People With Severe Disabilities Get New Alexandria Day Program

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A nonprofit organization that provides day programs for adults with disabilities will mark the opening of their new center in Alexandria with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 17 at the Hybla Valley Community Center.

SPARC provides programs to serve young adults with disabilities who have aged out of the special education support public schools provide. These adults might have disabilities many Medicaid providers are unable to manage, leading them and their families to face to long waitlists and high costs for care.

Founded in 2015, SPARC aims to bridge this gap, with a stated mission of keeping people out of institutions by providing education and other support at a lower cost than traditional Medicaid programs.

SPARC’s new Alexandria location joins a network with centers in Fairfax, Arlington and Loudoun that provide continued education and skill building, as well as exercise, arts classes, excursions and other activities.

At the opening ceremony, SPARC will also unveil its new Mobile Exploration Lab, “a controlled multisensory environment on wheels.” The van is intended to meet a variety of sensory needs and provides opportunities for calming as well as engaging.

Creating multisensory environments in locations like schools and public arts spaces has become an aspect of accessibility modification in recent years.

According to the Alexandria government’s 2019 Community Health Assessment, 7.1% of the population live with a disability and 3.4% have trouble living independently.