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Organizations are making an effort to become more inclusive for those with disabilities.
Imagine being told that you could no longer attend church service because your son snaps his fingers and makes loud noises during the sermon. Or checking out at the grocery store and your daughter starts to have a fit because the sound of the scanning beeps triggers her sensitivities.
Going to church or the grocery store are typically a part of family life that is taken for granted. However, it can be challenging for families with special needs children.
According to the Center for Disease Control, about one in six American children aged three to 17 has one or more developmental disabilities that can cause impairment in physical ability, learning, language or behavior. Chronic conditions like Autism, ADD and Down’s Syndrome typically impact daily functioning such as social interactions, communication and the ability to take care of oneself.
“Our families impacted by disabilities need someone to help open the doors, so they have the opportunity to participate in our community,” says Lauren Askew, a Board Certified and Licensed Behavior Analyst and Founder of FAVE (Facilitating Awareness and Valuable Experiences at fave.solutions).
She and her colleague Andrea Mascitelli, FAVE’s Director of Applied Research and Inclusion Advisor, recently conducted a survey examining all ability inclusion in our community. Over 30 percent of families reported they had never been to a movie together or spent a Saturday morning cheering on their brothers and sisters at a rec league game.
“The families want to be engaged with their community, but they don’t feel wanted or welcomed,” says Askew.
Those who have sensory stimulation issues and are triggered by certain noises like beeping or flashing lights find outings to stores, restaurants and places for recreation overstimulating. It isn’t that organizations want to turn away those who are differently abled. They are operating the way they know how to serve the majority of people.
Often, employees do not know how to communicate with differently-abled customers, and businesses do not know how to train employees to enhance communication and safety practices to enable inclusion. Disability inclusion requires adequate policies and practices that create an environment where those with disabilities can participate in roles similar to non-disabled peers.
“The company has the awareness to recognize a barrier to all ability inclusion in their business, the knowledge to evaluate how to reduce the barrier, and the tools to accommodate for all abilities. The company also realizes how valuable is it to open its doors to a large but overlooked demographic.”
FAVE provides training, consultation, tools and marketing to help businesses, community organizations and government agencies understand and meet the needs of those impacted by disabilities. FAVE individualized a training program for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office with the support of Sheriff Partin and Captain Haug. Sheriff Partin is leading an innovative partnership with Travis Akins and the Growth Through Opportunity (GTO) Program that provides adults with disabilities eight weeks of vocational skills training within first responder departments. Domino’s Franchises with BB&C Enterprises and New River Valley Pizza have incorporated FAVE’s orientation training across 17 stores in Southwest Virginia and West Virginia. Domino’s offers gluten-free options and has a few locations with community rooms that offer quieter environments for the dine-in experience.
“We bridge the gap between the families and the businesses, organizations, and government agencies within our community,” says Askew. “We give a voice to families, service providers and individuals impacted by disabilities and see them as more than a cause; rather, as welcomed and valuable members of our community, as customers in our businesses and citizens in our region.”
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