Our mission is to empower children and adults with developmental disabilities to achieve their potential based on personal choices, abilities and interests...

Westchester Arc
Herbert Katzenberg Center
121 Westmoreland Avenue
White Plains, NY 10606
(914) 949-9300
info@westchesterarc.org

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Progress and Persisting Stereotypes

A Sister's Perspective:

Abby Reuben, Westchester Arc Board of Directors

The Long Journey towards Inclusion

Life is a journey, and the journey on which my family and I have traveled is not yet complete. My brother Stuart is an integral part of that journey.

When Stuart was born in 1964 during the rubella epidemic, there was virtually no scientifically proven testing for infants born with a developmental disability and a loss of hearing. Many doctors at that time had no real answers for my parents.

The educational services were few and far between. As Stuart grew into a small child, the challenges increased. Where would he go to school? What services would he receive? Would he have any friends? Who would those friends be?

My parents became his top advocates and pushed school districts for services. They enrolled Stuart in various school programs until they found the “right fit.”

Stuart had only a few friends. Most children on our block teased him. My parents fought to enroll him in a “regular day camp,” and they succeeded! Stuart loved it there, and he even inspired one counselor to become a speech therapist. She later tutored him privately.

After settling in at school, Stuart, of course, grew into a teenager. He became a Bar Mitzvah and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house! He repeated the words of the Torah in Hebrew! Stuart couldn’t attend religious school because there were no programs for people with disabilities back then.

The next challenge became transitional services. Soon after that came the challenge of what he would do for the rest of his life. Westchester Arc tried desperately to help get Stuart a job in the community. The drawback was that he had to be interviewed, and employers wouldn’t hire him because he couldn’t speak properly. They didn’t give him much of a chance. Stuart spent several years in the workshop program. Through person-centered planning, he eventually worked for Loehmann's and Caldor’s. Now, Stuart works at the Mount Kisco recycling center.

We faced another challenge when my father died. Stuart had only one parent and sibling left.! A guardianship protocol was created, with Westchester Arc being the final option.

My mom and I went “group home shopping” and the opposition to group homes was enormous. It still is today. We became a team and attended town meetings to change people’s views.

Presently, Stuart knows everybody and everyone knows Stuart. Despite his limited speech, somehow Stuart has many friends. He lives in a group home. He uses the phone every day to call my mom and me. He joined Special Olympics and takes Club Echo vacations. Cruises are his favorites, but he also enjoys restaurants and sightseeing trips.

Recently, Stuart and my Mom gave me away at my wedding! He calls himself “the Man the Man.” He certainly is. Stuart adores his brother-in-law and his brother-in-law adores him. They are planning to go to a Mets game together.

There have been many changes since 1964, but here we are in 2007, and we still need to integrate more people with intellectual challenges into the workforce and change people’s views on group homes. Families and service organizations still need to work on their partnerships. Collaborating on the creation of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) or ISP (Individual Support Plan) is an important way to develop the strong family-provider relationships that benefit individuals with developmental disabilities. The journey continues…and my family and I are grateful for Westchester Arc.