Narrative Medicine Project

Had you, this past Wednesday, walked into the multi-purpose room on the ground floor of the Hall Mercer Community Center, you’d have encountered something atypical. In the middle of the room, a group of adults who participate in the Adult Wellness Program—a day program for adults who experience some kind of disability— sit in a circle. A young woman led the group through a round robin check-in asking each group member to state their name, how they were feeling at the moment, any goals for the day, and to name someone else in the circle they could ask for help should they need it at any time during the day. After finishing the check-in, the group continued to chat about their lives, their interests, hopes, their anxieties, their fears. You might’ve been surprised. my Interviewee, not at all.

“I want people to understand that just because people have disabilities, that doesn’t mean they’re not smart. They are smart. They’re creative. They’re willing to challenge themselves, to try new things. Way more than people who haven’t been diagnosed with some disability. They’re really open, courageous and loving people.”

Some of the people in this program have participated for over a decade. The newest participant joined a few years ago. For many of them, the Adult Wellness Program is the only time they get out of the house to socialize with people who aren’t their immediate family, or caregivers.

“The last two years has been a great challenge for the program. COVID meant the program was forced to go virtual. You can tell they missed the interaction. Not everyone came back. Some people aren’t vaccinated; some people don’t want to wear or have trouble with wearing masks. It’s been an adjustment process.”

The Adult Wellness Program is entering a new phase, one with a little more emphasis on client empowerment, leaning into the unique strengths of the clients. People unfamiliar with this population might be surprised to find them facilitating their own support group. Their capable of much more than we like to think.