According to the most recent U.S. census, over 3 million children in the United States face a disability, including both mental and physical disabilities, accounting for 4% of the total children.

 

    Disabilities can make life challenging depending on the severity of the disability. Some disabilities can be as extreme as rendering a child completely paralyzed and immobile, preventing them from communication and movement. Some disabilities are learning-based and can affect the child's ability to stay focused and benefit from school as much as their peers. As a result, disabilities can cause isolation in children and have detrimental effects on their mental health as an adult.

 

      The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in 2018, 17.4 million adults with disabilities experienced frequent mental distress. Having disabilities has also been correlated with poverty. With having to pay potentially pricy expenses to help with the disability, almost a third of people with disabilities could not afford to pay for food, heat, and housing.

 

       Therefore, it is becoming increasingly crucial to help alleviate the struggles of people with disabilities, starting with kids who may be missing out on valuable moments of their childhood. AbleYouth Alliance aims to create a change by fundraising for supplies for these children, spending valuable time with them to make them feel included in the community, and spreading awareness of the effects disabilities can have on the public.