A Pathway to Inclusion & Steps Toward Equality Online Virtual Experience Dutton Farm, a nonprofit dedicated to seeing all people with disabilities treated with equality, announces its first-ever Celebration of Progress presented by Trion Solutions. Held on October 22 at 6:30pm and again on October 23 at 10:30am, Celebration of Progress: A Pathway to Inclusion […]
The day to day world of parenting a child with special needs can be challenging. It can be filled with appointments and meetings and sometimes a crisis of some sort. We’re forever doing research (Much easier now with the internet) trying to find new doctors, support groups, educational opportunities, etc. One thing, in my experience, […]
I have this vivid memory that comes to my mind every so often. I’m about twelve years old, sitting in church, a few rows behind an older couple with a young man sitting between them. He made gestures and noises to them during the service and they would respond. They were in service nearly every […]
In all my years of working and serving in the special needs community, I think I have seen every type of diagnosis there is. In my opinion, one of the most challenging is meeting the needs of someone with a dual diagnosis, or someone who is diagnosed with both a mental illness and cognitive impairment. […]
So Becca turns 44 this month. Was there ever a time when I wasn’t a caregiver? I remember there were times after she was born that my mind would wander to the future, trying to picture what this new life would be like. Will it be consumed with doctor appointments, tests, and treatments? Will she […]
Jenny, Becca and Michelle, with Dutton Farm, had the opportunity to travel to Atlanta for an all-expense-paid trip to receive the True Inspiration Award from Chick-Fil-A. Michelle took a few moments to capture some of her thoughts on the experience below: It was not just that they took excellent care of us, down to the […]
Having a child with Down Syndrome, I realized early on that her opportunities would be much more limited than my other typical children. But even I was unprepared for the lack of opportunity she would have as an adult. When she graduated from school there was, literally, nothing of any quality for her to do. […]
I have been a part of the special needs community for over forty years, raising a daughter with Down Syndrome, teaching classes, and running a day program. I have seen a lot of changes in those years. Our daughter was born in 1975, the same year that the Education of All Handicapped Children Act guaranteed […]
At Dutton Farm we have a unique, successful program I refer to as “Reverse Inclusion”. We invite the local elementary school students (typically fourth or fifth graders) to spend a day with us at the farm. The farmers, all adults affected by disability, walk them through a typical day at the farm. They show the […]
Because Jesus' table is accessible for everyone...
We desire to see the Church make room for all people affected by disability. To fully participate. To fully partner. To fully lead.
We exist to equip and empower the 25% of the population with a disability, their families, and their churches to become who God has created them to be.
