Accessible Programs for Adults with IDD

By: Alexis Kosinski, Humane Education Manager, Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS)

Humane Education is for everyone, but not everyone has equal access to it. Toddlers, teens, and adults are all groups we, as humane educators, heavily focus on. These groups are extremely important, and at Humane Animal Welfare Society (HAWS), we do offer programming for those age groups. However, adults with disabilities don't always have the same opportunities that neurotypical groups do, which can create feelings of estrangement from the community. Our goal is simple: create opportunities for adults with disabilities—an often underserved community—to feel a sense of purpose and belonging in our community. We guide them through community volunteering and a combination of independent tasks as well as tasks they can complete with support. It also builds relationships between neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals, breaks down barriers, and reduces feelings of isolation between the two groups.

Carly, a returning participant, spending time with a kitten.

The Basics 

Friends Helping Furends launched at HAWS in 2023 after talking with organizations who serve adults with disabilities about opportunities for their clients to get more involved in the community. One of my goals in humane education has been to make programming as accessible as possible, so this was the perfect opportunity to grow in this way. Organizations bring their clients once a month to participate at our shelter. Recurring programming is what has helped break down barriers and really get to know the clients helping us. 

Partnerships have been a crucial part of this program. The positive collaboration and open communication have created a successful environment for their clients and our pets that they’re helping. Since the participants come with an organization rather than individual sign-ups, we are able to serve large numbers, upwards of 15 people, at sessions. The partnership is essential in this sense so that there is support staff from the organization that knows the client's goals to help them complete tasks that are more difficult.  

During the first portion of this program, participants spend their time completing volunteer tasks for the shelter. They’ve completed shelter tasks such as laundry, dishes, stuffing Kongs, preparing cat Lickimats, cutting and portioning treats, landscaping, and baking treats. They’ve completed countless other miscellaneous tasks in and around the shelter; and those are just a few examples. These participants tend to be more capable than most neurotypical people will give them credit for.

Holiday posters made by a group that were then displayed on our dog kennel doors.

We also set aside time to meet some animals and learn about how to care and advocate for them. We teach them to care for a pet they may already have or want to get. This allows them to learn if the pet is a good fit, and if it’s something they can care for themselves, or if it’s a pet that’s best with shared responsibility with other household members.

Funding

The organizations that work with us often are also in need of funding, so this isn’t a program that they could pay to attend. 

We were fortunate to fund the pilot semester ourselves so we could test the program and see its impact. After that, we began applying for grants and have been extremely successful in receiving them for this program. The foundations that award us tend to continue providing these grants for us year after year. One part of the grant writing process that is appealing to foundations is the positive community partnerships. Being able to show them our work with other organizations tends to be an easier sell for foundations to fund.

The need for this program is clear in our community. What started as a partnership with one organization has grown to four. Opening our doors to adults with disabilities has been rewarding for both the participants and our staff running the program. 

A group helping with planting flowers in our Monarch Waystation.

Partner Testimonials: The Impact of the Program

“For many in our program, opportunities to contribute to their community in a purposeful way are limited. HAWS has changed that. This experience has been genuinely life-changing; our participants look forward to it each time and take great pride in the difference they are making for the animals. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the impact it has had on our adults with IDD. It truly embodies community inclusion, meaningful service, and growth.” -Staff at Journey 21

“Our clients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Autism often feel a special connection with animals but can’t always volunteer at places due to their limits in abilities, social skills, fine-motor, or other reasons. Our partnership, Friends Helping Furends, provides everyone, no matter their ability, the opportunity to work with and help animals.” -Staff at The Haase House

Bringing Communities Together

Offering this program to our local organizations has created wonderful partnerships on both ends. Our shelter is benefitting from the extra helping hands, and their clients are getting an experience to feel welcomed and valued within their community! This program’s success has pushed our Education Department in the best way possible. It goes to show that a little creativity and collaboration can make a huge impact.