It is hard to believe but fall is here. It is almost time to change our clocks to fall back an hour. It is also the time of year when many of us think about all the things for which we are grateful.

Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation recognized 10 businesses on October 14 with an Exceptional Employer Award. These companies from across the state were recognized for hiring and retaining people with disabilities as part of their workforce. The 16th annual celebration was held virtually as part of recognizing October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.

Katie Firmani was presented with a check on October 18 for $9,640 to start up a new business in partnership with the Lighthouse for the Visually Impaired and Blind in Pasco County. Firmani was selected as the winner of the Denise Arnold Self-Advocate Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is for a self-advocate who wants to start their own business.

On November 1, 1921, the Florida Farm Colony for the Epileptic and Feeble Minded (as it was known then) opened its doors in Gainesville. The property spanned 4,000 acres, 3,000 of which were donated by the citizens of Alachua County.

Representatives from the Agency for Persons with Disabilities attended the 2021 Florida Department of Children and Families Child Protection Summit September 8-10, 2021, in Orlando. The annual summit is the largest child welfare event in Florida.

Just two blocks north of Florida's State Capitol, the 16-story Doubletree by Hilton hotel rises above downtown Tallahassee. David Sneed has been working to keep the hotel looking its best for the last seven years.

The TaxWatch Productivity Awards publicly recognize and reward state employees and teams whose work increases productivity. The submission should promote innovation to improve the delivery of services or save money for Florida taxpayers and businesses who work with the state of Florida.

APD would like to congratulate Eva Flowers for being crowned Homecoming Queen at Wewahitchka High School. An active member of her school and community, Eva is well known and loved throughout Wewahitchka.

To bring awareness to the community and give individuals with disabilities the opportunity to explore different career paths, the Arc of the Bay celebrated Disability Mentoring Day on October 20, 2021.

The Family Care Councils across the state will be gathering for their November Family Care Council Florida meeting. Council representatives will meet in Orlando on November 5 and 6.

When was the last time you had a conversation about mental health or mental illness? Mental health refers to an individual’s mental state of well-being; mental illness signifies an alteration of that well-being.