From NPR News:
Employment helps adults with intellectual disabilities see what they're capable of
Serena Ashun is a team member at Hugs Greenhouse in McKinney, Texas.
From the age of 2, I have always had at least one close friend in my life who has an array of disabilities. It started with my brother Chase and has expanded outward to his classmates and therapy buddies ever since he started attending motor therapy, speech therapy, behavioral therapy and school. When I was too young to attend full days of school, my mom and Chase were stuck with me. I couldn't be home by myself, so I spent a lot of time in waiting rooms. In those waiting rooms, I'd befriend kids who were like my brother and, at the time, didn't seem much different from me either.
Jerry Winters is a team member at Hugs Cafe in McKinney, Texas.
In recent years, I have become interested with the world of meaningful employment for adults with disabilities. What does it look like? Is it possible for their unemployment rate to lower? How can more companies employ neurodiverse individuals? My interest stems from my connection to my brother Chase. I know and love Chase, as well as his friends. I want them to experience as full a life as anyone else. The difficult moments come when I remember that Chase cannot work — he is too cognitively disabled to understand the concept of a job much less hold one down. As I've looked into this subject and spent time with adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are high-functioning enough to hold down jobs, I feel a bittersweet joy. There is joy because I'm seeing a community I love thrive, but there is sadness because I know that for Chase — and others like him — life will not include this specific component that, for so many, brings meaning and empowerment. Read More...
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