“I feel like this world could use a little more kindness and acceptance, and each of us can … have a daily spark to make that happen, sharing … appreciation and acceptance of people and their differences.”
Victoria Inman, author of Spark Acceptance, a book about more than 54 exceptional people

Gal Stiglitz, founder and CEO of the human development program iDiscover 360, is on a mission to create more meaning, purpose, and fulfilment in modern living. In a recent article for Medium, he shared these thoughts:

“Life is changing at an unprecedented pace … and things that used to take a century now take just a decade in terms of technological advancements. … With new solutions always come new problems, and this fast pace raises new challenges for individuals in the 21st century. Paradoxically, it means we can be connected to so many things at once but feel more disconnected than ever.”

Connected disconnection and the isolation it brings affect everyone living in today’s hi-tech world to some extent. They disrupt the lives of people with disabilities even more since they face numerous barriers to inclusion in the community at large.

The Most Common Barriers Affecting People With Disabilities

Noting that people with special needs sometimes face more than one of these challenges at a time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists the most common ones as:

Attitudinal – Stigma, stereotyping, and misunderstanding can lead to prejudice and discrimination accompanied by words and actions that hurt and harm.

Communication – These barriers affect people whose disabilities limit their hearing, speaking, reading, writing, and/or comprehension as well as those who communicate in ways that differ from what people without disabilities expect.

Physical – Obstacles as simple as steps and curbs can limit maneuverability on a walkway or access to a building for people with mobility issues.

Policy – Failure to enforce laws and regulations can deny disabled individuals the accommodations they need to perform their jobs as well as access to federally funded programs whose benefits and services could help them.

Programmatic – Public healthcare programs for people with disabilities are hampered by inconvenient scheduling, insufficient time with doctors or other providers for proper examination and treatment, and lack of accessible equipment.

Social – Individuals with special needs who are 18 or older are much less likely than other adults to have high school diplomas or jobs that pay enough to make them self-sufficient.

Transportation – Lacking accessible or convenient public transportation can severely limit the independent functioning of someone who is cognitively impaired or cannot see well enough to drive.

The team at Advocates for Life Skills & Opportunity (ALSO), a nonprofit that provides support and services to disabled residents of nine counties in Oregon, observes, “The fast-paced society is particularly taxing for individuals who have a slower speed of processing. The challenges are multiplied when people also have a physical disability.”

They point out two sometimes-overlooked factors that get in the way of effective communication and make daily life more difficult for people with disabilities:

Complexity – Written instructions for household items are hard to read, “crowded onto pages, written in lengthy sentences with an overuse of abbreviations and complex jargon.”
Literacy – Low literacy rates aren’t always about intellectual disability. They also reflect “fewer opportunities for high-quality educational strategies.”

At Great Prospects, we work to help young adults overcome obstacles like those mentioned above by making meaningful connections through social interaction, ongoing community outreach, and challenging recreational programs. We offer a weekday Therapeutic Day Program and a Drop-In program for disabled young adults aged 21-40 as well as some weekend and summer activities that also include young people 16 and up.

Improving Attitudes and Communication

Typically, poor attitudes and difficulties with communication — often intertwined — are the toughest barriers to break through. Both may involve stigma perpetuated by able-bodied people who look down on those who are different, stereotypes passed on by ignorant individuals, or even efforts by people who would like to help but don’t express themselves well.

Stigma arises from the idea that people with disabilities are somehow inferior to others. These attitudes lead to social avoidance, prejudice, and discrimination.

Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other legal protections against discrimination in hiring, well-qualified job seekers with special needs are still passed over too often in favor of less-qualified applicants who don’t look as if they’ll require any accommodations or extra supervision to perform their duties.

Prejudice sometimes degenerates into hateful name-calling. Recently, Rolling Stone and the Boston Globe have reported on the resurgence of the R-word (retard or retarded), a slur that seemed to have all but vanished during the past 15 years. Disturbingly, it has resurfaced on social media as an all-purpose insult, often used to discredit political adversaries.

Powerful forces are campaigning to stamp the ugly epithet out for good. Disability advocates at theSpecial Olympics, with help fromBest Buddies International and other sponsors around the world, participate inSpread the Word Day, which is coming up Wednesday, March 5, this year. They substitute an R-word signifying appreciation and admiration — Respect — and spread another essential, empowering word — Inclusion.

Breaking Through Barriers at Great Prospects

Fortunately, no one in the Great Prospects community has heard the derogatory R-word or other offensive terms directed at any of the participants. Concerns with attitudes and communication do arise, however.

Michelle Jericevich, Great Prospects’ founder and CEO, recalls unpleasant experiences with her daughter, Indya, a GP participant who wore ankle braces to support her legs when she was younger. “People stared, and it made my son especially angry (that these stares were directed at his sister),” Michelle recalled. She added that while it would have been OK if passersby had simply asked what the devices were, “staring or whispering, or being told not to look, hurt.”

Therapeutic Day Program Director Tabitha Todle shared an anecdote and some thoughts about attitudes and communication.

“We visited a store in Sandy Springs, and the manager pulled staff aside and said that every time we visit, ‘there is a big mess to clean up afterwards.’ This was strictly based on his attitude toward our group, because we visit different stores daily and no one [else] has ever had an issue. It was easier for the manager to blame our group based on his attitude than to realize that his store was messy to begin with.”

Tabitha took issue with “the assumption that some of our participants cannot communicate or that it is ‘easier’ to communicate with staff than them directly. No one has been openly rude. I just always redirect to our participants or help by prompting our participants to respond to employees to self-advocate while out in the community,” she said.

This approach has resulted in some gratifying success stories:

James now goes to the librarian and asks for his own guest pass to use the computers.
Alisa asks library employees where the cookbooks are and interacts with them to find the best options.
Haley makes successful and independent purchases when at a store.

Here are some comments from GP parents about helping their adult children overcome various challenges:

“If a child is curious and asks about our daughter, I might explain her differences and emphasize the similarities that she has with them: She likes bowling. She plays tennis. She rides horses.”
“I believe communication and social skills have a strong impact on GP participants. If you don’t have a team … that wants to include and communicate with its participants, it can be very isolating for all. Transportation is important to carry out the social skills to the next level.” This parent also emphasized the importance of conversations with the young adults at GP to determine “what ways of communicating will make their son or daughter respond to the staff and participate more.”
“Actually, GP is conquering these barriers. GP parents, staff, and participants maintain open lines of communication and work together to ensure the safety of our children. GP has established policies to support our children’s development and schedule therapies and programs to keep our children active and social.”

Sparking Acceptance

Several participants in Great Prospects’ programs have enjoyed the awesome and meaningful experience of being included in Spark Acceptance, a book by Victoria Inman that showcases photos, profiles, and stories of more than 50 exceptional people. Inman, an alumna of the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, teamed up with David Carr, a four-time Grammy award-winning musician, to produce this book in hopes of turning pain into purpose.

In an interview for the (Y) Connect podcast, which highlights notable friends of the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Inman talked about how the book came to be. Although her daughter, who was diagnosed on the autism spectrum “truly was the catalyst and inspiration for this,” Inman said, the right title took a while to reveal itself.

“I knew that I wanted that word “acceptance” to be included somehow,” the author said, “but it wasn’t really until I saw the photos, and I saw the digital proofs of the pages coming together, that I realized that this book could really spark change — change in people’s behaviors, change in people’s attitudes, and overall change in their perspectives on those who they might not interact with on a regular basis.”

Spark Acceptance features six Great Prospects participants in ways that let their personalities shine:

Gavin (Down syndrome) – He loves music, swimming, hiking, and pepperoni pizza. Although he doesn’t have much to say, he cherishes time with his friends. He’s happiest when getting together with his mom, dad, and four siblings.
Haley (Down syndrome) – Nicknamed “Happy Haley” for her easygoing nature, she has a black belt in karate and enjoys cheerleading, dancing, and music. She rides her horse, Maverick, every week and has participated in Special Olympics equestrian events.
Indya (Cytomegalovirus + cerebral palsy with epilepsy disorder) – This delightful, happy woman looks forward to socializing with her friends. She loves music, stickers, traveling, dancing, and her puppy, Charlie.
Jimmy (Fragile X syndrome) – A big fan of technology, he can often be found engaging with multiple devices at once. He’s quiet and reserved but loves helping out with morning chores. A whiz on a bike, he’ll average 11.5 mph on a 20-mile ride.
TJ (Autism + ADHD) – He loves the computer and numbers and is a big fan of Dr. Phil’s talk show and President Obama’s speeches. He works at a bowling alley, greeting guests with a smile and helping to keep the place clean and tidy.
Marc (Autism) – “Perseverance is so vital for a person with autism,” he says. “We have been faced with so many obstacles in our lives.” He suggests helpful ways to act around people with autism: “First of all, do not feel they are not listening. They are, but it may not appear that they are. Do not talk about them in front of them. … Try and include them. They want to feel welcomed. Behave like you would with someone else.

“Sometimes it’s hard for us to agree. We get set in our ways, and change can be difficult. You should help [people with autism] want to participate by politely encouraging them. Also, I personally like a lot of praise when I do things well. It is very rewarding. … I am enjoying being a participant at Great Prospects, hanging around people like me. I have made friends there, and the staff is very kind.”

Look forward to more stories of overcoming challenges in our upcoming article about the developmentally disabled and their many allies advocating for change.

Great Prospects welcomes highly mobile, continent young adults (21-40 or 16-40, depending on the program) who do not exhibit violent behaviors. Empowering special people is our superpower! To find out more, pleasevisit our website or call us at (770) 314-4243.

Overcoming Challenges to Independence