An ‘A’ for DEIA Services
Easterseals Southern California helps create accessible spaces for those who need them, especially the often-misunderstood neurodivergent population.
For Nik Sanchez, autism is a superpower in certain cases. The actor, college student and part-time retail cashier is one of many people who lent their image to a new public service campaign promoting diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility for disabled individuals that was launched by Easterseals Southern California earlier this year. Their “disability is not a dirty word” campaign highlights neurodiverse individuals on social media and traditional media.
Sanchez has had success as an actor, albeit not without difficulties breaking into the notoriously challenging industry. He pursued his passion for acting even though he had setbacks at a young age when he was singled out or bullied by kids and teachers due to mild autism and other issues. “I went to acting classes but was kicked out because I was too hyper,” said Sanchez.
“I made self-tapes that were auditions - then I got the audition for ‘The Rookie’ and ended up getting that role,” he said.
He suggests that many people mistake “disability” for a “lack of intelligence.” The local initiative strives to change that narrative, and the campaign’s impact has even led other Easterseals affiliates across the country to pick it up and promote it nationally.
The messaging has been one of many ways Easterseals Southern California supports the disabled community, thereby giving them a voice to express their challenges. It’s an additional method that the organization uses to enhance its spectrum of services and career opportunities.
Other notable programs include a disability film challenge, now in its 12th year, and in the past, Easterseals Southern California has partnered with the Sundance Film Festival to be its disability inclusion partner to create a more accessible experience. Easterseals hosted panels about the importance of authentic storytelling around disability and has also worked with other major conferences and festivals, such as South by Southwest as well as local sports teams and entertainment venues.
Working with the region’s major economic driver was hugely important. “We started working in Hollywood with different studios, streaming services and guilds to leverage the power of television and film,” said Mark Whitley, chief executive of Easterseals Southern California.
“Our work on this multimedia campaign is about giving a voice to the disability community and supporting them by using their words.
Representation has always been important, but it’s more important now than ever before,” he said. Accessibility is an important, though often overlooked, area for companies focused on DEI issues. Many companies struggle to provide equal opportunities for disabled people, and there are systemic issues that make it difficult for neurodiverse people, especially to obtain jobs and thrive in a workplace.
For example, many states allow employers to pay neurodiverse workers less than minimum wage. And, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is higher than other minority groups because many employers fear needing to make accommodations. However, research shows that companies that embrace diversity can see stronger financial performance.
“With increased exposure to our community, the hearts and the minds will change. I believe that it needs to be a combination of policies and a shift in attitude,” said Tiffany Yu, a disability advocate and author of the recently published book titled “The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World.” Yu, who lives with disabilities, had a successful career in finance before transitioning to a consulting role. She explained that another problem is that many companies don’t know how to engage the disabled community, which is why she founded Diversability as an outside resource group to provide a support system for employees and employers. She said that efforts to normalize discussions around disability, such as the Easterseals campaign, can help lead to broader systemic change.
Easterseals Expansion
Easterseals launched the awareness campaign at a time when it is expanding facilities and program offerings throughout Southern California. One of the biggest additions will bring a 17,000-square-foot treatment center for severe behavior services to its headquarters in Irvine. The space was previously occupied by an office tenant when the organization purchased the building five years ago, but that company decided to vacate at the end of its lease.
After meeting with the board, Whitley said that it was financially feasible to utilize the space internally for the severe behavioral center, and he knew that this offering would be beneficial to families in Southern California and across the western U.S. There is currently a long waiting list for services, and some families have been forced to travel to the East Coast for immediate needs. He expects the building conversion to be completed within the next year.
“It’s going to be a huge expansion of our services. We’re excited to be able to meet that need locally,” Whitley said. That expansion is one of the largest in recent years. A separate project at the Irvine headquarters will add three more speech therapy rooms and five behavioral health therapy rooms. Other facilities that were recently completed or are currently under construction across the region include a new therapy center in Torrance, a new child development center in Encinitas that opened in July and an adult day care center that recently opened in Glendora. The Glendora location was nicknamed the “Route 66 Building” because of its location on the historic highway in the former Golden Spur restaurant.
Easterseals Southern California serves the entire Southern California community spanning Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside and Ventura counties. It’s the largest disability services organization in the region and also the largest autism therapy provider. Moreover, it’s the largest of more than 70 local Easterseals affiliates by population. The Southern California organization had revenue of approximately $450 million in 2023. It employs 2,600 people in the region across 70 different sites and has hundreds of employees who work off-site for home or school visits to provide physical therapy, occupational therapy and other services.
The organization supports more than 18,000 families currently with programs in five main areas: autism services; children development and early education; employment services; living options; and adult and senior day services. It acquired its current headquarters in Irvine five years ago and constructed its flagship autism treatment center - a unique design that has been replicated with the same look and feel at 12 other SoCal locations.
“We worked with the architects to design a space that would be comfortable for families so that it doesn’t have a corporate feel or look like a medical office,” said Whitley.
The service centers offer a place where kids work with therapists to improve all types of daily needs and treatment but also serve as a place where parents and families can gather for support. It includes a play gym as well as private and group rooms for speech, occupation and physical therapy. There’s also a kitchen for people who have issues with eating or cooking.
Aside from traditional and in-home facilities, the organization just completed the 50th year of a summer camp experience. The campsite, located in Big Bear, offers children a week-long program with outdoor activities found at traditional youth summer camps. It’s a unique experience because it is fully accessible and accredited by the American Camping Association. “Acceptance and education are really important,” said Whitley. ▐
- David Nusbaum
Mark Whitley, President and CEO of Easterseals Southern California