The Dancing Wheels Company

The Dancing Wheels Company did a wonderful and amazing presentation at the Thriving, Not Just Surviving conference on April 22, 1010. The West Virginia Advocates was very successful with this conference at the Stonewall Resort. The presentation reflected a message of taking the "dis" out of disability! With persistence and dedication there are no limits just accomplishments as shown by the performers of with the Dancing Wheels Company. The presentation was very emotional and priceless!http://www.gggreg.com/dancingwheels.htm

COACH and CUSTOMIZED EMPLOYMENT: A PROMISING COLLABORATION

On April 29, 2010 I attended a very interesting training entitled IEP's From Start to Finish. One of the presenters spoke about using the COACH program for children with disabilities. The program has shown great promise and is appropriate for students from 3 to 21 years of age with moderate, severe, and profound disabilities (or "differing abilities"). It was interesting to note the similarities between this program and the Customized Employment approach Job Squad uses to assist our job-seekers in finding employment opportunities. Some of the main aspects of the program include a focus on family, collaboration among schools, support persons, and other agencies and professionals involved in a student's life. With COACH, the focus in on family, support persons, interests, social activities, educational, support needs, and career goals (especially for high school age students). In other words, the focus is on the whole person and not a "system". It is important to note that "family" is defined as adults who live with and care for the student. The family (and student, if appropriate) determine the goals to focus on for each year. The following is a summary of important questions and answers that explain more about the program:

How does COACH fit into IEP development?
A: COACH is meant to be used as one part of an overall approach to planning an appropriate education for a student with disabilities. Therefore, it is appropriately considered an IEP planning tool and has proven to be a useful component of transition planning (e.g., preschool to kindergarten; grade to grade; school to postschool). The information generated using COACH is designed to develop an appropriate, individualized education program. COACH is
Not designed to determine eligibility for special education
Not designed to provide a comprehensive assessment profile
Not designed to assign grade or developmental levels
Not designed to be used to the exclusion of other planning tools
Not designed to justify segregation of students with disabilities
COACH is meant to assist in educational planning by
Identifying family-centered priorities
Identifying additional learning outcomes (e.g., general education)
Identifying general supports to be provided to or for the student
Identifying priorities into IEP goals and objectives
Summarizing the educational program as a Program-at-a Glance
Organizing the planning ream to implement the program
Scheduling participation in general education classes/activities
Planning and adapting lesson plans to facilitate learning
Evaluating the impact of educational experiences
Typically, COACH is used to assist in the identification of IEP goals and objectives and to provide some information to document a student's present level of functioning in reference to selected goals and objectives. The planning activities conducted using COACH are then documented in the IEP.

In the article, Severe Disabilities (Education and Individuals With Severe Disabilities: Promising Practices), June E. Downing and Stephanie MacFarland elaborate on the absolute necessity of active family involvment in developing and implementing an educational program for students).

"Given the importance of meeting individual needs that reflect cultural differences, religion, experiences, and language, active family involvement to assist with assessments and determining instructional programs for a particular student is a recommended practice (Downing 2008; Turnbull et al. 2006). When students are unable to speak for themselves, which is often the case for students with severe disabilities, information from family members regarding expectations at home, skills and interests of the student, concerns, and future goals serves to guide educational programs. The home-school relationship is vital, and specific approaches have been developed to facilitate this bridge, such as these seminal approaches: Person Direct Support (O'Brien et al. 2005), and Choosing Outcomes and Accommodations for Children (Giangreco et al. 1998). These approaches to obtaining information from families are designed to keep the individual student as the focal point, with those closest to the student using their in-depth knowledge and caring for the person to guide their comments and hopes for the future"

Downing JE, MacFarland S. 2010. Severe Disabilities (Education and Individuals with Severe Disabilities: Promising Practices). In: JH Stone, M Blouin, editors. International Encyclopedia of Rehabilitation. Available online: http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/article.php?id=114&language=en

All parties involved in a student's life are interconnected. Every component, whether it is educational, career goals, social life is of equal importance and one should work together to strengthen the other. For instance, teachers can greatly assist career counselors in providing valuable work experiences for students by open sharing of information (the COACH profile is a useful tool for this since it shows all the individual's goals, support needs, social needs, etc.. on 1 page). This profile is similar to the Vocational Profile we use at Job Squad to learn more about an individual. It is especially important to get differing perspective about an individual from the people they are closest to and obtain detailed information. This open sharing of information is beneficial all parties in assisting students in setting and achieving goals and in linking careers with the actual coursework they are doing.

Next posting: Discover how to assist students in linking educational experiences with career experiences!

Employment Possibilities: Thriving, Not Just Surviving

This was the theme of the 2010 WV Advocates Conference held in Roanoke, WV on April 23rd. Speaking from personal experience, Kathleen Martinez, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Dept. of Labor and head of its Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) knows what it is like for many persons with disabilities to be 'just surviving.'
Born blind, it wasn't until she was eight months old that her parents realized this and then what a challenge it would be to raise their daughter. Though her family lived in a community of migrant workers in southern California, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise when it came to attending school. Mrs. Martinez emphasized what a huge advantage it was for her not to be segregated in a school for the blind, as is still recommended today. Inclusion in community education from kindergarten through high school helped her figure out how to live and learn with the larger seeing community.

"My childhood became the time when I realized that although I felt different, I had much in common with other kids. I loved to run and play, just like everybody else, yet I soon discovered that everybody else also had certain vulnerabilities that made them somewhat different, just like me. One classmate was picked on because she had freckles; another student was ridiculed because he had psoriasis. The commonalities helped shape my self confidence to reach out and communicate freely with people from all walks of life." She credited this inclusion from childhood as being a key to her successful career later in life.

Mrs. Martinez grew up in poverty and eventually 'just survived' on her monthly SSI payments. "We lived very close to strawberry fields and orange groves in southern California and I became increasingly aware of the farm workers who worked in those fields. A student teacher in 8th grade read the book Sweatshops in the Sun by Ronald B. Taylor for me on tape. The book was about child labor on farms, and it profoundly influenced my awareness of working conditions in those fields just a couple blocks from my house."

There came a point in her life when she decided to use the SSA PASS work incentive, which eventually helped her to get off of SSI and 'thrive,' by working and supporting herself. She did offer an interesting cautionary side note. Her benefits adviser at Social Security gave her incorrect information that resulted in her receiving a large over payment that took quite some time to repay. In this way she emphasized the importance of receiving good "Work Incentives Planning and Assistance" (WIPA) when making use of SSA work incentives.

Mrs. Martinez encouraged the audience to seek to turn their adversity into opportunity. She said: "Good jobs for people with disabilities serves as the gateway out of the poverty trap allowing us to contribute to the economy and strengthen our nation."

She was very excited about some of the new programs and initiatives that the Dept. of Labor is currently developing. As head of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Ms. Martinez advises the Secretary of Labor and works with all DOL agencies to lead a comprehensive and coordinated national policy regarding the employment of people with disabilities. She said that what she liked the most about "my work is knowing that I am part of Secretary Solis’ vision of Good Jobs for Everyone. My approach in supporting this vision is inclusion -- a multi-faceted approach to weave disability into the fabric of employment in America."

How does the Dept. of Labor hope to accomplish this lofty goal? Mrs. Martinez mentioned self-employment and a project with Start-Up USA. While many jobs are being lost in big businesses, new jobs are being created in small businesses, and with self-employment. In fact, she mentioned that ODEP is strongly promoting Customized Employment (CE) as a means to create jobs that previously didn't exist in community businesses which are 'carved out,' or customized, to fit the talents, abilities, and interests of job-seekers. To that end, the Dept. of Labor is working to facilitate the training of employment specialists and job developers in this new approach to job creation.

Fittingly, one of the breakout sessions scheduled at the conference discussed the use of "Resource Ownership" as one interesting facet of Customized Employment (CE). Russell Sickles, Community Economic Development Program manager at Job Squad, explained how a Fairmont, WV business was able to benefit both economically and customer relations wise by hiring a job-seeker who used his SSA PASS 'work incentive' to purchase a hi-tech piece of equipment (asset) that the business needed to improve efficiency and cut costs.

This resulted in a former sub-minimum wage sheltered workshop employee of twenty years, who 'was not thriving, but just surviving,' ending up with a job he loves, making well above minimum wage, and whom his employer boasts is his best employee. And the improved profitability and great publicity the business has enjoyed are further testament to the classification of Customized Employment as best practices.

Resource Ownership - Christian at VALLEY WORLDS OF FUN

Mrs. Martinez also mentioned an initiative geared toward "opening doors to many individuals previously untapped as workers in the green economy. For Americans with disabilities to have an equal chance to share in the full promise of this green economy, a conscious effort must be made to make these industries universally accessible so that all can participate in and reap the benefits of employment and career advancement." Green employment demands the required education to meet these industry needs, and the use of SSA PASS funds to pay for tuition and other expenses can be a valuable tool in realizing this 21st century opportunity.

Are these dreams too unrealistic to even consider for persons with disabilities, who are used to a 70% plus unemployment rate, sub-minimum wage sheltered workshop employment, or custodial low skill careers? Not according to Gary Guller, keynote speaker for the afternoon session of the conference.

Gary realized his impossible dream of climbing Mt. Everest in 2003 with one arm. He achieved this right after leading a team of climbers with disabilities to the 17,000 foot base camp of Mt. Everest, after all the doctors said they could never make the climb.
May 4, 2003
THE ROAD TO EVEREST
Something about the altitude changes your perspective on the journey – every journey
By LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
KATMANDU, Nepal – They were perhaps the unlikeliest team ever to set out for the highest place on earth:
Five American men in wheelchairs. A Texas woman with a leg brace and another with lifelong hip problems. A Sri Lankan immigrant from San Antonio with a prosthetic leg. Two Sherpas from a remote Nepali village – one without an arm and another without a leg – who spoke no English.

All led by a 36-year-old Austin climber who lost an arm in a mountaineering accident and hoped the team's efforts would spur him to reach the Everest summit. On April 6, Mr. Guller and his teammates, including seven with disabilities, reached the vast glacial field at 17,600 feet that is Everest's base camp.
They had traveled 17 days through some of the world's harshest terrain, enduring bone-chilling cold and snow and living conditions so primitive that it was difficult to avoid getting sick.

"We set our minds to do something incredible, dang near impossible," Mr. Standridge said. "And we did it."
June 7, 2003
Everest climber home to tell his tale

Austin man fulfilled dream, became 1st with 1 arm to reach summit

By LEE HANCOCK / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Gary Guller came home from the top of the world Friday, cheered by family, friends and trekking teammates as he told of "living his dream" to become the first person with one arm to climb Mount Everest.
"For a mountaineer, you spend your whole life looking up at the hills, looking up at the mountains. ...You're always looking for something a bit higher and a bit harder," he said. "To finally reach the place on this earth where there is no place higher, what else is there?"
Mr. Guller stood atop Mount Everest on May 23, 47 days after leading a group of people with disabilities on a trek to its base camp.
Their goal was to shake stereotypes about the limits of people with disabilities.

Gary's presentation to the audience at the WV Advocates Conference sure did that.

What about you? Are you 'thriving, or just surviving?' Do you believe that people with disabilities can be productive workers? Are you a person with a disability who wants to further your education and enter the world of work?

As U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor Kathleen Martinez believes, and as ODEP likes to say, you live in "A World In Which People With Disabilities Have Unlimited Employment Opportunities."

Looking for a new job?
Been thinking about going back to school?
If so, you're not alone. Many people are pondering these questions for a variety of reasons. Some, because they have been laid off. Others want to learn some new skills and find a better paying job, or want a more fulfilling career. And quite a few are considering these questions because they're getting older, and can't keep on doing the kind of work they've been doing.

Ron has been considering both of these questions, and for most of the above reasons. These are tough questions for a middle aged man with a wife and six kids to support, a deteriorating health condition that limits his ability to stay on his feet for very long, and virtually no savings for college. And so he believes he's finally got the answer. Ron has a plan, literally a PLAN to ACHIEVE SELF-SUPPORT, along with a Federal PELL Grant.

He plans to use his SSA PASS work incentive, and grant funds, to pay for an online four year course of study at a nationally accredited college in Colorado. This four year program will give him a Bachelor of Arts in Ministry degree and a chance to start a more fulfilling career, no longer being dependent on SSA disability benefits to survive.

Just last week Ron started taking his first college courses. And yesterday, he submitted his PASS to the Social Security Administration for approval. They told him that he should receive a decision within 30 to 45 days.

Ron loves helping people. This is a picture of him volunteering, at his wife's place of employment, to teach a young man the art of pie making. Pizza pie, that is.

We all find fulfillment in different things. More often than not, it is tied to our employment and careers. And it usually has to do with taking pleasure in helping others.

Are you looking for a new job, or wanting to go back to school? A Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS) may open the door to your future dream.