Serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, the Association for Community Living (ACL) – a grantee of the Community Foundation – is first and foremost a human rights organization, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities.
Serving Boulder and Broomfield counties, the Association for Community Living (ACL) – a grantee of the Community Foundation – is first and foremost a human rights organization, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities.
“We’re building inclusive communities through advocacy, education and support,” says Ailsa Wonnacott, Executive Director. “Our mission is to promote awareness that all people – including people with developmental disabilities – are an integral part of community life. As such, a great deal of our work is directly in the communities we serve, providing training and technical expertise to make ordinary experiences throughout our communities accessible to everyone.”
For example, ACL’s Caminando Juntos (Walking Together) program is specifically designed around the culture and values of Latino families. “The program was developed in response to the absence of culturally competent support for Latino families, which compounds the barriers already faced by Latinos with family members who have developmental disabilities,” explains Ailsa.
Through Caminando Juntos, parents learn about their rights, how to support their child with a disability, how to advocate for their child, and how to build independent living skills as their children move into adult life. Currently, more than 60 families participate in the program, which includes self-generated monthly meetings comprising multiple family members and multiple generations. Such gatherings include services and experiences like art therapy, sibling support, and education for parents – as well as food, and a warm, welcoming and safe atmosphere.
“At this point, the group creates its own newsletter, and creates community around themselves,” Ailsa says. “It’s really taken on a life of its own, with some guidance from us, as needed.
“Right now, many Latino individuals and families we serve are very nervous. We never ask about immigration status, but we’re aware that almost all of the families we serve have some family members who don’t have documents.
“One of the difficulties for this group of people is that they don’t want to make waves, and therefore suffer terrible discrimination and prejudice.”
As a result: “The other piece of work that we do is more along the lines of human rights work,” Ailsa continues. “We work with individuals who are facing injustices, whether through the long-term care system, in the public school system, or in the criminal justice system. When a dispute or other problem occurs, we’re trying to help people know and assert their rights, and amplify their voices.
“Our jails are full of people with developmental disabilities who have been accused of crimes. At the same time, people with disabilities are four to five times more likely to be victims of abuse and violence.” According to Ailsa, 83% of women with developmental disabilities, in particular, experience sexual assault.
“On both sides, whether you’re a victim or a defendant, how we deal with developmental disabilities and mental illnesses is a social problem. It’s our goal to help break down the silos that exist within systems, and to support individuals and families in creating their own good life.”
In the past year, the Community Foundation has granted more than $162K to organizations and initiatives tackling access to health care, poverty, violence prevention, mental health and more. We hope you’ll join our efforts by making a donation.
