ADA COUNTY, Idaho — High school memories are often filled with football games in the fall, winter formals and the prom. It's a dance that has become a rite of passage for any teenager. However, some teens with disabilities may not feel included.
That is where community can come in.
People with disabilities are not a monolith and a group of West Ada students have a mission to make sure every teenager can don their dresses, dapper suits, dance the night away and experience prom.
Students in Idaho's Mountain View High School's student leadership program put on an annual 'VIP Prom' to accommodate students with different disabilities.
"We're helping them be able to have a prom they can experience and have fun with, it's the whole entire goal," VIP Prom organizer Kaitlyn said. "Because they have sensitivities and needs that they can't go to a regular prom for."
Twin sisters Kaitlyn and Jaidyn Wills are seniors at Mountain View who started the "VIP Prom" three years ago by creating an inclusive atmosphere that allows students with special needs to have a night they deserve.
"It takes a lot of detail and planning because we have to sort out specific sensitivities, allergies and needs," Kaitlyn said.
The students said year-round planning pays off - especially when they see all the smiles on the dance floor.
"All of their faces are lit up," Kaitlyn said. "They're just having fun. It's no care in the world, everyone's out on the dance floor."
Law enforcement from across the county joined in on the party, welcoming the VIP promgoers with a VIP entrance.
"Just seeing their faces light up that they have people cheering for them and seeing them here, their faces are so excited," Jaidyn said. "I just think the best moment is seeing that the work you've done has paid off and that these kids are having the best night of their lives."
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