Creating accessible spaces starts with understanding different experiences.
Recently, Easterseals Midwest's Employment and Community Services team partnered with Kansas City Farm School to lead an interactive Accessibility and Inclusion Training Day for staff. The training focused on practical strategies for creating more welcoming experiences for people of all abilities.
To expand the experience, Easterseals Midwest invited The Whole Person to provide basic ASL training. Together, the organizations created a day of hands-on learning that encouraged curiosity, conversation, and new perspectives.
The training began with discussions about accessibility, inclusion, dignity, autonomy, and universal design. Staff explored how removing barriers is only the first step. True inclusion also means helping people feel welcomed, respected, and involved.
Participants then rotated through four interactive learning stations designed to put those ideas into practice. At one station, staff used wheelchairs, walkers, and vision impairment glasses while navigating the garden. Afterward, they discussed the barriers they encountered and identified changes that could make the space more accessible for future visitors.
Another station focused on social interactions and communication. Participants completed gardening tasks while working through communication barriers, helping them better understand challenges that some people with intellectual and developmental disabilities or autism experience in everyday settings.
Staff also learned basic ASL from The Whole Person, building communication skills they can use to create more welcoming interactions.
The day concluded with a panel discussion featuring self-advocates, who answered questions about independence, respect, accessibility, and belonging. They shared what helps them feel welcomed, what supports meaningful participation, and how organizations can create more inclusive environments.
Abigail Whitney, Employment and Community Services Director, said the training reflected the message of "Nothing About Us Without Us," placing the voices and experiences of people with disabilities at the center of the conversation.
Kansas City Farm School's commitment to accessibility aligns with its mission to connect people of all ages, ancestries, and abilities to land, food, community, and opportunity. By investing in this training, the organization is taking meaningful steps to ensure more people can fully participate in its programs.
"We are grateful to Kansas City Farm School for their commitment to creating inclusive and accessible environments where people of all ages, ancestries, and abilities can connect to land, food, community, and opportunity," Whitney said.
Strong communities are built when people listen to each other and take action together. Through partnerships like this one, Easterseals Midwest continues to help organizations strengthen accessibility and create places where everyone can participate, contribute, and belong.
