGL

#CHEO #EKOScholars #Scholarship #HigherEd

Graphic featuring Rebecca Doherty, with a quote about her personal journey supported by family, friends, mentors, teachers, and community partners. The background is purple, and there is an emblem above the text.

A graphic featuring the text "Rebecca developed from a shy, introverted kid to someone with a sophisticated, bold understanding of the world and the things she wants to get out of it," set against a purple background with an icon of an open book and a light bulb at the bottom.

Rebecca received an EKO scholarship and is attending Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec, focusing on finance and mathematics studies.

A graphic with text that emphasizes the importance of community in Rebecca's university experience, noting leadership qualities and empathy. Icons below the text represent community, leadership, and stars for achievement. Background is solid purple.

2