“It’s like dropping off a cliff.”
While the freedoms of one’s early 20s can often come as a release, parents of young adults with disabilities more often describe turning 22 as a plummet. It’s the age at which most states’ public school systems no longer require educational services to be provided for individuals with disabilities. It’s the age these families face eligibility requirements for adult services and long-term housing waitlists. But foremost, it’s the age High Spirit East Community aims to build a community around, fostering connections that can bridge this resource gap.
High Spirit East Community is a nonprofit organization working to build a supportive community for individuals with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. After her mother joined the High Spirit East Board in 2023 to provide legal guidance, senior Aida DiBiscegile was recruited to manage the group’s social media using her experience from WA’s Social Media Marketing class.
“I wish people would see how valuable [individuals with disabilities] are and how much joy they can bring to your life, because they really are some of the most compassionate, energetic, outgoing people you’ll meet,” Aida DiBiscegile said. “They will talk to anyone, and I think people just look past that because they don’t think that they can have a typical job […].”
The organization’s mission started six years ago at a dinner, where co-founder and President of High Spirit East’s Board Kathryn Stanley met the pioneer founders of High Spirit Community Farm, an integrated work-life community in Great Barrington, Massachusetts for individuals with disabilities. Over the past 17 years, the farm has developed a five-acre property with three residential homes, designed to cater to different personalities. Drawing inspiration from their conversations and her own daughter Ellie, who is a wheelchair user, Stanley began piecing together research to create their own community: High Spirit East.
“I’m inspired to create a safe and more vibrant future for my daughter, and all vulnerable adults living with disabilities, so that she and they can reach their full potential. The disabled population in Massachusetts and the US are underserved. They deserve better options to be able to have a full life,” Stanley said. “Physical and intellectual disabilities leave Ellie and her friends very vulnerable and unable to advocate for change on their own. Parents and friends and teachers and allies of the disability community need to step up to help those who are often not able to advocate for themselves.”
Last year, High Spirit East Community received 501c3 nonprofit status and started the process of securing the land and funds to build their first home between 2026 and 2027, followed by their second and third homes in the years 2027 and 2028. According to Stanley, High Spirit East Community will feature a geothermal greenhouse, farming and arts-based learning programs, and daily group activities in an integrated work-life environment. Residential housing such as High Spirit East serves as a solution to the housing crisis for individuals with disabilities.
“The CDC reports there are 242,805 people in the Commonwealth that have disabilities that make independent living impossible […]. The majority of that population live at home with family member caregivers. That is not sustainable,” Stanley said. “There is a housing crisis for the disabled and the caregiver workforce. It’s a nightmare that is impacting the most vulnerable among us because of a lack of funds […]. Both caregiver and the person with the disability share a higher purpose [at High Spirit Communities] – caring for the community in all of its elements from arts to farming.”
Until the residential community is completed, High Spirit East’s ClubHouse Saturday Program aims to build a sense of community for members. The group meets every other Saturday to participate in a variety of activities such as crafts, gardening, and bowling.
“Once you’re an adult who’s disabled, [there are] no more school programs, and it’s hard to find day programs that are accessible and will take you,” Aida DiBiscegile said. “So socializing and staying with friends and getting a community can be a lot harder. So even though we don’t have the house yet, we wanted to be able to provide at least some type of community in any way we can.”
At their most recent Clubhouse Meeting on Saturday, Oct. 4, the group traversed the Bruce Freeman Trail, one of the few universally accessible woodland trails in Massachusetts. According to Unpaved Trails for All, an advocacy group petitioning for better trail systems throughout the state, less than 0.5% of the 4,000 miles of unpaved recreational trails are categorized as universally accessible, a percent that fails to provide for the estimated 36-49% of Massachusetts residents who would benefit from accessible hiking options.
Alexa DiBiscegile, Aida’s sister, is 19 and loves hiking. However, due to her cognitive and physical delays, finding appropriate and accessible trails can be difficult. So, alongside her service dog Boo, Alexa DiBiscegile started documenting and rating nearby trails like the Bruce Freeman Trail, while enjoying the collaborative aspects of High Spirit East Community.
“[High Spirit East] is important to me because I don’t want to live at home with my parents forever, I want to be independent,” Alexa DiBiscegile said. “I love the ClubHouse because I can see my friends and have fun. It gives me a chance to get out of the house. My favorite activity we have done is the game day.”
High Spirit East spent the afternoon looping a trail around Nara Park and enjoying the scenery, all while filling out a nature bingo card. According to Stanley, since the first ClubHouse session in March of 2024, the number of participating families has increased by 50%.
“When I go to the ClubHouse events it renews my energy and faith to keep working so hard to set up High Spirit East, because the joy in the room is obvious,” Stanley said. “The ClubHouse has been an incubator for the future Community Based Day Service that we will offer in the High Spirit East Community. Its success is evident in the growing attendance and the fun happening in the room. If you have disabilities that mean you can’t drive or even pick up the phone to text a friend easily, opportunities for connection are limited. We are bridging that gap and alleviating the loneliness and isolation that occurs once school ends.”
As they continue working to realize their vision of fully-functioning residential homes, High Spirit East strives to foster community support through donations to their Capital Campaign Fund and volunteer membership at program events like the ClubHouse. According to Aida DiBiscegile, the group is also in search of a graphic designer, and they urge anyone interested in volunteering their skills to reach out to her via the email [email protected].
“I know my parents are aging. They can’t always take care of [my sister], and you can see that in a lot of her friends’ parents. So to me, it’s important for them to have somewhere to go […],” Aida DiBiscegile said. “I think it’s really important because most people, when they turn 22, are out living on their own and they have some kind of independence. And I think these kids [with disabilities] see a lot of people their age [doing that], and then they don’t get to. And it’s important for them to be able to go and live their life on their own while they still get the support that they need.”
