The multi-purpose L.A.S.E.R. (Lighting the path to Advocacy, Support, Empowerment and Resources) one-day camp, the first hosted by Disability Advocates and Resource Center, provided about 15 young people with disabilities and their caregivers some recreation, games and social interaction while educating them about social adjustment, behavioral and independent living skills and opportunities. They also learned about the provisions and protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

“We use activities like bingo or a scavenger hunt to teach young adults about acceptable social behaviors, how to get their own apartments, fold clothing, use a computer, get into post-secondary school and find employment,” said Lisa Pase, a DARC administrator who coordinated the camp program. 

Candace Sutton, a caregiver who accompanied one of the disabled campers, a 25-year-old woman named Amanda, said the day was a big success.

“This is a huge opportunity for her to get out and be social, which she doesn’t get to do very often,” Sutton said. “She’s really enjoyed meeting new people, which is difficult for her. There is a lot to do here at River Park North, and doing it with new friends is something very special for Amanda.”

Because it can be very challenging for adults with developmental disabilities to find and pursue social outlets, Sutton said she will do what she can to keep Amanda engaged with activities arranged through DARC.

“We’re very excited that she wanted to come and is active and engaged. That’s a really big deal for Amanda,” she said.

The nonprofit DARC seeks to empower people with physical, emotional and intellectual/developmental disabilities to achieve their desired level of independence. It provides non-residential, community-based and consumer-directed services in Pitt, Beaufort and Wilson counties and works to end discrimination and segregation in education, employment and community life.

“I’ve learned that people with disabilities should not feel or be perceived as different from anyone else,” Pase said. “They need to know that they can succeed, be as independent as they choose and have a good life.”

The day at River Park North also was special for Haley Dudley and Victoria Cox, both entering freshmen at D.H. Conley High School. The two spent the day interacting with the campers and supporting the activities. They will receive community service credits for their involvement, but left with much more.

“We’re here to help others and show people with disabilities that they’re not different than everyone else,” Dudley said. “I can tell they’re all having fun by all the laughing going on here today.”

Being a teenager can sometimes feel like a disability, and Cox said she appreciated how she felt among her new friends with more visible disabilities.

“Sometimes they’re nicer than other people and they treat you like you’re normal. And that’s how you should treat them, because they are normal,” she said. “I think doing this makes me a better person.”  

In addition to advocating for the rights of people with disabilities, DARC works to educate the communities in which they live and help disabled individuals fully integrate into society, Pase said.

“As a nonprofit under the umbrella of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, we aren’t able to advertise, but we do our very best to get our message out in the public,” Pase said. “We’re behind most states in regards to access for the disabled, state funding and county services. Only 48 of the state’s 100 counties have advocacy and resource centers like ours.”

The one-day program to teach about the history of the ADA is mandated by a new five-year plan issued by the N.C. Council on Developmental Disabilities and the N.C. Statewide Independent Living Council. Its goals are to increase financial security, community living and advocacy for individuals with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. 

For more information about resources and advocacy for disabled individuals, visit Disability Advocates and Resource Center (DARC) online at www.darcnc.org or call toll-free 1-888-541-7227.

Contact Michael Abramowitz at [email protected] or 252-329-9507.

The original story ran in The Daily Reflector on August 11, 2017. (This link is no longer active.)