By Angela Borchert, Vitals contributor
Porter Scoffield is a beloved member of Sutter Gould Medical Foundation’s volunteer team. He’s also the first person with Down syndrome to volunteer there.
The Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA, is celebrating its 34th anniversary this year. Enacted on July 26, 1990, the ADA prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities based on race, color, sex, national origin, age and religion. The landmark civil rights law also guarantees people with disabilities have the same opportunities as everyone else. They may enjoy the same employment options, purchase goods and services, and participate in state and local government programs. For Scoffield, the law offers him the opportunity to support the medical foundation’s lab services team.
“I like helping people. I open doors for them. I smile and say hello. I also bring papers to the front desk,” he said.
Eunice Vega-Gonzalez and Rocio Huerta-Camara played a big part in finding the right role for Scoffield. Vega-Gonzalez oversees the volunteer program at Sutter Gould, and Huerta-Camara leads Sutter Gould’s Inclusion Council.
“If we say we are inclusive as an organization, that applies to every single person who walks through our doors,” said Huerta-Camara. “We wanted to make sure Porter felt welcome and set him up for success.”
Huerta-Camara contacted Sutter’s disAbility Employee Resource Group for guidance on structuring Scoffield’s volunteer role and consulted the National Association for Down Syndrome website before welcoming him as a volunteer. Thanks to their efforts, he found his niche and was welcomed by the foundation’s busy lab staff in Modesto, Calif., about 75 miles southeast of Sacramento, helping them with registration.
“The receptionists say that Porter is a joy to have around,” said Vega-Gonzalez. “Now he is comfortable in his role. He jokes with staff, and they really enjoy interacting with him.”
Tammy Scoffield, Porter’s mom, volunteers alongside her son at the Sutter clinic. She is well-versed in his rights as it relates to the ADA. From the time he was little, she advocated for her son to be fully included at regular schools and to have access to a therapy animal.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health, 27% of adults in the United States have some type of disability, with mobility (serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs) and cognitive (serious difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions) disabilities being the most prominent types. Individuals living with disabilities often face worse overall health outcomes, including likelihood of obesity (41.6%), diabetes (15.9%) and heart disease (9.6%). She says she sees her son’s mental wellbeing improve through volunteer work.
“After the COVID-19 pandemic, Porter lost his eagerness to meet people,” she said. “His sister, Shelby, looked far and wide for opportunities for him to volunteer in the community. She spotted the volunteer opening at Sutter Gould, and it’s been a wonderful way for Porter to spend time with the staff as well as Sutter patients.”
While Scoffield has enjoyed the chance to interact with others in his role, he admits he also gets a boost by wearing his uniform.
“The vest I wear at the lab is really cool,” he said.
