In reading this week's chapter in Forces for Good and in assessing one of the local charities to which my group was assigned, I was able to see the congruence between Crutchfield and Grant's statements about adaptation and how a local organization has effectively mastered that art.
The Franziska Racker Centers provide programming for individuals with disabilities. In reading about their history, I found that they organization originally began as part of a Cerebral Palsy Association, serving children who were affected by that disability. Now, many years later, the organization has programs for individuals throughout the lifespan, including early-intervention programs for young children and social programs for older adults. Not only has the programming had to adapt to a changing environment, but the mindset and approach of the organization has as well. For example, one of the current trends in work with people with disabilities is that of "person-first" language, where one refers to the individual's human-ness before his/her disability. Although it may appear to be about semantics, ie. "the girl with blindness" instead of "blind girl," this language affects a changed mentality about individuals with disabilities and, consequently changes the approaches to serving those individuals.
I think the most difficult thing about mastering the art of adaptation is to really understand environmental changes and to champion a change that staff members and volunteers can really be on board with and commit to.
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