Breaking Barriers

At some point in life, nearly everyone will experience living with a disability. According to the CDC, one in four Americans is currently living with a disability, yet despite its prevalence, our society still has a long way to go toward full inclusion. True inclusion benefits not only individuals with disabilities but also their families, employers, communities, and society as a whole. The Jewish community is committed to fostering inclusion in all aspects of Jewish life, ensuring that people with disabilities are fully embraced and empowered. Through programs, advocacy, and community-wide efforts, Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) and Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta strive to create a culture where everyone can participate, contribute, and belong.

Independent living can involve lounging time on the couch.

Understanding the Basics

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a disability as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This encompasses physical problems from cancer and cerebral palsy to diabetes and heart disease, as well as mental challenges like autism, ADHD, PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder. Disabilities prevent people from doing major life activities like walking, thinking, reading, and even the operation of major bodily functions. Disability is a spectrum, and support needs vary from person to person.

The model of care for adults with disabilities has shifted over the years: it was initially a charitable model, which saw people with disabilities as charity, and then moved to the medical model, which saw disabilities as diagnoses to be treated. Now, the approach is moving toward what disability advocates have been championing for years: the social model.

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“People with disabilities don’t need to be ‘fixed,’” explains Amy Murphy. Murphy is the Director of JAccess, the disability inclusion initiative within the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. “It’s the environment that needs to be fixed. It’s not about meeting basic needs, like feeding people, it’s going further and asking ‘are they thriving? Are they living the life that they want?’”

Supporting people with disabilities live the lives they desire starts with integrating people into the community with the least amount of restrictions as possible, because “the things that are important to people without disabilities are the same things that are important to people with disabilities,” says Murphy. “When people with disabilities have the opportunity to take on socially valued roles—such as being an employee, a sibling, a partner, or a parent—and to experience ordinary aspects of life like cooking dinner, going shopping, and accessing healthcare and exercising autonomy, their quality of life improves significantly.”

Inclusion in the Community

Specialized services like the Intellectual & Developmental Disability Services (IDDS) at JF&CS, which include the Community Access Group (CAG) at IndependenceWORKS, the Zimmerman-Horowitz Independent Living Program (Z-H ILP), and Supported Employment, are examples of truly inclusive programs that help individuals thrive.

Todd is pictured at the State Capitol.

“We’re not just keeping people safe,” says Abby Lail-Frantz, Community Advocacy Manager in IDDS. “They’re also healthy, engaged, and enriched.”
Community integration is a big focus of the program, and participants have regular outings at least once a week and up to five times a week. Outings are decided on by participants and leadership together and vary widely: in the last few months, the group has seen “Fiddler on the Roof,” attended a Gwinnett Stripers baseball game, visited several local parks, strolled around the mall, and even checked out the cultural phenomenon of a Buc-ee’s convenience store.

The community is also invited to contribute to the program. Artists donate their time to teach through the Artist Collective, tailoring their instruction and mediums to the abilities of the participants. The Schoenbaum Shinshinim (Israeli teen ambassadors) are involved —“I don’t know of any other community access group that has students coming all the way from Israel to spend time with them,” says Lail-Frantz —and recent special guests have included professionals from the Center for Puppetry Arts and the Israeli Consulate General.

Inclusion at Home

Equally important to how adults with disabilities spend their days is, of course, where they call home. Residential group homes give clients the ability to have typical experiences like shopping and preparing their food, eating along with their community of roommates and Direct Support Professionals (DSPs), and creating their own space.

Carla enjoys her time on the waterfront.

David is a client of the Z-H ILP. He is 29 and lives with cerebral palsy. Prior to his living arrangement now, he was in a host home where he was safe, says his mom, Renee, but not thriving.

“He is an intelligent person, and he was growing very frustrated by the lack of stimulation,” she says. “He got so severely depressed that he wasn’t walking, wasn’t talking. I brought him back home and retired to be able to care for him.”

Renee didn’t feel ready to stop working, and despite her best efforts she knew she wasn’t able to meet David’s needs for stimulation or his physical needs. “I try to stay healthy, but I’m 62 and I’m physically not able to care for him and his physical disability like I once could,” she says. She and her family longed for

David to have a thriving life, and she wanted to return to the work she loved as a special education teacher. When Jen Keir, Director of IDDS Services at JF&CS, called Renee to invite David to live in one of the residential homes, “I just burst into tears,” says Renee. “Between the house and the Community Access Group, it’s everything to him, and us.”

“I lived at a host home before,” says David, “and here (at the group home) I can decorate my own room and have my own room the way I like it and have my own bathroom. It feels like it’s mine. I hang out with my friends, we come home and watch TV.”

“It’s his, it’s his address, he has a key—it’s a simple thing, but I’m telling you, it makes a huge difference,” says Renee. “He takes ownership, does his laundry, does his chores, packs his lunch. He gets the support he needs, but the (DSPs) work hard to make him independent, and that independence gives them so much pride.”

Building a Full Life

That pride is what spurs people on to live the lives they desire, says Murphy. “We want to progress people, continuing to build skills and be part of the community. It’s also about families raising their expectations of their loved one, and that person raising their expectation of themselves. It’s really about choice and control and expressing what that individual wants for their life. Yes, they have disabilities, but they still have human needs for intimacy and contact and people.”

JJ is pictured on his bicycle.

Lail-Frantz has seen this firsthand in the CAG. “This year, we’ve seen more of our clients developing romantic relationships with one another than we’ve ever seen,” she says. “We’re now at a point where people are feeling comfortable and empowered enough to explore romance.”

David has been dating his girlfriend, Lauren, for several months. “He’s a very good boyfriend,” she says. They enjoy going out to the movies (David is a movie buff and also works part-time at a theater), creating art together and going out to dinner.

“I like spending time with you,” David tells Lauren. She smiles and blushes a little.

“We love it here (at the CAG),” says Lauren. “We enjoy being here with all the amazing staff and also getting to hang out and socialize. Everyone makes me feel included, and I can have friends and be myself.”

David nods. “I didn’t feel as included before (IDDS at JF&CS). It’s made me happier.”

Inclusion Project members create art in the La Dee Da studio.

The Future of Inclusion

While programs like these are integral, another vital part of inclusion is advancing people beyond them. “We want to help people build skills and move on to employment or volunteer work, where maybe you come to a Community Access Group once a week but also do other things in the community,” says Murphy.

“Community and society are made up of all different people, who all contribute.”

Supported employment is another key part of integration. The service connects businesses with adults with disabilities. This connection is not only about accommodation, but helps businesses foster a culture of equity, respect and empowerment, benefiting the business as much as the client.

“Individuals with disabilities offer employers a unique blend of skills, experiences, and perspectives that can enhance innovation, problem-solving, team dynamics, and overall business success,” says Lillian Gibson, Director of Supported Employment at JF&CS. “Embracing diversity in the workplace leads to richer ideas, stronger employee engagement, and a more inclusive culture that benefits everyone.”

Additionally, supported employment breaks down barriers to employment, fostering independence and greatly improving quality of life for IDD adults. Without it, “there are broader economic, social, and ethical consequences for society,” says Gibson. “Supported employment services play a crucial role in creating a more inclusive and equitable world, ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to society.”

Inclusion Project members are pictured at Pelican Pete’s Tiki Bar.

What It Takes to Change

Advocacy work from the State Capitol to the community is important, as is managing and planning these programs, but the dedicated individuals who staff the programs are boots-on-the-ground. It’s important for agencies like JF&CS to continue leading the way with investing in DSPs and valuing their contributions, both to the individuals they work with and their operations as a whole. DSPs are there for everyday triumphs and support, and while their work is often behind the scenes, they’re making a massive impact.

“It takes a certain skill set to support a person with a disability,” says Murphy. “You need to be empathetic, respect autonomy and choice, and uphold human rights while empowering clients rather than doing things for them. It’s essential to recognize that even if someone is non-speaking, they are still communicating, understanding, and expressing themselves. It takes a dedicated and motivated person to do this work.”

The Tasting Experience Choir performed a medley of songs during The Tasting Experience last year.

Get Involved

It’s not too late to be part of The Tasting Experience (from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., May 1, at The Stave Room). Sponsorship packages, which include tickets, are available at thetastingexperience.org, but if you cannot attend, an amazing silent auction is available to the public through the same link. The event is an easy way for the greater community to experience a living example of what Lail-Frantz, Murphy, and disability advocates hope to see on a larger scale in the future.

“The event not only financially supports our program, but it’s another way we respect our vision of letting adults be adults,” says Lail-Frantz. “Our participants look forward to enjoying a glass of wine and some high-end food, getting dressed up, mingling; these are things adults really like, and having a disability doesn’t set you apart from that.”

JF&CS IDDS clients are involved behind the scenes, too. The art they make through the Artist Collective is part of the silent auction, and they also perform in The Tasting Choir, which is comprised of CAG staff and participants. “We’re really looking forward to The Tasting Experience because we get to sing in front of a bunch of people,” says Lauren. “It makes us feel proud of ourselves, like we’ve accomplished something.”

Murphy says getting involved is not complicated, but will require open-mindedness. “I suggest people start with raising their own expectations of people with disabilities, and learning more about this community,” she says.

Much can also be done by simply starting where you are. “If you’re a business owner, you can offer a work placement,” she says. This also goes for schools, synagogues, community spaces, workplaces—we can all make strides toward inclusion.

“Disability is a human experience,” concludes Murphy. “Chances are we will all become disabled as we get older, and some people have disability earlier in life. No matter when it happens, the question is: what can we all offer? Are we all valued for the contributions we bring to society?”