When you build a business, programs evolve as you listen to the people and communities you serve.

Sometimes simplifying what appears on a website does not mean offering less. It means recognizing where programs naturally belong and making it easier to tailor what we offer to the people in the room.

That is what is happening with our Seniors aDAPT Program.

Seniors aDAPT is not going away. It is becoming part of our Community aDAPT Program, allowing us to continue offering disability awareness, practical teaching, tools, devices, techniques and conversations specifically tailored for seniors, caregivers and the organizations that support them.

Our Senior aDAPT Program

aDAPT stands for Disability Awareness Practical Teaching.

Are you moving slower than you used to? Got a few more aches and pains? Maybe your eyesight is starting to get blurry, or you don’t hear as well as you used to. Oh, forgetful me!

When we age, our bodies and our brains age as well. Things we have done the same way for decades may suddenly become more difficult.

That does not necessarily mean we have to stop doing them.

Sometimes we simply need a different tool, device, technique or way of accomplishing the task.

That has always been at the heart of Seniors aDAPT.

Practical information from people with lived experience

Our aDAPT presentation for seniors in Edmonton can conveniently be brought to you, your organization or your facility. Seniors aDAPT sessions can also be offered in person and virtually across Canada.

Our presenters bring lived experience around disability, changing abilities and navigating daily life differently.

By sharing our stories along with helpful tips and techniques that we use to navigate daily life, we create an insightful and informative presentation for individuals, caregivers and loved ones.

You may gain knowledge that helps you today, helps someone you know or becomes useful to you sometime in the future.

Accessibility is not only about somebody else.

Throughout our lifetime, many of us will experience changes in our abilities and may benefit from tools, technology, accommodations or different ways of doing familiar things.

What do we explore during Seniors aDAPT?

Our Seniors aDAPT presentation can introduce participants to available tools, devices and technology that can make life easier, including where to find certain items and demonstrations of how they work.

We also explore how language continues to evolve. Participants learn respectful words and phrases that promote dignity and inclusion while discussing language that may no longer be helpful.

Communication, interaction and assistance are another important part of the conversation. We demonstrate helpful ways of communicating with, interacting with and assisting people who are navigating life differently.

We show and discuss alternative techniques people use to allow for maximum independence.

We also talk about safety in the home and community and provide resources when appropriate.

One of the most important conversations is about change itself.

It can be difficult to acknowledge that our body, vision, hearing, memory, mobility or other abilities are changing as we age. When that happens, we may need to learn new ways to accomplish old tasks.

Most things are still possible. They may simply be accomplished differently, either in how we do them or in the experience they bring.

Tools, devices and techniques can make everyday life easier

Sometimes a surprisingly simple tool can make a significant difference.

Our presentations provide opportunities to learn about and explore practical aids, devices, technology and techniques that people use in everyday life.

More importantly, we talk about the why behind them.

A tool is only helpful when someone understands how it can be used and whether it works for their individual needs.

No two people age in exactly the same way. Just as no two people with the same disability necessarily need the same accommodations, no two seniors will have identical needs, abilities or preferences.

That is why we believe in providing options rather than assumptions.

Scam awareness for seniors and communities

Another presentation available through our Community aDAPT programming focuses on scam awareness for seniors.

Scams and fraud can arrive through phone calls, text messages, email, online communication and other everyday interactions. Knowing what to notice, when to question something and what steps to take before sharing information or sending money can help people make more informed decisions.

Our scam presentation creates an opportunity to talk openly about recognizing potential scams, protecting personal information and developing practical habits that can help people stop and assess a situation before responding.

This presentation can be tailored for senior groups and community organizations as part of our Community aDAPT offerings.

Why Seniors aDAPT is becoming part of Community aDAPT

As Diverse Abilities Programs Inc. continues to evolve, we are simplifying our website around three core programs: Youth aDAPT, Community aDAPT and aDAPT Workplace Inclusion.

Our IDEAL Framework of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Language and respectful communication, along with lived experience, continues to lead our programs.

Community aDAPT gives us the flexibility to meet people where they are.

A presentation for a seniors’ community may focus heavily on changing abilities, tools, devices, technology, independence and safety.

Another community group may need more information about respectful communication, interacting with and assisting people with apparent and non-apparent disabilities, accessibility or creating more usable community spaces.

Another may benefit from our scam-awareness presentation.

Rather than maintaining each of these as completely separate programs, Community aDAPT allows us to customize the conversation around the people who will actually be in the room.

Seniors aDAPT is not disappearing

Although you will no longer see Seniors aDAPT listed as a separate core program on our website, Seniors aDAPT is still available.

We are combining, not eliminating.

The tools, devices, technology, techniques, disability awareness, respectful language, independence strategies and lived experience that shaped Seniors aDAPT continue to be available through Community aDAPT.

Our presentations are usually approximately one hour or a little longer, depending on the number of people attending, the questions being asked and interest in the demonstration aids.

We want people to get curious and ask questions.

Our speakers share their knowledge, understanding and lived experience so participants can have conversations they may not otherwise know where or how to begin.

If you are looking for an aDAPT presentation for seniors in Edmonton, a presentation for caregivers or a community organization, or virtual disability awareness training across Canada, we can tailor Community aDAPT around your audience.

Growing older changes things.

Changing how we do something does not mean giving it up.

Sometimes we simply need to aDAPT.

Book a get-to-know-you call with Gina Martin to talk about a Community aDAPT presentation tailored to your group.