Marking a milestone

Lou Vick, president and CEO of the Arc of Walker County, has seen major changes in the opportunities given to disabled individuals during his 30-year career.

"People with disabilities were kept in segregated classrooms and I don't know how much education went along with special education back [in the 1950s and 60s]. In elementary school, I remember there was a special education class and the folks in that class pretty much colored and painted and went on the playground," he said.

Since coming to the Arc of Walker County in 1987, Vick has seen its programs grow exponentially.

"When I came here, we had 13 employees, 40 adults in a day program and saw four or five children with delays a week," he said. "Now we operate eight different programs and have 160 employees."

These programs include 18 supervised living homes, a day program, a supported living program, an employment program, an early intervention program for children, an early headstart program, a pre-kindergarten program and an outpatient program.

He said during his time at the Arc, they have helped over 500 people with significant disabilities get jobs.

"In 30 years, I have watched us go from that setting where we're just caring for people to giving them opportunities," Vick said. "Watching people go from being locked away in an institution to being able to marry and live in their own place, that's a pretty big step."

Vick has also seen the Arc transition from just providing activities to people with intellectual disabilities to providing them with real opportunities.

The Arc currently has an early intervention program for children and pre-kindergarten program that works with children who have, or could possibly have, developmental delays to better prepare them for starting kindergarten. Once they age out of this program, the children then make the transition into the school system.

"The school systems focus on providing supports and services to helping the child fit into the school system so they can have better learning opportunities," Vick said. "They can go to public school until their early 20s. Once they leave the school system, they're usually referred back to an agency like this and we pick them back up."

At that point, the Arc works to help people with disabilities attain the most independent lifestyle that they possibly can.

Beyond that, "if they need support, we serve them all their life," Vick explained.

As far as changing attitudes towards people with disabilities, Vick said now people are much more accepting of people with disabilities.

"People are beginning to see that people with disabilities can have a place and contribute to the community, as opposed to being someone the community has to take on and take care of," he said.

He added that the Dream Team sports in Jasper are one of the opportunities now available that allows people with disabilities to interact and play with people without disabilities.

Until just a few years ago, Vick said, their peers were other people with disabilities, as were their role models. Now, however, these opportunities and changing attitudes are allowing people with disabilities to be more involved with their communities.

Vick has been involved with mental health services for the majority of his career.

After leaving Alabama in 1971 and serving in the military for four years, Vick was hired by the Veterans Administration in Arkansas as a counselor. During this time, he also earned a psychology degree. He then came back to Alabama and went to graduate school at the University of Montevallo

Before coming to the Arc, Vick worked at Chilton Shelby Mental Health Center and Northwest Alabama Mental Health Center. Later, one of his professional contacts told him that a job had become available at the Arc of Walker County and Vick applied for it.

"So that's how I got in this field. I was going to graduate school, knew I wanted to help people and I didn't know what I would do, but I might be a counselor or something like that," he said. "I was kind of steering myself toward the mental health field."

"This is pretty much all I've ever done," Vick continued. "I can't imagine myself doing anything else."