Blog #238: “Going the Distance” and The Growing State of Florida
- Jeffrey Snyder
- May 12, 2022
- 2 min read
What is it about Florida? Is it the theme parks? Is it the beaches? Or is it the accessibility support that makes it unique from other states?
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Either way, Florida has become a huge part of “Going the Distance” in recent months. I think it could be because of the fact that Florida has a strong awareness to disabled by the sheer number of disability and neurodiverse organization that are in the state. Already, I am affiliated with one organization, the Unicorn Children’s Foundation in Boca Raton, and already have one foot in the door with another, the Ernie Els foundation in Jupiter.
You might say that being affiliated with one organization is enough for me. But there is always room for growth within the state. Many businesses have made their corporate headquarters in Florida and while “Going the Distance” is not directly headquartered in Florida, it’s footprint is getting deeper and deeper by the day.
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Now, when it comes to Florida, I’d like to picture it as something like Walt Disney World. Each area of the state is like one of the many theme parks of the resort:
A. Central Florida including the cities of Orlando and Tampa is represented by Main Street and the Magic Kingdom, respectively.
B. Southern Florida including the cities of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Fort Myers, etc. is represented by EPCOT.
C. Northern Florida including the cities of Jacksonville, Gainesville, etc. represent Disney Hollywood Studios.
D. The Florida Panhandle including the cities of Panama City, Tallahassee and Pensacola are represented by Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
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So, as you can see, I have my map of Florida clearly marked and if there is one thing that the state is good at is supporting those with disabilities. While my primary west coast partner Autism Tree Project Foundation has California sewn up covering the cities of San Diego, Los Angeles (to an extent) and San Francisco, Florida is considered an evolving goldmine with numerous disability and neurodiversity organizations eager for advocates like myself to make their mark.
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But that doesn’t mean the other states in the United States are good. Each one is unique in terms of disability services and it’s always a good idea to have an open mind to see what state has to offer.
At “Going the Distance,” it’s a good idea to learn from other organizations from other states and see what they have to offer. I cannot empathize that enough despite what other people say.
Hopefully, if God is willing, I look to expand outside the United States and work with disability and neurodiversity organizations overseas. Until then, I’ll just be working with what I have in front of me right now.
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Catch you all later!!
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