The Benefits of Inclusion: Stories Shared
AMERICORPS STATE AND NATIONAL
Ted Garland - AmeriCorps member 2007, 2008
Ted, an AmeriCorps member now in his second term, serves at the Institute for Human Development at Northern Arizona University promoting public awareness activities. However, he had some doubts about participating in national service. “I initially thought I wouldn’t get accepted, but in the Arizona AmeriCorps I got through my first term and I didn’t want to leave.” Ted, a person with neurological disabilities, is a role model in his community. He says, “I’m showing them by example what they can do, too. They can participate in national service and live by the slogan, I will get things done for America.” Ted’s public speaking ability makes this service position a great fit for him.
SENIOR CORPS
Howard Wilson - Volunteer Foster Grandparent 2008
Howard is a Foster Grandparent at the “Genesis and Light” after school program. He drives a van daily to pick up students and bring them to the program. Among peers, staff and the children, Howard, who has a physical disability, is famous for his enthusiasm. Fellow Foster Grandparents say he inspires them. Both Howard and his wife serve together and strive to make a difference in the lives of others. In regards to service, Howard says, "You have to do whatever you can to help."
LEARN AND SERVE
Daniel, student - 2007 to 2008 school year
Daniel and Sarah are high school students participating in a Learn and Serve project that combined curriculum and service. Students produced books that were then sent to Kenyan children receiving aid from the American Red Cross Association. Daniel, who does not communicate verbally, helped Sarah to create a book by pointing to written words, which she then added to their collaborative story. Sarah initially thought she would be teaching Daniel, who also has a cognitive disability. By the end of the service, she said, "I learned new things from him. Daniel taught me some American Sign Language." The project helped the community understand that service is valuable, not only because everybody can participate, but everyone can also learn. In fact, this activity is now a model for other inclusive service learning projects.
AMERICORPS VISTA
Shannon McCue - VISTA Alumnae 2005 to 2006
Shannon was a VISTA member who served in the College of Public and Community Service community technology lab at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. She helped users, including students with and without disabilities from low-income communities, to learn computer skills, other multimedia applications and assistive technologies. Through her VISTA experience, Shannon, who has Muscular Dystrophy, gained an awareness of accessibility issues in community technology centers. She followed her VISTA service with a year long fellowship at a University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities. There she conducted research on accessibility in technology centers in low-income housing projects. Currently Shannon works as a Peer Guide and as the Information and Database Manager at an Independent Living Center. She credits her VISTA experience with providing a background that developed her interest in creating access to technology for people with disabilities. She explains, "My VISTA experience gave me the knowledge and experience to advocate for people with disabilities and promote access to technology."
AMERICORPS STATE AND NATIONAL
Andre Robinson - AmeriCorps member 2008
Andre is a part-time AmeriCorps member in the Michigan AmeriCorps Partnership at “Southeastern Village”, who has neurological disabilities. He has experience in two after school projects. In the first, Andre developed a program that conveyed his experiences as a person with a disability to other young people facing a variety of life's challenges. Currently, he is researching safe routes for neighborhood school children. Andre hopes to continue working within diverse communities to benefit young people, especially males, and help them develop leadership skills. The AmeriCorps service experience has enabled him to develop the skills needed to be a community role model. Andre shares his philosophy of service by saying, "If I can help one person to realize and live his dreams, I'll be happy."
AMERICORPS VISTA
Dawn Facka - AmeriCorps*VISTA Alumna 2001
Dawn Facka, was a service-learning coordinator with AmeriCorps*VISTA, advocated for people with disabilities and served as a role model for young men and women with disabilities that came to serve in AmeriCorps Programs. In addition, she taught others about the importance of inclusion and facilitates disability awareness and diversity training to AmeriCorps*NCCC members.
Dawn, who has a hearing disability, strove to create a work environment that was welcoming and understanding to those individuals with disabilities by advocating for community involvement and supporting organizations that supported and helped individuals with disabilities. She said that "If AmeriCorps, had not opened the doors of opportunity to me, I most likely would still be ashamed and embarrassed of who I am and [how] society has labeled me. I would still be apologizing to people who did not tolerate or accept my hearing loss. I can't begin to show my gratitude … to AmeriCorps for showing me another world."
AMERICORPS NCCC
Joe Tierney - AmeriCorps*NCCC Alumnus 2001 and 2002
Joe Tierney dedicated two years of his life to service with AmeriCorps*NCCC. During these years Joe, who has a traumatic brain injury, tutored children, built houses, designed and built wheelchair ramps, surveyed and mapped a historical graveyard, blazed trails, worked at a camp for children and adults with disabilities, and much more. Of his time there he writes, "Throughout my service I met some amazing individuals, traveled to some fascinating locations, and learned a variety of skills, but most importantly my service gave me the opportunity to recover, the ability to experience life with a smile. I made the decision to join AmeriCorps because I felt an obligation to give back, I understood that I was very fortunate to have recovered and that I would have never done it without the help of many thoughtful, committed, competent individuals."
LEARN AND SERVE AMERICA
*Jared - Learn and Serve America Alumnus 2002
Jared was a high school student with disabilities who participated fully in a water quality testing initiative though a school-based service-learning project in Western Massachusetts. During the project, Jared spoke of all that he learned about water quality and the effects on the environment. His family and teachers were impressed with the project because it provided Jared with a meaningful experience to give back to his community as well as taught him vital life skills. His mother spoke of the project as being one of the few opportunities Jared had to mingle with peers outside of special education.
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2008 AmeriCorps SUPERVISORS have offered success stories through these submissions…
*Gerald - AmeriCorps member
*Mary, a supervisor, writes, “Gerald is an AmeriCorps member who serves in the “Youth in Arts Program” which provides quality experience in the arts for all youth in school. Gerald is a media artist who has autism. His responsibilities at the program include creating an Accessible Materials workshop for teachers, designing inclusive lesson plans using the arts to build understanding about people with disabilities, supporting volunteer mentors, and leading art classes.
Early in Gerald’s service, he and I talked about how the program could best provide a reasonable accommodation to assist him so that he could perform all of his essential duties. He now has a flexible schedule which allows him to adjust his hours. As a result, he is an active contributor to workshops and carries out the multiple tasks of his vital role serving the youth.”
MATT AmeriCorps member
*Joe, a Supervisor writes, “Matt is an AmeriCorps member who serves by performing a variety of office tasks at his service site. He has been highly influential and motivating for fellow members who have a mental health disability. Accommodations such as a flexible schedule and head phones assist Matt so that he can concentrate and complete his duties. I have recognized the importance of having a diverse team and appreciate how all the other members of the team see Matt as a positive role model. Through Matt’s example, other members of the team with disabilities have progressed in their various positions and have stayed motivated to serve the duration of their service year.”
*DAVID AmeriCorps member
*Robert, a supervisor offers this story about David, an AmeriCorps member, who has disabilities and serves by contributing content to several projects focusing on the issue of disability awareness. Robert says, “David types and performs a variety of office tasks with assistance from fellow service team members. As a result of the team members providing accommodations to David, they have increased their own awareness of accessibility issues in the service environment. In addition, through these accommodations, David has been able to share his expertise on disability issues to promote the disability awareness projects at his service program.”
*Joy AmeriCorps member
*Ellen, a supervisor said, “Joy is an AmeriCorps member who took part in program activities such as a river clean up, stocking shelves at a food pantry and building and sorting furniture. Joy, who has a disability, was provided with accommodations such as access to several types of assistive technologies such as microphones to use during meetings, to Zoomtext, a software to increase computer text, and to large print keyboards. In addition, Joy was provided with materials for meetings and trainings in formats that could benefit all members with various learning styles, for example, PowerPoint presentations using large text and clear, concise language and electronically sending out detailed map directions before site meetings. Creating access so that Joy could participate in all aspects of service, helped other staff gain valuable knowledge about how to recruit and manage members with a disability and provided a model of how to make all service sites inclusive.”
*JOANNA AmeriCorps member
*Carol, a supervisor says, “Joanna, is an AmeriCorps member who serves in a Boys & Girls Club as an instructor. Joanna, who has a physical disability, interacts very well with the children in the club and assists with activities of the after-school intramural sports league events. Because Joanna is a positive role model, the children, ages 5-18, are able to gain a greater awareness about people with disabilities and their abilities to contribute to their communities. Joanna brings diversity to the team and she impacts other members by increasing their awareness of disability.”
* name has been changed for privacy
©The National Service Inclusion Project is a cooperative agreement (#01CAM0016) between the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass Boston in collaboration with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.