Iris Mehler studied rehabilitation counseling and assistive technologies, learning the theoretical knowledge surrounding disabilities. Once she had her daughter Keren, that book knowledge became especially pertinent for her real world reality.
After moving to Midland in 2020, Mehler became involved in the Midland Area Community Foundation, the Access to Community group, and later co-founded and launched a support group for parents and caretakers of children with disabilities.
This group,
1in6 Support Michigan, is a nonprofit organization providing free education, support, advocacy and even free pediatric medical equipment for families to loan.
The group is available to members online via a
Facebook group, and Mehler welcomes folks to join in-person meetings, held in her home — one of the most fully-accessible homes in the area.
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Thomas LaneGrove Park is the first Changing Places in MidlandCatalyst Midland
last spoke with Mehler in March 2024 to learn about the 1in6 Support group. We reached back out to Mehler to hear about the nonprofit’s accomplishments, impactful events, advocacy in the Midland community, and the federal government’s changes with DEI funding efforts.
“When I moved to Midland, I already had quite a bit of history in this field, especially with activism and advocacy with regards to accessibility,” Mehler says. “I wanted to make Midland a more inclusive place not just for my own family and my own child who has a disability, but also to create an inclusive community for other people who have disabilities."
1in6 Support Michigan has held meetings at Mehler’s home for the past two years, providing a place for caretakers and parents to come together, share their experiences, commiserate and advocate. Families in the group have children ranging from birth to 62 years old, Mehler says.
“Parents need support because of the magnitude of the caregiving needs that they encounter,” she says, “and it’s a good place to start conversations about what we can do as a community to improve how we treat the people in our community.”
Since launching 1in6 Support Michigan, the nonprofit has grown to include more than 550 families. The need is evident, says Mehler.
“According to the CDC, just between the ages of 3 to 17, one in six children has a disability, and when you cross the threshold from 18 and above, the numbers increase. We know that one in four adults in the U.S. has a disability. Disability affects at least one in three families, on average in the U.S.”
Receiving a diagnosis can feel disheartening, and learning how to cope and then carry on can also feel overwhelming for families. The group’s mission is to help families feel like they’ve got an understanding, uplifting support system — to change the view from sadness to activism.
“Many times, parents struggle with the realities of raising their children at home, and they think this is their own personal challenge — it’s their own personal fight,” Mehler says.
“Once they come to the group, they realize their personal stories are a common theme for so many families. There is something really encouraging about that in a way, something that is very empowering. You understand that you're a part of something that is larger than you. You understand that maybe the problem is not how you provide for your child, but maybe it’s a systematic challenge that we need to resolve as a society, as a group.”
Mehler takes pride in living in Midland, an inclusive town where the entire community can thrive. Even folks a few hours away, in other communities outside of Midland, have found the group helpful.
“It’s one of our missions to grow and bring this to other areas,” she says.
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Captured PhotographyMothers and caretakers were pampered for 1in6's annual Mother's Day celebrationLast year, the organization hosted inaugural events to celebrate inclusivity (a parade) and even pamper parents and caretakers (a Mother’s Day celebration). Mehler says both events were successful, and hopes they can continue to grow to include even more people.
This year’s Mother's Day event is on Friday, May 9, hosted by Creative 360. The event celebrates all of the mothers who work around the clock to care for their children.
“Some of them will never get a ‘thank you’ or a ‘Mom, I love you’ from their child,” Mehler says. “We as a community need to recognize their contribution and their worth, and the Mother’s Day event is a celebration of that.”
Hair stylists, makeup artists, massage therapists, and professional photographers have donated their talents and time to help pamper these caretakers.
“It’s a way for us to care for the caregivers,” Mehler says. “We’re still looking for volunteers and donations of gifts for the parents. If anyone is interested in participating as a professional who donates their time or as an organization that wants to donate gifts or food for the event, we’d be grateful for that.”
This year also marks the second Abilities Parade on Saturday, May 17 at 4 p.m. at Grove Park. All people with disabilities, their caretakers, parents, grandparents, doctors, physical therapists, neighbors, friends, etc. are welcome to attend.
“It’s an opportunity for our community to celebrate and embrace inclusion,” Mehler says. “Disability is the largest minority group in the United States. Disability doesn’t discriminate between people, it doesn’t matter what race or ethnicity you are, what your socioeconomic level is — it happens to everyone and can really affect everyone in the community.”
All community members are welcome to participate in the parade, whether it’s walking, wheeling, clapping or cheering on others at the event. As of now, 1in6 has secured some partnering organizations and sponsors, but is still seeking additional sponsorships, volunteers, and collaborators as well.
Last year’s parade happened right before the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Changing Places restrooms at Grove Park.
“Grove Park is such a symbol of how a community can come together and create something incredible in terms of accessibility and inclusion,” Mehler says. “That restroom allows us to host such a large group of individuals that might need some more accommodations in accessing restrooms for that event. It is also a symbol. This was the first public place that has Changing Places restrooms in the state of Michigan. This park and that restroom will forever make me proud.”
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Thomas LaneIn order to make this happen, many families attended City Council meetings and shared their perspectives and experiences with the community about struggles with traditional bathrooms. Parents from the group talked about how they and their children could not use restrooms, and how that impacted the day-to-day quality of their lives.
“Those stories and personal accounts really resonated with the City Council members, and when it came the time for them to vote on this, they all voted in favor,” Mehler says. “I’m really proud and so happy that many people came together and shared something that is not an easy reality to share. If people did not get to see the
recording of that City Council meeting, I do encourage everyone to take a look at it.”
These
Changing Places restrooms have additional floor space, an adjustable adult changing table, an overhead hoist system allowing wheelchair users to use the adaptive devices to safely utilize the restroom. Making Downtown Midland accessible for all is not only a moral decision, but also an economic one, says Mehler.
“Communities that are more inclusive thrive economically better than others,” she says. “People with disabilities go places and spend money there, and become customers of businesses. We want more people to come dine in our restaurants, shop in our stores, and want the community to be a place that brings people here to Midland. If we can create a downtown and parks that are inclusive and accessible to all — and can be inclusive in the way we approach, use language, common etiquette and hospitality, then our community can really thrive economically and enjoy an increase in tourism here.”
Mehler is proud to look back at the first year’s milestones of 1in6, which has been able to create disability visibility, by sharing stories. Although the nonprofit is not a political organization, Mehler says the conversation is especially timely given federal moves to wipe away DEI efforts. As a decrease in government funding for programs like 1in6 Support, organizations are relying more on individual donors and private organizations to allow their work to continue.
“The question we need to ask ourselves is ‘what and how would we want society to treat us when we become older, lose some of our cognitive or physical ability? What would we want society to be like if we, God forbid, get into a car accident and lose some of our physical ability?’” she says.
"If we have those tiny genetic errors that happen sometimes in conception, what place would we like to raise our child in? Unfortunately, this is the reality of life. We do not know which of us would become a member of the disability community. That should be the focus for all of us when we make choices and when we advocate.”
Anyone interested in volunteering, donating time, talents, money, or sponsoring a 1in6 Support Michigan event is welcome to reach out to Iris Mehler (info@1in6support.org).