We've added several new Cincinnati-area disability services and activities providers to our Cincinnati Adaptive Events newsletter! These include:

University of Cincinnati Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities provides interdiscliplinary and collaborative training, workshops, and seminars for persons with disabilities, as well as their families, caregivers, and interested community stakeholders. 

Cincinnati Art Museum offers special sensory-friendly adaptations for enjoying the museum and provides art education activities for those with disabilities and their families.

Hearts in the Park conducts community-building activities and events designed specifically for those with disabilities.

Newport Aquarium hosts Family Inclusive Sensory Hours (F.I.S.H.) and related adaptive programming to maximize  enjoyment for persons with disabilities.

Boltz to Nutz Farm offers adaptive cooking and gardening classes on the site of a working organic and biodiverse farm

Learn about all of the organizations that currently provide event information for our newsletter

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Howdy, Neighbors arose from a child's consistent and determined hand movement. A simple wave, gifted to passing cars and people. Often the wave has been accompanied by gestures of joy--a smile, a laugh, a display of excitement. Increasingly, it has been joined by others--old friends, as well as new ones attracted to this joy.

We've come to learn that when Jason waves at someone, what he is really doing is extending a bond of trust. His wave exclaims, "Here I am! I feel happy, and I want to share my joy with you! Won't you join in too?" When he sees someone new coming, he often says "Who's that? A neighbor".

It's heartwarming to watch this wave of trust play out. When Jason is outside waving at cars, at first a driver is usually looking straight ahead, or looking at their phone (this is very common!). Perhaps they glance over, and typically Jason gets a look of bewilderment. The next time they pass by, they may give a shy half-wave. Pretty soon, they are waving consistently and looking for us. Eventually, many people honk, especially if they hear another car honking--sort of a permission slip for them to do the same.

All of these responses,--the smiles, the waves, the honks, the shouted replies--these are bonds being formed. Bonds of trust, started by Jason, completed by neighbors who have felt that joy and feel the desire to give it back.

That whole process is captured beautifully in this 16 second video: 

Here, Jason is greeting customers at one of his favorite hangouts, Starbucks Blue Ash. He sees a new "neighbor" come in and greets him enthusiastically. The customer seems a bit surprised but returns the greeting, accepting Jason's trust and completing the first bond. Then, feeling good, the customer demonstrates his own trust by asking Jason how he's doing. Now it's Jason's turn to strengthen the bond.

But what is most remarkable is when the customer goes into line to order a drink. He turns around to look at Jason, with a smile on his face. If you watch to the end of the video, he actually does this twice. The bonds have taken root, Jason has transformed a complete stranger to a new friend, and an endearing memory has been created in the process.

All in 16 seconds.

We've seen this scene play out hundreds of times at dozens of locations in Cincinnati and around the country. At shops and restaurants, on baseball diamonds and bowling alleys, on street corners and walking paths, at concerts and sporting events, at airports and on airplanes.

These bonds of trust build community. One might even think of community as being constructed entirely by these bonds. Trust is what binds us together. It allows us to feel safe. To feel valued..wanted..loved.

And they lead to something bigger. We see examples of this almost every time we are out waving. Invariably, someone stops to talk to us. It's usually someone who has been touched by Jason's friendliness. Most of the time, people want to know why we are out here. Or they excitedly tell us that they always look for Jason, or have been waving for years. Everyone is happy and clearly touched by the experience.

Best of all, almost everyone has a story to share. How they have a cousin with a disability. Or a daughter who works at Saint Joe's, where Jason gets many of his services. Or "I work at (wherever), would Jason be interested in...?". Suddenly, we are having conversations we would never normally have in a neighborhood. And we find ourselves engaged, listening with interest to what they are saying. Instead of what our phones are trying to sell us.

Maybe this makes Jason a superhero. His superpower is a simple hand movement that magically creates happiness. We invite you to be a superhero too.

Won't you join our neighborhood?