SMILEmass Breaks Down What Equity Looks Like For People With Disabilities
“I made it my passion and mission in life to make sure when I leave this world, the world is left a little bit more inclusive and accessible for anybody that comes behind us. I don’t want any other family struggling and going through life the way we did.” SMILE Mass Founder, Lotte Diomede, discusses her […]
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5 Tips for Planning Special Needs-Friendly Family Vacations
As pandemic restrictions ease and travel livens up again, you may be considering treating your family to a vacation. However, you may also be worried about how much your loved one with special needs will be able to enjoy the time spent away from home. After all, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that travel-limiting disabilities prevent […]
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SMILE Mass Awarded Myra Kraft Community MVP Award
ROBERT KRAFT AND THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS FOUNDATION DONATE $275,000 IN THE NAMES OF 2020 MYRA KRAFT COMMUNITY MVP AWARD WINNERS Twenty-six New Englanders were honored by the Kraft family during a virtual ceremony on Oct. 30. Lotte Diomede of Sudbury, Mass. receives $10,000 donation for SMILE Mass. FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Every year since 1998, […]
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Back to School…..
For many it is a sign of relief, for others it is with a sense of uncertainty. But however you feel, September is here and school is back in session. So whether you are now home schooling, doing a hybrid model, or your kiddo is full time, we know your decision was not made lightly. […]
read more »New ways of running programs in a world of social distancing!
With the COVID-19 outbreak back in February, we have all had to make huge changes in how we are continuing to conduct our business, school, home and social engagements. Most of us are creatures of habit, and do not like change. Yet COVID-19 and the universe had a different plan for all of us. As […]
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Share the Joy, Spread the Love
Ten years ago, SMILE Mass was born out of a vision to create a fully accessible playground in Sudbury. It has been immensely gratifying to see how popular that playground has become, and I still love hearing how families are enjoying the opportunities it provides for people of all abilities to meet and play together. […]
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Building the Dream
The holiday season is almost upon us, that time of year when everything seems to turn into a whirlwind of activity. Here at SMILE Mass we are incredibly busy too, and while we all may be a bit tired, we are also extremely excited about what we have in the works. Thanks to our grant […]
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A Time to Reflect
There is just something special about the summer; It is the time of the year where millions of families make time for vacation, building memories, sleep a little longer and, for some, eat too much ice cream. The Summer of 2019 has been a little atypical in the Diomede household; I am still recovering from […]
read more »Summer Meditation by Lotte
I was “meditating” yesterday, meaning I went for my very first short run, while still recovering from rotator cuff surgery. When I run I get to think a lot. Yesterday was an especially beautiful day; the birds were chirping, the temperature was amazing and everyone seemed to be out. People were walking their dogs, playing […]
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Summer Day Trip Ideas
Traveling with a wheelchair takes planning and sometimes “out of the box” thinking to create a special day. But if you are reading this, you are like the rest of us looking for something to do that is a great fit for the whole family. So, with that, I sincerely hope this note will give […]
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