Since 1987, Jocelyn Steele has performed countless shows with SPHERE, a Ridgefield-based organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of adults with disabilities through education, recreation, and the arts. Jocelyn’s favorite part about performing is sharing the experience with others. “I have the talent to get other young adults with special needs to show their talent,” says Jocelyn.
The organization was formed in 1987 by Jocelyn’s parents, Christine and Michael Steele, and other parents who also had children with disabilities. The goal was to help adults with disabilities socialize with one another and other community members. “They needed something to do where they could get to know people and have normal socialization like you and I do,” Christine says.
Today SPHERE is one of many organizations in Fairfield County with services and programs geared toward helping adults with disabilities live more complete and integrated lives.
A Period of Transition
Children with intellectual or developmental disabilities receive services through their local schools but many of these are no longer offered when they enter adulthood. “On your 22nd birthday, those things go away, so if you don’t have a solidified transition plan in place and ready to go, you hit this cliff where you go from really great services that happened in the school districts to nothing,” says Carrie O’Connell Davidson, Director of Programs and Services at Ability Beyond, a nonprofit that works with people with disabilities.
During this period agencies and community programs become vital. Ability Beyond works with more than 3,000 people with disabilities across Fairfield County, elsewhere in Connecticut, and New York. The agency’s programs include job training, residential living, and a variety of supplemental services.
Davidson advises parents and caregivers to treat this transition like a college search. “When your child is thinking of going to college, you tour different campuses and look into programs that fit their needs,” she says. “You should do the same with a child with a disability.”
Finding Employment
One important way for a person with disabilities to adjust to adult life is to find meaningful employment.
STAR, Inc. (STAR), a Norwalk-based nonprofit founded in 1952, has many programs geared towards helping adults with disabilities including employment supports, transportation, residential services, volunteer opportunities, and recreational services. Based in Norwalk, STAR also serves clients from Wilton, Westport, Weston, New Canaan, and Darien. They are one of the few agencies in the state with employees certified in Customized Employment for people with intellectual disabilities. “It’s matching an individual’s skillsets to fulfill a meaningful, real job need at a company,” says Peter Saverine, Director of Philanthropy at STAR “None of us want to be in a job where we’re not interested in what we’re doing. If somebody really loves cars, we have found them jobs in car dealerships. Maybe it’s polishing cars or helping with the paperwork and filing, but they’re in the presence of something they like.”
Saverine first learned about STAR as a manager at a local store. “I found the STAR employees came to work very enthusiastically. They’re energetic, they really want to do a good job,” he says. “Over the years, I’ve always employed some people with these unique abilities, and I found it really raised the level of productivity and morale for the whole company. Other employees and your customers really embrace these individuals, protect them and want to see them thrive. It’s all about inclusion and acceptance in the workplace.”
Ability Beyond also offers many services aimed at helping clients find meaningful employment and provides consulting nationally for corporations who are looking to incorporate disability hiring into their diversity plans. One misconception Ability Beyond often needs to address is that hiring these individuals is more than charity, “It’s an improved experience for your entire workspace by hiring people with disabilities,” says Jane Davis, President & CEO at Ability Beyond. “I think employers are often surprised by how positive the experience is for their whole team, their company, and themselves.”
Recreation and Independence
Obtaining independence as an adult with a disability is about more than just working. That’s why nonprofits also offer a variety of recreational and social activities such as field trips, music, and art classes. SPHERE offers a membership program that provides people with disabilities the chance to pursue different classes in the arts.
“Not every member can work,” says Lori Berisford, President and Board Chair of SPHERE. “For some of our members it’s their only form of socialization, so it’s very much a family atmosphere and there’s a lot of joy in all our programs.”
SPHERE members recently presented a wonderful production of The Greatest Showman at the Ridgefield Playhouse that provided a perfect example of what people with disabilities can do when given a chance.
Christine Steele, Joceyln’s mother and founder of SPHERE, says that SPHERE was founded with this goal in mind and she encourages other parents and caregivers to seek out similar services and advocate for their children’s success. “Don’t cave into the administration or whoever is telling you that they can’t possibly get independence, they can,” she says. “You’d be amazed. I’ve seen people that didn’t have language skills and did not feel comfortable on stage. Now they can’t wait to get on stage.” •
