Disability can Happen – But Preparation Makes all the Difference

After Cris Martin discovered a lump on her chest wall, she went into self-advocacy mode – and learned several lessons along the way, including the importance of taking early action, and having group and supplemental individual disability coverage with a good carrier. Three years ago, my life was exactly the way it was supposed to…

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The Benefits of Being an Older First Time Mom

You see them jogging with strollers or walking in the baby food aisle. Maybe you’re one yourself. Today, more women ages 40 – 44 are new mothers. After decades of decline, there has been a jump in the increase of older moms. In a recent analysis of census data by Pew Research Center, 86 percent…

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Tackling the Summer Slide: Ideas to Promote Employee Productivity

The lazy days of summer are great…unless your employees are feeling a little bit too much summer fever. Because even though it’s the time of year when we want to hit the pool, the beach or the park, the work still has to get done. However, employees have become more emphatic about “work/life” balance, and…

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Be Rigorous — But Be Human: A Conversation About Long Covid and Mental Health

By Fred Schott Editor’s Note: Recently, Fred Schott, The Council for Disability Awareness’ research consultant, hosted a second podcast on Long Covid – this time focusing on its mental health dimension. (You can read the highlights from the first podcast here.)  Fred’s guest was Dr. Les Kertay, a clinical psychologist, senior vice president of behavioral…

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Substitute Perks: How To Give Your Employees Benefits Even When You’re Apart

As the effects of COVID-19 caused offices to close and send workers home, they lost access to many of the perks they might have relied on for comfort and well-being. Given that employees routinely say that benefits play a large role in their job satisfaction, this deficit can lead to a loss of productivity, especially…

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More than money: How to use benefits to get and keep good people

This article originally appeared on the American Fidelity blog. The current job market is nothing short of chaotic. Employees used the pandemic to reassess their career goals, and many are taking a hard look at what balance between work and life means. While the outlook for employees is positive and encouraging, it’s presenting great challenges…

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7 Benefits of Having a Dog

There are so many health benefits that come alongside having a dog as a companion. Whether it’s the popular Poodle, or the less well known Silver Labrador, all dogs provide benefits such as encouraging more exercise and therefore having better heart health. They can even help people with mental health problems, and bring many benefits…

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Taking Time Off is Good for Employee Engagement

The pandemic couldn’t stop summer from arriving! As vacation season kicks off, it is a good time for HR teams to encourage the value of taking a break. As we all know, vacations are important for emotional and physical health of employees. In fact, studies show that they build a far more engaged, happy, and…

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Hate Running? Don’t Do It.

If you don’t like running, you are far from alone. Half of all runners say they either hate it or barely tolerate it, and only eight percent say they love it. Surprised? If you’re among the millions who run a little or a lot, anywhere in the world, the odds are high that you aren’t…

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Self-Care Tips and Ideas for Children with Disabilities

Children who are living with disabilities often cope with stress and anxiety as they navigate the world around them, and their parents often struggle with those feelings as well. When it comes to helping your child feel better, learning some methods of self-care can benefit you both. Finding a healthy routine, starting a relaxing hobby,…

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LGBTQ+ Confronted by Increased Disabilities and Reduced Medical Care

As we celebrate Pride Month this June, the world’s LGBTQ+ communities have many hard-won achievements to recognize. In the United States, where the Pride movement began, acceptance of LGBTQ+ people is greater than in many other countries. Yet, the weight of continued discrimination and poor physical health and mental distress is taking a unique toll…

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Is There a Walker in Your Future?

Earlier this year, my wife and I took a week to see our mothers who live in different areas in the South. Both women are in their mid-90’s and fortunately, have enjoyed relatively good health throughout their lives.   However, in the past year, each of them has started using a walker because of a…

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