In my quest to explore the world and seek out better opportunities for my brother, I’ve had some incredible experiences with various organizations. My journey began with Yoga for All Abilities, which has taken me to places like India, London, Croatia, and hopefully Brazil this year. After that, I participated in two skill corps tours with the Global Autism Project. One was in Rwanda, and the other took me back to India. My time in northern India left a strong impression on me; it’s inspiring to see how much better they are doing in terms of employment for people with disabilities compared to the US. You can read more about that experience in my blog post. Most recently, I traveled to the Czech Republic in October, attending a conference organized by the American Association on Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities. I started following this organization back in 2019, and it was a great opportunity to connect with others who are passionate about advocacy after the Sibling Leadership Conference. Each trip has deepened my understanding of how different cultures approach support for individuals with disabilities, and I am eager to continue this journey.
This was different than the other trips I have been on. We met with government officials, social service leaders, toured centers, university presentations, and had cultural experiences embedded throughout. We didn’t provide training. We just had to listen. Some things that stood out included the government official that consulted on disability actually had a disability. Imagine if in the US the person who oversaw social security and Medicaid actually had a disability and at one point had to use these services. Now I have no doubt the Czech people have their own thoughts on this individual. At the very least, there was a plan in writing. Not a concept of a plan.
I hope to return in the fall to provide training. During this meeting, I learned that special educators receive funding for continuing education. Sensory processing is a new concept for the Czech people, and I hope to play a role in helping educators gain a better understanding of it.
My favorite place we visited was Arpida, which is both a social service agency and a center that provides a wide range of services for individuals with disabilities throughout their lifespan. One of the yoga teachers I met there takes her son for physical therapy at this center. They offer occupational therapy (OT), physical therapy (PT), speech-language pathology (SLP), aquatic therapy, art therapy, music therapy, and hippotherapy (equine therapy), all on-site. They also have an adult day program, along with a pediatrician and a pediatric neurologist available. If I knew the language, I would have considered moving there to work.
The staff at Arpida seemed genuinely happy, which contributed to the happiness of the children—co-regulation is key. I found it amusing that the PT was conducting a stretch and relax class, yet they wouldn’t refer to it as yoga.
I will continue to look for safer alternatives for my sibling. I am not convinced that the US is the best option, especially at this time. No one has a perfect solution and no human is perfect either.
