A group of Highlands College students have partnered with the Silver Bow Developmental Disabilities Council to build a teaching style kitchen for people with disabilities. The project, entitled the “Nutrition Education Station,” will benefit many organizations throughout as well as provide a place for fitness and nutrition education. The completion of the project will be recognized with a celebration on Thursday, April 10th at 1:30 pm at the project location, 305 W. Mercury Street, Suite 101.
“Through our work with people with disabilities,” said Cassie Weightman, Independent Learning Specialist with the Montana Independent Living Project, “we have seen a great need for something like this in our community.”
Some of the biggest obstacles to designing an accessible kitchen are access to sinks, cabinets, countertops and appliances which are usually not usable for people who are sitting or have limited mobility or are in a wheelchair.
“The number of people who are disabled and aging who choose to be self-sufficient and stay in their own homes is growing,” said Bill Ryan, Chair of the Trades & Technical Department at Highlands College. “This project was excellent for our students as they not only got to learn about the technical requirements for making a kitchen accessible to the disabled, they also got to work on a project which will directly help their own community.”
For any further information about this issue or any issue pertaining to Montana Tech or Highlands College, please contact Amanda Badovinac at 406-496-4828 or Dr. John M. Garic at 406-496-3714.