EmPoWER Somerset to Sponsor Disability Awareness Day

By MARTIN C. BRICKETTO
STAFF WRITER

Advocates working to ensure children with disabilities have access to services will get a prime-time venue Wednesday for their efforts.

EmPoWER Somerset will host Disability Awareness Day during the Atlantic League baseball team’s game against the Long Island Ducks.

The event, which will shine a light on not only connecting children with disabilities to helpful services, but also adults, is the outgrowth of a partnership between EmPoWER Somerset, the Somerset County Department of Human Services, county freeholders and other agencies that provide services to children with disabilities and their families.

Those partners formed the Childhood Disability Coalition of Somerset County, which recently developed a resource guide for parents of children with disabilities. The guide will be available in print and online at www.childhooddisability.com, and copies will also be available during the game on Wednesday.

The issue hits close to home for Sharon Lutz, executive director of EmPoWER Somerset and co-chair of the coalition.

Lutz said she gave birth to twin girls five years ago, and one of her daughters, Marykate, was diagnosed with Rett Syndrome, a developmental disorder. The syndrome affects one in every 10,000 to 15,000 live female births, according to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation.

“It was following that and following her diagnosis at 18 months that I started to hunt for information for services for her and realized there was no complete directory of services in Somerset County,” Lutz said.

That realization prompted Lutz to approach Somerset County and other organizations about forming the coalition for children with disabilities and their parents. The county already had a coalition for adults with disabilities as well as a resource guide, Lutz said.

The coalition will have an informational table set up in the concourse area of the ballpark during the game Wednesday. All special-needs schools in the county have been offered a limited number of free tickets.

Miss NJ International Brielle LaCosta will be appearing and signing autographs. The Warren resident has worked to raise awareness about autism.

An estimated 87,000 New Jersey residents are affected by autism spectrum disorders, according to Autism NJ, Inc. Gov. Chris Christie noted that New Jersey is the number one state in the county in children diagnosed with autism (1 in every 94) as he helped kick off Autism Awareness Month on April 1 at Child’s Play Therapeutics in Warren.

Also Wednesday, students from the Watchung-based McAuley School for Exceptional Children will be singing “God Bless America” during the pregame ceremony, a sign-language interpreter will be signing the “Star Spangled Banner” and “God Bless America,” and a wheelchair race around the bases will be held between innings.

“I think it’s really important that individuals who are disabled be out front and center of the mainstream public,” said Patriots Chairman Steve Kalafer. “They’re a part of our community, a part of our families and a part of our lives.”

People with disabilities make up an estimated 6.7 percent of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population in Somerset County, according to 2008 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Additional Facts
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Disability Awareness Day.

WHEN: 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, 6/16 Somerset Patriots versus the Long Island Ducks.

WHERE: TD Bank Ballpark, 1 Patriots Park, Bridgewater.

MORE INFO: www.empowersomerset.com.