There are some really good programs in LA that cater to include disabled people in the community and treat them with love and compassion. But every once in a while you come across a bad apple and I'm going to take this time to share that experience. We participated in their Saturday program for four years, and all of a sudden with little to no notice were kicked out. I have a 24 yr old sibling who attended. No action plan, were asked to have an aide come with and we agreed; but then as if they expected us to not have obliged to their request, changed their tune and ended our participation with the program. It was sneaky and underhanded. And that's the vibe I received from the administrator all along but we didn't have much interaction with her so I basically ignored the red flags that popped up early on. (Some superficial reasons were given by the administrator for not being able to partake in their camp, but we brushed it off.) Because we wanted to attend the Saturday program. You'd think after close to five years they would have been more nurturing or caring of the participant. But nah. Very little regard or care from LUCY whom was the program manager. Nothing was ever done to try to work with us or try to come up with an action plan. Nothing that basically said 'hey we want to try to make this work'. It's really sad when a place that is meant to treat those with intellectual disabilities with respect and like a human being, actually treats you like less than dirt. It's a sad irony, and one day when whoever reads this YOU HAVE TO DO BETTER. That's it. No malice. No insults. Just be better, act better, and live up to what you preach. Even if you have to give someone bad news, do so with compassion and love. We got a text message with a very short cold message, because apparently we weren't even worth a phone call. This after attending for four years. No regard for the person or how they would feel. We experienced the *opposite* of your mission statement: here you go just in case you need a reminder....
The mission of ARC is to promote the welfare, protection, education, and advancement of individuals with developmental disabilities. It is designed to assess the ability and potential of each person; develop and implement a regimen of activities to help them achieve their full potential for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual growth and development. read more