Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008

Pasco woman raising awareness for The Arc

By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer

Teresa Payne wants everyone to know how important The Arc of Tri-Cities has been to her, and how vital it is for others in the community with disabilities.

"I have changed," she said of the 10 years she has been a client of The Arc. "(I have) passion for the Arc and the residents that go there. We get all kinds."

The developmentally disabled Pasco woman is using her personal story to help The Arc raise awareness about people with disabilities, and to raise money for a new building to expand programs.

The Arc has raised about $1.8 million toward the $3.6 million needed to build a 14,000-square-foot facility at the Spaulding Business Park in Richland, said Cathy Preston, The Arc's capital campaign director.

Existing facilities on Williams Boulevard in Richland are about 8,000 square feet, but with about 1,350 clients, there isn't enough recreational space and classrooms end up crowded, according to fundraising brochures.

And another 500 people are on a waiting list for services in Benton and Franklin counties, Preston said, and the only way The Arc can expand programs is with more space.

The Arc offers programs ranging from vocational skills training to children's activities. But Payne's favorite thing about The Arc is the opportunity to travel, whether it's across town to the movies or across the country to Disneyland.

Payne, who has impaired vision and slight mental retardation because of a birth defect that affected her brain development, said The Arc also has given her the chance to travel to Olympia to speak about her experiences.

She said before she came to The Arc, she didn't know how to use her voice or how to speak out about things that are important to her.

But she learned to voice her opinions and even to speak for others. She recently was appointed to serve as an advocate on the state Developmental Disabilities Council.

"I have become more politically aware of things that are happening for persons with disabilities," she said. "I'm learning how to be more effective in my community. I get to help the government decide on different disability issues."

Payne said she spent time in institutions and then foster care as a child -- often sedated and sometimes locked in a room -- because her family didn't know how to cope with her disabilities.

She now uses her voice to educate others about rights for people like her.

"What they need to know is everybody has a right," she said. "Even those with disabilities have feelings. They may show things in a different way than other people do, but they need compassion from the public, from the world."

For more information or to make a donation, call The Arc at 946-5157.