5 minute read
75 Years of Building Inclusion
And Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is just getting started
BY REGINA DONATO | PHOTOS BY NICK WALLACE PHOTOGRAPHY
“ALL ABILITIES. LIMITLESS POSSIBILITIES.” Not just a slogan but a guiding principle.
Founded in 1948, Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore is a local affiliate of Easterseals—a national nonprofit that provides disability services to people of all ages, including support areas serving seniors, military, and caregivers. One of the first nonprofits in the Delmarva Peninsula to help people with disabilities, this year they are celebrating a momentous milestone: 75 years of leading the way to full equity, inclusion, and access for all.
A LIFELONG PARTNER
In 2022 alone, Easterseals served more than 6,100 people with direct services and 28,800 with indirect services (like education and training) throughout their eight facilities. The scope of their programming and support services is vast. The organization is one of few that can provide care to a patient throughout their entire life—children’s therapy, adult workforce and life-skills training, and senior care just scratches the surface of the programming they provide.
“Covering the whole lifespan is critical for us,” explains Kenan Sklenar, CEO of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore. “It gives families and the individual with disabilities the ability to get services from a centralized and familiar entity. Fostering that familiarity provides an easier process for all involved and allows individuals to take advantage of multiple services at once.”
The lifelong “pipeline” of Easterseals services starts with the children’s therapy department. Depending on the needs of the child, the therapy program provides support for those with developmental delays, Autism spectrum disorders, Cerebral Palsy, sensory processing disorders, speechlanguage delays, and more, helping children of all ages still reach those important developmental milestones.
“Wherever the child is, we meet them where they are,” says Colleen Heckman, clinical coordinator of therapy services in New Castle County. “We want to walk with them on their journey. It’s hard in the beginning, families don’t always have answers or know what’s going on. A huge part of what we do is reassure those unknowns for the children and their families.”
The early stages of a child’s life are critical in shaping the way they develop in the future. Many of the children who go through the children’s therapy program then go on to participate in the services provided for adults. Heckman mentioned that one of her own patients, who she had served nearly twenty years ago, is now participating in their Intellectual Disability Services (IDS) program. The parents remembered her work with their child and thanked her. “It was so amazing and rewarding to experience that; it’s a beautiful thing that people remember the impact that Easterseals has had in their developmental journey,” she reflected.
The IDS programming at Easterseals provides a wide variety of services for adults with disabilities and creates inclusive opportunities for them as they move into adulthood. IDS programming includes several different sub-programs depending on the needs and wants of the individual/person. On one end of the spectrum, the life-skills program is for adults without employment goals but helps to grow transferable social and life skills.
On the workforce development side, the supported employment programs are split into three sub-categories: pre-vocational, group, and individual supported employment. Based on the demands of the individual, these programs range from gaining important volunteer experience, to group paid employment programs, all the way to holding a full-time job with a job coach. “The goal for the individuals we support is to allow them to become
as independent as possible in whatever life stage they’re in,” explains Stacy Montanez, IDS coordinator at Easterseals’ Dover location. “It’s vital in this line of work to have a very individualized and person-centered approach; no two people are quite the same.”
Photo courtesy of Easterseals Delaware & Maryland’s Eastern Shore
Additionally, Easterseals provides a robust senior care program; an adult day program that cultivates personal independence, community building, and life skills; and specialized memory care for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Easterseals also offers support for full-time caregivers, giving them resources, support, and a well-deserved break when they need it. “My philosophy is that we’re working with the whole family unit,” remarks Sklenar. “While the individual needs services, the family members also need support, and we strive to give that.”
For Easterseals, the goal of inclusivity for all doesn’t stop there: Camp Fairlee in Chestertown, Maryland allows the opportunity for everyone to experience true camping like so many other children. Disability can be a barrier for even the smallest of things—a child or adult who may not have previously been able to get on a zip-line or participate in sports now can— creating just another layer of equity for all in the community. “There are inherent barriers in place for individuals with disabilities,” says Sklenar. “By working together with individuals, their families, and the community, our goal is to break down those barriers.”
LOOKING FOWARD
Seventy-five years provides a lot to look back on, but focusing on the future is top-of-mind for Easterseals. The organization plans to feature the different needs being met in the community through services, culminating with their annual dinner on October 19.
“We’re taking the opportunity to stop and really recognize the hard work of everybody that came before us and made the organization what it is today,” explains Sklenar. “But we are also celebrating those of us that are here now, and how we’re going to be moving forward for the next 75-plus years. We’re just getting started. We have a lot more to do and we are up for the challenge.”
