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<DIV>My feelings on sheltered workshops is mixed. If you asked me about
sheltered workshops twenty years ago, I would tell you I was absolutely opposed
to them.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>My uncle was blind and worked in a sheltered workshop in the 1960’s.
He was an educated man and was grossly underemployed in sheltered work after he
became blind.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>He died before I was born, but when I lost my sight, I was told I could be
trained to go back to work at Stop&Shop. I thought of my uncle and
even though S&S wasn’t a workshop, I was working to pay for college.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I informed the voc counselor I was working for health benefits and money to
pay for college and I intended to continue with higher education.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I went back to college and found competetive employment because I did not
want to be underemployed as my uncle was. I did not want to work in a sheltered
workshop because I believed I was capable of more than what that had to offer. I
did not want to work behind a cash register, on my feet all day, at S&S for
the rest of my life.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I agree many disabled individuals are steered to sheltered work as an easy
closure, but I believe these people had the same choice I had- if they settled
for less, why is the workshop to blame? Why aren’t they seeking other
employment?</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Rich- I respectfully disagree with you regarding money being wasted on
disabled individuals incapable of competetive employment. Many of them
look forward to the workday because it is an opportunity to interact with others
and it makes them feel good to contribute. It gives them self-esteem and
self-worth. They are human beings and deserve to have respect and dignity.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Justin, I completely disagree with your assessment that the individuals I
refer to are capable of competetive employment. Come ride the van with me
one morning and you will see what I mean.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What is wrong with sheltered work is when disabled people do not meet their
full potential by taking a placement in such a job, by not demanding better
services through voc rehab programs and by failing to self motivate to a higher
level.</DIV>
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<DIV
style="FONT-STYLE: normal; DISPLAY: inline; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000; FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none">There-
I said what I wanted to say and now I’m going back to my quiet
corner.</DIV></DIV>
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