Search for Adventure Visits Kansas City

A Search for Adventure (SFA) crew and our Disability Awareness Training (DAT) Players kicked off November with a trip to Kansas City for the Grass Roots Alliance Conference. Invited by our long-time social enterprise partner Toad & Co., the team presented our signature DAT to about 50 retail professionals from across the country. The session included an updated script with two new role plays focused on workplace accommodations and a panic attack scenario. 

“Someone came up to us and said that they really appreciated the panic scenario because they had someone in their family who experienced that,” said Division Manager of Visibility Arts and Community Education, Tina Zemen. Feedback like this highlights the value of using real and relatable examples in our training. 

This trip also marked the debut of our new online Disability Awareness Training Platform, expanding the reach of our training beyond in-person sessions. The platform provides organizations with a dynamic virtual learning experience, offering the same relatable stories and practical lessons from people supported by Search in an accessible digital format. 

The DAT Players embraced the professionalism of the conference and were excited about the new inclusion of tablets to support their presentation. 

“Lanni felt very excited about the professionalism that this brought,” Tina shared. “She felt really honored. Players have expressed feeling like professionals and are happy that they’re considered important. The thought of being experts and being brought to Kansas City to do this training helped them to feel special in their roles.” 

Post-training evaluations were overwhelmingly positive, with many attendees expressing interest in bringing the session to their own workplaces. 

 “Being able to deliver training in another city at this level and connecting with people from across the country is really magical,” Tina said. “It was great to meet like-minded people.” 

After the presentation, the team explored the conference floor. DAT Player Lanni was eager to meet and chat with potential vendors and partners for our Planet Access store. 

“Lanni’s salesmanship just really came forward, and she really enjoys being a salesperson,” Tina said. 

Once the conference wrapped up for the day, the group joined the Toad&Co. team, including CEO Gordon Seabury, for a BBQ dinner. 

“The connections that happened between Toad staff and Search just feel natural, and I love that,” Tina said. “We enjoyed each other’s company. You could see the energy and flow between everyone involved.” 

Outside of the conference, the group made time for fun together at Dave & Buster’s, where a virtual reality experience was a highlight, and at the Overland Park Arboretum, where they explored the grounds and enjoyed nature. 

Human Resources Manager Mark Ottenwalder attended his first SFA trip in Kansas City and shared his experience stepping out of an office and into an adventure with the people we support. 

“It felt very people-oriented and just like a vacation,” he said. “Even the train ride was special with everyone talking, laughing and playing games. We bonded from the start.”  

His favorite memory came during an unplanned moment. 

“Grace [Senior Director of Social Ventures and Development] and Anthony [DAT Player] had a dance-off in the parking lot. Grace was rapping to Nicki Minaj, and Anthony just started dancing and jamming. I never saw that side of him,” Mark said. “It was just a fun, organic moment that wasn’t planned. You can work with someone, but after spending days together traveling, you really get to know them differently. I was able to get to know the people we support more in-depth.” 

The Kansas City trip brought together education, advocacy, empowerment and community. It highlighted the excitement of SFA and the professionalism and passion of our DAT Players. Most importantly, it showed the power of partnership and the difference that happens when inclusion is not just practiced but embraced. 

To learn more about our new DAT platform or experience an in-person training, contact our Community Education team at communityeducation@search-inc.org