Step Up For Disabilities

8/15/20-Gold Award Project Modification

Over the past 2 months, I have been continuing to volunteer with GiGi's since they closed the center temporarily, but they are doing programs remotely. I have done virtual bingo twice and also helped at the home studio of one of the volunteer physical therapists to help with one-on-one family therapy sessions. While helping to put these together, I spent a lot of time talking with Mr. Webster, Ms. Shepherd and others at GiGi's. Since these kids are unable to come to GiGi's to do their normal physical therapy, they may miss some major milestones in their development. My project has been focused on creating a large Therapy Play Unit for GiGi's Playhouse. However, since they are moving the center, the timeline for reopening GiGi's is unknown because even after schools have reopened, places that serve people with disabilities may take even longer to open because they are at a higher risk than others. The pandemic has caused GiGi's to make their therapy more mobile and allow families to borrow items and then return them once they are done with that phase of therapy. Through this pandemic, it is clear that GiGi's needs to have several smaller mobile therapy units rather than one large one. For example, the sensory panel that was part of the larger unit will need to be adjusted to be more easily transported to people's homes or to other locations that are open.I will be adjusting the single Therapy Play Unit to several mobile units. This change has the added benefit that the units can be utilized in the new space that GiGi's acquires, while still serving the community during the pandemic. I have met with my project advisor, Ms. Shepherd to discuss these changes. She is very excited about having mobile equipment to loan out to families during these challenging times. For my Gold Award Project, I will submit a Project Modification form that explains this change. Many thanks to Ms. Carson (my GS advisor) for supporting this change to my project!