Winter Weather Impacting Services For Those With Disabilities

These freezing-cold temperatures make it exhausting for lots of people to get out and about, however for individuals with mental disabilities, they depend on assist for meals, work, and social interplay.

At A New Leaf, residents with developmental disabilities depend on employees to get to and from work and for issues like groceries, and dangerous climate could make these journeys a lot tougher. On a freezing chilly January day, Katy Lew is staying heat inside her Owasso dwelling, cozy subsequent to her Valentine’s tree, and discovering methods to move the time.

Piece by piece, Katy has the outlines of a 1000-piece puzzle began. She lives on the Village by means of the nonprofit A New leaf— which serves individuals with developmental disabilities in Green nation. The Village in Owasso is a part of the nonprofit and is dwelling to 62 individuals with disabilities providing ranges of assisted dwelling.

“It’s fantastic– it reminds me of like a resort living here,” mentioned Katy.

But for individuals with disabilities that want further assist, this climate makes it troublesome.

“Our staff is working incredibly hard to make sure they’re getting to work, ” said Maranda Figueroa. “There’s no working from home for our staff.”

Chief Development Officer Maranda Figueroa mentioned their shoppers depend upon assist from employees. They additionally take their shoppers in vans to and from their jobs so it’s necessary for social interplay too. A New Leaf additionally goes door to door to assist individuals at dwelling. When it’s harmful exterior, that turns into troublesome.

“Making sure our clients are staying safe not okay from the elements but slips, trips, and falls all those components as well,” mentioned Maranda.

“The sleet is worse because a lot of people have to get to work,” said Katy. “We can’t do that we have to be safe.”

Maranda mentioned she needs individuals to think about the 90,000 individuals in Oklahoma dwelling with developmental disabilities throughout chilly snaps like these. At A New Leaf, employees are doing all the pieces they’ll to see their shoppers proceed to flourish.

“Get to know us,” said Katy. “We’re great people to know.”

A New Leaf mentioned their shoppers take care of limitations in each a part of their lives and the state wants extra assets for individuals with disabilities.