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| Sign Up For Youth Leadership ForumOctober, 2008 by Benjamin Wimett Youth Leadership Program Coordinator The Youth Leadership Forum's purpose is to take individuals with disabilities all across the disability spectrum (physical disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals, blind and visually impaired students etc.) ranging in age from 15 to 25 who have shown a desire to take an active role in their own lives. It is the goal of the program to give these individuals the knowledge and support in whatever realistic goals they set for themselves. Those goals may be very different for each individual. One individual may have a goal to live independently. Another may have always had the desire to pursue higher education but was unsure how to go about finding the right school or what services and support to look for. Another individual may have a goal of maintaining full-time employment but is worried about losing Medicaid benefits. VCIL would connect them to the right people to help them navigate the system which sometimes can be very complex and complicated, even for the most knowledgeable individuals. It is my goal as the program coordinator to make sure each individual not only gains knowledge during the forum but learns how to be a better advocate for themselves. Even the smallest task accomplished independently can boost a young adult's self-esteem regardless of whether they are disabled or not. I encourage the young adults that I work with to think outside the box and push their own boundaries while at the same time staying within the limits of their disabilities and limitations. Things often don't get done overnight but through hard work and perseverance, you will prevail. Anything is possible as long as it is realistic and individuals are willing to fall time and time again but still get back up until they eventually reach the top. If what I have described sounds like something you or someone you know may benefit from we are in the process of scheduling and setting up a four-day forum Oct. 23-26 in the Burlington area. Public schools are closed during that time for the annual statewide teacher convention. At the forum we will have several presenters come and discuss topics ranging from the disability rights movement, Social Security and how working may affect your benefits such as your Social Security check and Medicaid coverage. We have a presentation tentatively scheduled from Dan Gilman of Vermont Assistive Technology to demonstrate various computer-based programs that enable everyone to use everyday technologies to assist them in the home, at work and especially in an educational setting. I'll be giving a presentation on going to college with a disability and how to find the right environment to suit your particular needs. We will be doing some type of fun recreational activity nearly every day to keep participants energized and physically active. We will have someone on staff to assist with personal care and in the event that we have deaf participants we will hire interpreters for the event. We will have other staff on hand to assist with the forum Please contact me at 802-247-4520 or bwimett _at_ vcil.org if you would like an application or more information. I look forward to hearing from individuals and hopefully together we can make October a huge success! |