Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacey and Dan Cheney.
Hi Stacey and Dan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
We started The Guide Project in 2018, and we were really sort of inspired by our unique parenting journey. We have two children – one with disabilities and one without. And the opportunities that were available to them – both at school and recreationally – were so different. That really struck us. We decided we needed to be part of the solution.
We held our first big event in 2019 when we brought the national iCan Bike program to Gwinnett County for the very first time. Through special equipment and specially trained instructors, iCan Bike teaches people with disabilities to ride a two-wheel bike independently. It’s a skill that many people may take for granted – but it’s often a challenge for people with disabilities. But this camp shows it’s not a challenge that can’t be overcome. It was a life-changing week for our campers and their families – but really for us, too. We knew we had to do it again.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a great journey, but certainly not an easy one. Like many other people, we were pretty impacted by the pandemic. First in just the logistics of hosting any type of program or event like iCan Bike. But The Guide Project also gets a great deal of support from corporate sponsors, and the pandemic changed what many businesses could do in terms of donations and support. We’re slowly starting to see that turn.
And of course, we’re still sort of the little guy. To some degree, we’re still proving ourselves and showing that we’re in it for the long haul. But after our first iCan Bike, we had some great news coverage, we’ve made some great contacts, and we’ve partnered with some great organizations. So, we’ll just keep at it.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Guide Project. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
There are some really fantastic resources and programs for people with disabilities in our area, and we’ve been fortunate to find them. For The Guide Project, we put a really strong focus on inclusion, because it has such big implications for other parts of life, like employment.
For example, the employment rate for people with disabilities is somewhere around 17%. That’s unacceptably and infuriatingly low. But what’s interesting is that if you look at schools, only about 15-20% of students with disabilities are in inclusive classrooms, meaning they are in classes with their non-disabled peers. And to us, that’s a parallel that can’t be ignored.
Think about it – if you’re a student without a disability, and the only interactions you have with students with disabilities is lunchtime or occasionally in the hall, you’re learning a lesson: those students aren’t capable of doing the same things as non-disabled students. Which absolutely isn’t true. But the even bigger problem comes later when these non-disabled students grow up and enter the working world. Are they going to recommend people with disabilities for jobs? Or hire them? Not if they’ve spent their lives seeing them as “other” and not capable.
Programs like iCan Bike are one small way to help. When someone with a disability learns to ride a bike, a whole new world opens up to them: neighborhood bike rides, family bike rides, maybe even a way to get to friends’ houses, or a job. iCan Bike promotes inclusion by giving people with disabilities some of the skills that can help them be included and interact with their non-disabled peers. And that’s really powerful.
Plus, The Guide Project focuses on showcasing the value of people with disabilities. It’s really important to us that our programs aren’t seen as opportunities created out of pity. But instead what we’re doing is showing the value that inclusion brings to everyone and shining a light on the strengths that people with disabilities have. Because there are many.
This past holiday season, we put together a Holiday Gift Guide that was comprised entirely of businesses run by or primarily employing people with disabilities. And the list was long, and as we learned, not complete. We were constantly getting requests from other businesses to get added to the list – which was pretty exciting.
Any big plans?
We’re thrilled to be able to host an iCan Bike camp in Gwinnett again this June in Norcross, and we’re currently throwing all of our energies into that – registering campers, finding volunteers, and enlisting the help of local businesses and individuals for support.
Fortunately, we have some great support from Gwinnett County Public Schools for the camp this year. It truly takes a village, and we’re so grateful to the school district – especially Jennifer Fero, Tamara Perkins, and Ed Shaddix for helping us bring iCan Bike to life in 2023!
And it’s such a worthwhile program to get involved in. Our campers come to camp on Day 1 not being able to ride a bike. By Day 5, 80% or more will be able to ride a two-wheel bike independently. This is often a skill that many of our campers didn’t think they’d ever be able to do (and in some cases, have been told they’d never do). It promotes physical health, social and family connections, independence, confidence, and self-esteem. It’s just a game-changer all around.
The families of our campers get this. Some of our campers’ families literally plan their summer vacations around this camp; others will drive from hours away each day. We cannot overstate the impact of this program.
But none of what we do or provide we do alone! So, we welcome the community to get involved. People can get more information on registration, volunteer, and sponsorship opportunities to be a part of this event at www.guideeachother.org/icanbike-gwinnett.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.guideeachother.org
- Instagram: @guideeachother
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/guideeachother
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm2Yxn9j9dsTv0u1gX6ev6Q
