It’s back-to-school season, and the excitement of choosing a backpack for the year is here—so many different colors, shapes, patterns, and prints to choose from. However, there are things to look for when picking a backpack to ensure your child is not experiencing back, shoulder, or neck pain throughout the year. Check out our tips for proper backpack use below.

1. Choose the correct size of a backpack and the appropriate position for your child. 

A backpack should ideally be no larger than the size of your child’s back. It should rest evenly in the middle of their back, and both shoulder straps should be adjustable enough to easily put on and remove the backpack without any difficulty, while still allowing for comfortable arm movement. The straps should not be so loose that the bag hangs below the lower back and rests on the buttocks. If available, use the chest and waist straps for additional support.

2. Wear both straps.

Using one strap puts excessive wight on one side of the body. Wearing both shoulder straps helps distribute the backpack’s weight evenly.

3. Lighten the load for your child.

Ensure that the backpack weighs no more than 10-15% of your child’s body weight. Have your child carry only the necessary items for the day. Organize the contents of the backpack, placing the heaviest items closest to their back.

If your child complains of neck, shoulder, or back pain that you suspect may be related to a poorly fitting backpack, consult with your pediatrician or physical therapist.

For example:

Selecting the appropriate backpack is also essential for wheelchair users. Here are some pieces of advice to keep in mind during this back-to-school season shopping:

4. Choose the right size and placement for your child’s backpack.

Ensure that the backpack is small enough to fit on the back of the wheelchair. No part of the bag, including the straps, should be touching the wheels. Both shoulder straps should be on each wheelchair push handle (if your wheelchair has them).

5. Lighten the load for your child. 

A heavy backpack can increase the risk of your wheelchair tipping backward. A heavy bag makes propelling the wheelchair more challenging, leading to increased energy consumption throughout the day. 

Consult your physical therapist for the optimal placement of the backpack on your wheelchair.

A little progress each day adds up to significant results.

Sometimes we have high expectations for ourselves and others. We set our minds on grand transformations or goals, only setting up for failure when we do not reach them in a week or a month. Change, especially in ourselves, is challenging. It can be stressful and overwhelming to the point where we freeze and stop altogether, leading to feeling like a failure for not even starting the project we had in mind.

A baby does not crawl one day and run the next. He takes baby steps. He may stumble and fall but gets up again and continues trying until he can walk independently. Eventually, he will be running. Throughout this process, those around him usually support and encourage him. People don’t say when he falls, “Oh, you fell, so stay down.” On the contrary, they encourage him to get up and try again, and they celebrate when the baby makes that first step on their own.

Like a baby learning to walk, breaking down a goal into smaller projects is more effective and less daunting. Each step we take brings us closer to the desired destination. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you, support you and speak positive messages to your life. Be patient with yourself and celebrate the small steps.

Question: If you were 1% better each day than yesterday, what kind of impact would that make in your life in one year?

The video game industry has experienced exponential growth in recent years, becoming a significant form of entertainment worldwide. However, as games become more immersive, there is also a need to address accessibility more broadly.

Including accessible features benefits gamers with disabilities, broadens the potential audience, and enhances the gaming experience for everyone. Here are some examples of how video games can address accessibility, along with five accessible games you can explore.

Some features that make a video game accessible:

1. Flexible configuration options: Games must offer various configurations that adjust the difficulty, speed, controls, and other aspects according to the player’s needs, ensuring that players with different abilities can enjoy the game.

2. Subtitles and descriptive audio: Accurate subtitles and descriptive audio are vital for hearing or visually impaired players. Developers can include clear subtitles that indicate who is speaking and provide detailed descriptions of events so that all players can follow the story.

3. Visual aids with clear signage: Visually impaired players can benefit from various aids, such as directional sound indicators, interactive elements, and adjustable color contrast. These features make it easy to navigate and understand the game environment.

4. Single button mode: Some players may find using multiple buttons on the controller difficult. One-button mode allows important actions to be performed with a single key, simplifying the experience and opening up the game to a broader audience.

5. Adjustable reaction time: Some players may need more time to react to in-game events. Offering the option to adjust their speed can allow more players to enjoy the experience without being overwhelmed.

Five accessible video games that promote inclusion

1. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Hearing-impaired gamers will be happy that this game features one of the most robust subtitle options. Ambient sound effects and story dialogue can be subtitled separately. The game includes optional sound indicators that point you toward the speaker. The case is similar for players who are visually impaired or color blind. Thanks to a user interface customization system, it allows players to manage almost 30 different elements to ensure high visibility.

2. Fire Emblem Engage

This game has large text and full dialogue narration for all story-related scenes, making it easier for those with visual impairments to experience. Its voiced dialogues make it easier to enjoy the story, and the text for each conversation makes it possible for people with hearing disabilities to understand the entire story and mechanics of the game. Being a turn-based game makes it easy for people with fine-motor challenges.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

This game has several new features for visually impaired players, such as screen reader support. This tool reads all the text in the menus. Additionally, audio descriptions are available for cutscenes, allowing you to understand what’s happening beyond the dialogue and sound effects. Subtitles are also available for modality, essential for hard-of-hearing gamers but valuable for any gamer in a noisy environment.

4. Street Fighter 6

Dynamic controls make the game decide what combos to do based on the situation, and it’s the most accessible type of control for players with fine-motor challenges. A wide variety of audio cues are available for visually impaired players, primarily focused on combat. Different audio signals are available for attack hits, health depletion, player movement, and distance from the opponent.

5. Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope

This game has essential visual aids, for example, large and bold text. Like many of Nintendo’s games, it changes the text color of important words in dialogue to make them easier to remember. Plus, it features fully voiced dialogue with accurate on-screen text to show what each character is saying. On the other hand, it provides accessibility in fine motor skills since it allows characters to move around the environment with a button.

These are a few examples of widely recognized video games based on their accessible approach. The use of these video games is the responsibility of the person who plays them since some themes may not be appropriate for children. You can check more references on the Can I play that? site. As awareness of inclusivity in gaming continues to grow, we will likely see more titles incorporating accessibility options to ensure all players can enjoy the gaming experience.

Dear friends of TeletonUSA,

Today we celebrate a very special day: National Nonprofit Day. I am Fica Soriano, Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA (CRIT). I want to express my deepest gratitude for your support to children with disabilities and their families throughout the years.

Throughout these 11 years, the words “thank you” have had a much deeper meaning in my life. These words fill my heart daily when I see the effort, love, and commitment each of you contribute to our cause. I thank the families who trust our mission, therapists and team members for their tireless dedication.

Thanks to your generosity and the care they have received at our center, our patients and their families have achieved goals that initially seemed unattainable. However, they still have a long way to go to achieve rehabilitation and reach their full potential. More than 1,600 families are waiting with great hope for the opportunity to receive the services their children need. With your support, we can restore the hope of the families on our waiting list. Each one of you has the power to illuminate thousands of lives and continue to make our mission possible.

I invite you to celebrate our impact on the lives of those we serve and continue building dreams together. At CRIT, acts of generosity do not go unnoticed; each contribution makes possible the rehabilitation of our patients. Please do not leave them alone. They are counting on us.

With gratitude,

Fica Soriano

Chief Executive Officer

Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA

Play as a human right

Did you know that play is essential for child development? Play is an ideal tool for communication, learning, and knowledge. In fact, it is recognized as a human right.

Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child states “the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.”

Advantages of play for comprehensive well-being

Play offers various benefits for comprehensive well-being. Some of them are:

• Encourages creativity and contributes to developing a healthy brain, which is the source of curiosity and innovation.
• Prevents diseases by avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, two physical factors currently affecting the lifestyle carried out in many parts of the world.
• Facilitates interaction with the environment, helping to understand it in all its magnitude.
• Promotes social skills that can later be vital for good performance in the community.
• Improves affective relationships, allowing you to identify feelings, moods, and emotions towards those around you.

Play as a tool to promote values

Childhood is a time of numerous changes in social and emotional development. Therefore, play plays a critical role as it allows us to reflect on our actions, as well as on the norms and ethical values of the culture we are immersed in. Some of the values ​​that are important to consider are:

• Respect: towards all people and nature.
• Empathy: understanding others and being supportive.
• Responsibility: taking care of the environment and making conscious decisions.
• Solidarity: working as a team and valuing diversity.
• Tolerance: accepting differences and promoting inclusion.

Let’s play together!

Game 1: My First Garden at Home – Taking Care of the Earth

In this family game, children will learn about environmental care and take on responsibilities by creating their garden. Follow these five steps:

Step 1: On a piece of paper, design as a family your home garden with different cultivable elements.

Step 2: Gather compost and select various fruits and vegetables seeds; you can even use the seeds from the fruits you eat at home.

Step 3: Create the garden. You don’t need a big garden. You can use a fruit box, small pots, or wicker baskets.

Step 4: Plant the seeds and organize the initial sprouts. Establish care routines to learn the value of patience and responsibility while observing the plant’s growth.

Step 5: In a notebook, make a list of thoughts where you reflect together on the importance of caring for plants, flowers, and fruits. Also, discuss how a home garden contributes to caring for the environment.

Game 2: Diversity Collage – Exploring World Cultures

Promote inclusion and tolerance with this family game that celebrates cultural diversity around the world. Follow these five steps:

Step 1: Gather materials such as cardboard, scissors, glue, magazines, and different types of textured paper.

Step 2: Find images of people from different countries, traditions, customs, with various skin tones, and engaged in diverse activities.

Step 3: Cut and paste all the elements on the cardboard. You can also add your own drawings on top for a creative and personal touch.

Step 4: Contemplate the final result and reflect on the beauty of cultural diversity, how each individual brings something unique and valuable to the world.

Step 5: Finally, place the collage in a space you like to be inspired by what you learned from this game, whether it’s framed, on the refrigerator, or in a family album.

Shortly after birth, Mateo was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a genetic disease affecting his muscles’ strength due to nerve communication difficulties. He found hope and support at the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute TeletonUSA (CRIT), where he arrived at just one year old. One of Mateo’s most significant achievements is improving his head control, as he can now hold his head up for five minutes!

In occupational therapy, myofascial release, a gentle massage has helped release tightness, improve blood flow, and reduce pain. This therapeutic approach has allowed Mateo to activate his muscles in the most optimal position, paving the way for further progress and growth.

Mateo’s journey is far from over, with your support, he will continue reaching his maximum potential. Your generous donation makes a profound impact, empowering Mateo and many children to conquer obstacles that once seemed impossible.

Make a difference today. Your contribution of only 83¢ a day will provide hope, care, and a brighter future for children like Mateo.

Today will never come again. One short sentence, yet impactful when you take time to reflect on it. What would you do if today was all you had? What would life look like if people were to remember you for the things you said and did today?

I enjoy watching cooking competition shows. I have learned that you are only as good as your last dish. In just one episode, a competitor may create the most fabulous dish during round one, and in the next round, he is battling to stay in for another episode, or they are out. Sometimes they have unfamiliar products, limited budgets, and are pressed for time. They may have to work with individuals they don’t get along with who lack the same goals or skills. I have found that the most successful cooks focus on their dishes, not what their competitors prepare. They take advice from the chefs and mentors and utilize every skill, experience, and piece of knowledge they have to be better and create their best dish for that day. 

Today grants us the privilege to prepare a dish called life. Let us embrace our talents, skills, and unexpected circumstances, and make this day the best it can be. People will remember us by the day we create today.