It’s easy to see everyone as separate. A bit like two lines heading in opposite directions. But here’s a cool perspective trick: If we think about it just a little differently, it’s easy to see everyone as moving in parallel. And at Ollibean, we love thinking in parallels.

We’ve spent years compiling the best sources related to parenting empowered children with disabilities and we want to share them. If you can’t find the information you’re looking for, ask the community of parents, self-advocates and professionals and they’ve probably got your answer – and if not, we’ll find it together. If there’s something you know that you want to teach us, share away.

We’re not really into labels, and we don’t do cliques. Everybody here is a part of one big community.

We’re super pumped that you’re here. Come on in.

 

Ollibean connects families, self-advocates, & professionals in the cross-disability community to help create online and offline communities in order to help us all make informed decisions, share stories and work together to create a more socially just, inclusive world.

We believe…


- conversations about disability must be led by people with disabilities.
– kids with disabilities need to grow up with role models and mentors who have disabilities.
– kids with disabilities are beautiful, complete and whole human beings who do not need to be ‘fixed’ or be made to feel they must appear less disabled.

We know the power of timely and relevant information and have benefited from the intense bonds and life changing information exchanged with other parents, professionals and self-advocates.

And we have plenty of information for you to share. Our content spans cross-disability specific information related to parenting, education, medical issues, insurance, finance, apps and technology, therapy, advocacy, politics, nutrition and lifestyle. Our platform has been designed to deliver information based on your unique interests and needs.

We are passionate about the power of the disability community and allies to bring about the change our world needs to ensure equal access, full participation, and inclusion for ALL. And the only way to go about changing the world is to roll up our sleeves and do it. Are you in ?

A Note on Language: At Ollibean we recognize everyone’s right to choose how they refer to themselves, and respect both identity-first and people-first language related to autism and other disabilities and always defer to the choice of the person who is disabled. Many people are unfamiliar with the fact that the international autistic, deaf, blind and disability communities choose the use of identity-first language (e.g., autistic people, disabled people) over person-first language.

This preference reflects acknowledgement of disability as an integral facet of neurologically diverse personhood for people who experience it and the importance and pride of one’s ability to identify with a shared culture. Use of identity first language is not the same as placing a medical diagnosis before a person.

Person-first language was initiated to help those who aren’t familiar with disability culture see individuals with distinct personalities and identities instead of antiquated stereotypes lumped together based on disability labels (e.g., “the autistic kids like this toy” or the “disabled students go to this room”). Though attempting to mitigate such broad stereotyping, “person first” often asks us to overlook the enormous diversity that exists in each of us.