The Arc of Southwest Alabama meets rural needs in a special way
The Arc of Southwest Alabama helps individuals with special needs lead more independent lives. (contributed)
Almost to the Chatom city line on Highway 56, behind the town sign, is the home of an organization that touches all of Washington County: The Arc of Southwest Alabama (TASA).
TASA serves 34 adults in the Washington County area. Some adults reside in the group home, while others live in the community and ride a bus to take part in the day program.
The Washington County group is one chapter in a network that serves all ages with more than 100 different diagnoses, including autism, down syndrome, fragile X syndrome and various other developmental disabilities, according to the organization’s website.
Jessica Odom, TASA director, describes the Arc as a network of chapters throughout the nation that serves people with disabilities. “Being a part of the Arc is really powerful and it gives you a louder voice in the state and the country to advocate for people with disabilities.”
Before joining The Arc network, the group was called the Educational Center for Independence, later becoming the Arc of Southwest Alabama in 2016.
The Arc’s mission is to provide a sense of freedom and independence to citizens with intellectual disabilities. Before the U.S. Supreme Court decision known as the Olmstead Act, intellectually disabled adults often spent their lives in mental health institutions. The high court decision revolutionized opportunities for adults with disabilities, opening the door to live in the community with support from organizations like TASA.
Today, TASA’s vision is to help people make independent choices about where they live, work and recreate. Odom said TASA works with individuals so they can live “as independently as possible but safely and effectively with a support staff.”
Services for clients include both day and residential treatment, positive behavior supports, specialized medical treatments and transportation.
Odom sees Chatom and Washington County as the perfect homes for TASA. Living in a tight-knit, rural community allows locals to know who the constituents of TASA are, what they do and their needs. “People know our people,” she said.
This community support was evidenced in March, when citizens banded together to raise money for the Washington County Special Olympics. The Washington County Calcutta, a competitive hunting event, raised more than $30,000 to support local adults competing in the games now and in the future.
The Washington County community comes together to support the local Special Olympics. (contributed)
Odom said the Special Olympics “really highlights the abilities of people with disabilities.” Her face lit up as she talked about how much the individuals she serves love to attend the Alabama Special Olympics. The state games in Troy give the athletes a sense of community, offering the chance to see friends and meet people just like them.
One way the community can serve TASA is being inclusive of people with disabilities. Community members who see Odom’s impact say she embodies the vision of TASA by working to create opportunities for people with disabilities.
“Jessica Odom is more than just a fierce champion who works tirelessly for the rights and well-being of adult citizens with special needs. She is a dedicated community volunteer and advocate for so many organizations in our county,” said Jessica Ross, director of the Washington County Public Library.
“From United Way to the public library, to Sunday school classrooms at church, you will find her working hard to make a positive difference in the lives of people across our community of all ages. We are fortunate to have her leadership at the TASA, and I feel personally blessed beyond measure to call her my friend,” Ross said.
Odom summed up her role with TASA and those it serves this way: “They all have my heart, and they’re each individually special in their own way, but they are just like you and me. They have the same dreams, and they want to go to the beach, and they want to go to New York City, and they want to work, and they save money to be able to buy gifts for their family, and they desire the same rights as everybody else.
“They desire to be treated the same as everybody else, and they will absolutely steal your heart.”
Jessica Criswell, a Living Democracy student at Auburn University, spent this summer living and learning in her hometown of Chatom, Alabama, as a Jean O’Connor Snyder Intern with the David Mathews Center for Civic Life. The nonprofit program, coordinated by the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Liberal Arts, prepares undergraduate college students for civic life through living-learning experiences in the summer.
