Real jobs for real people

The Wall Street Journal runs an extended feature on an employment program at Walgreen’s for people with disabilities.

The headline: “Erasing ‘Un’ from “Unemployable’: Walgreen program trains the disabled to take on regular wage-paying jobs”

Highlighted is 18-year-old Harrison Mullinax, who has autism.

“Mr. Mullinax works eight hours a day at a new Walgreen Co. distribution center, where he wields a bar-code scanner, checking in boxes of merchandise bound for the company’s drugstores. From his paycheck, he tithes to his church and sometimes treats his mother to dinner at Kenny’s, a local buffet restaurant. ‘It answered a prayer,’ says Mr. Mullinax’s mother….”

The distribution center employs 264 people, more than 40 percent of whom have various disabilities, and is 20 percent more efficient than the company’s older facilities.

“… an innovative program at the distribution center [in Anderson, S.C.] is offering jobs to people with mental and physical disabilities of a nature that has frequently deemed them ‘unemployable,’ while saving Walgreen money through automation.”

” … executives at Walgreen and the social-services agencies working with it believe the company’s program has a larger number of disabled employees, doing more-sophisticated work, than is typically available to people with mental and physical challenges. “

Paid registration required to view WSJ story.

UCLA offers college experience to students with intellectual disabilities

The inaugural class of UCLA's Pathway Program is set to begin this fall. Sixteen students with intellectual disabilities including autism, Down syndrome and Asperger's syndrome will be attending classes through UCLA Extension, and they couldn't be prouder. From the story in the university's faculty and staff newspaper, Today:

Their excitement about what's in store for them this fall is palpable. It's in the eager glances and smiles they give their parents at an orientation session when meal plans, roommates and welcome week activities are discussed. It's the pride — even awe — with which their parents watch them assemble around The Bruin Bear for their official class portrait.

"It's inconceivable that our kids are actually doing this," confided parent Kathe Beltran, whose daughter Kate is in the class....

... This long-awaited program has been carefully crafted to offer students a college-going experience as well as a curriculum that blends academics with the practical skills they'll need to live independently.

... Living in apartments near campus, they will take classes in four UCLA Extension buildings and spend 60 hours a month learning to pay bills, budget, make medical appointments, use public transportation and cook, among other life skills. They will study at the library, exercise at the Wooden Center, eat in the dining halls, hang out at Ackerman and participate in campus life. Then at the end of two years, Pathway will help students transition to independent living.

For more information, see the UCLA Extension Pathway website.

Full disclosure: my husband and I are among the founders of Pathway.

College honors

So how's it been to attend college classes as a student with a disability? For Andrew Cormeir, who gave one of the student speeches at a Cape Cod Community College honors ceremony this week, the college experience has been a lot like it would be for everybody else. He made friends, worked hard, learned a lot. And if his pervasive developmental disorder slowed him down just a bit, Andrew took it in stride.

"It stinks, I know," he said of his disability with a grin as the audience roared its approval. "It might take me longer to think of things, but when I do I know what I'm thinking about."

Andrew was among scores of students who received certificates from the college's Project Forward Tuesday in a commencement ceremony that could only be described as joyful. Speaker after speaker lauded the group’s spirit, energy and zest for learning. “It’s not hard to be your strongest supporter,” said CCCC President Kathleen Schatzberg, who praised the students’ work in the community. “Your achievements have been enormous.”

It was a day for focusing on abilities, not disabilities, as cap-and-gown-wearing students gave speeches, sang, danced and high-fived their way across the stage to the delight of family, friends and college administrators. Pomp and circumstance gave way to tears when a student group sang “How could anyone ever tell you (you are anything less than beautiful)?” In all, almost 60 students earned recognition for their work in such areas as child care, mass communications, retail and culinary arts.

Project Forward, which serves students from all over the country, is one of a growing number of college programs that are designed to meet the needs of students with significant learning difficulties. Started 19 years ago, the program has grown steadily and will expand to welcome 115 students this fall. It focuses on developing employment skills with the goal of helping students live as independently as possible. This year it placed 67 students in internships with area businesses.

For more information on postsecondary programs for students with disabilities, see Thinkcollege.net.