Items needed for children and adults with disabilities
Did you know March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month?
For nearly 65 years, United Rehabilitation Services (URS) has been at the forefront of providing services and programs that enhance the lives of children and adults with disabilities and other special needs. Since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, there has been considerable progress made to improve perceptions of folks with developmental disabilities to ensure they are living fulfilling lives, but there is far more yet to be done.
“We are dedicated to providing a full continuum of care that focuses on helping children and adults achieve their highest level of independence,” said Dennis G. Grant, executive director of URS.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Grant explains, his organization reimagined how to provide services safely and has taken every precaution to ensure the health and wellbeing of the clients, their families, and their staff.
“The agency repurposed classrooms and program spaces to follow social distancing guidelines, instituted strict protocols for sanitizing the center and installed extensive air filtration systems, including ultraviolet-C lamps in all HVAC
units and four commercial HEPA air filtration units to assure improved air quality throughout the center.
How it works
URS is currently operating at 40 percent capacity and is anticipating the increase very soon as more of the population is vaccinated. The agency is currently enrolling children, with and without disabilities, ages 6 weeks to 17 years, in all its programs, which are 5-star rated under Ohio’s Step up to Quality Program.
URS also provides services with a team of skilled therapists who provide physical, occupational and speech therapy and are certified in several subspecialties including therapeutic listening, VitalStim swallowing therapy and augmentative communication.
The Adult Day Services Programs offer adults the opportunity to achieve personal goals and to socially engage with others. Activities include music, art, fitness, health, self-advocacy workshops, and community outings when possible.
What’s new
The newest program is the URS Academy, which provides hands-on training for adults interested in entering the job market , preparing them for roles in the culinary, custodial, home health, secure document destruction, landscaping and commercial laundry fields. Visit www.ursdayton.org to schedule a tour to learn more about the wide array of programs for children and adults with disabilities.
What’s needed
The following supplies are most needed:
Art supplies and activities for educational kits for adults and kids at home
Construction paper, card stock. watercolor paper, colored pencils, crayons, markers, glue sticks, stickers, watercolor paints
Sensory items, like Play-doh and Play-doh toys such as rolling pins and cookie cutters, water beads, sand, shaving cream, rice, food coloring, dried beans, miniature toys like Army men and Polly Pockets, building sets and take-apart toys.
Cleaning supplies and personal care items, such as spray bottles, bleach, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizer, diapers (all sizes), wipes
Donations can be delivered by appointment only to 4710 Old Troy Pike (near Needmore Road). Contact Ashley Crawford at acrawford@ursdayton. or or (937) 853-5464 to set up an appointment. For a complete wish list, visit URS’ electronic Wish List on Amazon at https:// amzn.to/35c41bV.
Other ways to help
There are many other ways to support URS including through a monthly giving program, which allows donors to give as little as $10 a month. Visit ursdayton. org/donate.
Volunteers are needed to help with outdoor grounds work, creating activity kits for adults and children or sharing talent such as teaching art classes or music via Zoom. If you’re interested, contact Jackie Lee at jlee@ ursdayton.org or (937) 853.5433.
For more information about URS’ programs, go to ursdayton.org/services.