Gateway’s Elevate aims to bridge the gap between transition centers and adulthood
Reaching adulthood for those with special needs often means leaving behind structured schedules for a more independent lifestyle.
That can be a daunting prospect for both the individual and their families, said Ryan Massengill, superintendent of recreation for Gateway Special Recreation Association, a consortium of local communities of which Hinsdale is a member.
“We had a push from a lot of family members that had young people that were going to be exiting out of transition that wanted more recreation that was community based,” Massengill said.
In response Gateway has announced the Sept. 9 launch of Elevate, a initiative offering five-day-a-week daytime services for adults with disabilities. Through leisure education tools, participants can learn real-life recreation skills and apply them around town.
“We decided to create our own day program, utilizing community amenities, like taking the train out of downtown Hinsdale, and using all the recreation spaces within the towns,” she explained, “not just sheltered places.”
Massengill said a staffer will provide supervision, but participants will design their own itinerary.
“The individuals will have input on what they want to do and how they want to construct their days,” she said. “(Participants) purchase their own train tickets and check themselves in at the rec center.”
Regular evaluations will ensure program goals are being met.
Gateway SRA is a collaboration of nine municipalities and park districts to provide therapeutic recreation programs for residents with special needs by contracting the services of the Ray Graham Association.
Mike Hayes, Hinsdale’s superintendent of parks recreation, said pooling resources results in more opportunities.
“If one community has one participant and another town has six people, we’re able to get the programs off the ground,” he said, noting that Hinsdale is Gateway’s second highest user group.
Hayes lauded the village’s legacy of being a “very inclusive community” and wants to make sure people know about Elevate.
“I just don’t know if people know that we have these programs,” he said. “This is a great opportunity to provide life-growing skills for people with special needs transitioning into adulthood.”
Massengill said Elevate builds on the effort to break down old boundaries.
“We’re going to go everywhere that people in the community go to. Participants are going to go out to a daytime baseball game or volunteer at other organizations,” she said. “It gives our individuals an opportunity to get some experience and acquire tools to help them figure out how to navigate society.”
And they can take group excursions.
“We’re there making sure they’re safe, but they’re with their friends and they don’t feel like their being watched,” Massengill said. “They can go out to dinner and have drinks just like we do, and order for themselves and take care of their own money.”
She families can get a respite from caregiving and gain more options for family outings.
“It’s satisfying when a parent come to me and says, ‘Thank you for showing me it’s OK to take my child bowling,” said Massengill.
Hayes said Gateway participants commonly use Hinsdale facilities like Katherine Legge Memorial Park’s platform tennis courts and disc golf course, Veeck Park for softball and the community pool for field trips.
“I think (Elevate) is going to be great for the community, and I’m excited to see it take off and grow,” he said.
Massengill encouraged families to give Elevate a try.
“You can do it for couple days out of your week,” she said. “It is a kind of therapy that really works on participants social-emotional development and is an opportunity for individuals to be part of a community within a community.”
Pricing for the program ranges from $320 to $805 per month depending on usage. Visit http://www.gatewaysra.com or email Peter Torres at [email protected] for more information.
