It has been my honor and pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors at the Munroe Meyer Institute for the past twelve years. Throughout that time, I have had a view of all the institute’s programs and services from the perspective of a parent of a person with diverse needs.
I have continuously seen that MMI understands that supporting people with disabilities in reaching their highest potential is much more than cutting edge research and clinical services. It is a wholistic approach of knowing the challenges of the families that support these individuals, as well.
This can be seen in the relationships clinicians form not only with the individuals they are treating, but also their family members. It can be seen in the attention to detail that has been put into the design of the new building — the plans to ensure the ease of parking and getting from the parking lot to the building for families that typically find this piece of going to therapy an added challenge. It can be seen in the plan for dynamic scheduling where families can see multiple clinicians at one visit while remaining in the same treatment room. It can be seen in the technology that will be imbedded to ensure families can observe therapies so techniques can be replicated at home. It also can be seen in the plans for the astounding recreational facilities, where much thought was put into going above and beyond the typical accessibility considerations.
I am grateful that the culture at the Munroe-Meyer Institute has always been and will continue to be ensuring that everyone involved in supporting a child or adult with diverse needs is considered in every aspect of their work. There are exciting times ahead for everyone MMI touches. I look forward to experiencing those times with all of you.