Reimagining Independence for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
I give to Everas Community Services, an organization that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities as well as sensory impairments through residential programs and day services. This organization has exposed me to new possibilities and broadened my understanding of disability. Before my encounters with the staff and clients at Everas, my perception of what life is like for an adult with disabilities was narrow and skewed. Society all too often stigmatizes disabilities, suggesting that differences are deficits, rather than simply differences. We make assumptions about the quality and value of individuals before we know anything about them, and this is an unfortunate habit we as people need to break.
Everas Community Services believes in abilities, and more importantly in possibilities. They provide specialized supports for individuals with varying degrees of disabilities so that these individuals can live with dignity amongst their peers. In addition to residential programs, Everas provides access to Day Services so that individuals facing barriers to employment and other opportunities gain access to the supports they need to flourish at work and in the community. They are committed to the people they support, and dedicated to a larger mission of striving for inclusion.
At Everas, care, quality, and respect are principles that guide every decision, every initiative, and every employee. I am inspired by Everas to give back because every individual has the right to live a meaningful life of purpose. At Everas, they seek first what a person can do, before prescribing labels that are limiting and often untrue. This organization ensures each client lives with the dignity and respect every human being deserves. Everas has motivated me to encourage others to reimagine what independence means for individuals with disabilities, and challenge perceptions. Their compassionate example inspires me to give of myself and I hope you will as well.
To learn more about Everas, visit www.everas.org.
Review from #MyGivingStory