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‘no barriers – for all of life.’

The Action Group

2 days ago

Do you have a loved-one with Fragile X Syndrome? We have a speaker from the Fragile X society coming to Norton Park on Thursday 31st May 1-3pm to talk to us and answer questions. Sign up now through Justyna at The Action Group office. ... See MoreSee Less

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The Action Group

2 days ago

We're at the #LearningDisabilityFestival2018 and loving the band from Garvald Edinburgh! ... See MoreSee Less

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The Action Group

3 days ago

We are using Talking Mats to find out what makes people happy. Come along to Norton park this afternoon and #connect. ... See MoreSee Less

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The Action Group shared A Mighty Girl's post.

4 days ago

Winning a national handwriting contest is an impressive feat for any 9-year-old but especially so for one who was born with no hands! Anaya Ellick, who uses her forearms to write, won this year's Nicholas Maxim Special Award for Excellence in Penmanship for the quality of her handwriting. And, this wasn't even the first time the third grader took first place in the national competition -- this year, she won the award for cursive writing while two years ago, at age 7, she won the award for print writing. "Anaya does not let anything stand in her way of reaching her goals," asserted Tracy Cox, Anaya's principal at the Greenbrier Christian Academy in Chesapeake, Virginia, "Her determination is inspiring and contagious to all of us."

According to her mother, Bianca Middleton, Anaya began to use her forearms for tasks from the time she was just a few days old. At first, she started holding her pacifier in place with a forearm and, while still a baby, she learned to hold a fork and build with blocks. At age three, she started using prosthetics but stopped by age five. Her mother says that they were "slowing her down more than helping." She wanted to draw so she learned how to balance a crayon between her arms, and that skill transferred to forming neat, careful letters when she began writing. "It was always like ‘I can do it,'" says her dad, Gary Ellick. "So, that just carried on over the years."

The Nicholas Maxim Award is given annually to a student with a "cognitive delay, or an intellectual, physical or developmental disability." During her last competition, contest director Kathleen Wright said that Anaya's writing sample was so good that it "was comparable to someone who has hands." For her part, Anaya was thrilled to hear about her new win: "I was happy and I thought my mom was joking when she said I won again." Her mother adds, "I’m proud because it encourages her. For her to see that hard work does pay off."

Congratulations to this Mighty Girl on her impressive 2nd national win!

For an excellent middle-grade novel about an irrepressible girl born without arms, we highly recommend "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" for ages 9 to 13 at www.amightygirl.com/insignificant-events-in-the-life-of-a-cactus

For several books about Mighty Girls with disabilities who defy expectations, we highly recommend "Helen's Big World" for ages 6 to 9 (www.amightygirl.com/helen-s-world), "El Deafo" for ages 8 to 12 (www.amightygirl.com/el-deafo), and "The Running Dream" for ages 12 and up (www.amightygirl.com/the-running-dream)

For books to help children and teens understand that diversity comes in many forms, check out our blog post “Many Ways To Be Mighty: 25 Books Starring Mighty Girls with Disabilities” at www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12992

And, for Mighty Girl stories for all ages that emphasize the value of perseverance in achieving your goals, visit our "Determination & Perseverance" book section at amgrl.co/2Anw5IT ... See MoreSee Less

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