Tempe is promoting its disability services for residents as it celebrates Disability Awareness Month this October.
Rosa Inchausti, the diversity manager for the city of Tempe, said the city plans to promote the month with a banner across Mill Avenue as well as to promote the city’s efforts to accommodate disabled residents.
Tempe officials have produced an Access Tempe disability resource guide, which Inchausti said is meant to educate Tempe residents and visitors about the city’s efforts to be accessible to those with disabilities.
Inchausti said she shared the city’s view about including disabled residents in the community.
“They may be a minority, perhaps, but they are still of value in our community. It has always been a value that Tempe has held itself to,” Inchausti said. “Let them know, your differences are accepted here, your differences are valued, but our similarities overshadow any differences.”
Tempe’s recreation department has developed ways to include people with disabilities, including yoga and dance classes for the disabled.
Josh Bell, an adapted recreation coordinator for Tempe, said it is important to the city to provide a service to disabled community members that allows them to participate in leisure activities.
“Recreational activities are important to offer to all members of the community because it helps give them an overall sense of wellness outside of work and their daily lives,” he said. “We’re sort of targeting that niche and making sure they are served as well.”
Tempe’s Adapted Recreation Program hosts events for those with disabilities including monthly dances, Friday bingo and game nights.
The program also offers the Life Skill Enrichment After School Program (LEAP) for teens in special education at five high schools in the Tempe Union High School District.
The goal of the after-school program was to improve mental aptitude, social skills and promote interaction through participation in a variety of activities including board games, arts and crafts and other physical activities, Bell said.
During June and July, Bustoz Elementary School hosts a summer day camp for those with developmental disabilities between 5 and 22 years old.
The camp offers its participants the chance to play games and go on field trips.
Bell praised the unified sports programs like Buddy Bowling, which brings people with disabilities together with those without.
“Programs like these can help break down that social divide and allows every member to interact with each other,” she said.
Tempe has recently made changes to parking codes in order to benefit those who have disabilities, said Karl Stephens, the Americans with Disabilities Act compliance specialist for Tempe.
Tempe already offers free parking to vehicles that have a valid disabled license plate or placard, however, officials are also considering changes that would enforce the parking codes, making it illegal to block disabled-access parking, as well as curb ramps.
Another code under consideration would increase the time allowed for unloading and loading a person with a disability to 15 minutes.
“Tempe prides itself on making itself accessible to people with all ability levels,” Bell said.
Reach the reporter at michelle.parks@asu.edu.
