Amy’s Story
Amy
Amy was a participant at Active Day Adult Day Training when Kentucky Protection and Advocacy visited the facility for monitoring in 2018. A P&A Advocate noticed Amy zooming around in her wheelchair assisting other participants during lunch and was shocked to learn that Amy was a client and not a program employee.
P&A interviewed Amy during monitoring and learned she became a paraplegic after a 2002 motor vehicle accident. She has had more than 30 surgeries since the accident and her left leg was amputated below the knee. In 2012 she was diagnosed with bladder cancer; her bladder was removed along with portions of her intestines and bowel. Amy struggled with her mental health during these challenges and attempted suicide in 2016. Hospital social work staff suggested attending an ADT as a means of giving her something to do during the day after her suicide attempt. Amy enjoyed getting out of the house and interacting with individuals with disabilities.
P&A asked Amy if she ever considered seeking a competitive-wage job at the ADT instead of attending as a participant. Amy stated that she did not know working was a possibility, as she relies on the Home and Community Based (HCB) Medicaid Waiver for assistance with personal care and medical needs. Amy feared that if she made too much money, she would lose waiver services and risk institutionalization in a nursing facility. P&A explained that Amy would be able to work while keeping her HCB Medicaid waiver and Social Security Benefits. A referral was sent to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and a team was assembled to help Amy reach her goal of becoming competitively employed. Amy began working October 2019 for the Scott County School system as an After School Aide/Classified Interventionist. She loves the work and eventually received assistance from P&A and OVR to pass her paraeducator certification exam and further her career goals.
After obtaining competitive employment, Amy experienced barriers to getting to and from work. Transportation vans repeatedly failed to pick her up or were late. Amy decided to further her independence and learn to drive an adapted van. With P&A assistance, Amy passed her driver’s exam and began to search for an appropriate vehicle to purchase. Using money saved from her paychecks and donations from various sources, Amy was able to purchase her van without a loan. P&A worked with Amy and OVR to modify the van.
Several years later, Amy can be found driving all over central Kentucky when she is not at work. As Amy told P&A, “Your agency gave me my independence back and helped me achieve my dreams.”
Melissa’s Story
Melissa
Melissa is a blind woman, who contacted Kentucky P&A because of difficulties she was experiencing surrounding her job as a packer at a large distribution center. For several months, she had been working with an Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) counselor and an accommodations team through her employer in an attempt to reach her employment goal. However, poor communication, unclear roles, and lack of understanding of Melissa’s abilities resulted in a series of frustrating events that led to a mere 5 days on the job before she was sent home. All of this caused Melissa to lose confidence in her employability.
Through multiple meetings with Melissa, the OVR counselor, and the employer’s accommodation coordinator, Kentucky P&A found numerous issues requiring attention. These barriers included:
- Lack of communication. Melissa’s voice was not being heard by everyone involved.
- Employer’s insistence that Melissa needed a full-time job coach. This was based upon misconceptions about her diagnosis and not her individual abilities.
- No referral for an assistive technology specialist to help with the work site software was made.
- On-site employment management’s misunderstanding of the necessity to participate in the accommodations process. This required movement of Melissa to another section of the business that has different managers.
- Low numbers of available job coaches.
- Inconsistent transportation to and from the work site.
Soon, Melissa found herself attending weekly virtual meetings with a larger team to support her and address barriers to reaching her employment goal. Additional people included an orientation and mobility specialist, an assistive technology specialist, a community rehabilitation program specialist, a job coach, a job coach agency director, and the employment site’s operation manager.
Melissa only needed on-site assistance from the job coach for a few days. Her new supervisors enthusiastically learned how her technology works, and how to support her and worked with Melissa to troubleshoot issues that arose with the conveyor system.
Melissa happily reports that her job is going well. Her supervisors told her that she is processing a high number of packages per hour – a rate that mirrors the production of her sighted coworkers. Most importantly, Melissa has regained her confidence and is now a strong self-advocate.
Crystal’s Story
Crystal
Crystal is a 40-year-old black woman with a diagnosis of a developmental disability. Crystal contacted Kentucky P&A and asked for assistance to have her rights restored. She has had a public guardian for at least 15 years.
The P&A advocate worked with 10 team members including her Family Home Provider, Case Manager, day program staff, therapist, guardian, and others about Supported Decision Making (SDM). Kentucky P&A educated the appointed attorney in a rural county about SDM and how CP’s team supports her currently with decision-making.
The advocate requested the therapist to provide documentation to support Crystal in having her rights restored. In addition, the advocate assisted her to prepare for court. Crystal went to court via Zoom web conferencing in February. All her rights, except for conservatorship were restored. This was something Crystal had requested until she felt that she could handle her money.