Disabled Adults
At Bear Givers, we pride ourselves on bringing joy and the gift of giving to people all over the world, in all walks of life, and because of this we notice an abundance of organizations and services available for children and young adults with disabilities. However, there is often a lack of services and organizations for adults with disabilities. In honor of this often forgotten group, we want to shed some light on some of the incredible organizations that can specifically help adults with disabilities!
Before we start, it’s important to ensure we make sure that disabled people who have put their voice forward are heard first and foremost. When researching this topic, this blog post was incredibly touching, and an important read for everyone. The voices of disabled adults are coming forward now more than ever, gaining traction with large organizations like the LA Times. For example, this article highlights how one disabled woman, Dr. Marie Flores has experienced intrusive questions, and a lack of respect that is shocking. The reality is, disabled women are faced with intrusive and hurtful questions like “Can you get pregnant?” all the time, and are often encouraged to not go through with pregnancies. According to Dr. Flores, many of her patients are actually quite enthusiastic, and feel well prepared to raise a disabled child. This is only one type of discrimination that adults with disabilities face, and why it is ever more important to support adults with disabilities. While uncommon, and maybe even uncomfortable to think about, hearing their voices and understanding what adults with disabilities need means listening to everything they have to say.
Now we would love to highlight organizations that are specifically targeted towards adults with disabilities!
No business is too small! Mother daughter duo, Sophia and Rebecca opened a selfie studio that focuses on making all kinds of people comfortable. Sophia is on the Autism spectrum, and took her love for selfies to the next level by opening her selfie studio for people just like herself! Employing people with special needs and ensuring there is an open and safe space for people with all disabilities is what makes her business stand out.
Mentoring programs for people with disabilities are abundant for children and young adults however, less often we see mentoring for adults. You’re with Us!, is a mentoring program that is expanding their programs for those who would typically age out of young adult programs.
3. Let’s not discount national organizations like the Special Olympics! While they may not have local chapters you can physically go to- they do offer virtual resources for adult exercises, and training specifically designed for adults with disabilities.
4. The Arc of the United States, is a national organization that has multiple local chapters and offers some incredible resources for people of all ages! From employment assistance, tutoring, and even travel assistance, they can help adults with disabilities maneuver real world experiences.
5. One of the nonprofits we are proud to work with consistently, the Friendship Circle, has also compiled a great list of nonprofits to know here! (most of these offer great resources for adults)
6. Make sure to check out some of our past blogs that also offer some incredible resources for people of all ages with disabilities!
We are also proud to know that we service not just children with disabilities but young adults and adults as well! Although we partner with multiple schools and pediatric hospitals, we understand adults sometimes need a teddy bear too, as the stress and hardships that we face when we are young don't always end when we grow up after all. It's important to remember that children with disabilities grow up, and when they age out of programs and schools that help them, we need to be ready to offer them the support and understanding they need. Please let us know of any other nonprofits dedicated to helping adults with disabilities in the comments below!