FACTS AND RESEARCH

"As a physician, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of recreational activities for children with disabilities, such as gymnastics, swimming, theater, music, art, and summer camp. These services are critical to improving the health, self-confidence, coordination, social skills, and self- advocacy for people with developmental disabilities. Raising a child with special needs is extremely expensive and any funding from the regional centers is extremely helpful."

Dr. Shravya Govindappagari

Restoring Social-Rec Will Help Reduce Racial Disparities

There are system-wide dramatic disparities in services with Hispanics, blacks, and Asians generally receiving between half to two-thirds as much as whites.

A part of these disparities were caused by the elimination of funding for social-rec programs and camp. These are programs that low-income families cannot afford to pay on their own so they relied on regional center funding.

Without question, restoring funding for camp and social-recreational programs will benefit underserved and reduce the disparities that have plagued their communities for decades.

"I am a Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant and work with special needs and disabled children. I have seen my patients thrive when they’re engaged in activities horseback riding, camp, swimming, gymnastics, and other recreational programs. Over the past few years I have watched these programs get cut and what was once an enriched meaningful life, dwindle before my eyes. These programs offer a sense of community, safety and family, they offer support to families. You take away a part of their world, when you take away these programs."

Jennifer DeRoss, COTA

Los Angeles