Transition fair designed to help students with disabilities
Starting kindergarten is a scary time for any child who may not be ready and does not know what to expect. Then comes the move to middle school or junior high school and new fears. Just when the child starts to feel secure again, it’s time for high school. Finally, the end of high school arrives. The new graduate has decisions to make, and he may not be prepared.
“Now, think if you had a disability,” said Chuck Ferguson, transition coordinator for Albert Gallatin Area School District.
Ferguson said that a child with a mental or physical disability needs extra help, although a parent or guardian may not be aware of the opportunities or know where to look.
So, local education officials organized Transition Awareness Fair 2003 on Thursday at Penn State Fayette to showcase the services available to people with disabilities, particularly high school students.
Transition in this instance refers to the move from high school to the community. Ferguson said the student can prepare for this transition through understanding of his abilities as well as his disabilities. He said the goal is self-determination and self-advocacy.
Penn State Tech Prep Coordinator Sue Quinn and Communities in Schools representative Don Bartowick helped coordinate the event.
The fair involved Fayette County’s six school districts and featured informational tables by a variety of agencies, organizations and post-secondary schools. Several gave presentations for an audience in the Swimmer Hall auditorium on campus.
“One of our goals or objectives is career development,” Bartowick said of Communities in Schools.
He works with students in the local schools, where he said Communities in Schools gets good collaboration from school officials and service agencies. He said participants showed that same collaboration Thursday.
He pointed out the presence of several higher education tables, adding that financial aid was a common question.
Michelle Schnatterly, who is acquainted with a high school junior in need of services, attended the fair to find out what she could. She works for a social service provider for the elderly and said she is familiar with some types of services.
“It’s tough to get information on what’s available,” she said. “And, things change all the time.”
Among those who gave presentations, Fayette County Mental Health/Mental Retardation spokeswomen Dana Zinck and Brittany Winfrey said a psychological evaluation is a first step toward accessing MH/MR services. Zinck said if a person meets the criteria for eligibility, a support coordinator assesses that person’s needs, provides an individual service plan to address those needs, locates the services and monitors the services. They spoke about specific services available to children and adults, asking anyone who is interested to call the office at 724-430-1370.
Sean Sypolt said 18 agencies are involved in the day-to-day operations at Career Link in Uniontown, and the staff there is committed to helping people with disabilities and in transition.
“I encourage every parent and program that exists to come to our staff. We are one-stop. We will find what you need and get the answers at one place,” he said.
He said Career Link, located at 32 Iowa St., is a safety net for people who need special help getting hired, and the staff works with the person to obtain a first or even second job, also helping with transportation or education.
Dan Majewski of the Social Security Administration spoke of benefits for people with disabilities; however he said the staff tries to get the disabled person back to work. He said people are afraid of losing the Social Security medical insurance, but the agency has incentives to encourage the recipient to work.
A new option from the federal government is called Ticket to Work and is expected in Pennsylvania in November.
Majewski said Ticket to Work concerns a trial work period during which benefits coverage continues while the person has a job. He said Medicare protection could follow that person as long as 81/2 years after they discontinue Social Security income.
For more information, call the Social Security Administration toll free at 800-772-1213.
Dennis Cox and Monica Sealy explained that the state Department of Public Assistance at 41 W. Church St. in Uniontown is another place to stop for a variety of services, including cash assistance, medical assistance and food stamps, according to income and resource guidelines.
Cox said the department provides medical benefits for children with disabilities and also can offer some medical assistance to the person with disabilities who no longer receives Social Security income.
“The state has put a high priority on employment and training programs,” Sealy said.
She described a program called Road to Self-sufficiency Through Employment and Training (RESET). She said the program allows the department to help people with work-related needs like transportation, clothing and childcare.
Goodwill Industries of Fayette County and the state Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) are two more organizations that work together and with other agencies to help people with disabilities enter the work force.
Amy Kacmar said Goodwill, among its services, has a 10-day evaluation in which a student with special needs may visit different job sites to explore work interests. She said Goodwill is working with high school seniors, who may complete an application for the program.
Jeff Kachmarek said OVR wants to help people maximize their abilities and overcome their disabilities. He said a person as young as 16 and a junior in high school can access services that include counseling, job placement and job training.
“If you are a person with a disability and you want a job, come to us,” he said.
Kachmarek said OVR has a good working relationship with the local schools, and he recommended a student talk to his school’s guidance counselor or the Intermediate Unit 1 about services that are available through an application process.
Ferguson said he was pleased with the turnout for this first effort at having a countywide transition awareness fair. He counted about 60 people who visited the informational tables during the three-hour event.
Inviting those who attended to share their information, Ferguson said he hopes to “pack the house next year.” Ferguson said transition coordinators or special education directors at any of the Fayette County schools also may offer information on the services that are available.
“It’s all about making parents aware of what’s available for their children,” Ferguson said.