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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Haggen adds Ashland store to list of closures ... Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Monical sentenced to 32 years in federal bank robbery case ... Haggen adds Ashland store to list of closures ... Attacker's no-show at sentencing leaves victim without closure ... Monical sentenced to 32 years in federal bank robbery case ... EMPLOYMENT Medford agency leads state in placing developmentally disabled in meaningful jobs Medford organization leads the way in integrating developmentally disabled into workforce A Medford organization is pioneering a new approach to have developmentally disabled people work in jobs throughout the community. Comment By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 18, 2015 at 10:47 AM By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 18, 2015 at 10:47 AM » RELATED CONTENT • Closure of workshops brings mixed emotions » Social News Wiping down the machines at a women's fitness center and cleaning out animal cages at a store weren't Cathy's favorite jobs. She much prefers her current job scanning in documents, taking payments and working on a computer at Valley Immediate Care's administrative office in Medford. "There's no comparison. I've always been more comfortable with computers. Cleaning is not even my favorite thing to do at home," she said. Cathy is a client of Living Opportunities, Inc., a Medford organization that works with businesses throughout the community to place developmentally disabled people in jobs that fit their skills and dreams. Living Opportunities asked that only first names be used for its clients. Although some of its clients enjoy jobs that involve cleaning, Living Opportunities has long since moved beyond the societal stereotype that developmentally disabled workers are able to perform only janitorial work or simple, repetitive tasks. Founded in 1974, Living Opportunities is now leading the way in helping other organizations that serve developmentally disabled people. Up into the 1990s, Living Opportunities operated what is known as a sheltered workshop. Developmentally disabled people gathered in a room at the organization's facilities on Valley View Road and assembled toys. That began to change two decades ago and now the rest of the state is being asked to follow suit. This month, the state of Oregon announced a lawsuit settlement that will phase out sheltered workshops run by organizations across the state. Critics say the sheltered workshops segregate developmentally disabled people, who frequently do repetitive, mundane tasks for less than minimum wage. By 2019, the state government will stop providing funding for segregated work environments, said new Living Opportunities Chief Executive Officer Emilie Wylde. Living Opportunities recognized years ago that helping people find jobs out in the community was far better than operating an on-site workshop, Wylde said. "They took a stand to do what's right rather than what's easy or what's the norm," she said. Wylde and other Living Opportunities representatives are now traveling throughout the state, teaching other organizations how to dismantle their workshops and do a better job integrating their clients into the larger community. Making the change isn't quick or easy. Wylde said it took Living Opportunities five years to phase out its sheltered workshop. It was easier to have a few staff members watch over a room full of people in one place than to provide job coaches to help clients learn new tasks at a wide variety of businesses. Nationwide, horror stories abound about shelter workshops, from people being paid 40 cents per hour to examples of people assembling items, then disassembling them and building them again just to stay busy, Wylde said. Wylde, who has a developmentally disabled son, said with developmentally disabled students more thoroughly integrated into school classrooms, the expectation that a student would graduate from high school and then go to work in a segregated sheltered workshop is fading away. "My son is 10 years old," she said. "He's 100 percent convinced he'll have a job in the community, just like his brothers." Lisa Comstock, the director of employment services for Living Opportunities, has a 25-year-old autistic son. She said the new generation of developmentally disabled people expects to live, work and shop in the community with their peers. Living Opportunities clients perform a wide variety of jobs, including kitchen prep work, scanning paperwork, delivering documents, shuttling vehicles and creating promotional signs to hang at a local auto dealership, Comstock said. Her own son cuts apart and laminates pictures. People who have difficulty speaking can point to the pictures in order to express their thoughts. He has a second job packaging guitar picks for shipment. "Historically, we've underestimated what people with disabilities can do," Wylde said. More than 100 Living Opportunities clients work at more than 80 businesses across Jackson County, said Baylee LaVoie, Living Opportunities business and donor relations manager. Clients typically work for a few hours or a shift at several different businesses to figure out their strengths and which types of jobs they prefer, LaVoie said. For people used to working in sheltered workshops, making the transition to outside businesses can sometimes be scary, Comstock said. To help with transitions, Living Opportunities starts first with the people who are excited to make the change. Those people then convince their friends working at a business is fun and provides them with a paycheck to support a more independent lifestyle, Wylde said. Back at Valley Immediate Care, employees there had nothing but praise for their developmentally disabled colleagues and the changes they have helped bring to the whole office. Human Resources Director Cher Dale admitted she at first underestimated what her new colleagues would be able to do. "It's made us all realize their capabilities and what they can do. They are smart cookies," Dale said. Her co-worker Kerry, who is hearing impaired, scans in chart notes written by Valley Immediate Care physicians who see patients for urgent medical care. Kerry then sends the scanned notes to patients' primary care physicians so those physicians have updated medical records. She files accounts payable bills and gets outgoing mail stamped. "When she's done with her regular jobs, she'll go to each individual person or department and say, 'Hey, do you have anything else for me to do?' " Dale said. Valley Immediate Care Chief Financial Officer Diana Doran said she is less likely to grumble about small irritations like traffic when she thinks about the many difficulties her developmentally disabled co-workers face and overcome. "The joy they bring in their attitude to work and to their co-workers despite all the challenges they have to deal with is a lesson for us every day," Doran said. She said she had been impressed by the work they do. "They often haven't had a chance to show people they have skill levels that are amazing," Doran said. Kerry said the paycheck she earns helps her pay for her apartment, food, shopping and visits to a local coffee shop, where she indulges in chai latté. Known for her sense of humor and strong work ethic, Kerry said she enjoys her job, going to lunch with co-workers and occasional office pranks, like shooting rubber bands at each other. "It feels good to be able to joke with everyone," Kerry said. For more information about employing people with developmental disabilities, call Living Opportunities at 541-772-1503 or see www.livingopps.org . Business owners who would like to talk with Doran about her experiences working with Living Opportunities clients at Valley Immediate Care can reach her at 541-734 9030 ext. 1506 or [email protected]. Staff reporter Vickie Aldous can be reached at 541-776-4486 or [email protected] . Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/VickieAldous . By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Vickie Aldous Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 17, 2015 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 18, 2015 at 10:47 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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