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From Outlook 2004 Report |
| Visionaries |
| Changing
the Future one idea at a time |
Enabling the
Disabled to Serve
By Cindy
Wagner
How one singer uses his celebrity to shine a spotlight on society's
unmet needs--and on new ways to meet them.
People with
disabilities are traditionally thought of only as potential recipients for volunteer
services, but the goal of The Bubel/Aiken Foundation is to change people's minds. The new
organization, founded by singer Clay Aiken, 25, is on a mission to promote a more
inclusive society, supporting programs and work environments that integrate disabled and
nondisabled individuals.
One particular area in which Aiken is promoting greater integration is
in the volunteer sector, suggesting that the disabled community is a largely untapped
resource of energy and talent for community work.
At a recent awards ceremony honoring congressional leaders for their
support of youth initiatives, Aiken's foundation awarded scholarships to five young people
demonstrating their commitment to improving the future of their communities.
One scholarship recipient was 18-year-old Jean Hartman, who already has
a long history of volunteer service despite having a learning disability.
|
Singer Clay Aiken
"It is important that I make a difference in some way. It's not necessarily how I
make a difference, but I want to make sure that I do." |
One of her projects was to organize a team of volunteers--other young people with
disabilities--to build a wheelchair ramp for an elderly neighbor who had lost the use of
her legs.
|
"It is people like Jean who inspire me," said Aiken, whose
work toward his special-education degree led to his foundation's launch in summer
2003--during a nationwide concert tour with fellow American Idol contestants.
"It is awesome to watch you achieve so much success," Hartman
said, introducing Aiken to the audience. "The real measure of a man is how well they
use their abilities to help others and to make a difference in their communities."
For more information, contact The Bubel/Aiken Foundation, Web site www.thebubelaikenfoundation.org/
Additional
photographs:
Promoting Inclusion, Volunteerism
|
Clay Aiken, founder of The Bubel/Aiken
Foundation, visits a TBAF-supported summer camp to announce a fundraising partnership with
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.
|
Less than a year after its founding in July 2003, The Bubel/Aiken
Foundation (TBAF) had already awarded several Able to Serve grants to promote the
volunteer work of young people with disabilities.
For instance, a teenager with cerebral palsy received a grant to buy a
wheelchair-accessible swing for a local playground. And an eight-year-old with bipolar
disorder was awarded for work with a Learn and Earn program enabling students to hold
part-time jobs.
Another recent TBAF initiative is the experimental Camp Gonzo program
developed for YMCA summer camps to enable children with disabilities to participate at the
same camps as nondisabled kids. ("Gonzo" was Aiken's nickname when he served as
a Y camp counselor.) The Foundation helps the Y meet the costs of providing specially
trained counselors and nurses.
"My ultimate goal is for this Foundation to really make an
impact," says Aiken, who had planned to become a teacher and school administrator
before entering the American Idol competition that launched his singing career.
"I hope this Foundation has a much longer shelf life than I do."
|
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