VIDEO: Arc in the Park

By: Chad Groening

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- A Northeast Mississippi organization wants the public to know that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are able to do many of the things everybody else can do.

Arc in the Park is a day of activities highlighting the work of the Arc of Northeast Mississippi. It’s an advocacy organization that advocates for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

“Today’s event is a disability public awareness event. It’s to invite everyone to come and join us. We all have disabilities. We are all volunteering. We’re putting this on for our public celebrating our abilities as opposed to our disabilities,” says Cheryl Falzone.

Falzone has a rare ailment similiar to MS that makes it difficult for her to walk for long periods of time. Many people with disabilities have mobility problems, and that is why the American Red Cross is partnering with the Arc to talk about fire safety.

“We realize that some of the people who are here may be unable to just to leave a home without assistance. We also try to tell people that fire is the number one disaster the American Red Cross goes to. So it’s a process of education. The other thing is we also have smoke alarm program,” says  Joe Lukas.

The Arc has other partners, including the Tupelo based Regional Rehabilition Center.

“We provide physical therapy, occupation therapy, speech therapy early intevention services and also dyslexia services. We do it all free of charge,” Robby Parman.

The special wheel chairs we showed you earlier were provided by the Tupelo Luncheon Civitan.

“Our major focus is working with the developmentally disabled. And so the wheel chair races is just kind of a way that we can provide service to the folks that are really disabled.”

State Senator Chad McMahan has helped obtain state block grants for organizations like the Arc, because he feels they provide important services to the community.

“I really do champion the disabled because you know at any moment any of us could become disabled and I’m so glad that there’s an infrastructure in a place and an organization like the Arc that are there to help people rebuild their lives and go on and have productive lives even though they may be disabled,” says McMahan.

Jeff Strickland of Tupelo is really sold on the Arc.

“The ARC is a program that is for the mentally challenged and everybody that wants to come out and if you don’t know how to draw you can always come to Arc and they teach you how. And I tell you one thing, there’s always a program out here for the mentally challenged so you know that they will help you out if you will let them. There’s always help out there anywhere if people will ask for it and receive it,” says Strickland.

Strickland is a big Tupelo Golden Wave baseball fan and was on hand when they won the 6-A state championship in Pearl.

According to the Arc of Mississippi, one out of every ten families in America has a member with an intellectual and developmental disability.

Categories: Local News

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