On Saturday mornings once a month, members of the Dayton Ohio East Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather for a disability activity program. They have had a morning of games, a pancake breakfast, seasonal activities and dances.
Disability activity leaders are there as well as youth counselors. Jolene Towers’ daughter Taylor, who is 30 years old but developmentally around the age of 2, attends.
“She’s very sweet,” Towers said about her daughter. “She’s very sensitive to people’s needs around her, and she feels how they’re feeling.”
The Church-suggested disability activity program has been needed, Towers said. Families which have children with special needs or disabilities can struggle with not feeling included in the Church.
“They are dealing with behaviors, and it’s just hard,” Towers said. “And so I’m hoping that this [shows] people, ‘Oh, our Church is trying to do something specifically for our special needs kids. They are recognizing them and they’re trying to do something that’s just for them.’”
Scott Orme has been called as a disability activity leader for the Dayton East stake, which is the agent stake for three stakes participating in the program. “We are hoping the more we do this, the more the word gets out, that we’ll have more people come,” he said.
His son Martin Orme, who has intellectual disabilities but is high functioning and going to college, attends the monthly activities and enjoys the variety of offerings. He also has suggested ideas for future monthly activities.
“I’m more verbal than the others, thanks to my mom here. So I kind of feel like I’m the most mature of the group,” Martin Orme said.
His mom, Angela Orme, said it can be difficult when a child receives a diagnosis. “I took a lot of peace from the gospel and the knowledge that I have that this life isn’t all there is, and that whatever limitations or disabilities there are, the spirit within these kids is perfect.”
The disability activity program “gives them a place where they can be themselves with people who believe in them,” she said.
Besides Ohio, the Church News also learned about disability activity programs in Utah, Arizona and Nevada — what’s working, what they are learning, how youth counselors are involved and how the program ministers to the one like the Savior did.
What is the disability activity program?
Section 38.8.28.5 of the Church’s General Handbook explains, “When needed to meet the needs of adult members with intellectual disabilities, a ward, group of wards, stake or group of stakes may organize a disability activity program. This program supplements ministering, Sunday Church services and activities in the local unit.”
This program typically serves individuals ages 18 and older. While every effort should be made to integrate members under 18 into their wards and stakes, leaders may provide supplemental activities for youth beginning in the year they turn 12.
When multiple stakes participate, the area presidency assigns an agent stake president to oversee it, the handbook explains. A high councilor may also be assigned to assist with needs for members with disabilities.
Disability activity leaders are called and set apart under the direction of the agent bishop or agent stake president to plan and carry out the disability activity program. They consult with ward and stake disability specialists (see section 38.8.28.9) to invite members with disabilities to participate and counsel together about how to meet those members’ needs.
“Disability activity programs are organized to help participants develop spiritually, socially, physically and intellectually (see Luke 2:52). Leaders determine the frequency of activities. They consider the number of participants, travel distances and other circumstances,” the handbook says.
Leaders serving those of any age with disabilities and adults who help with activities complete the training at ProtectingChildren.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Additional safety requirements for leaders are found at Activities for Members with Disabilities on the Church’s website.
Arizona
Chris Walker serves as the disability specialist on the coordinating council for stakes in Gilbert and Queen Creek, Arizona. Working with the host high councilors, Walker oversees five different disability activity programs serving between 250 to 300 individuals in 29 stakes.
More than just activities, Walker said, these programs need priesthood direction and oversight. Ministering takes place for the youth counselors and adult leaders and especially for families of individuals with disabilities.
“You have people that come back to church [after] their families have gotten less active because of how hard it is when you have a disability in the family,” Walker said.
Walker said through the disability activity program, stake and ward leaders are focused on “the one,” just as the Savior taught. While this may not be the right time for a disability activity program in someone’s area, as they keep working with their leaders, the time could come in the future, he said.
“Every time we have a disability activity program activity, you walk into the building and it’s an overwhelming feeling,” he said.
In neighboring Mesa, Arizona, Rochelle Ray is a disability activity leader for the East Mesa disability activity program, which includes 40 participants from four stakes. Because of their numbers and resources, they can have weekly activities such as interactive games in groups or individual projects for small motor skills.
At the end of one school year, a youth counselor shared his testimony of his experience with the disability activity program.
“He said, ‘I should have been a participant. But in my experience serving as a youth counselor, I have learned so much, and I have come outside my shell enough to know that I want to now serve a mission,’” Ray said. “And that’s where he’s right now. He’s serving a service mission.”
Some parents stay at the meetinghouse during the activity, while others use the time to do things like get groceries or go on a date with their spouse.
“These participants are loved beyond measure. They are accepted, they are welcomed, they are celebrated, and their life has changed because they have something to look forward to,” Ray said. “They are making friendships. They are learning new skills. They’re trying things that are hard. And they get a chance to get outside of their home, which doesn’t happen for most adults with special needs.”
Nevada
Las Vegas Nevada Skye Canyon Stake President Marc R. McRae has a son with special needs, and people react in different ways when they meet him. President McRae said he believes more youth should have the opportunity to be around others with intellectual or physical disabilities.
He also knows many individuals with disabilities who love God and want to serve Him — not just to participate in activities but to contribute and be a part of the Church.
“Therefore, if you have desires to serve God, you are called to the work,” said President McRae, quoting from Doctrine and Covenants 4:3. “There are those that are able to understand the weight of a calling, accept a calling and then actually serve.”
This isn’t just a program for its own sake, “this is part of building the kingdom,” added Jeff Sorensen, who is a high councilor in the Skye Canyon stake and a disability activity leader. The stake is the agent stake for six stakes in the program. Right now they meet monthly, with the different wards rotating as host.
The word is spreading, Sorensen said, and people ask him how they can get involved or called to the program because of what they have seen. Many times the participants are reluctant to leave after an activity because they want to linger in “that beautiful spirit of togetherness and Christlike love.”
President McRae said he knows now more than ever to focus on those who are “the one,” go after them and see what they need. The Church has a social structure and culture which gathers in groups. “Why would we not have a group for individuals with similar circumstances where they can gather together and find strength in one another?”
Utah
When Karen Leavitt was called to be a disability activity leader in the Draper Utah River View Stake, she was nervous — but that changed when she got to know each individual.
Around 70 people come each Thursday night from multiple surrounding units. They range in age from 14 to 68 years old.
“I love them. I call it my two hours in heaven every week because these are God’s angels on earth,” Leavitt said.
Their activities have included roadshows, karaoke nights, carnivals, Olympic games, etiquette night, dances, life skills, budgeting and simple baking.
Youth counselors attend each week and are like buddies for the participants. One autistic young man named Davis likes to run, often bolting for the door. His youth counselor or buddy ran around the building with him each week because he knew he needed to stay with him. Now Davis sits and participates in the activity with his buddy because his buddy is so invested, Leavitt said.
“We’ve had youth counselors testify how it has changed them — that they weren’t where they were a year ago where they are now because of this program. So that’s another amazing benefit to this calling,” Leavitt said.
It took two years, but the participants learned to sing “Disciple of Christ,” which was the 2024 youth theme song. The father of a young man with autism came one night and heard the song.
“As he was leaving that night, he just shared how he felt the Spirit through that song. And for him, he never expected it. It was just like, ‘That’s what they are. They are the angels here on Earth to help us,’” Leavitt said.
— Madeline Miles contributed to this story.
