Inclusive Futures

I know this organization well, and Betsy is a wonderful person!

I feel like there’s a lot to unpack here, so I am posting this here so I can evaluate further as well.

Opinion | Michigan scholarship granting organizations poised to support students with disabilities - Bridge Michigan Scholarships could support tutoring, disability-related supports and services, assistive equipment and more. But only if the governor opts in. These are new federal tax credits that help all K-12 students regardless of where they go to school — public, non-public, or charter.

The test is done. I’ll find out in a few weeks whether or not I passed it. Of all the tests I’ve taken in 25 years, I’ve never been close to the full time limit. I spent 3 hours perusing the social security guide and the code of federal regulations.

I hope that is over and I can move forward with that option to help families in need.

Back to the book this week and next week. Hoping to have everything done to get to the final edits and get this published and ready for distribution in July.

The feedback I’ve gotten has been great. The humor worked. I was nervous about that. Naturally, I think I’m funny, but I am glad to hear that it helped with the information.

The best feedback I’ve gotten is that it reads like a conversation. I didn’t want this to feel like a lecture.

I started writing because I understand the time constraints I deal with. Two kids in year round sports means I have to clock out around 3-4pm every day. There’s just no time to meet people in the evenings. I started writing because I wanted to try to help as many people as I could, and this book allowed me to have a conversation with so many more people than I’ll ever be able to sit down with.

I’ll keep my page updated with the information about when the book will be ready.

In the meantime, let’s talk!

One of the hardest things that I have ever done is coming to the beginning of the end. I just spent the past six weeks writing. Most of it was spent trying to write, but it was almost all I thought about during work hours. Now, work hours for me end early as most of the week I had to go to a baseball or softball game early, but I'd come back home and think about it and do some more writing.

I just sent that draft out to five volunteers. I am nervous. Maybe more nervous than I was after hitting the submit button on the FINRA securities exams. But that only takes seconds to see the results. They're long seconds back you are looking all over the page looking for "Results: Pass (ideally)" I did not see that after every test.

The Series 24 is still one of the most ridiculous tests I ever took. Here read Romeo and Juliet. We'll quiz you on all of Shakespeare's plays, and you should be able to figure it out because we gave you information on one of the plays. Note, he wrote 39. But some say 37, and the range is 37 to 40.

That might have been a question.

Anyway, I will wait to hear their feedback. I may even provide some of those answers anonymously here. If they're good. If you don't hear from me for a few weeks, you'll know why!

Regardless, I did it. It may be good, it may suck, but it was a lot of words that I put down, and I will be proud of that. I'll me prouder if people actually like it though =)

Thank you Disability Network Lakeshore for the award last night. It truly was an honor to be a finalist for the ability award.

I had a fantastic time, and met a lot of wonderful people.

Thank you Deb for everything. Great to sit with you and to talk with Scott.

It’ll be ten more years before you see me in a tie again 😉

And than you Tanya for your support.

But the biggest win of the night? Tanya hearing so many people tell me how funny I am!

Rough draft of the book is finally completed. I am looking for 5 people to volunteer to read it and share their thoughts on it. I have a small number of questions for feedback as well.

I had the privilege of presenting for the Progressive Art Studio Collective PASC this past weekend.

A great group of families were in attendance and we talked about a wide range of topics.

Take a look at their information and artwork, it’s truly awesome.

Yesterday I attended a coffee hour sponsored by Disability Advocates of Kent County. Three state legislators were there. I will not get into ANY politics here but it is always great to hear their thoughts on a number of issues.

Last night, I did my interview for Disability Network Lakeshore Ability Award Gala. Again, it is humbling to even be considered for something as great as this!

Finally, I am presenting at the Special Olympics Unified Sports and Inclusion Center, again with Disability Advocates for their family support services quarterly workshop. Topics include guardianships, and alternatives, Mi ABLE and trusts. I was told yesterday that this is the largest group they've ever had signup for these quarterly workshops. I'm quite the draw!

I’ll give you a summary of all the things. I didn’t set out to do this ten years ago. I simply said I’d help out a friend’s class.

I didn’t do it for money or recognition. Believe me there’s been little of both, until some recognition surprised me!

I did it because nobody else is doing it, and it needed to be done. I am proud of the work that I do. I am incredibly happy and blessed to help so many families in Michigan and now other states as well. I excited to help build an Inclusive Future for everyone!

I can’t do it alone. Please share my posts, please take a look at the organizations I highlight, and please tell any families that you know are struggling with the overwhelmingness of the legal, financial and government benefit issues they are facing now and in the future that there is hope. There is someone that can help!

Rant over, back to writing my book. Hoping to have it ready to go by the end of the month!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/ability-award--2026?impact_chain_source=jeff%40aninclusivefuture.org

Ability Award Gala 2026 About the Ability Award GalaJoin Disability Network Lakeshore for the Ability Award Gala, a garden party–themed evening bringing together community members, partners and supporters to recognize leadership, lived experience and collective efforts advancing disability access, inclusion and independe...

Please share, I'm really looking forward to this!

New video, let me know your thoughts!

The 5 W's and an H My first long(er) video. Focuses on the 5 W's and the H of Special Needs Planning. The overwhelmingness of planning, the lack of information, the lack of a...

I had a conversation recently where someone asked me, “How many people are we really talking about?” when it comes to the work I do.

They were shocked at the numbers.

I often say that right now there are 100,000 people with autism turning 18 every year. That alone creates urgent planning needs. But that isn’t the part that keeps me up at night.

The real crisis isn’t when a child turns 18 and the parents are 40–50.
It’s when that same child turns 40 and the parents are now 70–80.
Now what?

Let’s look at the numbers from a different angle.

There are 7.5 million IEPs in the United States.
But only about 2–2.5 million of those students will need long-term planning that continues long after school ends.

In Michigan, there are over 200,000 IEPs.
If we apply the national averages, that’s more than 65,000 students — and families — who will need guidance navigating benefits, waivers, housing, legal decisions, and future caregiving.

Families don’t avoid this planning because they don’t see the need.
They avoid it because they don’t know when, where, or how to start.

You are not alone — and you’re not expected to know how to navigate all of this by yourself.

When you’re ready to start getting answers to all the “now what?” moments in your life, Inclusive Futures is here for you.