Inclusion Program Helps Residents With Disabilities

Jason Perry’s voice strained as he counted the number of bench presses he performed at the . One set of 10 reps was enough for this 32-year-old, who then drove his motorized wheelchair to the cable crossover machine. Perry has cerebral palsy and has been exercising at the rec center for the past two and half years.

“Sometimes I lift weights and shoot baskets,” Perry said. Mostly, he uses the exercise equipment during his 30 to 45-minute workout sessions. “It’s awesome that I get to exercise like everyone else,” he said.

Perry’s workout is possible with help from his personal attendant, who lifts the 110-pound man on and off the equipment—and the St. Louis County Inclusion Program, which makes him feel accepted. “It’s a way for me to get out of the house and be part of my community,” Perry said about the Webster program.

Broadly speaking, inclusion is when people of all abilities participate side by side in activities offered by their local parks and recreation departments. It enables children and adults with disabilities to engage in existing recreational activities—from craft classes and summer day camps to using gym equipment, like Perry—by providing them with the accommodations they need at no additional cost.

In Perry’s case, it was teaching his personal attendant how to use the exercise equipment so he, in turn, can help Perry safely exercise.

Mary Furfaro has worked with Perry since he began coming to the Webster center, and has been the mid-county inclusion coordinator for almost nine years. North and southwest St. Louis counties also have inclusion programs and coordinators. It’s the coordinators' job to make sure the welcome mat is out and the porch light is on, so to speak.

“We focus on the person first, not their disability,” Furfaro said. “For instance, I’m a person who walks, not a walking person." She ensures that people with disabilities get what they need, and that the facility is accessible. 

The inclusion process usually begins with a call from the local parks and recreation department to the local coordinator about a registrant who may need help participating in a class or activity. The city supplies the inclusion coordinator with name and telephone number of the participant and his or her parent or guardian. A meeting is then scheduled.  

“We talk about abilities as opposed to their disabilities,” Furfaro said of the face-to-face meeting, during which a detailed, two-page recreational assessment is completed. “I like doing the assessment with them instead of them filling it out on their own beforehand,” she said. “It gives me a sense of knowledge and needs about the family and individual, and I can ask questions on the spot. It’s more personable that way. It also gives me a chance to establish trust with them.”

After the assessment is reviewed and other necessary information is obtained, Furfaro determines what support service is needed.

Support can include modifying the class activity, changing the staff-to-student ratio and, when necessary, supplying a support person to accompany the participant during the activity. Several children with autism who are enrolled in the inclusion program have support persons who shadow and help them. Personal care services are not provided, however.

Matching a participant with a support person can take time. Furfaro first looks at recreational staff within the host city, and then widens her options, if necessary. The support person can be a teacher or maybe an adult friend, trained by Furfaro, and then temporarily hired the host city. Host cities in the mid-county region include Webster Groves, Brentwood, Clayton, Maryland Heights and University City. 

When possible, independent participation is the goal.

Since the program was established, children and adults with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and epilepsy have participated in local recreational programs, events and day camps. While summer day camps and swimming classes are most popular with children having disabilities, adults with disabilities tend to take painting classes, water aerobics and exercise classes.

The program has helped persons young and old with disabilities by bolstering their self-esteem, teaching them skills, and providing socialization and a sense of community for them, according to Furfaro.

It’s done more for Perry. “It makes me feel better about myself,” he said.

While inclusive services are free to residents, there are costs involved with the program. They are borne by the individual cities as well as an annual grant from the Productive Living Board for St. Louis County Citizen with Developmental Disabilities. The board is supported by a property tax levy that passed in 1979.

Despite a reduction in their revenues, the Productive Living Board is committed to the inclusive services program. “It is a very important program that is well established and has a good track record of performance,” Joyce Prage, the board's executive director, said. “Their funding is secure.”

And that makes Perry happy. “This program helps my body, my mind and my spirit,” he said.

For more information about the mid-county inclusion program, contact Mary Furfaro at 314-505-8607.