501-362-7526 info@maysmission.org 604 Colonial Drive, Heber Springs, Arkansas 72543

For over 50 years, Mays Mission for the Handicapped has been providing opportunities to people with disabilities. We are a religious, charitable, nondenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the physically and spiritually disabled and promoting awareness of the potential of individuals with disabilities.

Being a 501(c)(3), we are supported through charitable contributions from our faithful and loyal supporters. Because of the generous nature of our donors, we are able to provide services like On-The-Job training, scholarships, camperships, referral services, emergency monetary assistance, awareness education, and goodwill.

Mays Mission for the Handicapped was established on the premise that “everyone deserves a chance.” Our founder, Ewing W. Mays, was a combat-wounded WWII veteran who lost both legs. He knew firsthand the difficulties of finding employment. In creating Mays Mission for the Handicapped, he was determined to change the way people view those with disabilities.

WHAT DO WE DO?

Mays Mission for the Handicapped offers hope to people who no one else may care about. We provide worthwhile employment to handicapped persons from all walks of life and teaches the word of God in accordance with Christian ethics and principles.

Mays Mission also sponsors activities for handicapped children; assists disabled adults to find proper housing, transportation, or medical attention; and makes grants to other institutions or organizations to benefit the handicapped, such as hospitals.

While Mays Mission will assist a disabled individual to the maximum extent possible, we are focused on serving those in rural Arkansas and the Ozark Mountains region, an area that is generally economically depressed and suffers from a relatively high unemployment rate, hence few job opportunities for the handicapped.

Our primary purpose is to help handicapped persons improve their job skills through on-the-job training, which will help in creating jobs for them. A main objective is to help the employees who are being trained to achieve economic stability and independence in their lives. Therefore, it is most important that the collateral purpose of assisting them to obtain better employment is carried forth with as much vigor as the actual training.

Mays Mission educates the public that, with appropriate training, individuals with disabilities are “handicapable” and serves as a “school for citizenship” both to encourage employers to hire the handicapped and to teach the public how to interact with disabled individuals, particularly in the workplace.

Change lives – Employ the disabled.

For over 50 years, Mays Mission for the Handicapped has been providing opportunities to people with disabilities. We are a religious, charitable, nondenominational, nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the physically and spiritually disabled and promoting awareness of the potential of individuals with disabilities.

Being a 501(c)(3), we are supported through charitable contributions from our faithful and loyal supporters. Because of the generous nature of our donors, we are able to provide services like On-The-Job training, scholarships, camperships, referral services, emergency monetary assistance, awareness education, and goodwill.

Mays Mission for the Handicapped was established on the premise that “everyone deserves a chance.” Our founder, Ewing W. Mays, was a combat-wounded WWII veteran who lost both legs. He knew firsthand the difficulties of finding employment. In creating Mays Mission for the Handicapped, he was determined to change the way people view those with disabilities.

WHAT DO WE DO?

Mays Mission for the Handicapped offers hope to people who no one else may care about. We provide worthwhile employment to handicapped persons from all walks of life and teaches the word of God in accordance with Christian ethics and principles.

Mays Mission also sponsors activities for handicapped children; assists disabled adults to find proper housing, transportation, or medical attention; and makes grants to other institutions or organizations to benefit the handicapped, such as hospitals.

While Mays Mission will assist a disabled individual to the maximum extent possible, we are focused on serving those in rural Arkansas and the Ozark Mountains region, an area that is generally economically depressed and suffers from a relatively high unemployment rate, hence few job opportunities for the handicapped.

Our primary purpose is to help handicapped persons improve their job skills through on-the-job training, which will help in creating jobs for them. A main objective is to help the employees who are being trained to achieve economic stability and independence in their lives. Therefore, it is most important that the collateral purpose of assisting them to obtain better employment is carried forth with as much vigor as the actual training.

Mays Mission educates the public that, with appropriate training, individuals with disabilities are “handicapable” and serves as a “school for citizenship” both to encourage employers to hire the handicapped and to teach the public how to interact with disabled individuals, particularly in the workplace.

Change lives – Employ the disabled.

Helping John

We recently helped John ‘Indian’ Sparks, a double amputee, get off the streets. John was homeless and in a wheel chair when a local ministry told us about him. He had no one else left to turn to and no where else to go. We found a hotel for him until more permanent housing could be found. Finding a wheelchair accessible hotel room for a few nights until more permanent housing could be found proved difficult. One would assume that over 30 years after the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), access and design of modern buildings would… Read More

Accessibility is for everyone!

The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed over 33 years ago but there are still accessibility issues being faced by disabled individuals everyday. Recently A quadriplegic Denver City Council member made headlines when he had to crawl on to a stage with no ramps due to inaccessibility. The Councilman said he felt “humiliated.” The councilman, Chris Hinds, said “My thought process was, I have to participate in this debate or end my campaign.” After struggling to get onstage and several people trying to lift his chair on to the stage, eventually organizers agreed to have the debate on the main… Read More

Helping them soar!

Mays Mission’s scholarship program for disabled students is one of our favorites, because, through it, we meet the most extraordinary young women and men … and then get to watch them shine and soar! These kids have often faced and overcome challenge after challenge for their entire lives. They are strong and resilient. They can adapt to almost any situation and have incredible fortitude. But what they are usually lacking is funds, resources, and opportunities to grow, prove their worth, and gain independence. Thanks to our donors these kids prove themselves time and again. If you would like a free… Read More

Disability is Ok!

I once wrote about my pastor’s son going to St. Louis for some specified surgery to relieve spasticity related to cerebral palsy (CP).  He is doing very well and the doctors are extremely pleased with the outcome. Pastor said something about it in one of his sermons which sincerely hit home with me. In preparing to make the trip from Searcy, Arkansas to St. Louis, my pastor asked his son if he was still feeling good about the pending surgery. The response was positive and then further explained: “You know daddy, I’m really not that disappointed with the life I… Read More

Warming Up

“Old Man Winter” is packing up his bags and heading out the door again.  For myself, and many other people with disabilities, the winter months make it difficult to get out and exercise.  Seeing the grass greening up, the bright blue skies and the temperatures getting warmer, thoughts of getting active again can brighten the day. Exercise is good for everyone.  We’ve heard for years that exercising on a regular basis not only leads to a healthier life, but possibly a longer life as well.  As with most everything, exercise should be done carefully and with moderation. And remember to… Read More

Planning Ahead

It’s always a good, no – make that a great idea – to plan ahead when doing most anything. My thought in this edition though is for building or buying a home when people with disabilities and the elderly are involved – especially with arthritis. What’s described below is not consistently true, but it’s a good rule to follow. In 1994 we decided to build a 1600 sq. ft. home. Being in a wheelchair for 23 years at that time, I knew very well what I wanted to include and what things to avoid. Obviously, stairs, steps and a wheelchair… Read More

Our founder’s mission and his dream

The late Ewing W. Mays founded Mays Mission, a non-profit organization… …in order to give help, encouragement and guidance to the physically and mentally disabled.As a double amputee (he lost both of his legs during World War II), Ewing knew all to well the anguish and heartache of being disabled. He was only 25 years old when he lost his legs. For two years he lay in a hospital bed at McCloskey General Hospital in Temple, Texas undergoing one operation after another before being fitted for artificial legs. Not once did a person with a similar disability ever visit him…. Read More

Accomplishments

Our founder Ewing W. Mays accomplished many great things in his life as a disabled veteran. Initially he toured with a group of disabled veterans and sold war bonds and recruited employees for defense plants. Later he worked tireless hours with the Disabled American Veterans and toured overseas to bring hope to young men who had suffered similar losses. But the accomplishment he was most proud of was founding Mays Mission for the Handicapped in 1972. Mays always said, “The greatest satisfaction of my life has been the establishment of Mays Mission for the Handicapped which provides jobs and job… Read More

Your Faith in Action

Mays Mission for the Handicapped supports several programs which are all designed to help the disabled, frail or elderly.  One of our programs, the “Faith in Action Caregivers Alliance,” gets its name from the national program “Faith in Action” originated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation of Princeton, New Jersey.  The concept of Faith in Action is simple: volunteers of many faiths, working together to care for their neighbors who have long-term health needs.  Through our program, as in hundreds of others throughout the nation, frail or elderly neighbors are given assistance by volunteers from their community.  This assistance will… Read More

You Never Know…

Today I met a woman who had what I thought was a very interesting story. Cindy is a woman in her mid fifties and is native to the beautiful New England states.  She was here to visit her daughter and son-in-law and her lovely fifteen-month old granddaughter.  She and her husband intend to move to the south soon to be nearer to their family. Unbeknownst to me, Cindy is legally blind since birth and has a myriad of medical problems that keep her from holding a job.  She gets around fine, does housework and is a very fine cook, so… Read More

Help us make this year a great year!

Another year has passed and some good questions might be “What have we accomplished? Are we better off in any way than we were 365 days ago? “What can we do in the coming year to improve our lives and the way we live?” Better yet, what can we do to improve the lives of others, especially those with disabilities? The dictionary describes an “advocate” as one who publicly supports or suggests an idea, development or way of doing something. Here at Mays Mission, our primary goal is to aid and assist people with disabilities. Yes, putting to work those… Read More

Mission Goals for 2023

In sports such as football, basketball or tennis the object is to reach the goal and score. The football team tries to run over or pass over the opposing team to reach the goal line. In tennis the goal is to hit the ball over the net and past your opponent. Like these games, our goals at Mays Mission do not change. We will continue to work hard to provide the types of programs that serve the disabled. We will continue to offer meaningful jobs and job training to help those who might not otherwise be given such an opportunity…. Read More

Giving The Gift Of Hope

Giving gifts at Christmas is a tradition based of course, on the greatest gift ever given to mankind-the gift of a Son by his Father to a world in desperate need. The celebration of Christmas is a reminder to all of us how blessed we are to have been given such a precious gift of hope. Here at Mays Mission we are blessed over and over by the gifts we receive from our faithful and loyal supporters.  Gifts we pass on to those we serve each day.  One of those most precious gifts is hope.  Through our jobs and job-training… Read More

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” 

Christmas is a time for family and friends to do so much together and for each other.  Some start planning a year in advance for the next celebration.  We plan festive meals and holiday parties.  Sometimes we gather up the family to watch one of those classic movies like It’s a wonderful life or A Christmas Carol.  And often we plan a trip to see Handel’s Messiah or The Nutcracker. While these cheerful events and celebrations draw the family together for Christmas, probably the most thought about event is that of gift giving.  Some like to get this portion of… Read More

Holiday Smiles

It’s that time again. It seems like December 25th and January 1st happen on the same dates every year. Yes, that was said tongue-in-cheek and meant to get your attention. With so much going on during the holiday season we often neglect some of the basic tenants of our Christian faith.James says in chapter 1, verse 27 that “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” Now, I don’t know what you see going on in our world but my… Read More

Be Thankful

Sometimes it seems so repetitious to say that we have much to be thankful for.  Yet, if we take the time to look around and see the way other countries are struggling, we can’t help but know that God has richly blessed us. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting the best of everything, the latest gadgets and whiz-bang technology.  Yet people in other countries are wondering where their next meal is coming from, wondering if their malnourished children will survive or if they will ever get the medical attention they so desperately need. As a nation, the vast… Read More

Quiz Time!

According to the Presidents Committee on People with Disabilities, answers to all the questions are “false.” (Responses to the above questions) People with disabilities deserve the opportunity to experience the “American Dream” without discrimination. Yet studies show the majority of working-aged people with disabilities cannot find employment. Make it a point to encourage an employer to hire people with disabilities. Give them a chance! Call us at 888-503-7955 for free brochures like “On-The_Job Training” or “Over Fifty Years Of Service” or email us at info@maysmission.org to find out more. Thank you for your support!

Accessible Travel

Recently my wife and I determined that we truly needed a break from the hustle and bustle of our hectic every-day lives.  We made the decision to just get out of the house for a weekend and spend some time together away from business, work and the phone. I called several resorts in the northwest Arkansas town we decided to visit, trying to find a place with wheelchair accessible facilities.  After a few “sorry, we’re booked” disappointments, I finally found a place that sounded very nice. It had been a while since we’d had difficulty with accessibility when traveling.  Seeing… Read More

Interacting with the disabled

Public services and buildings are required to have in place facilities and policies to accommodate people with disabilities as required by the American’s with Disabilities Act. These regulations make it increasingly likely that people without specific disabilities will interact more frequently with the disabled.  We often get questions about interacting with the disabled. Here are a few simple rules to help smooth the way for an easy and pleasing interaction: When interacting with a person using a wheelchair: Maintain eye contact. Ask if assistance is needed, rather than assuming it is. Don’t lean on a wheelchair.  The chair is considered… Read More

Change and Attitude

We are all brought into this world with our own unique set of circumstances.  Some are born into wealth and prosperity while some are born into poverty; some short and some tall; some with a natural ability to excel in certain areas while others struggle to make the grade.  Whatever the situation might be, no two individuals are alike. As we meander through life’s intriguing journey, there usually comes a time when we all decide we are ready for a change.  Whatever it might be, more likely than not, the change will not be instantaneous or easy. Change usually takes… Read More

October Is National Disability Employee Awareness Month

This October is a time to recognize the contributions of Americans with disabilities and to encourage all citizens to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce. First declared in 1988 by Congress for the month of October to raise awareness of the needs and contributions of disabled individuals, National Disability Employee Awareness Month is a time to recognize that people with disabilities have equal or higher job retention, lower absenteeism, and that their job performance is equal to their non-disabled counterparts. It is a time to urge employers to hire persons with disabilities. How can you do this? Call at 888-503-7955… Read More

Seeking, but Not Finding

What is the first thought that comes to mind when someone utters the word “disabled?”  (Try it. It’s interesting.)  Is it homebound, a wheelchair, someone who is blind or maybe uses a cane or crutch?  Fact is, we all have our own interpretation. And, when it comes to disabilities, no two are alike.  Although no two disabled individuals are alike, two-thirds of the 54 million disabled individuals in the United States desire employment. I have stated this before but I feel that it deserves repeating; what would happen to our welfare, Medicare, unemployment, and the national debt if these people… Read More

Strive to do “something!”

Whether you are one of the healthiest people around, young or old, able-bodied or not, we all have dreams and aspirations that we set for ourselves.  Be it monetary, education, employment, marriage-whatever- we all want to succeed in life. Often time’s people tend to set limitations on themselves and especially those with disabilities.  We all need to set goals in our lives and pursue them with vigor.  Literally anyone can sit around and do nothing.  It takes no talent or ambition.  Anyone can feel sorry for themselves.  In doing so you gain nothing and waste precious time that can never… Read More

Think before building or moving

With interest rates low, many people are thinking of buying a house or building that dream new home. Ninety-nine percent of the time, a new home purchase is the biggest investment you will make. People with pre-existing disabilities usually think ahead and plan for obstacles and possible hindrances in the new house or building project. Wide doors and an open floor plan are usually very good ideas. These options are easy to incorporate when you know your limitations. It might do everyone middle-aged and over some good to do a little thinking and planning ahead too. If you or someone… Read More

Accessibility