Community Support for People with Disabilities: Monthly Meetings, Outings, Peer Mentoring, and Coalition

Monthly Support Group Meeting

Our monthly support group meeting is more than just a typical gathering. It’s a place where people exchange life-changing advice and support, all while sharing laughs and incredible personal stories. Our meetings aim to foster genuine camaraderie in a relaxed setting, where individuals are free to discuss anything—from navigating the unique challenges of living with a disability to celebrating personal achievements.

We are committed to continually enhancing our community’s support network, empowering individuals to adapt and overcome the diverse challenges associated with disability. Our mission is simple. We want to empower people to lead active, healthy lives and become contributing members of society.

Our monthly support group meetings in Albuquerque were originally established for individuals with spinal cord injuries. Over time, the group has grown to include those with other significant mobility-altering disabilities. While most attendees have spinal cord injuries and use wheelchairs, we warmly welcome anyone who could benefit from the sense of community and shared experiences we provide.

What makes our group special is the diversity of its members. The group includes people who have sustained new injuries, as well as those who have spent years navigating their lives with a disability. This blend of experience allows individuals to learn from one another. Members share their personal techniques and strategies for overcoming various physical and social barriers. Some have gone on to achieve remarkable success in family life, education, sports, business, and more.

We’re always open to new members, and our meetings are casual, welcoming, and filled with open conversations. Each session offers participants the chance to connect, share ideas, and gain fresh perspectives. Our monthly meetings take place on the first Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. If you’d like to join us, you can sign up for email invitations here.

Community Group Outings

Beyond our monthly meetings, we also organize community outings that are just as fun and fulfilling. These group activities are designed to strengthen our sense of belonging and shared experiences. In the past, we’ve enjoyed Isotopes baseball games, United soccer matches, bowling, archery, fishing, dining out, and barbecues. Each activity is chosen based on what the group finds fun and engaging. By signing up for our support group emails, you’ll also receive notifications for these outings. We’d love for you to join in on the fun!

Peer Mentoring

Many of the individuals in our support group have experienced life-changing events and, as a result, have chosen to give back by becoming peer mentors. These mentors use their personal experiences to help others with new injuries, offering guidance in both mind and body recovery.

Peer mentors play an essential role in helping individuals adjust to life after injury. They can assist with navigating the complexities of post-injury life, such as finding resources for home modifications, vehicle modifications, or wheelchair fittings. Mentors also help individuals identify educational and employment opportunities. Peer mentoring is one of the ways our community ensures that no one has to navigate this journey alone.

Willing to Work New Mexico: Advocacy for Disability Employment Rights

Our advocacy efforts extend well beyond support group meetings and outings. We are proud to be part of the Willing to Work New Mexico coalition, a collective of New Mexicans with diverse disabilities united in advocating for improvements to the state’s Working Disabled Individuals (WDI) Medicaid program. The coalition’s primary goal is to break down employment barriers for people with disabilities in New Mexico. Many individuals are eager to work but hesitate to pursue education or employment due to the risk of losing essential state Medicaid benefits.

The current Working Disabled Individuals (WDI) program allows people with disabilities to work while retaining Medicaid eligibility. However, its eligibility criteria, particularly income and asset limits, are overly restrictive. These limits often force individuals to choose between maintaining access to essential healthcare and pursuing meaningful employment. To fully empower individuals with disabilities to achieve their career potential, we believe New Mexico should raise or remove the income and asset eligibility limits for the WDI program.

These are the current WDI Eligibility Requirements:

• Income: Calculated based on 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) after disregards and deductions.
• Asset Limit: $10,000 for individuals ($15,000 if married), excluding retirement accounts.

Our Goals are as follows:

• Improve the WDI program for people who are both willing and eager to work.
• Support individuals with disabilities to reach their maximum potential in the career field of their choice.
• Mobilize the voices and stories of people with disabilities to advocate for better employment policies.

Active Project

The Kelly Brush Foundation has established a platform where users explore a diverse array of adaptive sports, discover various adaptive sports programs, and connect with a community of individuals who have spinal cord injuries or paralysis and are enthusiastic about an active lifestyle.

The platform also offers educational resources about numerous organizations dedicated to community involvement and participation. Not only is this the one-stop shop for all things adaptive sports & recreation, but it will also help users build a new community in their backyard

Scholarships

KBF Scholarships provide financial support to individuals who want to try a new sport, test out a piece of equipment, or build skills by attending camps, clinics or other adaptive sports programs.

Scholarships can be used to:

• Try new sports and recreation experiences (camps/clinics)
• Gain more experience in a sport that you are a beginner at
• Get further instruction or supervised experience to become independent using new equipment that you already own
• Test different types of equipment before purchasing or applying for a grant

The Active Fund

Through the Active Fund, we provide grants for individuals with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury to purchase adaptive sports equipment.

Eligible Applicants: Individuals with paralysis caused by spinal cord injury who reside in the US.

• Other conditions are not eligible for our grant programs, including (but not limited to) spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio, Guillain-Barre´ Strohl Syndrome, ALS, all other neuropathies, and all other conditions causing disability.