The Next Chapter Book Club helps adults with intellectual disabilities progress through chapters of classical books at their own pace.
At the same time, the club gives its members the opportunity to begin a chapter in their lives that was previously unopened.
"I think in the past it was easy for adults with mental retardation to be isolated, but this brings them out," said Jennifer Duann, a senior at Ohio State. Duann volunteers at one of the group's clubs that is held at Barnes & Noble on Olentangy River Road.
The club helps its members improve more than just their reading skills.
Sue Norris is the mother of Alex Norris, 22, who is a member of the club where Duann volunteers. She said she has noticed a positive difference in her son's social skills since he started going to the club a couple years ago.
In its weekly meetings, five to eight members of the club read through a chapter of any book of their choice, ranging from "Moby Dick" to "Harry Potter."
While the book club, which was founded in 2002 in Columbus, helps its members strengthen their reading and comprehension, it also gives them the chance to feel more connected to their community.
"The idea is to give people with intellectual disabilities the ability to be in a public setting for an hour every week," said Tom Fish, director of social work and family support services at OSU and founder of the club. "It's all about having friends, hanging out in a coffee shop and reading."
Each of the club's smaller groups is coordinated by at least two volunteers who range in age from 16 to 85, and includes students, parents, retirees, professionals and people with disabilities.
Fish said the volunteers don't control the meetings, but instead they guide the readings and discussions, allowing the members to think for themselves.
"The beauty of the club is that it allows our members to talk about their opinions, their feelings and their ideas," Fish said. "The more they're able to try to read, the more confident they are. So hopefully it spills over to other areas of their life."
He said the groups vary in terms of how much they read or discuss the books, and that some clubs specialize in a certain topic such as sports. Some clubs also watch a movie on a book after they finish.
"It's a really fun community to be involved with," Duann said. "I love all the people. It's just a way to get out of the college bubble and meet people that I normally wouldn't. And it's fun too."
By going to the meetings, which are held at bookstores and coffee shops throughout Columbus, some group members also are learning how to do things that will help them become more independent.
"Some of our members have never ordered a drink for themselves until they joined this club," Fish said.
Fish said the very first club meeting was held at a Borders bookstore at Kenny and Henderson roads, and there are now 19 clubs in Franklin County.
There are between 450 and 500 total members and 125 different locations across North America and Germany, Fish said.
The club is a program of OSU's Nisonger Center, which is a research and training center on developmental disabilities.
Drew Sullivan can be reached at sullivan.462@osu.edu.
Be the first to comment on this article!