IDAHO SPRINGS | Vanessa D. felt her cheeks tingle as she held on tight and tried to maneuver a shrill, whirring drill called the “widow maker.” The 19th-century tool gets its name from the unlucky men who operated it during the gold rush and subsequently died from illnesses related to inhaling so much dust.
But the trip to the historic Argo Mine in Idaho Springs seemed to bring a thrill to the 23-year-old Aurora resident, one of 12 participants in the city’s therapeutic recreation program for people with developmental and physical disabilities.
“We have to get you a 10-year pin,” said Albert Cardoza, a recreation assistant with the program, who said that Vanessa wasn’t so excited about the trips when she first joined nearly a decade ago.
She laughed and told him to go right ahead.
“She didn’t want to work with anybody. She was there because her parents made her go,” he said. “Now we have a brother-sister relationship. We like to get on each other’s nerves. Just seeing her initially not wanting to be there, really annoyed, not wanting to talk to anyone to where she is now. We talk with her parents and they’re always thanking us.”
The year-round program, which started in 1979 at a local Aurora elementary school, operates four days a week and provides a group of at least 13 participants with a range of activities Monday through Thursday, and the cost is minimal, usually ranging from $26 to $29 per trip with the opportunity for scholarships.
Participants must go through an intake process to be accepted into the program, Cardoza said.
He said the interview ascertains whether the participant is independent enough to travel in a vehicle, as well as their comfort level traveling with others.
Cardoza said that for some participants, the program is the only time they leave their parents’ side. He pointed to Gregory D., a 14-year-old with autism who was new to the program.
“This was the first time he had left their sight,” he said of the teen’s parents. “You could tell his father was really nervous.”
The program is so small, Cardoza said, because each participant is picked up and dropped off at their home. It has proven popular enough to have a rotating lottery of 35 people, according to city staff.
“The transportation for this population is the hard part,” said James Wallis, who chaperones the group along with Cardoza. “A lot of people in this population lead a sedentary lifestyle. It’s a lot of sitting at home and watching TV.”
The summer session, which started in June and lasts 11 weeks, includes a trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, seeing a Rockies game, and a tour of the Denver Center for Performing Arts. The group even takes rafting trips with the National Sports Center for the Disabled.
According to the American Association of People with Disabilities, adults with disabilities are twice as likely as those without disabilities to have inadequate transportation. Of the nearly 2 million people with disabilities who never leave their homes, 560,000 never leave home because of transportation difficulties.
The participants range from 14 to 40 years old. Many have been taking part in activities for decades, Wallis said.
“That’s what’s really unique with this program. There’s not really much turnover,” he said.
He said since the program is for ages 14 and older, it is particularly geared to individuals who may no longer be provided any sort of daily structure otherwise.
“Especially when they get out of high school, the routine can becomes sedentary. We provide a wide variety of activities that allow participants to work on social, cognitive and,physical skills,” he said.
Nancy Kiernan, program supervisor, said people can enroll in the program any time, even though there is limited space for each activity.
For enrollment information, call 303-326-8410.