
NCIL Hill Visits
On Wednesday, July 23, 2025, ECNV staff visited Rep. Don Beyers office met staff Julia Kravitz (ECNV staff members Tim, Laura, Lorena, Samantha, Joe Albert) also pictured with state delegate Alfonso Lopez.
Image: From Left to Right: Disability Outreach Coordinator Lorena Granados, Administrative Assistant Samantha Wentling, State Delegate Alfonso Lopez, Laura, ECNV Deputy Executive Director Tim Fuchs and Independent Living Specialist Joe Albert.

ECNV Honored During Disability Pride Month
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, The County of Arlington honored ECNV during a board meeting, in which they recognized ECNV's contributions to the disability community at large. ECNV Strategic Partnerships Rosalia Fajardo accepted this award on ECNV's behalf.
Collage: (Left to Right), a group photo from persons with disabilities, Rosalia Fajardo with the County of Arlington board; a closer look at the presentation; (Bottom) Rosalia Fajardo posing with the award.

DME Donations!
On Tuesday, July 15, 2025, Emily and Samantha received nine donated rollators from Verizon in Ashburn, VA. Two recipients of the rollators, Amanda and Robin, joined to take home their new wheels.
Image: Emily Kudron and Samantha Wentling with DME recipients and Verizon donors.

NCIL March
On Monday, July 21, 2025, ECNV staff Andrew Shaw and Elaine Shaw participated in the NCIL March to the US Capitol. This year's conference was her third time participating and first time participating in the march itself. Disability Outreach Coordinator Lorena Granados and ECNV intern, Laura Kim, also participated.
Collage (Left to Right), Lorena Granados, Andrew Shaw and Susan Picerno; ECNV intern Laura Kim, Lorena Granados and Andrew Shaw, ECNV intern Laura Kim, Lorena Granados marching together, Travel trainer Andrew Shaw and ECNV’s social media person, Elaine Shaw posing together for a selfie.

ECNV's Adult Social Club Takes Flight!
On Friday, July 11, 2025, ECNV's Adult Social Club Outing took to the metro for lunch, 7/11 slushies and to see the new Superman movie.
Image: ECNV's Adult Social Club at a movie theatre, waiting to see the new Superman movie.

RAMP is Flying into Education
In June, the Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program participated in STEM Learning.
They wrapped up June with a thrilling and educational trip to iFLY Indoor Skydiving in Ashburn, VA!
Image: Two RAMP students experiencing ifly skydiving in an air vacuum.

Real Impact: A Travel Training Journey
Valerie Klaussen at the metro where she and a travel trainer did travel training last week. She also stated, “My thoughts about the bus and Metro Rail are that it's a fun and easy way to get around and it's safe.”
Image:

ECNV Goes to National Council on Aging Conference
ECNV's staff, Lelena Dagne and Tracee Garner, present at NCOA Conference 2025 in May. The National Conference on Aging was held from May 28-30, 2025, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
Image: Tracee and Lelena stand in front of a screen.

Summer RAMP Program is in Full Lift-Off Mode
On Friday June 13, 2025, ECNV’s Summer RAMP program enjoyed time at Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, VA.
Image: Group of ECNV students and staff pose in front of Space Shuttle Discovery, which is on display in the James S. McDonnell Space at the Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, VA. Discovery was the third Space Shuttle orbiter to fly in space. From 1984 to 2012, Discovery flew 39 Earth-orbital missions, spent a total of 365 days in space, and traveled almost 240 million km (150 million mi) —more than the other orbiters. NASA transferred Discovery to the Smithsonian in April 2012 after a delivery flight over the nation's capital.

Celebrando el Orgullo de la Discapacidad en la Comunidad Latina: AbrazandoIdentidad, Inclusión y Fortaleza
La comunidad latina es conocida por sus fuertes valores familiares, su cultura y su resiliencia. Sin embargo, dentro de este grupo, los miembros con discapacidades a menudo enfrentan desafíos únicos y, a veces, pasan desapercibidos. El Mes del Orgullo de la Discapacidad busca honrar y elevar estas voces, especialmente las de nuestros miembros latinos con discapacidades. Es un momento para abrazar sus contribuciones, destacar las barreras que superan y celebrar sus logros.
ALT: Más de 4 millones de latinos en EE. UU. viven con discapacidades. Al fondo, un hombre caucásico con síndrome de Down, y a su derecha, un hombre afroamericano con una camisa azul a rayas. En el pie de página, el logotipo de ECNV.

Discapacidades del Aprendizaje: Apoyando la Inclusión y el Empoderamiento
Las discapacidades del aprendizaje (DA) son diferencias neurológicas que afectan la manera en que el cerebro procesa la información. Estas diferencias impactan habilidades fundamentales como la lectura, la escritura, las matemáticas, la comprensión del lenguaje y las interacciones sociales. Es importante destacar que estas discapacidades no reflejan la inteligencia de una persona; muchas personas con discapacidades del aprendizaje tienen una inteligencia promedio o superior.
ALT: The word Dyslexia is placed horizontally on the left hand side. To the right is text is violet and white that reads: Las discapacidades del aprendizaje con diferencias, no deficiencias.”

ECNV Presents at Northern Virginia Intergenerational Summit
Karla Nativi, ECNV staff member, attended the Northern Virginia Intergenerational Summit on 4/29/25 at the Karter School of One Loudoun.
Image: Woman in blue dress speaks with microphone in front of projector screen

Accessibility at PAX East Boston 2025
Earlier this month, Andrew Shaw and Elaine Shaw attended PAX East in Boston (May 8, 2025 – Sun, May 11, 2025) for vacation but still attended some disability related panels.
Left to Right: Elaine Shaw, wearing a light blue Spock Out t-shirt, a blue shoulder bag, and carrying a Firefly tote bag, Steve Seylor, Andrew Shaw wearing a black Quark’s bar t-shirt at PAX East 2025.

RAMP in Action: Full Speed on Activities
RAMP has been ramping up between January-May 2025.

ECNV Attended the Flip the Script on Aging Event
On Thursday May 15, 2025, Andrew Shaw and Karla Nativi attended the Flip the Script on Aging event at Oakwood Meadow Senior Residences.
Image: male in red shirt and female in blue blouse sit at outreach table

Tomar Nuestras Propias Decisiones: Por Qué Importa la Toma de Decisiones con Apoyo
Imagina poder decidir dónde vivir, qué médico visitar o cómo gastar tu dinero — no en soledad, sino con el respaldo de personas en quienes confías. Esa es la esencia de la Toma de Decisiones con Apoyo (TDA o SDM, por sus siglas en inglés). Es un modelo que respeta el derecho de las personas con discapacidades a tomar sus propias decisiones, con guía en lugar de control.
ALT: Toma de Decisiones, texto negro sobre un bloque de madera, todo en mayúsculas, sentado en una plataforma de madera, vista aérea. Un bloque blanco se superpone encima. El texto interior dice: La Toma de Decisiones con Apoyo permite que las personas con discapacidades tomen decisiones por sí mismas. Con apoyo, todo es posible.

ECNV’s I Am Self-Advocacy Program: April 2025 Update
The IASA Program is a Pre-Employment Transition Service (Pre-ETS) focused on helping students with disabilities, ages 14-22, hone their skills in self-advocacy through a combination of individual and group sessions. Funded by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), this program is offered to students referred by the Fairfax, Alexandria, Leesburg, and Manassas DARS offices.
[Image: Three circles overlapping each other with words Self Advocate in the center and words Motivated, Committed, and Passionate on each circle].

Disability Policy Seminar Hill Day
On Wednesday, April 9, 2025, The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia, along with with The Arc, The Autism Society, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), Caring Across Generations, Disability Belongs™, National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP), National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC), and United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) participated in Hill Day.
Image: Peer mentor David Aguayo (He, Him), ECNV Advocacy Intern Laura Kim (She, Her, Hers), and Disability Outreach Coordinator Lorena Granados (She, Her, Hers) attend Hill Day at The Disability Policy Seminar at Capitol Hill on April 9, 2025 in Washington D.C/ El mentor David Aguayo (Él, Él), Practicante de la Defensa de ECNV, Laura Kim, y la coordinadora de Alcance de la Discapacidad, Lorena Granados, asisten al Día de la Colina en Capitol Hill el 9 de abril de 2025 en Washington D.C.

Personal Assistance Services (PAS)
QuickMatch specializes in matching an individual with a personal assistant. A personal assistant (PA), also known as a personal care attendant (PCA), is a person who assists an individual with activities of daily living in their home, their community, their school and in their workplace. Activities of daily living include bathing, transferring, dressing, driving, toileting, eating, shopping, reading, assistance to support employment, sports, recreation, entertainment and many other activities of daily life.

Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP)
ECNV is a Center for Independent Living led by people with disabilities who provide advocacy and services to people with disabilities in Northern Virginia.