Impact of Oregon

08/09/2026

🎤 BEND, ARE YOU READY FOR KARAOKE NIGHT? 🎶✨

Grab the mic, pick your favorite song, and join IMPACT, Connections NW, and Thrive for an evening of music, fun, and community!

Whether you’re ready to sing your heart out or would rather cheer on your friends from the audience, Karaoke Night is for you! 🙌

📅 Thursday, August 13
⏰ 5:00–7:00 PM
📍 20360 Empire Ave., Suite B5, Bend

🥤 Snacks, soda, and juice will be provided.

⚠️ Space is limited, so RSVP to reserve your spot! You can also help build the playlist for the evening when you sign up.

💌 Send this post to someone you want to bring to Karaoke Night!

➕ Follow IMPACT for more inclusive events, activities, and opportunities to connect in Central Oregon.

🌐 impact-or.org

08/06/2026

This Eugene diner is serving up more than comfort food. 🥞
Abilities Diner and Bakery hires individuals with physical and mental disabilities — giving them meaningful work in a warm, welcoming space on Blair Blvd.

The menu delivers too: chicken fried steak, eggs Benedict, hand-pressed burgers, and fresh-baked bread that's earned a loyal following across Eugene.

IMPACT of Oregon loves spotlighting local businesses that turn inclusion into action. If you're in the area, go taste what community-minded hiring looks like.

📍 790 Blair Blvd, Eugene, OR
🔗 Visit them: abilitiesdinerandbakery.com
👍 Find them on Facebook: facebook.com/p/Abilities-Diner-Bakery-100083973393439

This is exactly the kind of inclusion IMPACT of Oregon shows up for every day. Curious what that looks like? 👉 impact-or.org

Abilities Diner and Bakery is more than a classic diner - it’s a mission-driven space built to empower individuals with mental and physical disabilities through meaningful employment....

08/04/2026

Time to glow! 🌟 The Autism Society of Oregon and The Arc of Jackson County are teaming up for a Neon Glow Dance Party right here in Medford — Saturday, August 8th, 6–8pm at Rockafairy (Rogue Valley Mall, lower level).

Music, dancing, glowing lights, and good company — this free event is open to the those 18 and older in our autism and neurodivergent community, plus friends and family. Whether you're there to dance all night or just soak in the atmosphere, everyone's welcome.

We love seeing our Rogue Valley community come together like this! 💚

📝 Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfj4rcSGT5Kyxfka-1avU9bj5j3bdW9R4BexqpOcrKTeMbdRQ/viewform

🔗 impact-or.org

08/03/2026

Last call, Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson County families! ⏰

CODSN's Jason's Run & Recharge Respite Night is August 12th — and registration closes August 7th. If you haven't signed up yet, now's the time.

Drop off your child with a disability (siblings 12 and under welcome too) for three hours of arts and crafts, music, games, kid yoga, and a petting zoo.
Every family walks out with a $100 gift card voucher to use whenever you need it most.

Register before Friday at codsn.org, or contact CODSN at 541-548-8559 or [email protected] with any questions.

Looking for ongoing support for your loved one with IDD? IMPACT of Oregon matches individuals with Direct Support Professionals across Oregon at no out-of-pocket cost to families. Visit impact-or.org to learn more.

A peer-delivered disability & special needs support network in Oregon. Create positive vision, long-term success, & join a community of belonging & support.

08/02/2026

We're wrapping up Disability Pride Month with a fun one — even the superheroes joined in this year. 🦸‍♀️🦸

Marvel just released a special four-part story for Disability Pride Month, spotlighting heroes like Daredevil, Misty Knight, Echo, Hawkeye, Silhouette, and Finesse — a reminder that representation and resilience show up in every corner of pop culture, not just our own community.

All month, we've celebrated the strength, pride, and stories of people with disabilities right here in Southern Oregon. Seeing that same spirit reflected on a national stage? That's a wrap worth celebrating. 💛

This is exactly the kind of inclusion IMPACT of Oregon shows up for every day. Curious what that looks like? 👉 impact-or.org

07/30/2026

As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, we want to say this clearly: pride doesn't end on July 31.

The celebration, the advocacy, the commitment to inclusion — that continues. And for IMPACT of Oregon, so does the work.

If you or someone you love is living with an intellectual or developmental disability in Jackson, Josephine, Douglas, Klamath, or Deschutes County, we're here. IMPACT connects individuals with IDD to Direct Support Professionals at no out-of-pocket cost to families — because everyone deserves the right support, not just in July, but every single day.

Ready to learn more? Reach out to us. We'd love to connect at impact-or.org

💜 Thank you for a beautiful Disability Pride Month, Oregon

07/26/2026

Today, July 26, we mark 36 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law.

The ADA didn't just change buildings — it changed expectations. It said, for the first time in federal law, that people with disabilities have the right to participate fully in public life: to work, to access services, to move through their communities with dignity.

Thirty-six years later, there's still progress to be made. But we don't take lightly how far the disability rights movement has brought us — or the advocates, self-advocates, and families whose persistence made the ADA possible.

At IMPACT, the ADA's promise is part of our everyday work: making sure individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Oregon have access to the support they need to live the lives they choose.

Here's to 36 years — and to the work still ahead.

https://www.history.com/articles/americans-with-disabilities-act-1990-capitol-crawl

07/24/2026

Happy Parents Day to every parent walking alongside a loved one with an intellectual or developmental disability. 💛

You're the first advocate, the constant researcher, the one who knows every doctor, every IEP, every quirk and need by heart. That's a full-time job on top of everything else you carry.

At IMPACT, we see supporting your loved one as supporting your whole family — because when your loved one has a Direct Support Professional they trust, it means a little more breathing room for you too.

To every parent out there today: thank you. We see the work you do, and we're honored to be part of your family's support system.

Want to learn more about how IMPACT connects families with DSPs at no out-of-pocket cost? Visit impact-or.org to get started.

07/22/2026

Some places change what you think is possible. Harper's Playground is one of them. 💙

In 2009, two Portland parents couldn't find a playground where their daughter Harper could play freely from her wheelchair. So they built one — and in doing so, changed the standard for inclusive play across Oregon and beyond.

Harper's Playground at Arbor Lodge Park features natural ramps and hills, accessible saucer swings and spinners, soft surfaces, and sensory elements designed to encourage connection between every visitor regardless of ability. It's been described as physically, socially, and emotionally inviting — and it shows.

For DSPs looking for meaningful community outings in Portland, or families wanting a space where their loved one is truly welcome, Harper's Playground is a landmark worth knowing.

📍 Arbor Lodge Park, N Bryant St, Portland, OR | Open daily 5am–midnight | harpersplayground.org

IMPACT of Oregon connects individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to caring Direct Support Professionals who help make community life full and meaningful — at no out-of-pocket cost to families.

Want to connect with IMPACT of Oregon? Visit us at impact-or.org/dsps to learn how we support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Southern Oregon — at no out-of-pocket cost to families

07/20/2026

🎈 Springfield showed up and showed out! 🎈
Thank you to everyone who joined us for IMPACT of Oregon's open house — the laughter, the smiles, and the sense of community made this a day to remember.

To every individual, family member, staff member, and friend who stopped by: you're the reason we do this work. 💙

Drop a 💜 in the comments if you were there — we loved celebrating with you!

Learn more about IMPACT of Oregon and how we support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Southern Oregon.

DSPs make community life possible. Could you be one of them? Visit impact-or.org/dsps