Access Quarterly SPRING | 2021
In this Issue 01 Ramping up for a great year
Meet Harry Williams
02 Double the success at 03 project search 04 Making taxes less taxing 05 06 Giving it our
best shot CILtheLIVE! 2021 07 Save date for this year’s event!
08 Developmental
Disability Awareness Month
09 Volunteer Spotlight Jennifer Alvarado
Spring ‘21 | 01
Double the success at PROJECT SEARCH by Chance Morrow
M
arch celebrates National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, since it was proclaimed by President Reagan in 1987 with the purpose of “[raising] public awareness of the needs and the potential of Americans with developmental disabilities” and to provide the “encouragement and opportunities they need to lead productive lives and to achieve their full potential.” Navigating entry into the workforce as a young adult can be a daunting and challenging task, especially during a global pandemic. Having a disability of any sort can make that process even more difficult. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, In 2020, 17.9 percent of persons with a disability were employed, compared to the 61.8 percent of people employed who did not have a disability. Project SEARCH is working to change that. Developed at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center as a business-led, one-year work-preparation program for young people, ages 18 to 22 with developmental disabilities, it now has 600 job sites. One of them is Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center, where the program is in its fifth year, and boasts a higher placement rate than the national average for Project SEARCH programs. Participants are enrolled while transitioning from high school to work. The hallmark of Project SEARCH is total workplace immersion, which facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training. Project SEARCH’s primary objective is to secure competitive employment for every program participant.
Madison Lewis, a participant in the 2021 Project SEARCH class works in the Sterile Processing Department at Lakeland Regional Health.
“Project SEARCH is a transition program that believes in the potential that our young adults have. We strive on focusing all the abilities that they possess instead of pointing out what they don’t. It provides them with an opportunity to become employed and independent if they desire,” says Mildred Roldan, Employment Specialist with the Center for Independent Living in Central Florida (now known as CIL).
Madison Lewis,19, and Tyler Baranowski,18, are two of the 6 current participants in Project SEARCH at Lakeland Regional Health. They both began the program in August of last year and will graduate with their classmates this April. Additionally, both have been offered full-time positions at Lakeland Regional Health as Sterile Processing Techniciansan opportunity that neither Lewis nor Baranowski had expected would happen at this point in their lives.
According to the staff at Lakeland Regional Health, Project SEARCH not only benefits the students but also the hospital that had welcomed the students as their own. Tiffany Hanson, Lakeland Regional Health Recruiter and Project SEARCH Coordinator notes that “...several departments value the students and the positive attitudes that they bring. They [the students] display an appreciation for the opportunity and commit to doing their best each day.”
The hospital setting of Project SEARCH also serves as an opportunity for student participants to grow socially As graduation approaches, Madison and Tyler reflect on the last seven months in the program, and within the workplace setting. the opportunities that they never envisioned for I’m usually the quiet person that just themselves:
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sits and does the job; nothing more, nothing less. But after a little while, knowing the people in the departments I’ve been in, I’ve opened up and made friends and still talk to some of the people in the departments I’m not in anymore,” says Baranowski.
“This has been life-changing for me,”
says Lewis. “I am able to just speak up for myself… I never thought that I would have the chance to actually work a job before applying for it,” says Baranowski. The personal and professional growth that has occurred during the program is obvious to the parents of both Madison and Tyler as well. “In the last year I have witnessed a huge change in Madison’s attitude, organization, follow-through, and her sense of responsibility. She has matured significantly over the last several months and I feel she will take the lessons she has learned throughout this program and continue to apply them to many areas of her life, especially in the workforce,” says Laura Lewis, mother of Madison.
Tyler Baranowski, a participant at Project SEARCH at Lakeland Regional Health working in the Sterile Processing Department.
“He is feeling more confident about his future. He has discovered career paths that he didn’t know were Sandy Perlewitz, Project SEARCH Facilitator, Polk County possible,” adds Tyler’s mother, Lori Baranowski. Public Schools, has been involved with the program at Lakeland Regional Health since its inception and has seen CIL currently oversees 2 Project SEARCH sites in firsthand the impact of the program on participants: “It’s Central Florida with plans to expand to a third site by a unique, hands-on job skill training program with total Fall of 2021. As Project SEARCH grows and finds new immersion in the workplace environment. Sometimes homes in Florida communities, more young adults like the students come in with a low level of self-esteem, but Madison and Tyler will discover their potential in the they gain confidence and self-advocacy throughout the workforce. program. They learn to answer interview questions with self-assurance and learn that they have what it takes to be successful,” Perlewitz describes.
Spring ‘21 | 03
Making taxes less taxing
T
ax time isn’t exactly something that we look forward too- in fact most of us like to wait until the last second to complete the daunting task! Last year it was estimated that more than 21 million people waited until the last minute- or at least the last week- to file their taxes. We know that this process can sometimes be tedious, difficult, and confusing especially for those in the disability community who need assistance in completeing forms and understanding certain required information and questions. Which is why we are proud to continue to offer a free and unique tax filing service to Deaf individuals in our community.
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Filing an annual income tax return is one of the most important things in life, and it’s so easy to make mistakes - most people prefer to go to a tax preparer. But even with the Americans with Disabilities Act (signed in 1990), many tax preparation sites still do not provide equal access for individuals who are deaf - instead communication is attempted via writing back and forth. From personal experience being deaf most of my life, I know that communicating via writing is time-consuming and frustrating even with good English skills - which many individuals who are deaf do not have. I have been providing Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services at the Center for Independent Living for over ten years, giving our Deaf Community full access (in sign language) to the process and they are more likely to have a positive and successful experience.
Tax preparer, Martha Knowles, helps a CIL consumer who is Deaf file her taxessafely, of course!
-Martha Knowles, IRS Certified Tax Preparer
Did You Know?
* One in five Americans has a severe hearing loss, yet may not be aware of the special tax deductions and credits allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. Our tax expert, Martha, can help you navigate and find these deductions and credits, but here are a few you might not know about: *source: https://turbotax.intuit.com/tax-tips/disability/tax-tips-for-the-deaf/L54j3hZqT
Medical Deductions
If you itemize your deductions and your medical expenses total more than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2020, you might be elegible for a tax deduction. These expenses include things like: • mileage to and from doctor and diagnostic appointments • prescriptions • eyeglasses and insurance premiums • Hearing aid, batteries, maintenance and repairs • Guide dog, including veterinary, grooming and food expenses
Disability-Related work expenses
If you work, you can list the cost of things you buy to perform your job as business expenses included in your itemized deductions. These miscellaneous deductions must be work-related, which makes them different from medical expense deductions, and can include: • Video conferencing equipment • Computer and accessories • Special telephones • Video cameras • Broadband Internet connection for video relay
disability tax credit If you are at least 65 years old, retired because of your disability and get taxable disability income, you may qualify for the Credit for the Elderly or Disabled. Even if you retired before age 65, you may be able to claim this credit if your hearing loss or deafness classifies as a total disability that bars you from gainful employment. You need a physician’s statement on file that supports your qualification.
SCHEDULE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY The IRS has extended the federal tax deadline to May 17, 2021 and we are excited to extend our tax filing services to May 17, 2021. Appointments are NECESSARY! To schedule yours: • Call Danielle Head at 407-623-1070 (regular phone) • Call 321-280-2625 (video phone) • Email Dhead@cilorlando.org Spring ‘21 | 05
Giving it Our Best Shot
O
Elba Dominguez gives a big grin as she receives her COVID-19 vaccine.
Through the use of various transportation services like Lyft, Mears, and LYNX, CIL was able to transport many vaccine recipients safely from their homes to the CIL office (and vice versa), where the vaccinations were taking place. “It was so easy to have someone come and pick me up with my wheelchair, says Margaret Brezina, a CIL consumer and recipient of the vaccine.
n Wednesday, March 24, the CIL Winter Park office was transformed into a COVID-19 vaccination site, complete with location transportation, waiting areas, certified nurses, snacks, and plenty of smiles. The Florida Department of Health partnered with CIL to make this transformation a reality- allowing over 50 individuals with disabilities to receive a vaccination for COVID-19. “ The harsh reality is that many people living with disabilities are unable to leave their own homes,” said Liz Howe, Executive Director at CIL. “Whether it’s due to a lack of reliable and disability-friendly transportation, or because their disability itself keeps them from being able to leave their home, the disability population has been overlooked during the vaccination rollout process,” Howe adds.
It’s important to continue to follow the guidance and guidelines set forth by local, state, and federal governments concerning COVID-19 safety. For more information about what you can do to stay safe visit www.cdc.gov/coronavirus. If you are a person with a disability or care giver please call our main line at 407-623-1070 and choose option 3 for more information on how you can get on the list to receive your COVID-19 vaccine.
Spring ‘21 | 06
The Best seat at the event?
You already have it.
live.cilorlando.org
Spring ‘21 | 07
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Did you know that March celebrates Developmental Disability Awareness Month? This recognition was created as an annual event by President Ronald Reagan when he signed Proclamation 5613 on February 26, 1987
What is a Developmental Disability? The Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act defines a developmental disability as a severe, chronic disability of an individual that— is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental and physical impairments; is manifested before the individual attains age 22; is likely to continue indefinitely; results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas of major life activity: Self-care, receptive and expressive language.
Over 6 million individuals in the United States have developmental disabilities
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For many of these people with developmental disabilities there is now the prospect of a brighter future and greater opportunity. Americans are becoming increasingly aware that such disabilities need not keep individuals from realizing their full potential in school, at work or at home, as members of their families and of their communities. - Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5613
Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder
Learning Disorders Autism Spectrum Disorder
Cerebral Palsy
Language and Speech Disorders
Developmental Disabilities Include Spring ‘21 | 08
Volunteer Spotlight
Jennifer Alvarado M
eet our volunteer Spotlight, Jennifer Alvarado! Jennifer reached out to us October of last year, looking for ways to give back to her community and volunteer virtually during the COVID-19 Pandemic. She has completed several “virtual” projects and also used her newfound sewing skills to make holiday-themed masks for CIL ‘s Silent Night event. Although we’ve never been more physically distanced from one another as we have been during the last year, we have never felt closer to some of the amazing individuals in our community.
s k n a Th ! r e f i Jenn
Spring ‘21 | 09