Local partnerships enhance DakotAbilities’ mission to create a warm, welcoming community

This paid piece is sponsored by DakotAbilities.

DakotAbilities’ mission statement reads: “Together, we create a warm and welcoming community enriching the lives of those we support.”

More than words on paper, DakotAbilities focuses on making its mission statement a reality by fostering partnerships within the Sioux Falls area to ensure that adults with disabilities have access to a wide range of opportunities, from recreation to employment.

“’Together’ is the key word here,” said Shelly Johnson, director of development. “Through our community partnerships, we are able to open doors for people to live their best lives.”

The goal is to develop “natural supports within our community that allow people with disabilities to participate to their fullest potential, with as few barriers as possible,” added Joe Dvorak, director of day services.

“In the 34 years I’ve been with DakotAbilities, federal policies such as the Americans With Disabilities Act have been passed. That was in 1990, which is not all that long ago.”

The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

“In our work as advocates for people with disabilities, their health, safety and welfare are our No. 1 priorities,” he said. “That includes emotional health as much as physical health. It’s great to see our business community become increasingly aware of the potential people with disabilities have as employees and customers, and acting on ways to make those things happen.”

One example is the Washington Pavilion.

“DakotAbilities’ Meaningful Day program focuses on art, music, theater, fitness, nutrition and life skills. The Pavilion’s broad variety of displays and interactive exhibits plays perfectly into those areas,” Johnson said.

Originally built as a high school in 1904, many modifications were made to the building to ensure accessibility for all ages and abilities.

“People from DakotAbilities have been coming to the Pavilion for several years. We’ve worked with them to provide a group rate and streamline our processes, making it easier and faster for their groups to check in and enjoy the exhibits and shows,” said LuAnn Wolfe, sales and membership manager at the Washington Pavilion.

“The partnership we have with them exemplifies our core values of diversity, service, creativity and collaboration. We love having people from DakotAbilities here as a part of our culture of lifelong discovery and inclusive experiences.”

Advancements in assistive technologies such as screen readers and mobility devices have improved the quality of life for people with disabilities, facilitating participation in unique and unexpected ways. In creative collaboration with the Black Hills Playhouse, DakotAbilities hosts three theatrical performances annually at Longfellow Center, home of Meaningful Day services.

Deb Workman, education director at Black Hills Playhouse, produces the plays and holds practices twice weekly for seven to eight weeks leading up to the show. The shows are open to the public and have become so popular that each show requires two performances.

“It’s standing room only,” Dvorak said. “Families and friends come to watch their loved ones perform, but not only that, donors, business leaders and legislators attend our plays. After every performance, people tell us how blown away they are; it sometimes moves people to tears. And the sense of pride and applause for the people we support is indescribable.”

In addition to weeks of practice, commitment from Workman and others at the Black Hills Playhouse includes set design and making hundreds of adaptations that enable each of the 15 actors to fulfill their roles. Ranging from audio narrations and cue prompts, each actor is encouraged and supported by both Black Hills Playhouse and DakotAbilities’ staff, making it a truly collaborative approach in helping people with disabilities reach new heights in discovering their capabilities and talents.

DakotAbilities continuously looks for ways to step up efforts to create a more inclusive and equitable society. Through relationships with employers open to making modifications, and working alongside area nonprofits to fill volunteer roles, people with disabilities are increasingly visible and contributing more to the community.

First Dakota Title serves as a wonderful example of an employer that has created a supportive environment for a person with disabilities. A person supported by DakotAbilities, Troy, has worked for the firm for 13 years.

“Troy is awesome! He’s a great worker and brings so much joy to the office,” said Chris Sweetwood, accounting supervisor and HR specialist at First Dakota Title. “We are all blessed and grateful to work with him and watch him grow. Troy can do anything he sets his mind to.”

For Troy, this job means a sense of belonging and being valued.

“I don’t work for money. I work to say thank you for the opportunity to feel accepted and important,” he said. “I work here because you said, ‘Come work for us; you can help us.’  I work here because you said ‘We want you to help us.’ No one had ever said that to me before. So I come and do what I do and maybe share a smile or two. I work here to say thank you!”

 Heidi Loof, director of residential housing, breaks down DakotAbilities’ mission in honest and simple terms.

“The people we support are contributing members of our community, and I think sometimes people forget that,” she said.

“They’re just the same as anyone else. They are making purchases, they’re working and volunteering, and befriending their neighbors. They just might need a little bit of help or modification to do it. And that’s our job, to step in and give them that little thing they need to let them live their lives the way they want to.”

To learn more about DakotAbilities, visit dakotabilities.org