By Laura Hurt
A Place for All
Have you ever considered how often our “day of rest” is really quite active? Golf, tennis, pickleball, baseball and softball, swimming – the list goes on. These leisure time activities offer a welcome respite from the daily grind, and they give us a chance to renew body, mind and spirit, as well as to connect with our kids, family and friends.
Our friends and neighbors with disabilities also long for the relaxation, fun and friendship these kinds of activities offer. Luckily, there's a vibrant array of local groups across the tri-state area dedicated to providing just these kinds of opportunities for people with disabilities.
Special Olympics is the most widely known inclusion effort nationwide. It provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, promoting physical fitness, courage, joy and friendship within families and communities. Akin to Special Olympics is Paralympics. The main difference between the two is that Paralympics focuses on individuals with physical disabilities, while Special Olympics specifically showcases those with intellectual disabilities. Evansville even has its own Paralympic gold medalist: Mikaela Jenkins won gold in the 100-meter women’s butterfly and in the women's 4×100-meter medley relay swimming competitions at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.
Closer to home, initiatives like Buddy Ball and the Highland Challenger League give kids with disabilities the opportunity to play baseball, fostering a sense of belonging and joy. These programs create spaces where people of all abilities thrive. The Highland Challenger League immerses kids in sports, teaching teamwork, discipline and self-confidence. It's a testament to the fact that inclusion isn't just about providing opportunities; it's about enriching lives.
Organizations like the Beautiful Lives Project, spearheaded by Bryce Weiler, exemplify God’s call to support those in need. Through immersive events, project leaders combat isolation within the disabled community and advocate for deeper conversations about integration into the workforce. Adult residents of Jacob’s Village, an organization dedicated to providing housing and support services for adults with disabilities, regularly participate in Beautiful Lives Project events, and children from the Highland Challenger League often join in these activities. This spring, Beautiful Lives Project participants had the unique opportunity to play basketball with the men’s and women’s University of Evansville basketball teams. An event scheduled for this summer will see individuals with disabilities playing baseball alongside Evansville Otters players at Bosse Field. These initiatives not only empower individuals but also challenge societal norms, foster genuine connections among individuals of all abilities, and offer valuable volunteer opportunities for the broader community to engage and learn.
And what of those whose physical disabilities prevent them from engaging in the sports discussed here? Our friends with disabilities enjoy concerts, plays, karaoke, visits to museums or the zoo and much more. The heart of the matter is clear: there are myriad ways for people with disabilities to engage in all kinds of activities, fostering not only physical well-being but also social and emotional fulfillment. In these inclusive spaces, volunteers and others without disabilities have the opportunity to enrich their own lives while supporting others.
Let's heed the call to embrace inclusion wholeheartedly. In doing so, we'll discover that the benefits are mutual, transcending differences and nurturing a spirit of unity that enriches us all.
Laura Hurt is the Development Director at Jacob's Village in Evansville and serves as a Parish Liaison for disability ministry for Holy Rosary Parish in Evansville.