March 2025 Updated DEIA Statement
UPDATED STATEMENT: MARCH 2025
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Commitment: Inclusion is Our Superpower
The recent push to end DEI programs and the pressure put on public, private, and non-profit entities to distance themselves from promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and access has caused anxiety and uncertainty among those who call YC home, particularly people with disabilities. Threats to the existence of the Department of Education, a lack of clarity regarding Medicaid funding, and other signals and actions from the Executive Branch have left people with disabilities in limbo regarding critical services and their right to live independently.
To that end, we at Youth Challenge reaffirm our commitment to these fundamental and foundational values of Youth Challenge. In an unwavering effort to meet the needs of the community, we will strengthen our resolve to provide the highest level of recreational access and opportunity for children and young adults with disabilities.
For context, Youth Challenge was founded as Adapted Recreation Challenge (ARC) in 1976. The political and social movements of the 1970s saw strides in the movement for Disability Rights through the passing of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and subsequent adoption of Section 504, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs and activities that receive federal financial assistance (public schools). It ensures equal access to educational opportunities for students with disabilities. In late 1989, a few months before the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), the name Youth Challenge (YC) was adopted to better represent the dual mission of providing vast recreational and social opportunities to disabled children, and the robust development of our teen volunteer initiative.
At Youth Challenge, everyone is empowered to be themselves.
We were created to be inclusive, giving young people the opportunity to play sports and have fun, regardless of their physical abilities. Today we strive to build on that legacy because we believe that those values strengthen our family and our community.
We are committed to being more diverse to celebrate our differences and broaden our shared experiences. We strive to provide equitable opportunities for all, no matter our race, ethnicity, creed, sexual orientation, or physical and developmental ability.
We ask everyone in the YC community to help us achieve this goal.
Our continued commitment is to ensure Youth Challenge is
Diverse, where we represent and appreciate the range of differences in our community;
Equitable, where we provide fair opportunities based on individual needs;
Inclusive, where everyone feels valued, supported, and respected; and
Accessible, where universal access to recreation is an attainable goal.
