DIVERSE ABILITIES INCLUSION CONSULTING
Welcome to MERGE
ACCESS | Inclusion | Belonging
MERGE champions disability inclusion by providing expert guidance to recreation, sport, camp, and community organizations. Our tailored training programs empower these entities to welcome, engage, and support individuals with diverse abilities. Join us in creating inclusive environments where everyone can thrive in your general program offerings, fostering a diverse and enriching community experience.
We offer workshops and webinars for the disability community to achieve social inclusion and belonging within their communities.
WHO WE SERVE
Our services are beneficial for organizations providing recreation or community programs for the general population who are seeking to become more inclusive in their practices, ensuring community members with diverse abilities are welcomed, engaged, and successful in participation.
Additionally, MERGE works with human service providers and agencies supporting people with disabilities and their families, providing support on accessing inclusion within your community.
YMCA’s, Boys & Girls Clubs, JCC’s
Town Recreation Programs
Summer Camps, Afterschool Programs
Sports Teams or Leagues
Fitness, Enrichment, and Art Instructional Classes
Churches, Libraries, Scouts, First Responders, Town or City DEI Committees
Agencies and Providers That Support the Disability Community
ORGANIZATIONS WE WORK WITH
ABOUT OUR FOUNDER
Meet Lisa Drennan, the visionary leader behind MERGE Inclusion Consulting. With over 39 years dedicated to building inclusive communities, Lisa is a trailblazer in the field.
Lisa's journey starts as a direct support professional and recreation director at New England Village (NEV), in Pembroke, MA. Her dedication to wellness and enrichment at NEV led her to serve as the former Director of the Sollar Wellness Center — where she designed and opened this groundbreaking facility, offering unique opportunities for individuals with developmental disabilities. As a former Senior Leadership Team member at New England Village, she played a pivotal role in implementing the organization's strategic plan and co-developed Positive Support Techniques guidelines and Best Practices for Instructors, a training for effective fitness and enrichment class instruction. Lisa’s journey as a pioneer continues as the first-ever Association Director of Inclusion for the South Shore YMCA in Norwell, MA. During her tenure, she elevated the inclusion initiative by spearheading innovative program development, implementing comprehensive staff training, and fostering effective education and awareness throughout the YMCA community. Her influence extended nationally as the former Chairperson of YMCA of the USA's Diverse Abilities Working Group, where she provided a platform for education, resources, and consultation, positively impacting YMCA organizations across the country. Upon starting MERGE, her commitment to community inclusion is further reflected in her role as an Advisory Board Member for the DDS & ARC of Massachusetts joint Widening The Circle Project, where she served as the primary author of the Pathways To Friendship toolkit for recreation and community professionals. In academia, Lisa extends her passion for inclusion as an Adjunct Professor of Adaptive Physical Activity at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Beyond her professional endeavors, Lisa’s extensive community involvement includes years of volunteer and community service, solidifying her as a dedicated member of her community. At MERGE Consulting, Lisa Drennan's visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to inclusivity drive a consultancy that goes beyond business, creating positive impacts and transformative experiences for individuals of all abilities.
What is Inclusion?
Watch and learn what inclusion is (and isn't) and how we create cultures of inclusion where persons with disabilities are welcomed, engaged, and supported to BELONG!
This video was created by a neurodivergent student!
CONSULTATION
MERGE has services to match your organizational needs. Our partnership starts with a comprehensive evaluation to determine the inclusion needs of your organization.
SERVICES MAY INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
Staff training (2 to 200 participants) for a customized learning experience.
On-site or online coaching for Inclusion Staff, program staff, coaches, or instructors on inclusion initiatives and policy implementation.
Guidance on program development and implementation of strategies and procedures.
Marketing and promotion assistance, including language review.
Support for employers and HR personnel in engaging, supporting, and supervising employees with diverse abilities.
Evaluation of physical space for universal design and ADA compliance.
On-call crisis support for behavioral challenges, including on-site observation and coaching for camp/staff team members.
SPEAKING EXPERIENCE
Elevate your events with energetic and insightful speaking engagements, available either virtually or in person, designed to leave a lasting impact on national or local conferences, seminars, and panel discussions.
Step into the future of inclusivity with our thought leaders, who not only understand the importance of community inclusion but also provide actionable takeaways for your audience. Choose MERGE Inclusion Consulting to make your event a catalyst for positive change, fostering a culture that embraces diversity and empowers individuals of all abilities.
ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE CHOSEN MERGE
Diverse Abilities Profile
MERGE is committed to helping recreation, camp, sport and community programs to be confident and equipped to successfully include community members with diverse abilities.
The supports provided to these community programs are beneficial to and targeted toward the inclusion of children, teens, or adults with Autism, developmental, intellectual or physical disabilities, neurodiversity, mental health, or social-emotional issues. In other words, anyone looking to access community programs with their peer group.
Commit to being inclusive FOR ALL and contact MERGE today!
"Lisa led a 5-hour workshop during the Massachusetts Families Organizing for Change's Family Leadership series last weekend. It was the most engaging, participatory, and informative part of the training families with disabilities received that weekend! Lisa brings her enthusiasm for inclusion, a depth of knowledge about inclusive practices, decades of experience in recreational leadership...and makes her content accessible. Her workshop included multiple opportunities for small and large group conversation, self-reflection, and application of workshop content. My spouse and I left her workshop challenged to think more creatively about inclusive opportunities for our child and our community and determined to push the conversation forward within and beyond the disability community."
- Melissa Winchell, Parent
Asst. Professor of Secondary Education, Bridgewater State University
Founder of Inclusion Matters