Special Abilities of North Texas (SANT) has provided day programs and support for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) since 1993. Its mission is to provide the highest quality care, training, and support to help adults with developmental disabilities reach their full potential and live full, meaningful lives.
Each day, SANT serves an average of 70 participants, known as Adults Creating Excellence (ACEs), with more than 100 actively enrolled and a waiting list of over 80 individuals. In 2025, SANT is on track to provide over 100,000 hours of services.
SANT services include:
• Ongoing education and skill-building
• Community inclusion activities
• Creative arts
• Health and fitness programs
• Medical and personal care support
• Volunteer and pre-vocational opportunities
The Need:
ACEs who attend SANT live with a wide range of developmental disabilities, including autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other conditions affecting mobility, communication, cognition, and sensory processing. Many use wheelchairs or other mobility devices that require adaptive desks and seating to remain comfortable and engaged throughout the day.
Classrooms are currently furnished with a mix of donated folding tables and chairs that are not ADA compliant. While functional in a traditional sense, these pieces are not designed for the accessibility, flexibility, and durability needed in a classroom environment serving adults with diverse physical and sensory needs. Desks and chairs that are not fully wheelchair-friendly or easily reconfigurable, limit the program's ability to adapt spaces for group projects, individualized instruction, and activities that require open floor space.
Grant funding would be used for the purchase and setup of ADA compliant, adaptive furniture that meets the diverse physical and sensory needs of SANT's adult clients with developmental disabilities.
Timeline: The adaptive furniture will be ordered / purchased as soon as District DDF funds have been received.
Club Member Involvement: Club members will help unload, unpack and assemble the furniture.
|