Leonardo da Vinci once said, “The noblest joy is the pleasure of understanding.” SOAR Fox Cities, Inc. has been working hard to create more understanding about disabilities in local businesses and adult groups. SOAR’s Community Education Program is intended to provide information and education to people of all ages about disabilities. Even though SOAR has been effective in educating youth about disabilities, SOAR is now putting extra effort into making sure businesses and all adult community members have a strong understanding of disabilities.
By educating more adults about disability awareness, SOAR hopes to develop empathy in stakeholders, business owners and employees in the community. This would hopefully help move to businesses creating more welcoming environments, and possibly opening doors to employment for those who live with disabilities. SOAR’s Adult Community Education Presentations consist of a 30 minute PowerPoint discussion. During this presentation, many different disability related topics are discussed. For example, attendees will learn details about Developmental Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, respectful language, and helpful statistics. Focus is also put on attendees learning to understand the life of a parent or caregiver of someone who has a disability. Not many realize that it roughly costs an additional $17,000 per year to raise someone with Autism (cdc.gov). Businesses will also leave with an understanding of how they could benefit from focusing more on disabilities. For example, most do not know that the turnover rate for individuals with disabilities is 8%, compared to 45% for other workers (Employment First WI). Also, 87% of customers say they prefer shopping at stores and companies that employ people with disabilities (Siperstein). With more focus than ever before being put on people with disabilities being involved in the community, it is very important for community members to understand the life of someone who has a disability.
If you, your employer, or someone you know is interested in hosting a Disability Awareness Presentation, please contact Mitch Cornils, CSW at (920) 731-9831 x111 or [email protected]
