McFarland, Wisconsin—The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities (WI-BPDD) has awarded the McFarland School District a 2024-25 Sparks grant to create connections to the community and increase inclusion for people with disabilities.
Sparks grants provide people with disabilities with more social and meaningful connections, help organizations understand how to offer and implement more inclusive programs, and, ultimately, encourage community members to get to know someone with a disability and improve overall attitudes about people with disabilities. Sparks grants are small grants of $500 to $5,000 funded by the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities.
The McFarland School District and McFarland Recreation, Aquatic, and Play will spend the next year establishing a local advisory board for people with disabilities, their families, and the community to develop more social opportunities. The board will provide input on existing recreational activities to make them more welcoming and accessible. They will also create a more accessible brochure, website, and registration process to benefit all community members. Finally, the board will explore more activities for children under three years old and adults over 18.
“We’re excited to work with the community to make our recreational activities more accessible to people with disabilities of all ages. When you make things inclusive for people with disabilities, it makes things easier for everyone,” said Stu Schaefer of McFarland Recreation, Aquatics, and Play.
Ultimately, the project will result in more programming for all community members, access to accessible equipment, and an easier registration process. Community members will be involved from beginning to end to ensure the activities meet the community’s needs.
“People with disabilities have a lot to offer their communities, but they don’t feel included. These grants are meant to find intentional ways for individuals and organizations to facilitate better connections,” said Beth Swedeen, BPDD Executive Director. “These projects will put in motion opportunities for people with disabilities and the larger community to get to know each other and discover they have a lot in common.”
The Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities is charged under the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act with advocacy, capacity building, and systems change to improve self-determination, independence, productivity, and integration and inclusion in all facets of community life for people with developmental disabilities. More information can be found at https://wi-bpdd.org/index.
