Source: Star-News, Wilmington, N.自存倉C.Dec. 27--On Dec. 12, Jill Adams and Emily Hansen were cleaning books and a mirror at the Children's Museum of Wilmington.The two women are disabled. Their volunteer efforts were made possible by the Transition Program for Young Adults, an initiative of the New Hanover County Schools.Emily, 23, has profound multiple disabilities, said her mother, Beth. She stays in a wheelchair and uses a programed talking device to communicate. She has difficulty focusing her vision and performing some motor tasks, but she was ably polishing a white board when I visited.She was assisted by Bethany Ross, who works with Emily on behalf of her employer, Alberta Special Services.Emily loves knock-knock jokes and told several of them during my visit.Crystal Horne of Home Care Management works with Jill, also 23. Jill has cerebral palsy, said her mother, Dana Adams.Jill, a friendly woman with a bright, warm smile, serves as an honorary ambassador for Easter Seals UCP. She volunteers at the Myrtle Grove branch of the New Hanover County Public Library, shelving books in the children's section.And she has a paying job at the Lowe's Foods store on Pine Grove Drive.Both Jill and Emily are graduates of the Transitional Program for Young Adults.Emily's mom, Beth, credited TPYA for helping her daughter work outside the home."Most people say, 'I have no idea how she could do volunteer work,' but not Tricia Nagorski," Beth said. "She thinks everyone can find their own strengths."Nagorski is a special education teacher. She's been an educator for 27 years. She works with Janet Hughes, 28 years in education, and Kimberly Stokes, 21 years, operating TPYA for disabled people who are 18 to 22 years old.By law, the school system must provide services for disabled students until they're 21. TPYA was started in 1997 after two years of planning.Most of the TPYA clients have intellectual disabilities. Some like Emily have physical disabilities迷你倉as well.The program isn't for every disabled young adult. Potential students are referred by teachers and school officials.They teach the young people how to live, work and play in the community, Nagorski said. Students learn to navigate the bus system and other necessary skills.The aim is to let disabled people form connections and live as independently as possible.Jill's parents, Dana and Bill Adams, wrote in an email that TPYA helped their daughter move into the "greater arena" of work and volunteering after school."She has a real sense of belonging and purpose," they said.The three teachers are grateful to employers who hire their students.They want to meet more employers willing to give a young disabled person a chance to belong. The company will be rewarded with an employee who values the job and will work to keep it."They're going to be there, they're going to be on time, they're going to be your most reliable employee," Nagorski said.Emily Hansen uses her talking device at the Children's Museum to introduce herself to the kids and entertain them with her knock-knock jokes.Mom Beth said there's an educational value to having disabled people volunteer there.Logan White, the museum's director of development and marketing, agreed. She said kids are curious about the two women. They don't hesitate to approach the women and ask questions."I think that children are much more open," White said. "They don't have the boundaries of, is it OK to talk to this person or not?"To have Emily talk back to them is a huge deal," she said. "They see that the community is made up of different types of people and they have different communication styles. It's good."Column idea? Contact Si Cantwell at 343-2364 or Si.Cantwell@StarNewsOnline.com, or follow him on Twitter.com: @SiCantwell.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) Visit the Star-News (Wilmington, N.C.) at .starnewsonline.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage
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