Rutland Nursing Home's Young Adult Division held our first Disability Pride Day Event with our residents, in the ballroom. After welcoming all of the residents that participated, we explained the origins of Disability Pride Month and the meanings of the different colors in the Disability Pride flag. With fun and inspirational music playing in the background, the residents rotated through each of the therapeutic stations, as they transformed into Superheroes!
Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. It marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, landmark legislation that broke down barriers to inclusion in society. But barriers still exist, which is why we need to honor every kind of disability, the people who identify with them, and the wide range of supports they need to thrive.
The Child Life Specialists worked with the residents helping them color the Disability Pride flag, as well as helping them make paper superheroes. The Drama Therapy team helped the residents create and decorate masks, the Recreation Therapy team then worked on creating their super capes with their names, and then they finished at the Art Therapy Station, where they made amazing and empowering shirts, using fun stencil designs to celebrate Disability Pride. Once they made their full superhero transformation, they used their superpowers to maneuver an obstacle course that was set up for them to display their super skills! The Massage Therapist and Reiki Practitioner helped the residents have some tranquility and peaceful experiences. The event ended with one of the pediatric residents, along with the help of our Drama Therapist, Art Therapist and Recreation Therapist, put on a puppet show performance of You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.
Staff involved:
Child Life Specialist - Maureen Lovetro
Recreation Therapist - Gwendolyn Jones
Art Therapist - Jesseca Grossman
Art therapist - Emma Worpole
Drama Therapist - Jun Deng
Drama Therapist - Eve Price
Music Therapist - Andrew Wong
Music Therapist - Stephanie Schecter
Reiki Practitioner - Machi Tantillo
Massage Therapist - Omar Martinez
