A Social Recreation Center for Adults with Mild Intellectual Disabilities
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How It All Began
The idea for The Spaut grew out of our work providing independent living services to adults with mild intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Through that work, we had the privilege of getting to know people with wonderful personalities, unique interests, and plenty to contribute to the world around them. But we also noticed something that kept coming up in conversations: loneliness.
Many of the adults we supported were learning to navigate their communities, manage their responsibilities, and become more independent. Yet finding meaningful friendships and opportunities to socialize with peers remained a challenge.
They had places they needed to go, but not always places they wanted to go. Somewhere to spend an afternoon, meet people, share interests, and enjoy the kind of social life that so many of us take for granted.
And the more we listened, the more we realized that what we were witnessing was part of a much larger problem.
The Larger Story
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared loneliness and social isolation a public health epidemic in America. For adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, barriers to friendship and community participation have existed for decades. Research has found that more than 42% of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities surveyed experienced loneliness, while another study found that 45% of adults receiving developmental disability services wanted more opportunities to participate in community groups.
Those findings reflected what we were seeing firsthand. People who wanted friendships, social experiences, and a sense of community, but didn't always have accessible opportunities to find them. And while traditional programs provide important services, we began to wonder why there weren't more places where adults with developmental disabilities could simply enjoy the social side of life.
We envisioned something different. Not another place where every activity was scheduled or every interaction centered around a service goal, but a community gathering place where adults could enjoy their independence while having opportunities to connect with one another. A place where making friends, trying something new, or simply spending time with people you enjoy could be the whole point of showing up.
That idea became The Spaut.