Walton Options for Independent Living hosted its Community Celebration event Monday afternoon, commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. the Center for Disability Rights and Resources welcomed locals to tour the facility amid festive amenities such as food trucks, face painting and adaptive videogames.
The nonprofit facility, which also has offices in North Augusta and Walterboro, S.C., finds new ways to observe ADA Day every July (the act was signed into law on July 26, 1990), and has sought to go “bigger” with each annual event since opening its new building on 948 Walton Way, said Walton Options Augusta Executive Director Tiffany Clifford.
“It’s honestly the legislation that gives us the power behind all the rights that give us equality and access,” Clifford said. “We try to highlight different resources that are available to people and then invite them to come out and just network and visit.”
The Options and Resource Fair anchored the event, as visitors could explore several booths offering information on services to help persons with disabilities live independently. After gather information from the tables at the resource fair, attendees could also survey the adaptive technology lab, which features equipment for home modifications and other aids to facilitate self-driven living for disabled persons.
“We try to give people the tools to get to a goal on their own, and we give them the resources and order for them to achieve the goal,” said Independent Living Advocate Sara Hillyard. “And if the first set of resources don’t work out, then we try to provide a different set of resources.”
The Career Boost table, manned by advocate Raphael Howell, had information on the center’s program to teach youth ages 14 to 22 how to transition into adult life and the workforce.
“Our goal is to basically help them find out whether they want a secondary education, or whether they want to go directly into employment. We prepare them for that step, whichever one it is,” said Howell, noting the program’s curriculum includes everything from resume building to interview skills to financial literacy.
Jensen Jennings is an individual and systems advocacy specialist, connecting with community organizations on behalf of persons with disabilities to help meet medical, housing, transportation and other needs.
“I go into the field, I go to outreach events, talk to individuals about what we do on a large scale and how we work with other nonprofits,” said Jennings, noting examples such as coordinating with the Salvation Army to help one man, an amputee who was experiencing homeless at the time, acquire a special seat to allow him to take a shower without any aid.
The fair had a strong turnout, with visitors at each table steady through the duration of the event, said advocate Tatiana Amill, working alongside Hillyard at the Independent Living table.
“I’ve heard a lot of people asking about housing and jobs today for us at our table,” said Amill. “But we’re directing them to the other tables, too.”
For more information on Walton Options Augusta and its resources, visit www.waltonoptions.org.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
