Nassau, The Bahamas — Autism Daily Newscast would like to congratulate R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas in reaching 15 years of service to the Bahamas autism community. Since its establishment in 1999, the non-profit organization has been promoting both autism education and awareness in the island.
R.E.A.C.H has been tirelessly providing free education on autism awareness, as well as services for the parents and families of individuals with autism in the country. Free outreach services are regularly organized by R.E.A.C.H., including a parent support group which is being conducted on a weekly basis. R.E.A.C.H. Vice President Kim Gibson says,
“We invite guest speakers that can provide information, guidance and assistance as well as counseling for parents and emotional support. We assist with school placement because there is a lack of space in public special needs classrooms.”
The Bahamas government has also taken measures to ensure that individuals with autism in the country would no longer be regarded as second class citizens. Among these measures is the Bahamas Disability bill, which requires companies with 100 employees and above to employ individuals with disabilities, and see to it that these individuals would make up at least 1% of each company’s workforce.
Now that R.E.A.C.H. has reached its 15th year, the organization is hoping that they could add therapies to its services. Gibson says:
“Our main objective for 2015 is to secure a bigger office space where we can eventually offer therapy.”
R.E.A.C.H. is looking forward to expanding their services in the coming years.
Source: Bahama Islands Info website: Autism non-profit R.E.A.C.H. Bahamas celebrates 15 years