A special report about Adults who have intellectual disabilities-Time for a vacation (Part One)

People with Developmental Disabilities WORK

Klamath Falls, OR— A wish for Adults who have intellectual disabilities-Time for a vacation

An intellectual disability (formerly termed mental retardation) is a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior that affects many everyday social and practical skills. An individual is generally diagnosed as having an intellectual disability when:

(1) the person's intellectual functioning level (IQ) is below 70-75; (2) the person has significant limitations in adaptive skill areas as expressed in conceptual, social, and practical skills; and (3) the disability originated before the age of 18.5 "Adaptive skill areas" refer to basic skills needed for everyday life. They include communication, self-care, home living, social skills, leisure, health and safety, self-direction, functional academics (reading, writing, basic math), and work. Individuals with severe intellectual disabilities are more likely to have additional limitations than persons with milder intellectual disabilities.

An estimated 2.5 million Americans have an intellectual disability. The majority of adults with an intellectual disability are either unemployed or underemployed, despite their ability, desire, and willingness to engage in meaningful work in the community.

These individuals with intellectual disabilities have low incomes. Where they go to work programs to do mundane jobs (check out the video from above here ) with very little pay that only allows individuals with intellectual disabilities to afford small snacks and minimal local outings. They even do volunteer work just to be good people of society.

But the question comes to mind who is going to pay for these vacations? It takes them several years just to save a few hundred dollars on their small incomes.

Maybe someone could come up with a GoFundMe fundraiser account with a wish for Vacationing With Disabilities and how to pay for it by gathering donations with that purpose in mind. And then these individuals with intellectual disabilities could afford to go on vacations like the rest of us do, but through the generous donations from others to help them achieve that goal.

Where the donations would go towards sending these individuals with intellectual disabilities on a vacation of their choice with a person of their choice. Anything is possible with hard work and a clear understanding of how this all could be organized and who would be in charge to oversee it and their background and experience in the field of dealing with and understanding individuals with intellectual disabilities.

By individuals with intellectual disabilities telling their stories, with their hopes and dreams like the rest of us have without intellectual disabilities. So we can get to know each of these individuals with intellectual disabilities a little better and then want to do what we can to help to give those who are less fortunate than we are a chance to experience the world like we do every day.

Many of these individuals do not have a long life expectancy so there would be a chance for an individual with this goal or wish in mind could start such a fundraiser. And not just be a wish but a dream and reality come true like with the possibilities as a start mentioned below: