Having a supportive community is crucial for adults with disabilities to feel empowered, loved, and accepted. This can make a world of difference in their lives, and enable them to gain confidence, seek more opportunities, and have an overall better quality of life. If you are wondering how you could contribute to creating a supportive community for adults with disabilities, Delta Center is here to help and provide resources. To help you find outlets to get involved, here are four ways that you can make a difference in the lives of adults with disabilities—
Help Advocate
Self-advocacy is a wonderful way for individuals with disabilities to make sure they are treated equally and receive the right kind of support, but not everyone with a disability is able to advocate for themself. When this is the case, having someone in their corner who can help them advocate for themselves and empower them can make a world of difference. This may include helping someone make calls and get the necessary information they need, attending meetings and appointments with them, and promoting their autonomy in everyday life. Being an advocate for someone with a disability who requires assistance can significantly add to their support system, and help ensure that they have everything they need.
Donate and Share Your Time
You have most likely considered donating money to charities to make a difference, but have you ever thought about donating your time? This can take a number of forms, including volunteering at organizations or centers for individuals with disabilities, spending quality time getting to know them for who they are, learning to follow their lead, and so much more. If you are looking for ways to donate your time, there are always volunteering opportunities and ways to get involved. Having a disability can sometimes be isolating for many individuals, and having someone present to speak with or share experiences can make a huge difference.
Open Up Opportunities
One of the best ways to make a difference for adults with disabilities is to open up opportunities for them to reach their goals. Things like work and community engagement had previously been thought of as impossible for individuals with disabilities, but the world has changed, and with the right opportunities, these individuals can do anything. If you are an employer, for example, setting up programs or avenues through which adults with disabilities can be hired and work can provide a new sense of purpose and autonomy. If you are in the position to do so in any organization you are involved with, consider creating opportunities for adults with disabilities to get involved, and make sure these avenues are as accessible as possible.
Educate Yourself
An important part of being an ally of individuals with disabilities is learning as much as you can about different types of disabilities, how they can affect people, what discrimination can look like, and the barriers people may face. Not only will this help you better understand how to make a difference for people with disabilities, but it will also take the responsibility of educating you off of the disabled community. Educating yourself fosters empathy and understanding, both of which will help you find the best ways to make a difference.
Creating a community that supports adults with disabilities can make a huge difference. No matter what kind of support you are able to provide, you are helping to make the world a more accepting and accessible place for people with disabilities. If you are looking to get involved, Delta Center is always looking for contributions and volunteers to help make our extensive support programs for adults with disabilities even better. If you are interested in volunteering or contributing with Delta Center, visit our How You Can Help page here.