Senior Sarah Johnson, co-coordinator of the Natural Ties Program, hands out candy to the group as they prepare for a game of charades during a recent meeting.
By Neil Schoenherr
February 9, 2001
A group of friends was sitting at a table in the bowling alley, discussing where to go next. Some people were eating pizza. Others just sat and talked.
It was a typical night on the town. But what makes this group of friends special is half of them have disabilities. The rest are University students. Together, they constitute a relatively new campus organization called Natural Ties.
Senior Sarah Johnson, co-coordinator of the Natural Ties Program, hands out candy to the group as they prepare for a game of charades during a recent meeting. |
Natural Ties is a national nonprofit organization that works to create and support friendships between people with and without disabilities. Its goal is that through their friends, people with disabilities will become integral parts of community groups from which they may have been excluded.
Natural Ties is active on 14 college campuses throughout the country. Since it began, it has touched the lives of more than 50,000 people.
Ten to 12 University students and about 10 young people with disabilities are active in the organization. The entire group meets bi-weekly for fun activities like bowling, miniature golf, dinners, trips to museums and service projects.
Each student is then paired with a disabled friend for one-on-one activities during the off-weeks.
Elaine Greenbaum, wife of Stuart I. Greenbaum, Ph.D., dean of the Olin School of Business, was instrumental in starting the Natural Ties chapter at the University. In 1995, the Greenbaums moved to St. Louis from Chicago where their son, Nate, was active in Natural Ties at Northwestern University.
"We thought it was such a wonderful program," Elaine Greenbaum said. "Nate really enjoyed it, and we thought it would be great if Washington University had something similar."
Greenbaum convinced North-western's program leader to come here and help establish this chapter.
Jessica Weisbach, now a senior, was the first student to sign up and get involved.
"My freshmen year, Natural Ties had a booth set up at the Activities Fair," Weisbach said. "I had worked with disabled people in the past, so I went over to see what it was all about. I chatted with the director, who had come from Evanston, Ill. (Natural Ties headquarters), and I decided it sounded like a good thing."
Senior Sarah Johnson is one of the co-coordinators of Natural Ties. Johnson has a sister with Down syndrome and said she missed that interaction while at college.
"Working with Natural Ties has definitely added a new dimension to my college experience," Johnson said. "Most of the people I regularly come into contact with are 18- to 21-year-old Washington University students. It's great to have other friendships as well."
During the weekend of Jan. 26, the Natural Ties group visited Chicago for the Natural Ties annual conference. Included was a "casino night" at Chicago's Union Station.
"We had a blast," Weisbach said. "It was fun to get dressed up, meet new people and network with other Natural Ties members."
While attendance is strong now, most of the active members are seniors, leaving doubt in some minds about the program's future.
"It's kind of scary," Weisbach said. "But I think if we can get the word out and people realize what a great program Natural Ties is, we will be all right."
For more information, contact Weisbach at 863-6480 or Johnson at 721-2479.
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