Maine CITE

11/28/2025

11/27/2025

Giving Thanks this holiday Season.
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Image description: This digital image features a pixel art-style Christmas tree with colorful ornaments, surrounded by wrapped gifts. Overlaid in bright purple text are four lines of holiday-themed dialogue: "Being inclusive towards disabled loved ones during the holiday season can sound like," "We'd love it if you came, if you're feeling up to it," "What would make visiting easier for you?", “Does anyone have any dietary restriction?”, and "There is a quiet room next to the kitchen."

11/26/2025

for Working Wednesday! It's not the holiday yet!

A key requirement of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is the obligation to provide reasonable accommodations. JAN's Workplace Accommodation Toolkit explains reasonable accommodation and other ADA terms and concepts. https://AskJAN.org/Toolkit/Reasonable-Accommodation-Basics.cfm

11/25/2025

Explore important ideas for managing diabetes and vision loss and discover tools to maintain independence during Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month.

11/24/2025

Assistive Technology in the kitchen could save you a trip to the medicine cabinet this week!

Holiday cooking=more time in the kitchen. This week, we wanted to highlight some assistive technology that will help keep you safe in the kitchen while you're whipping up festive dishes for friends and family. First up are some assistive technology devices for burn prevention.

Safety supports include:
Oven Rack Guards- Heat-safe guards that attach to the front of the oven racks. They create a protective barrier so you don't accidentally brush up against hot metal while reaching into the oven.

Fire Safety Oven Sticks- Long, heat-safe sticks used to pull out or push in oven racks without getting too close to the heat. This helps keeps hands and arms at a safer distance from hot surfaces.

Heat Resistant Gloves- Designed to protect your hands and forearms when handling hot pans, baking sheets, and cookware. Great for anyone who needs better grip or more confidence when moving hot items.

Two-Handed or Extra Long Oven Mitts- A connected mitt or extra long oven mitts that offer extra coverage to protect hands and forearms from burns. This design helps support heavier dishes and reduces the risks or drops or slips when removing things from the oven.

Whether you're baking holiday cookies or preparing a family feast, these simple tools can help reduce burn risks and make cooking safer for everyone.

11/24/2025

🚨 Important Advocacy Alert for Maine SLPs, Audiologists, and Allied Professionals 🚨

The U.S. Department of Education has proposed a devastating change to the definition of a professional degree program — one that excludes speech-language pathology, audiology, PT, OT, education, nursing, and social work.
This would cap federal student loan limits and make entering our professions challenging for many future clinicians.

Your voice matters. Please take a moment to write to Senators Susan Collins & Angus King and Representatives Jared Golden & Chellie Pingree to oppose this harmful change and remind them of the value of our profession.

📝 Learn more:
https://at.asha.org/QJ

📬 Contact our legislators:
https://www.collins.senate.gov/contact/email-senator-collins
https://www.king.senate.gov/contact
https://pingree.house.gov/contact/contactform.htm
https://golden.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact

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Sample Letter (copy & paste):

Subject: Speech-Language Pathology is a Profession

Dear (INSERT LEGISLATOR NAME HERE),

As a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP), I am appalled by the US Department of Education’s proposed change to the definition of a “professional degree” that would exclude speech-language pathology, audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, social work, teachers, and nursing. SLPs work across the lifespan to help people communicate and swallow. When a three-year-old isn’t talking, SLPs teach them to speak. When an elderly grandparent has a stroke and stops being able to feed themselves, SLPs help them regain their skills. When a Mainer has a traumatic brain injury from a car accident, SLPs assist them in regaining the ability to communicate and go back to work.

(Insert a story here about what it would have meant if you or the people you supervise could not afford to attend school to become an SLP)

If this policy comes into effect, the existing shortage of SLPs in Maine will grow. Only wealthy people will be able to afford speech-language pathology training. I urge you to strongly oppose this dangerous change.

Respectfully,
(INSERT NAME HERE), MS, CCC-SLP

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We strive to keep you informed and implore you to reach out to your legislators to educate them on the importance of Speech-Language Pathology as a profession.

Together we stand,
MSLHA Executive Council

11/21/2025

Maine CITE and AT4Maine.org have ideas about Assistive Technology that may help develop coping techniques for this busy and sometimes stressful time of the year!

It's that time of year! For our kids with sensory needs, the holiday season can be a real challenge.

Here, we're breaking down sensory seeking needs when it comes to all of the holiday overwhelm.

We have a few tips for the changes to routine, crowds, and self regulation needs that arise during the holidays! ... https://www.theottoolbox.com/home-ideas-sensory-seekers/

11/20/2025

Supportive housing residents are getting older. In an era of reduced funding for nursing home care, occupational therapy can help them age in place.

11/19/2025

Join us from 1-2pm ET today for the first part of our three-part webinar series on creating accessible documents.

Making a great document is more than just typing the correct words. To make sure your information can reach the largest number of people, the document needs to be accessible. This means it can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. Thinking about accessibility first is important fo...

11/19/2025

Every disabled person deserves a home that is fully suited to their access needs and that they are able to thrive in.

11/18/2025

Still time to register! Don’t miss tomorrow’s session – What Nondrivers Want the World to Know - https://mailchi.mp/movingmaine/lcnovember-4

11/18/2025