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Accessibility in the Community: One Family's Story
Sometimes the difference between living a meaningful, connected life in the community is as simple as having physical access to a site or activity.
Sometimes it takes a parent speaking up about her desire for her family member with a disability to experience what people without disabilities experience, with no thought or effort, on a daily basis.
And sometimes a parent speaking up about inaccessibility can mean that others who didn't have the courage or knowledge about how to do so can then enjoy the fruits of those labors.
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“We Are Getting There!” by Karen West
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Having a gorgeous daughter that happens to be in a wheelchair and weigh 80 pounds can be quite challenging when it comes to social events and activities. Sometimes just going to the grocery store has to be put off, all because it's impossible to get a few groceries and push a wheelchair at the same time.
I wonder how many times that's happened to others before?
After a letter to the corporate office, this store now has 100 brand new hand held baskets at the entrance. We are getting there!
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One wonderful asset in our community has been the Greenway. For those who have never experienced one, a Greenway is a linear park and trail system that connects neighborhoods to schools, shopping areas, offices, recreation areas and other community areas of activity. The important thing is Greenways provide ALL citizens with barrier-free access to natural resources and recreational opportunities.
Our Greenway is a nice paved walkway located by a beautiful creek. It runs on a mostly flat land surface making it easy for pushing my girl around while the breeze blows in her face.
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It is a small, accessible activity my family never takes for granted. We are getting there!
My sweet daughter never had a wheelchair accessible playground to play on locally. We would travel all the way to downtown Nashville just to go to Lily's Garden, a gorgeous playground that’s accessible to ALL individuals. Now, here in my town of Gallatin, we are getting our very first playground built for children with disabilities. We are getting there!
If we all work together, as the human race, we might just be able to create an equal access environment for people of ALL abilities.
We will get there!
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Thank you to Karen West for sharing her family story!
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(pictured above: Tabitha West, Karen West, Micheal West and Bradley VanZant)
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Question of the Month
Are there innovative or exciting ways your community is working to increase access for ALL members of the community and helping all community members, with and without disabilities, participate in community life?
Let us know - we want to hear from you.
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TN Supporting Families Team News
The Council is currently collaborating with Vanderbilt Kennedy Center on creating a Supporting Families “Tennessee Kindred Stories of Disability”, a collection of family profiles that illustrate how families who aren't able to access formal disability services can utilize community resources and natural supports to help their family member thrive. These stories will also inform professionals and policymakers about how families are piecing together supports and what supports are most useful.
The Council's next issue of our magazine "Breaking Ground" features a full version of the story we shared in last month's e-newsletter about a teenager named Wesley who wanted to work and how his family helped him find and keep a job at a local ice cream shop, Menchie's. If you subscribe to Breaking Ground, you should receive the publication via email or mail very soon - if you'd like to subscribe to this free publication, email tnddc@tn.gov!
Finally, check out the recent archived Supporting Families national webinar featuring DIDD's Laura (Doutre) Vegas talking about TN's efforts to improve the "front door to services" for families.
Stay tuned for more details about recent and upcoming Supporting Families activities!
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What is the Supporting Families project?
The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities and Tennessee Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities are the state leaders of the Supporting Families Community of Practice in TN. The purpose of this initiative is to evaluate how Tennessee is doing in providing support to families who have a family member with developmental disabilities. This grant is funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Visit the Supporting Families website to learn more! You can also read Building a National Agenda for Supporting Families with a Member with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Connect via email or social media with the national Community of Practice to stay updated on national news regarding this project.
At any time, if you have questions about this project, would like to schedule a presentation about this initiative, or have suggestions about future activities we might pursue, please let us know at emma.shouse@tn.gov or 615-253-5368.
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Need information about
disability resources in your community?
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