Easterseals Crossroads Hosts “The Emily Talk” Focused on Interacting with People with Disabilities in Emergencies
Hear from first responder Tom Felter on Friday, March 8 from 2-4 p.m.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (February 29, 2024) – In honor of Disability Awareness Month, Easterseals Crossroads, a local nonprofit organization providing disability services, joins first responder Tom Felter as he shares his insights and expertise about interacting with people with disabilities during emergency situations.
“The Emily Talk” is a free event taking place Friday, March 8 from 2-4 p.m. at the OneAmerica Tower, located at 200 N. Illinois Street in Indianapolis. Tom’s daughter Emily has a disability; and he draws from his personal experience and his professional life when presenting “The Emily Talk.”
First responders — as well as the general community — will benefit from Tom’s knowledge about effective interactions in emergency situations.
The event is sponsored by JPMorgan Chase and will provide a first-hand learning experience with Emily and her father. It will conclude with an open Q&A session moderated by Deanna Proimos, a physical therapist at Easterseals Crossroads.
To register for this free event, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-emily-talk-tickets-815794572527?aff=esc.
“The Emily Talk” began after Tom Felter learned of an incident where a young adult with Down syndrome was killed because he didn’t respond to commands in an emergency situation. Tom took his expertise as a first responder and a parent of a daughter with Down syndrome to create a program that teaches first responders and the wider community how to interact with people with Down syndrome, Autism and other disabilities.
Tom’s work through “The Emily Talk” inspired “Teacher of Patience,” a 30-minute Emmy Award-winning documentary about their story. Just like everyone else, Emily has good and bad days, and her unique ways of communicating her feelings are worth learning and listening to. Sometimes that takes patience, which is why Tom developed “The Emily Talk” for first responders and the greater community. Tom’s goal is to teach people how to be respectful of individuals with disabilities like Emily.
