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Those with disabilities prove themselves to be very capable

By Jim DeBeaugrine • Guest Columnist

The month of October has been phenomenal for bringing attention to the abilities of the people the Agency for Persons with Disabilities serves, as we celebrated Disability Employment Awareness Month.

APD and partner agencies spent the month focusing on the capabilities of people with disabilities. We also partnered with the Tallahassee Democrat to publish daily stories about successfully employed clients.

On Oct. 1, APD, the Division of Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation handed out Exceptional Employer Awards honoring businesses for their commitment to hiring people with disabilities.

The award-winning businesses were Aramark Food Services of Tallahassee, Childhood Development Services of Ocala, European Street Cafe of Jacksonville; LCI Industries with stores in Melbourne, Jacksonville, Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, and Milton; Mathison Retirement Center of Panama City, Zoo Miami and TSE Industries of Clearwater

Disability Mentoring Day took place Oct. 20. APD employees around the state matched young people with professionals working in the career of their choice. In Tallahassee, APD provided mentors to eight young people with disabilities. I had the privilege of being a mentor to Kevin Graham, a student in the Lively Transition Program. Graham is a delightful young man who will make a dedicated employee when he is ready to go to work.

Last Monday APD hosted an exciting grand opening of the new Bay Harbor Dental Clinic in Miami to serve people with developmental disabilities. Access to dental care is a significant challenge for those individuals. Three APD clients spoke at the event about the great need for quality dental care in South Florida.

The agency finished the month in Sarasota, announcing that it has been awarded an AmeriCorps grant by Volunteer Florida of nearly $400,000. The money is being used to recruit five full-time and 50 half-time AmeriCorps members throughout Florida for the APD-AmeriCorps program.

Many of the positions are being filled by people with disabilities, including those on the APD waiting list for Medicaid waiver services. These newly enrolled members will be responsible for helping other people on the waiting list have access to community events and activities.

The grant is the first of its kind in the country where people with disabilities are helping others with disabilities. Two new AmeriCorps members, Marilyn DuBois and David Poepping, talked during the news conference about their reasons for participating in this new program. They both want to learn skills so when the grant is finished, they will be able to secure other positions with the new expertise they have developed.

I am happy to say that this year APD increased its activities during Disability Employment Awareness month tremendously. The reason is to keep the focus on individuals with disabilities who want to be given an opportunity. Providing an opportunity to a deserving individual is a request I think all of us can honor all year long.

Jim DeBeaugrine is director of the Agency for Persons with Disabilities.

APD supports people with developmental disabilities to live, learn, and work in their communities. The agency annually serves about 35,000 Floridians. For more information about the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, visit APDcares.org or call toll-free 1-866-APD-CARES (1-866-273-2273).