2025 Annual Report - SPACE Manteca Event
2025 Annual Report - SPACE Manteca Event
SPACE Spanish Speaking Families Resource Fair
Last spring, DRC Strategic Partnerships and Community Engagement (SPACE) Unit hosted an all-Spanish-speaking resource fair for children and families of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD.) The event, Preparándonos para el futuro de nuestras familias, or Preparing for the Future of Our Families, was a one-stop shop with resource booths from community organizations, a panel discussion with experts, and on-site childcare. Each aspect of the fair was carefully crafted for the unique needs of both the Spanish-speaking and I/DD community.
The concept for the event came from community members’ desire for more resources on how to support their children with I/DD as they entered adulthood. I/DD are a group of disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and Down syndrome that can impact behavior, learning, and development. To meet the needs of this dynamic community, SPACE partnered with Escuchen Mi Voz, which works to improve the lives of Spanish-speaking individuals living with I/DD.
Community Specific Information
Catering an entire event to the Spanish-speaking community meant tailoring the information to the attendees. This meant inviting speakers to the panel discussion who represented a diversity in both their disability and cultural experiences.
Preparing for the future means growing independence, a concept that can be nerve-wracking for parents and circles of support. Vanessa Ochoa, one of the event organizers and the special advisor to SPACE, said that the event encouraged parents to start fostering independence early, so kids can get comfortable making their own choices.
Encouraging Independence
Preparing for the future means growing independence, a concept that can be nerve-wracking for parents and circles of support. Vanessa Ochoa, one of the event organizers and the special advisor to SPACE, said that the event encouraged parents to start fostering independence early, so kids can get comfortable making their own choices.
“Something real simple I used as an example was choosing what you’re going to make for lunch and honoring it, and saying, ‘you want to have a carrot or broccoli, please point to what you need, or eye gaze towards it.’ Whatever the capacity level is, that is communicating, and that is making your own choices,” Vanessa said.
During the panel discussion, speakers recognized that encouraging independence may be intimidating for some families, acknowledging that there is fear in the unknown, which causes people to want to protect their child with a disability. On the other side of that fear, panelists noted, is growth, independence, and the relief in knowing that your child can take care of themselves. Vanessa shared that she felt that same fear with her adult daughter, who has Autism spectrum disorder, but that letting her daughter make her own choices builds confidence for her child’s future.
Preparándonos para el futuro de nuestras familias is a model that SPACE carries forward. They intend to continue planning and hosting events across the state that bring resources and information to communities where and how they need it.
