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Making a Difference

Easterseals Nebraska makes a difference in the life of a Lincoln Family. Channel 10/11 in Lincoln highlights Taylor Woods' experience as a three-time Easterseals Nebraska summer camp participant.

Cultivating Independence Through Accessible Agriculture

William uses technology to work on his family’s farm and live independently as an accident caused paralysis from the waist down. Easterseals Nebraska and our partners worked together to identify the assistive technology to help him succeed.

• Navigating Queer and Disability Spaces: Rikki Poynter’s Journey as a YouTuber
  Thursday, June 27, 2024, 12:03 PM

  Navigating Queer and Disability Spaces: Rikki Poynter’s Journey as a YouTuber

  Thursday, June 27, 2024, 12:03 PM

  By Rikki Poynter In 2010, I started a YouTube channel in hopes of finding anything and everything: f…

  

  By Rikki Poynter

  In 2010, I started a YouTube channel in hopes of finding anything and everything: friendship, community, career, a life.

  I spent my entire life stuck in an abusive home that seemed impossible to get out of after high school because of ableism in society. I started off in the beauty niche until around 2013 when I started to lack inspiration, and it became too expensive to keep up with the newest trends and products on zero income. But what was a girl to do when makeup and YouTube were all that she knew?

  I’m deaf and I grew up mainstreamed. I went to public school before and after my diagnosis, had zero access to ASL (American Sign Language) and the deaf community, and zero access to, well, anything and everything, really. There was a deaf school about a half hour or so away from where we lived, and my dad knew about it, but nobody talked to me about it or asked me if I wanted to go. My mother, who became deaf at the age of three due to Rubella (German measles), grew up the same way. I’m pretty sure her upbringing inspired mine. After all, it was all she knew and all my dad knew. And the audiologists never brought up deaf schools or ASL, only spoken language and hearing aids that I guess we couldn’t afford since I never got them growing up.

  I was in my early 20s when I wanted to find out more about being deaf and the deaf community. It started with finding deaf makeup artists. From there, it spread to finding deaf people from all around the country on Tumblr. I then moved on to YouTube, where I found mostly deaf people that grew up in deaf families and with ASL. It was nice to see, but I still felt left out because I didn’t have that. I was hoping to also find more people like me.

  With a little luck, I decided then that I wanted to make the shift from beauty content to talking about my life growing up as a deaf person who didn’t have ASL or a deaf community. Someone who grew up oral, but wanted to learn ASL. Someone who wanted to find that community. I also talked about accessibility on the Internet, the lack of captions on videos, and how to caption/subtitle videos. When I started to have chronic pain and fatigue, I talked about disability in general. That shift gained some success. I was making connections with other deaf and disabled people online and I was gaining traction on social media, something I was hoping to make some sort of career out of one way or another.

  Fast forward to 2015 where I started to include more lifestyle content. Part of that included talking about sexuality: pansexuality, bisexuality, whatever it was at the time. (I use the term bisexuality now, but does it really matter?) I gained a few online LGBTQ+ friends from those videos too.

  Things seemed to be going well. We’d engage with each other’s content, send each other messages, and look forward to meeting and seeing each other when events like VidCon and Playlist Live came around.

  

  Rikki at VidCon

  At first, socializing at events was great. A bit difficult, but great. Things weren’t perfect as communication sometimes fumbled due to lack of hearing aids and fluency in ASL (both from me and my hearing and non-signing peers), but I felt included. But things started to change as years went by. I began to feel more left out of both the disability and LGBT groups, and the LGBTQ+ groups were already difficult to feel included in because I always felt like I wasn’t “bisexual enough.”

  I wasn’t invited to hangouts people had. If people hung out in groups at the afterparty events, I wasn’t invited to be part of the group. It was the same when they went to their hotel rooms to chill out after. Sometimes I’d text about plans and it felt like I was forgotten about because I didn’t receive a text back. Sometimes I did, with a “I’ll let you know!” but after that, nothing.

  I know that I can be more difficult to socialize with due to the communication barrier. Deaf people don’t have personal interpreters at the hip, and interpreters typically aren’t hired to be at the afterparties and personal socializing sessions. Having to ask someone to repeat themselves constantly isn’t fun for either party. I fear that people think I think I’m “better” than them because I look like someone who doesn’t want to get involved in conversations and sits in the corner away from everyone else keeping to myself, when the reality is that I just have no idea what’s going on. It’s like Dinner Table Syndrome.

  (Dinner Table Syndrome is when you are the only deaf person at the dinner table who signs. Family members and friends have a conversation aloud around the table and everyone but you understands, so you feel left out. This is typically used for the dinner table, especially during the holidays, but we use it for general outings too. I do, anyway.)

  With all of that being said about my hearing, non-signing peers, both in the disabled and LGBTQ+ communities and the spaces in general, I often feel out of place in deaf spaces as well. We talk a lot about lateral ableism within our own communities. Sometimes that is the case, and sometimes it’s really just our own lack of confidence. I’m always worried about my ASL skills not being enough, especially as one would think they’d be much better than they were when I first started learning in 2015. But lack of being in a signing environment consistently can have you struggling with ASL fluency. I worry that when I don’t understand something, they’ll be annoyed with me. I worry that when my signing is incomprehensible, they’ll be annoyed with me.

  Of course, it isn’t like this all of the time. I am grateful to the people that check in on me and ask me if I’d like to have coffee with them sometime. I’m grateful to my fellow deafies who allowed me to hang out with their group at the zoo this past weekend. I do still feel the most out of place in the LGBTQ+ spaces as it seems to be the hardest to connect to, but I enjoy seeing my peers and their posts on social media. We engage with each other’s queer-related posts from time to time, although it may not be as often as I’d like.

  Regardless, I keep trying to find connections with people. If someone has an interest similar to mine, I’m excited to reply. If there’s something they have that I like, I want to compliment them on it. I want there to be a day where I no longer feel lonely and out of place, and I will continue to keep working toward that.

  Rikki Poynter is a disabled (deaf, chronic pain and fatigue) accessibility consultant, writer, public speaker, and content creator. Originally a beauty vlogger on YouTube, she moved onto talking about her journey growing up as a mainstreamed deaf person trying to find her deaf identity and community all while trying to navigate an inaccessible world. Since 2013, she has talked about making the Internet accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people with captions, transcripts, and more. Her work has gotten the attention of many news outlets and she has worked with Apple, FireFox, Samsung, Google, and more.

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• 5 Tips for Providing Transportation to Family Caregivers
  Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 11:11 AM

  5 Tips for Providing Transportation to Family Caregivers

  Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 11:11 AM

  This blog originally appeared in the NADTC blog. In the quest to increase the number of rides given …

  

  This blog originally appeared in the NADTC blog.

  In the quest to increase the number of rides given each month, transportation providers would be remiss if there wasn’t an effort to increase services to family caregivers. The Caregiving in the US 2020 survey showed that 80% of family caregivers provide transportation for their loved ones. With an estimated 53 million family caregivers in the US, that means over 42 million caregivers provide transportation for an older adult or person with a disability. Another eye-opening statistic, according to the same survey, is that only 25% of these caregivers received help with transportation. That is a large group of people who could benefit from transportation services, which means increased rides on your system for people who need them and reduced responsibilities for family caregivers.

  

  Photo credit: Area Agency on Aging of South Central Connecticut, North Haven, CT

  Family caregivers are adult children, spouses, siblings, parents and neighbors who help loved ones who are unable to live independently. They help with many things such as housekeeping, preparing meals, paying bills, managing medication and transportation. On average, family caregivers spend over 20 hours/week providing care, leaving limited time to care for themselves. This puts caregivers at a higher risk of health problems, depression and anxiety. High levels of stress can be alleviated for caregivers when they get help with some of their responsibilities. Transportation providers can be part of their support system by making sure rides are accessible to the people they are caring for as well as the caregivers themselves.

  To get you pointed in the right direction, here are some things that you should know about family caregivers.

  1. Caregivers often don’t know what transportation services are available and are too busy to research the options. It’s important to target outreach to family caregivers. Connect with caregiver support professionals at Area Agencies on Aging, Centers for Independent Living, Human Service agencies and non-profit respite organizations. Provide them with an inventory of available services that include details such as service area, time of operation, cost, eligibility and level of service. This information is the first step in completing the My Transportation Plan Tool which helps caregivers create a transportation support plan. Ask the agency to pass on the information to the caregivers they work with or offer to speak at a support group or caregiver class.
  2. Caregivers see themselves only as family, not a Personal Care Attendant and downplay their role of providing support. This is important to remember when considering the ADA Rule that a Personal Care Attendant (PCA) can ride along fare-free. (See Chapter 9.8 in FTA Circular 4710.1) Understand that family caregivers frequently act in the capacity of a PCA but would never consider themselves to be a PCA. Check your language and be sure to explain that if the caregiver is assisting with a necessary task at some point during the trip, they can ride fare-free.
  3. Caregivers worry about someone else taking care of their loved one. Train staff to work with older adults and people with disabilities. Use NADTC’s Access Matters videos to train drivers to be more sensitive to the needs of people who have disabilities who rely on public transportation. Consult NADTC’s brochure Assisting Passengers with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Tell or show caregivers about the training you provide and the safety measures that are in place. Share examples of other riders with disabilities who have successfully used your service. Encourage caregivers to ride along at first to see how it goes.
  4. Many caregivers and care recipients have not used public transportation before. Be sensitive to caregiver and care recipient’s hesitation to use your transportation. Teach them about the services you offer. Provide services like travel training and bus buddies and show people how to use online scheduling tools or apps to help them feel comfortable trying your transportation service.
  5. Caregivers may need encouragement to receive help. Remind them that accepting help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Use empathetic language and offer practical examples of how your program can be a benefit for both the caregiver and the care recipient. Point out that while it might be easier to do it themselves in the short-term, learning how to use a transportation program will save time and provide options in the long run. After caregivers discover the benefits, they’ll thank you and come back for more.

  The efforts you take learning about and serving family caregivers can be rewarded by increased rides for those who need them and new partnerships with caregiver support professionals.

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• Healing with Community and Self-Guided Care: Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse
  Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 12:32 PM

  Healing with Community and Self-Guided Care: Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse

  Tuesday, June 18, 2024, 12:32 PM

  Sarah joined Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse in 2017 when she was struggling with her …

  

  Sarah, former participant at Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse

  Sarah joined Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse in 2017 when she was struggling with her mental health, motivation, and socialization. “Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse has helped shape me into the person I have become by giving me different skills and helping me learn how to socialize,” Sarah said. “I have come out of my shell. I’ve learned how to cook. I have learned better communication skills.” 

  Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse is a mental health rehabilitation program, overseen and accredited by Clubhouse International, a non-profit organization that helps start and grow Clubhouses globally.  

  Based in Royal Oak, Michigan, Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse (DUC) provides individuals with mental illness the social tools and professional skills needed to become more independent. Their approach revolves around a “work-ordered day,” where participants and staff upkeep and run the Clubhouse side-by-side, deciding what needs to be done and what skills participants want to engage in together. Following Clubhouse International’s model of psychosocial rehabilitation, DUC provides a cooperative and nurturing setting where members can progress toward recovery by accessing opportunities for employment, social interaction, education, skill enhancement, housing, and enhanced well-being. 

  

  Bridgette, Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse member

  Since the work is self-directed by Clubhouse members, the activities they can do are countless. Some participants learn data processing, cooking, and management, while others engage in banking and planning social events. Social events are important for Clubhouse members as they foster relationship building, improve social skills, and provide meaningful community experiences.  

  Jacob Warsaw, Clubhouse Generalist, facilitates the work-ordered day, focusing on new members and providing support to anyone who lacks confidence in their tasks. He works with individuals to create a fulfilling work environment that aligns with their personal goals, which boosts self-esteem. Jacob says, “Rooted in the notion that each person has a unique contribution to society, Clubhouses play a significant role in fostering self-assurance and breaking the cycle of social and economic isolation commonly linked with mental illness.”  

  Members can be placed in paid work when they feel they are ready through the Clubhouse’s Transitional Employment Program. This places them in temporary, entry-level job positions that the Clubhouse has developed in partnership with community employers, rotating members every 6 to 9 months. 

  Joining the Clubhouse is a straightforward process and ensures the dignity and choice of those who want to join. After touring the building and enrolling, members are introduced to the staff and can choose who to work with, directing their goals and success. “These goals are fluid, evolving, and can be changed or completed at the member’s own pace. With this, members can achieve their goals to no end, get jobs and eventually tone-down their attendance, or stay at a gradual pace. Members do monthly check-ins with their staff to hold themselves accountable to their chosen goals and have added pressure from within to improve,” Jacob adds. 

  

  David, an Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse member

  Through engaging with the program, Sarah was able to find steady work and get back into her love of photography. “Because of Easterseals MORC and Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse, I’m learning how to better cope when I’m having a hard time. I now cope by using positive thinking and affirmations. I’ve become more independent, experience more of what life has to offer, and understand my mental health.” 

  Easterseals MORC’s Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse is always looking to engage new supporters and members of the community. Interested individuals can tour the Clubhouse and sign up to be on the Advisory board to contribute ideas; they can connect employers to DUC to be part of the Transitional Employment Program or sign up to be an expert speaker at a Clubhouse event.  

  Jacob hopes to expand the conversation around Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse. “We are looking to educate people on Clubhouse and what psychosocial rehabilitation is, as well as increasing the number of people that we serve. We would love to have you here, no matter who you are!” 

  To learn more about Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse and see how to get involved, visit the Easterseals MORC website. Thank you to Jake Warsaw, Lyndsey Shelby, and Heidi Vanderbeek at Easterseals MORC for their contributions to this blog post.  

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• Disabled, Trans, and Denied: Experiences with Problems in Medical Care
  Monday, June 17, 2024, 10:05 AM

  Disabled, Trans, and Denied: Experiences with Problems in Medical Care

  Monday, June 17, 2024, 10:05 AM

  Editor’s Note: This blog contains detailed descriptions of medical trauma and abuse. Please ta…

  

  Editor’s Note: This blog contains detailed descriptions of medical trauma and abuse. Please take care when reading.

  By Dom Evans

  The medical establishment was not designed with disabled people in mind. Especially not those with disabled bodies.

  I’ve known this since I was a small child. My first harmful medical experience was at maybe four or five.

  When I was two, doctors discovered I was born without a left hip socket. They had to form one, so I was put in various braces until the socket formed about a year later.

  

  Dom as a child and his grandfather.

  After the braces came off, I had muscle weakness.. They did not understand why. So, I went through every test possible. It was a painful couple years before they discovered I had Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). My orthopedic surgeon was involved in this surgery and it was after I was recovering where problems first started.

  I was four and a half at the time, and had recently had a muscle biopsy on my right leg, which produced a horizontal scar. Inquisitively, I asked my surgeon when I would be able to run and jump, since I couldn’t. I also asked him when my scar would go away.

  Callously, he looked at me and said, “Never! You’ll never be normal or run or jump. Get used to it.” He then walked off. I immediately started crying hysterically.

  For me, being disabled means going to multiple doctors multiple times throughout the year. 

  Especially when I was younger, there were lots of tests, checkups, and general wellness meetings.

  Back then, it would depend on the doctor whether I received good care or whether they listened to me or not. I’d find good doctors that actually cared about my health and stick with them for years.

  Even worse though was the unexpectedness of an emergency stay where I could never predict what kind of care I would get. That was where I received the bulk of the abuse from the medical establishment when I was younger.

  All of that changed when I came out as trans. I was 21, and had no idea what I was in for when it came to dealing with medical professionals as both a wheelchair-using disabled person and a trans person. After coming out as trans, finding medical care became even harder.

  Note: I’m also neurologically diverse with ADHD, PTSD, and anxiety. I believe I didn’t receive my ADHD diagnosis until I was 39 due to medical professionals again neglecting very clear signs. They were too focused on my physical disability to notice or care.

  My trans medical needs were hampered by my disability. I was experiencing quite a bit of dysphoria, and hormones along with a breast reduction (I was not able to get complete top surgery – it was not available to me) would help to all but obliterate most of my body dysphoria. Unfortunately, it would take me SEVEN years to gain access to hormones due to inaccessibility.

  My transition was delayed by almost a decade due to medical ableism.

  This was back in the early 2000s, and I lived in a Michigan county where there was not a single doctor that would provide hormone care or access to top surgery. I could go to the closest large city, but it was in a different county and I could not get any accessible transport to take me out of my county. I had to wait until I moved to a different state (we rented a wheelchair accessible van which was ridiculously expensive to rent) where there was a doctor in my county who prescribed me hormones.

  What’s even worse is that being trans and disabled has almost gotten me killed more than once. The most egregious instance was when I had my hysterectomy, around 2012. That was such a horrible experience that I’ve been diagnosed with PTSD as a result of what happened at the hospital.

  My hysterectomy had to happen. I was having intense bleeding that never stopped. Literally. I would bleed 365 days of the year, 24/7.

  My doctors could not find out what was wrong because I could not get on a table to be examined. So, eventually they just put me on birth control. It stopped the bleeding but whenever it was time for my period I would have horrible cramping that left me doubled over in my wheelchair for hours.

  When I was on testosterone, it did not help this pain. So I ended up getting my hysterectomy. However, because I could not get on the table to be examined before surgery, they did not know I had an enlarged uterus. When they were taking my uterus out it ripped open at least one of the blood vessels that had been sealed and I was bleeding internally without anybody knowing.

  After being released home and a lot of medical gaslighting, it took a month for them to figure out I was slowly bleeding to death internally. After a night where it looked like I had been murdered when I bled all over my bed, I was rushed to the hospital where a nurse demanded I give her my ID. She wanted me to prove I was not a “female” because she was misgendering me.

  Here I am, going in and out of consciousness, bleeding out, trying not to die with paramedics begging this nurse to get the doctor and get me a blood transfusion. Instead of doing all that, she “put me in a diaper to stop the flow of blood coming out of me” and told me once I got the ID she would get the doctor.

  Luckily, eventually a doctor came in and got me a blood transfusion but for a while I thought I was dying as the blood continued to pour out of me. The transphobia of that nurse still makes me question anytime I feel sweaty, thinking I might’ve started bleeding again and might be dying again. It’s been a decade and it still affects me that deeply.

  The truth is, when you are trans and disabled, you have to work even harder to prove you are a human being when you are receiving medical care. You have to prove to the doctors and nurses time and time again that you deserve to receive treatment.

  I hope, as pride month continues, medical professionals become more aware of the intersection of disability and gender identity. Trans disabled people deserve to stay alive. We deserve healthcare that helps and affirms us. It’s the least the medical establishment could do for us as human beings.

  Dom Evans is the founder of FilmDis, a media monitoring organization that studies and reports on disability representation in the media. He is a Hollywood consultant, television aficionado, and future showrunner. His knowledge and interest on disability extends through media, entertainment, healthcare, gaming and nerdy topics, marriage equality, sex and sexuality, parenting, education, and more. He was also featured in Season 1 of Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong, an Easterseals podcast.

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• Bridging Employment Gaps for Veterans and Older Americans: An Interview with SCSEP’s Crystal Odom-McKinney
  Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 3:47 PM

  Bridging Employment Gaps for Veterans and Older Americans: An Interview with SCSEP’s Crystal Odom-McKinney

  Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 3:47 PM

  Crystal Odom-McKinney is the National Director for the Easterseals Senior Community Service Employme…

  

  Crystal at the 2024 Policy and Partnership Forum. Easterseals Photo by Rohanna Mertens

  Crystal Odom-McKinney is the National Director for the Easterseals Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). SCSEP is the largest federally-funded program for low-income, unemployed adults, ages 55 and older, who seek employment and training assistance as well as civic engagement. 

  Through this transitional employment program, Easterseals partners with community-based nonprofit organizations and government agencies to provide participants with training opportunities to update their skills. During time in SCSEP, job seekers work with Easterseals staff to target and achieve personal employment goals. Some SCSEP participants are veterans in need of support.

  As a veteran, Crystal knows how hard it can be for veterans to transition from military service back into civilian life. Finding employment can be difficult and stressful, and for disabled veterans, or older veterans, these barriers to employment and reintegration can be even more prominent. Easterseals and its Affiliates work hard to provide much needed-support to veterans during and after this period of transition. Crystal takes pride in providing confidence to veterans as they make this next step in their journey. 

  This interview has been edited for clarity.

  [Q] Easterseals just worked with Voya Cares on a new set of research looking at financial security for veterans and caregivers and interviews with employers. How is Easterseals responding to some of the challenges on those subjects? 

  [A]  Easterseals is responding through training and support of employment within our networks. We work directly with partners in communities and with job seekers across the country to give them the tools that they need to be successful in the workplace.

  [Q] What are some of the services that Easterseals provides to veterans and military families? 

  [A] We provide training to job seekers in the communities that we serve. We also connect them with employment opportunities, and those employment opportunities can vary based on your skill set. And lastly, we connect with businesses and employer champions so that they understand the value of  job seekers and our communities.

  [Q] What are some of the impacts that these programs have for the individuals and families involved? And is there a story from your experience that you’d like to share? 

  [A] Sure, I’ll start with the impact. The impact that our services provide to veterans and their families is definitely around a sense of confidence and pride. Many people come to our programs without hope.

  And when they leave, they leave with lots of hope due to the various supports that are provided through skill building for employment, through training, training supports, through resources — because there is a huge need of resources for job seekers in all of our programs. There’s also connection, which builds confidence. It’s very difficult for someone to look for employment opportunities when you don’t have the proper resources in place.

  You have to minimize those bumps in the road, and that’s very important. If you cannot get up and have a place of shelter, if you don’t have the economic means to transfer back and forth to work, if you don’t have education or enough of it, if you don’t have skills or need skills to become more employable …  We work with  people to minimize those barriers … to help make them stronger and make them better. In return, this allows their confidence to be uplifted a lot. 

  [Q] I was curious. Is there a story or experience you’ve had that relates to this?

  [A] Sure. I would like to share a recent story. We had a job seeker in Ohio who had been out of work for some time and really needed some support in getting back into the workplace. The job seeker was roughly in their mid seventies. And they found out about our Easterseals training programs and through those training supports, they were able to get computer training.

  They were also able to connect with other job seekers, which again, goes back to the confidence building. That’s often really important. And then ultimately, you know, get employed and get reemployed into the workplace. So that’s one of many stories that we see out here. And that’s why we really encourage the whole confidence builder in what we do every day.

  

  Easterseals Photo by Rohanna Mertens

  [Q] That’s fantastic. The Voya survey included interviews with employers. I’m just curious, can you tell me what Easterseals does when working with employers who are interested in hiring veterans? 

  [A] Easterseals connects employers with interested job seekers through connections across our national Affiliate network. One thing that’s very important is for employers to understand the value veterans bring to the workforce. So we share lots of stories of how job seekers are impacted by this work.

  We also share how a job seeker may transition into employment at that particular company. We have what we call, “employer champions,” and they are amazing employers that get it. They love the work that we do at Easterseals and are very aligned with the mission and the vision.

  They also are willing to go above and beyond — through their training, through their workshops — and that translates into essential resources for people looking for employment. 

  So, employers not only open up job opportunities and say, “Well, we’ll hire veterans,” or “We’ll hire people with disabilities.”

  These employers actually get it, and they can come in and walk side by side with us. They’re willing to interview people and they’re willing to create programs at their companies that will connect job seekers directly into employment opportunities at their organization. They are our champions.

  Champions who are willing to hire mature job seekers, champions who understand the value of a mature worker, champions who understand the reliability and the dependability and the experience that a mature worker brings to their workforce. 

  From our champions, we share the good stuff that they do with other companies that may be interested. So it’s sort of like carrying courtship. We definitely want to court other businesses to be champions, and we also want to share the good things that are out there.

  Sometimes we’re very successful; sometimes it just takes a little work. The end result is definitely in the impact for the people that we serve. And it’s a win-win-win. 

  [Q] I’m curious, is there a particular success story about a job seeker and an employer that you’d like to share?— about job seekers with a disabilities or a veteran with a new position? 

  [A] I’m thinking of someone who was recently employed at a school, and worked as a trainer connected at that school, and ultimately was hired there as a school aid. And I was there on site when they offered her the position. She was very excited and it was just a really wonderful memory. She started as a school clerk a little later in life, and she did well and ultimately got that job. 

  Unrelated to veterans or disability, we had another job seeker who was incarcerated for two decades, and this individual came to our program with little to no hope. As a result of being retooled and retrained into the Easterseals SCSEP program, he was employed full time. And since that time, he’s been promoted to two additional positions and two additional roles at his company. 

  [Q] So one of the things that came through in the recent study is that just half of disabled veterans feel comfortable in their ability to cover day to day expenses, which I think is sort of a jaw-dropping number for a lot of people. What programs does Easterseals provide to veterans and military families to help address this?

  [A] We have lots of offerings, both in person throughout our Affiliate network and in virtual training.

  We also provide resources related to the other wraparound services — such as housing, such as child care, such as financial planning. Of course, through lots of connections that we have out there, including Freddie Mac. And our other local partners also provide upskilling and training support.

  If there’s someone who needs additional support in returning to work, we negotiate with employers to offer internship opportunities where they can learn as they earn. And we create those types of partnerships with employers as well as community colleges and other nonprofit organizations.

  [Q] One of the things we’ve talked about is people who didn’t have a sense of confidence … you’ve really helped to bring them up, and made them feel seen and heard and understood at a time of their life when they needed that kind of support. There are a lot of services that Easterseals provides that are life-changing. Can you talk about the confidence piece some more?

  [A] Yeah, you know, I have so many stories … as it relates to confidence. We talk about the psychology of feelings, and the psychology of how you feel, and we all know that when we’re confident, we’re confident. When we feel good, we thrive, we do better. 

  And a lot of our mature job seekers, and a lot of job seekers in all of our programs really come to us with no hope. They’re at their darkest. They don’t have a lot of resources. They feel like they don’t have anything. I’ve traveled to some of our locations where we’ve had job seekers who are homeless and they sleep in their car, and they didn’t want to get an apartment because their dog couldn’t stay.

  We sense a lot of this hopelessness in the work that we do. And we work with them, you know, day by day to instill better confidence in them …to let them know that they’re valued and to let them know that step by step, day by day, we can help them to minimize those bumps in the road.

  Maybe they’ve been told “no” by so many people, but we want them to know and understand that we’re here to support them. We have them in that sense. So that’s where the confidence building comes in. And it’s sort of a domino effect, because if we were in a room full of people, and we have people who are feeling good about themselves, by the time we leave the room, everyone else will feel better.

  This relates to our job [in SCSEP]. This might be around mental wellness. This could be around financial well-being — any of the topics. If we talk about these circles of support that we provide to people, we can help them move forward and they can get stronger. They’re more confident, and they can move mountains, and they can be better at what they do.

  Stories like these put fires in [our teams’ bellies], and fires them up in a good way to keep being change agents in the communities that they serve.

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