The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities (CCBDD) believes that everyone can benefit from a vacation away from home, opportunities to meet new people and to learn new skills, especially during the summer. While CCBDD is not a direct provider of summer programs, they do support eligible individuals and their families by helping to pay for the cost of attending a summer camp program of their choosing, whether it’s a program designed for individuals of certain abilities or a summer camp available through their local YMCA, church or community rec center. In 2018, CCBDD committed over $250,000 to assist with the cost of summer camp opportunities, and they look forward to assisting even more people in 2019!
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Driving is a huge factor of every-day life: we drive to shop, to get to work or school, to visit loved ones, and to access healthcare, among many other things. Now imagine if you were unable to rely on this mode of transportation. This is the reality for many individuals with autism transitioning into adulthood who are uninterested or unable to drive.
Learning to use other methods of transportation independently is a valuable skill for these individuals and can completely change the way in which they engage in and interact with their surrounding community (especially in a city like Cleveland, where public transportation is affordable).
The Cuyahoga County Board of Development Disabilities’ (CCBDD) Travel Training Program is available for individuals and families eligible for CCBDD services who are looking to develop the skills needed to safely navigate their community. The program provides on-foot, bus, UBER/Lyft and bike training, incorporating an initial assessment of every individual’s skills to see how to proceed with their individualized program.
“Within this thorough assessment, we are evaluating everything from how far an individual can walk without fatigue to number and landmark recognition, to phone skills, pedestrian safety, and stranger awareness,” said Community Travel Program Supervisor Mary Lombardo. “We also evaluate their street-crossing skills, knowledge of emergency procedures, and much more.”
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