New Horizons Living Page

01/27/2026

01/26/2026

Keep your food safe during a power outage. If you lost power from the winter storm, make sure your fridge and freezer doors are closed. Rely on nonperishable foods as food in the fridge can only stay safe for a few hours.

01/21/2026

Important 🚨 Notification —
❄️🚨Are You Freeze 🥶 Ready🚨❄️

Prodigy Plumbing, LLC will be working throughout the coming freeze to make sure our community is taken care of and your plumbing stays protected.

If you need them, they’ll be on the road rain, sleet, or snow. 24/7 Emergency Services Available!!

Call 318.946.4674

Licensed & Insured — LMP #19007

01/21/2026

01/21/2026

Colder weather means your furnace is working harder to keep your home warm. A few small changes can help manage high energy use.
Ways to Save Energy:
* Set your thermostat to a comfortable temperature, like 68°F. Lowering your thermostat 2 to 5 degrees can save energy and money.
* Dress in layers to stay warm if lowering the temperature in your house.
* Change your furnace filter regularly
* Have your ceiling fans turn clockwise to push heat down
* Close your shades at night to keep heat in and open them during the day to let the sun warm rooms.
Learn more at: https://www.swepco.com/savings/home/energy/Heating-Cooling

01/15/2026

It's Braille Literacy month! People who are blind or have low vision are active participants across every sector—from business operations and education to office support and beyond. Today, more than 76,000 people who are blind or have low vision work in Computing and Mathematical occupations alone. Accessible tools —like braille keyboards and other adaptive technologies—could make these opportunities possible. Explore our statistics, curated with the American Foundation for the Blind, to learn more! https://ow.ly/Ga9950XTA33

01/15/2026

Students with disabilities have the right to a free, appropriate public education. That right is protected by federal law and enforced by the U.S. Department of Education.

Right now, those protections are being threatened.

This means families could lose a place to turn when schools do not follow the law. Educators could lose access to clear guidance and experts who help them meet their students’ needs. And students with disabilities could lose the critical supports they need to succeed.

That is why we have joined a federal lawsuit to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education and defend students’ rights.

Add your name to our petition to demand that the federal government protect the educational rights of students with disabilities.

Link in comments below. ⬇️

01/12/2026

Why It Matters Monday: Asking for Help Is Not Simple

For many disabled people, asking for help is hard long before the words ever leave our mouth. It is not just about needing help. It is about pride. Independence. The deep desire to do things for ourselves. The fear of being seen as a burden.

All of that shows up at once.

Take something simple, like needing help washing your hair. Hair washing is personal. It is routine. People know how they like it done. How long to scrub. Whether to shampoo twice. What feels right on their scalp. Those preferences do not disappear just because someone needs help.

But when a disabled person asks someone to help with something like that, there is already vulnerability in the room. Someone is helping with your body. Your space. Your care. And almost immediately, another pressure shows up. Be grateful. Do not complain. Accept the help however it comes. So when the help is not quite right, many disabled people stay quiet. Not because we do not notice, but because saying something can feel like crossing an invisible line. One where gratitude is expected and preferences are treated as too much.

We are taught, over and over, that needing help means we should not also have opinions. That tension lives in so many moments of care. Wanting support while wanting control. Needing help while wanting dignity. Being thankful and still wishing something were done differently.

It gets even more complicated when the person helping is someone you rely on regularly. A caregiver. A partner. A friend. There may be frustration or hurt between you, but the help still has to happen. Disabled people often push their feelings aside because their needs do not pause for emotional messiness.

This is where support can shift from uncomfortable to affirming. Help does not have to mean guessing or taking over. It can be collaborative.

It can start with simple check ins. “How do you usually do this?” “What works best for you?” “How would you prefer this to be done?” These questions say, I see you as the authority on your own body and your own life.

Asking instead of assuming changes the entire dynamic.

It removes the pressure to accept help in silence. It creates space for honesty without guilt. It tells the disabled person that their preferences are not an inconvenience, but an important part of care.

When support makes room for choice and voice, it becomes easier to speak up in the moment. It becomes easier to trust. And it becomes easier to ask for help without feeling like something is being taken away in the process.

Having preferences is not a problem to manage. It is normal. Disabled people have likes and dislikes, routines and rhythms, just like anyone else. Needing help does not erase that.

When help makes room for preference, it protects dignity. It turns care into collaboration instead of control. And it makes asking for help feel a little less heavy. That is why it matters.

01/12/2026

Tax season is coming, and a little preparation now can make a big difference later. Gathering documents, understanding available credits and knowing where to find support can help reduce stress and avoid delays. Our Financial Resilience Center offers practical tax tips to help you get ready for filing season.

Learn how to prepare: https://www.nationaldisabilityinstitute.org/financial-resilience-center/taxes-and-tax-prep/ -to-prepare

Image description: A teal graphic from the NDI Financial Resilience Center shows a stack of tax documents, including a U.S. Individual Income Tax Return form, partially inside an open envelope. A pair of eyeglasses rests on the papers, along with a yellow sticky note labeled “TAXES.” On the left side, white text reads: “Tax season is coming! A little preparation can make a big difference.” A button near the bottom reads “Learn more.”

01/12/2026

A recent change may expand who can open an ABLE account.

If you have a disability that began before age 46, you may now qualify for a tax-advantaged ABLE account. ABLE accounts can help eligible people with disabilities save for qualified disability expenses without risking certain public benefits.

Learn what this update means and how ABLE accounts work at https://www.ablenrc.org/the-able-age-adjustment-act-fact-sheet/.

Image description: A green background with white text. The text reads: “Do you have a disability that began before age 46? You may now qualify for a tax-advantaged ABLE account!” The words “ABLE account!” are larger and bolded for emphasis.