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Walk a Mile in My Shoes
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Walk a Mile in My Shoes
By John Townes
Sometimes even the most sympathetic people who work with the public can become impatient or otherwise unaware of the obstacles everyday life can present for their elderly clients and customers, or for younger people with disabilities.
To help businesses become more aware of the frailties and difficulties the elderly and disabled must contend with, Elder Services of Berkshire County has developed an interactive two-hour workshop program, called "Walk a Mile in My Shoes."
Elder Services, a non-profit agency, conducts the two-hour workshop on-site at businesses for a small fee.
To stimulate interest in the program, Elder Services has teamed up with the EPOCH at Melbourne assisted living community in Pittsfield. For a limited time, EPOCH has volunteered to pay the workshop fee for the first few businesses that request the presentation under the offer.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes is designed to give the staff of businesses firsthand experience with declining senses, motor skills and other limitations faced by people as they age, or by the disabled of any age.
In addition to a quiz and discussions, workshop attendees participate in exercises in which they try to perform everyday activities while wearing goggles to blur their vision, thick gloves to impede their movement, simulating hearing impairments, trying to walk on crutches and other simulations of disabilities.
The subsidy promotion was initiated by Diane Weinstein, executive director of the Pittsfield facility of EPOCH, a chain of assisted living centers.
Weinstein, a former employee of Elder Services, actually developed the basis of the Walk a Mile in My Shoes workshop herself in the 1970s, while working in social services in Wisconsin. She brought the concept with her to the Berkshires, and incorporated it into her role at Elder Services prior to taking her present job at EPOCH.
After having Elder Services give the workshop at EPOCH recently, Weinstein decided to offer to pay the fee for other businesses. "As executive director at Melbourne, I’m always looking for ways to train our staff to enhance their ability to work with our residents," she said. "Our staff found it very helpful. I realized we’re in a position to help Elder Services bring this workshop to other businesses in the community. "
Weinstein said there is no set financial amount or number of businesses for these subsidies, which will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
"To help give it publicity, I told Elder Services we’ll gladly subsidize the first few businesses who decide to participate," she said. "We hope businesses will take us up on our offer, but that many other businesses will participate on their own after that."
Jeanne Siegel of Elder Services believes the program is an important way to improve the ability of businesses to interact with the elderly and disabled.
"It’s remarkable how many people don’t realize what it’s like to have physical or sensory limitations," she said. "We believe increasing that awareness will help people be more understanding and helpful to their older clients and customers."
Siegel said the interactive emphasis makes the workshop relevant to participants. She said people actually find it to be an interesting challenge. "People who have taken it love the workshop," she said. "They say ‘It’s fun but I also learned so much.’"
For information on the Walk a Mile in My Shoes program, contact Siegel or Ellen Chapman at Elder Services, 413-499-0524.
Reprinted from the July 2002 issue of Berkshire Trade and Commerce, with permission of the publisher.