Lisa is a certified lifeguard and swim instructor at the YMCA in Fairfield, Connecticut. After much success as a competitive swimmer in the Special Olympics, Lisa transferred her skills to a career at the YMCA. As a lifeguard, Lisa tests chemical levels in the water and looks after swimmers by surveying the pool during swim sessions. As a swim instructor, Lisa prepares for class sessions and teaches group swim lessons. With support from her supervisor, coworkers, and family, Lisa earned and maintains the necessary certifications for her job, successfully carries out her work responsibilities, and has earned the reputation of being a responsible, detail-oriented, and dedicated employee at the YMCA.
Eric lives in Portland, Maine, and describes himself as "helpful, kind and open to anybody." He owns his own business, Eric's Pizza Express, where he sells pizza, sandwiches, and drinks from Anthony's Italian Kitchen, a well-known local restaurant. He does everything from setting up and taking down the cart to serving customers and working the cash register.
Judy's job developer spends a significant amount of time maintaining relationships with employers in his local community and has often relied on these relationships to create new opportunities for the individuals he supports. Taking into account Judy’s interest in working with people who are elderly, he got in touch with his contact at the Council on Aging and helped Judy secure a job preparing and distributing meals for the local Meals on Wheels program.
Brian lives in Reno, NV. He has been employed since high school in jobs related to music or computers. Recently, Brian's family has supported him to develop and run a business that adds a useful service to a local music store.
Although Michael has held several jobs in the past, he has struggled with retaining them. This success story illustrates how identifying shortcomings in previous on-the-job supports can lead to an improved understanding of current needs. Michael's needs were met by supplementing his job coach with supports from his co-workers and supervisor. Michael now works four days per week as an assistant for the maintenance team at a local rest home. He performs janitorial duties and assists with small maintenance jobs such as plumbing, repairs, and landscaping.
Eddie Alley has worked at Little Caesars, the pizza restaurant chain, since last summer. Several factors helped Eddie to find a position that was a good fit. First, he participated in a job tryout before he started to work. Also, he and his employer were flexible and willing to try new things. Finally, the employer had a long and positive connection with Eddie's job developer.
Maggie likes being busy. She lives near Boston, MA, and has had several successful jobs in the community. Currently, she works as an office manager's assistant at AMP Agency.
Cody is a young man who wanted to work with children in the field of sports and recreation. Cody has reported challenges to obtaining such a position, including no prior experience, use of a motorized wheelchair for mobility, and limited speech. To overcome these barriers, Cody and his employment support staff developed, marketed, and adapted a new position as a greeter at a local YMCA. Watch Cody's story here.
The decision to close a facility-based program requires courage and a willingness to take concrete and often risky steps toward that goal. As more organizations develop strategic plans that include the goal of closing a facility-based program, it is our hope that these summaries will provide both guidance and the determination to take substantive steps in the change process. This volume summarizes the themes that were repeated across the experiences of these organizations.
These three case studies are part of a larger study of six organizations that have closed a sheltered workshop or a nonwork, segregated program and replaced it with integrated employment or other integrated, community-based activities for individuals with disabilities. The organizations vary with respect to size, geographic location, and the characteristics of persons receiving supports.
Eric lives in Portland, Maine, and describes himself as "helpful, kind and open to anybody." He owns his own business, Eric's Pizza Express, where he sells pizza, sandwiches, and drinks from Anthony's Italian Kitchen, a well-known local restaurant. He does everything from setting up and taking down the cart to serving customers and working the cash register.
Brian lives in Reno, NV. He has been employed since high school in jobs related to music or computers. Recently, Brian's family has supported him to develop and run a business that adds a useful service to a local music store.
Cody is a young man who wanted to work with children in the field of sports and recreation. Cody has reported challenges to obtaining such a position, including no prior experience, use of a motorized wheelchair for mobility, and limited speech. To overcome these barriers, Cody and his employment support staff developed, marketed, and adapted a new position as a greeter at a local YMCA.