Page 36

20314EM

In the Spotlight WAVE: The Viable Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities Many adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities are in danger of enduring personally unfulfilled lives and of becoming socially isolated. Some have exhausted their education options at 22 years of age and are unsure of what will happen to them next. Many of them do not have a Medicaid Community Based Service Waiver (Waiver), and so their options are limited by their finances. Although 30,000 adults with developmental disabilities have a Waiver in Florida, another 25,000 citizens with a disability are on a Waiver waiting list. The average waiting period for a Waiver in Florida is seven years or more. Others, even if they have a Waiver, cannot find an appropriate or affordable social program or are on a lengthy waiting list for a program. What are these adults with disabilities to do at this point in their lives? Against this backdrop, Widening Adult Vital Experiences, Inc. (WAVE) was created in 2002 as a Florida nonprofit organization located in Tallahassee. WAVE is dedicated to providing individuals with disabilities the opportunity to pursue personal fulfillment and to be socially integrated within their community. To accomplish its goals, WAVE offers three structured, interrelated, compassionate, community based programs. The Life Skills Training Program promotes interpersonal and social skills training. Participants are encouraged to display their social and communication skills. Appropriate greetings, verbal communication, and eye contact are supported throughout the day. Appropriate social interaction is fostered through group activities such as games, group puzzle solving, and art projects. As a group, the participants plant, tend, harvest, cook, and eat vegetables grown in the WAVE Garden. Individual responsibility is nurtured by requiring participants to sign in every day, to place their belongings in a designated area, and to acknowledge and to record the monthly payment they personally hand to the instructor. Participants contribute to the activities by helping to set up and to clean up afterwards. Participants develop a sense of community ownership through their “Adopt-a-Street” community volunteer service where they walk a neighborhood street near their Program site picking up litter. Leadership skills are encouraged by having participants take turns leading the group from the Program site to the local library a few blocks away. The library reserves a section of the computer area where participants can work at their own level of skill with the assistance of the instructor, a parent, or a volunteer. The Social Activities Program provides the social interaction that allows WAVE participants to develop and maintain relationships with former classmates, friends, and community members. The activities imbue participants with a sense of belonging in their community. WAVE’s social activities are well publicized throughout the community. Depending on the activity, anywhere from 20 to 65 participants get together along with their parents, their caregivers, their friends, and guests. Social activities include bowling, movies, a trip to the Tallahassee Museum (zoo), picnics, ice cream parties, holiday celebrations, and of course, the very popular dances. Social activities are offered almost every month throughout the year. The Chorus/Music Program allows for self- By William J. DeAngelis, Ph.D., J.D. Interim Executive Director 36 AmeriDisability July/August 2017


20314EM
To see the actual publication please follow the link above