Walnut Creek’s Arts + Rec expanding its adaptive and inclusive programs

With extra funding from the Regional Center of the East Bay, the city's department is facilitating more access to those with developmental disabilities.

Members of the city of Walnut Creek’s Arts + Rec Department are excited to pave the way for access, inclusion, transportation and more with new and ongoing programs for all ages and all abilities.

Thanks to additional funding from and collaboration with the Regional Center of the East Bay (RCEB), Arts + Rec is facilitating broader access to programming for which financial constraints have traditionally been barriers. Elizabeth Orcutt, the department’s community relations manager, said they served about 50 individuals a year before the extra funding.

“By opening the ability for people to attend programs with RCEB funding (rceb.org/about-us), we are now only limited by our operating boundaries — like staff time, teacher availability, space and venues and balancing our other social service needs — because we still serve seniors and others with disabilities,” she said.

Vannessa Cendejas and Kyra Dixon, the department’s respective new social services and adaptive recreation program coordinators, have been assigned to lead and develop programs since January.

“With support from the city leadership (Director Safine), staff are encouraged to leverage local opportunities and share resources to better expand programming that not only benefits Walnut Creek residents but the greater region as a whole,” said Cendejas. “An example would be utilizing the social services transportation program, which generally supports seniors’ access to provide safe and reliable rides for adaptive individuals to events sponsored by other, non-Walnut Creek organizations, such as dances and local meet-ups.”

RCEB’s funding helps provide programs such as therapies, medical treatments, housing and now social recreation programming, letting more people participate in Arts + Rec opportunities. Orcutt said now it’s about scalability to ensure that offerings are high-quality and meet the needs and wants of their participants.

“What’s most important for us is not necessarily how many more people we can serve; it’s about increasing the breadth of the class offerings — granting access to class and program types that have never been offered to them before,” she said.

“This unique program development process allows us to partner with local organizations and small business owners to create adaptive, welcoming experiences!”

One participant, Hudson Bullota, 16, of Walnut Creek, said he’s thankful for the spring break camps — especially the swimming portion — through Arts + Rec.

“I’ve been going to this camp my whole life. Now that I’m almost an adult, I can do the dinner clubs and hang out with my friends on school nights,” he said. “Spec Rec is my favorite place, and I’m looking forward to summer.”

Spec Rec is short for Specialized Recreation Summer Day Camp, which is part of the adaptive programs the department offers. Orcutt said she’s excited about their target for their this fall’s offerings, with the addition of yoga and cardio fitness and adding arts (especially visual arts) and ceramics thereafter.

“We are communicating with our artistic director of Center REP (Walnut Creek theater group Center Repertory Company) to develop theater-based programming in 2025,” said Orcutt. “We want slow, steady, sustainable growth so these programs and opportunities can occur and flourish organically for our target audience.”

She said examples of their programming would be performing theater on their stages, creating ceramics in their studio and engaging in experiences at their local businesses.

“For the neurodivergent community (those on the autism spectrum, with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder or with learning disorders), it often takes more time and intention to establish a trusting relationship to feel comfortable in the space and program,” she added.

Orcutt said that frequently programs targeting diverse communities are hastily created or accommodated within pre-existing schedules or venues, often leaving these demographic groups unable to fully engage in the experiences.

“For example, being able to experience theater on the big stage versus in a community room,” said Orcutt. “Our deliberate approach seeks to rectify this by crafting opportunities that not only prioritize comfort, safety and inclusivity — but also strive to afford these individuals experiences commensurate with those enjoyed by neurotypical (not neurodiverse) counterparts.”

She said another positive byproduct of this intentionality is when neurodiverse and neurotypical communities can cross over during transition periods and interact naturally in safe spaces.

“These intentional opportunities for passive interaction help increase the collective understanding of each type of human, thus creating connections that otherwise would not have been able to exist,” Orcutt added. “These connections and positive interactions are what an inclusive, welcoming and positive community is all about.”

For more information, visit bit.ly/3J7ugVK online, email artsrec@walnut-creek.org or call 925-295-1490.

Reach Charleen Earley, a freelance writer and journalism professor at Foothill and Diablo Valley colleges, at charleenbearley@gmail.com or 925-383-3072.