Easterseals Rehabilitation Center

Easterseals provides excellent services, teaching, outreach, and assistance to make sure that those with autism and other disabilities can live, learn, work, and enjoy life in their communities.

JP Engelbrecht initially made a donation to the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center when he was in 5th grade. Now, he is a member of the local Presidents' Council as he believes it is important to uphold the goals of Easterseals and ensure its growth.

This year's silent auction has something for everyone! All proceeds will go towards providing therapy for those with disabilities in the local area. The auction will end at 12pm (Central Time) on November 3rd.

At the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center in Evansville, IN, we are working hard to make significant and positive changes in the lives of people in our area every day, and to change the way our community views and understands disability.

As a co-founder and partner at Change for Balance, a full-service strategic communications and production agency, I have always been dedicated to establishing a workplace that is diverse and inclusive. My goal is to make a positive impact on the world.

My enthusiasm for creating fairness and support for our communities is personal. Although I am not disabled, I am an ally and promoter, and I come from an Iranian background as my parents moved here years ago. I understand the value of a minority perspective and how important it is to create workplaces where everyone feels accepted. Additionally, as a filmmaker, I have been lucky enough to travel around the world to tell stories that move people's emotions and minds - from climate change to animal welfare, human rights, and of course, disability inclusion.

At Change for Balance, we asked ourselves which communities were not being adequately represented in our workforce. We discovered that the largest minority group in the US are the 61+ million Americans with disabilities, yet their employment rate is shockingly low. As a result, we decided to make it our mission to HIRE MORE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, and we were successful in doing so!

I am honored to collaborate with my disabled colleagues. The work ethic of the disabled population is unparalleled. Not only has it improved our productivity at Change for Balance, but it has also pushed me to become an even better worker as the disabled community encourages me to consider different ideas and points of view that I hadn't previously considered.

The Change for Balance team is not the only group of highly skilled people with disabilities; they can be found in all kinds of jobs. Recently, CFB worked with a cast and crew of 70% people with disabilities to create a public service announcement series for Easterseals. They even hired a stylist who has a disability!

It is essential for us to understand that our commitment to disability inclusion does not stop at our own organization. We are dedicated to collaborating, employing, and contracting with skilled professionals with disabilities from all over the United States and beyond. It is a priority for us to have people with disabilities both in front of and behind the camera, regardless of whether we are working on Easterseals content or any other project.

I strongly suggest that any business or work group looking to expand and grow should consider hiring people with disabilities. They will prove to be reliable and effective employees.

When I sustained a spinal cord injury 15 years ago, I was filled with a lot of self-doubt. This is something that many people with and without disabilities can relate to. After college, I was ready to begin my career, but I needed an extra layer of support. I had to find the faith in myself, but I also needed someone who could believe in me too. Little did I know, that person would turn out to be my employer.

Our partners at Change for Balance may not receive all the credit for this, but by being open to diversity in our recruitment process, the composition of our team, and even being aware and thoughtful when scheduling meetings and trips, our company is more accepting, enabling each of us to become the most secure and best versions of ourselves.

If you are looking for a job, I recommend considering Change for Balance, a company that values culture and inclusion. You will not only have a more fulfilling experience, but you will also be more successful in your career.

Many of our customers have made it a priority to include people with disabilities in their Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility (DEI&A) strategies. One of these customers is Easterseals, which has hired Erin Hawley, a well-known and respected figure in the disability community, as part of their national marketing team as Communications and Digital Content Producer. Her unique perspective is a valuable asset to Easterseals' mission of achieving full equity, inclusion, and access for people with disabilities.

It is hard to ignore the media's emphasis on the coronavirus and its impact on employment. With 9.6 million people in the United States losing their jobs, it is understandable. Nevertheless, the 5.7 million workers over the age of 55 who lost their jobs in March and April of 2020 have not been given much consideration. According to AARP, older workers are 17 percent more likely to become unemployed than their slightly younger counterparts. Some may believe that those nearing retirement just need to be more economical with their money, but Crystal Odom-McKinney knows that there is more at stake than that.

Crystal Odom-McKinney is the National Director of the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) at Easterseals. This program is the largest federally funded initiative for older job seekers. With over two decades of experience in managing non-profit programs and working with disadvantaged people, Odom-McKinney has a comprehensive understanding of how complex unemployment can be for communities that don't get much attention. Recently, she was honored at the 15th Annual Chicago Defender Women of Excellence Awards, which celebrates African American women who are role models for others due to their leadership and vision. During National Employ Older Workers Week, she was asked a few questions about what this award means to her and why she is so passionate about the work she does.

I am deeply honored to be recognized for my accomplishments both inside and outside of work. I am very grateful to my family, friends, and community for motivating me to pursue my aspirations. One of my favorite quotes from Mahatma Gandhi is “You may not be aware of the results of your actions, but if you don’t take any steps, you won’t accomplish anything.”

As people are living longer and healthier lives, retirement is no longer the only option for those of a more mature age. Mature job seekers are a valuable asset to any workforce, bringing qualities such as reliability and dependability, as well as a unique outlook due to their life experiences. Employers should be aware of the myths and realities of hiring older workers, as it can often be more cost-effective to retrain or retain them than to hire and train younger workers.

I have heard many stories of how this program has transformed people's lives. One story in particular stands out. A job seeker I know was able to overcome homelessness, unemployment, difficulty with technology, the end of an abusive relationship, and mental health issues. She had felt like no one cared and that she had no hope. But since enrolling in the SCSEP program, she has found a home, a steady income, and is learning new skills. She is now comfortable using a computer and has the support she needs for her mental health journey after years of feeling unheard.

This is the core of the SCSEP: to provide hope to those who feel they have no other options and to give them the chance to acquire skills and training. We are collaborating with legislators in Washington D.C. to promote the hiring of these job seekers and to foster unity in communities through local organizations. This is the strength of the SCSEP program and why it is so essential!

Ten years ago, my family and I embarked on a 726-mile journey to Washington DC to meet with politicians and representatives of the Department of Transportation (DOT). We had written a blog post with the aim of making air travel more accessible to wheelchair users and had gathered thousands of signatures on a petition.

I had high hopes for our meetings because I was accompanied by a well-informed Legislative Affairs Assistant from Easterseals, an organization I had become very familiar with after serving as an Easterseals National Representative in 2012. My aim was to make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of airline passengers.

I had an incredible journey through the capital city, exploring some of the oldest government buildings, riding in elevators that were over a hundred years old, and waiting outside the offices of important people. The highlight of my life was getting to meet Tom Harkin, the creator of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Despite all of these amazing experiences, I was still disappointed when I departed the Hill.

I rarely get angry, but I remember having to restrain myself from saying something rude when an official from the Department of Transportation spoke to me on the phone and listed all the reasons why it was not possible to have a wheelchair on an airplane. They cited financial constraints, regulations, and justifications. Everyone in the room could sense my growing anger after I had traveled a long distance to attend the meeting.

Luckily, there are people who share my dedication. My friend Michele Erwin and the team at All Wheels Up (AWU) - the only organization in the world that tests wheelchairs on commercial flights - and many advocates have been working hard to make air travel more accessible since my visit to Washington.

A lot of progress has been achieved by All Wheels Up! This includes wheelchair crash testing, many discussions with government officials and airline staff, and research carried out at different universities.

It has taken ten years of hard work, and with the help of an Indiana native at the Department of Transportation and multiple initiatives, progress is being made. What was once a definite 'no' has now become a possible 'yes'. It may take some time to implement, but the fact that Secretary Buttigieg is discussing the possibility of wheelchair users flying on airplanes is enough to bring tears of joy.

I may not have been the first person to come up with the idea of having wheelchair spots on airplanes, and I only advocated for it for a short time, but it is still exciting to see the possibility being talked about in the media.

It is possible that I will eventually take a flight to Washington DC to support an important cause. It is also possible that I will eventually travel to Los Angeles to meet with my colleagues. Additionally, it is possible that I will eventually embark on my long-awaited journey to Australia that has been on my bucket list for years.

A couple of weeks ago, someone posted a tweet about Vice President Kamala Harris introducing herself at a Disability Committee meeting with a link to a video. In the video, she said, "I am Kamala Harris. My pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit." The poster was mocking the vice president, saying it was one of the weirdest things they had ever seen and they found it so humorous that they laughed out loud.

Advocates for people with disabilities who responded to the tweet said that the Vice President was introducing herself to a Disability Committee, and that providing a description of her physical appearance was part of the "accessibility protocol" for those who are blind or have vision impairments. Advocates responding to the tweet stated that the Vice President was introducing herself to a Disability Committee, and that providing a description of her physical appearance was part of the "accessibility protocol" for those who are blind or have vision impairments.

A few people responded with short comments like "Thanks, I hadn't thought of that" and "Oh, that makes sense". What was shocking was the number of dedicated followers who followed the influencer's suggestion and made disrespectful comments about people with vision impairments - outrageous remarks such as "Do I count if I wear glasses?" and "What if you're colorblind?".

If I'm being honest, disability discrimination and ableism will not be eradicated until people can overcome their fear of disability and challenge the preconceived notions they have about it, despite all the accessible technology and protocols available. Doing research on this topic was quite a challenge!

Bertrand Russell argued that fear can be a major factor in causing cruelty, and that the first step to wisdom is to overcome it. I do not believe that enforcing strict accessibility protocols is an effective way to reduce people's fears about us; in fact, it could have the opposite effect and make people too scared to interact with us.

Having a disability does mean that certain activities must be done differently than someone who does not have a disability. However, with the help of "helper tools," nearly all activities can be done. As someone who is blind, I have attended many events (both in-person and virtual) where the speakers or participants are asked to "self-describe" themselves before beginning their presentations. This is done for the benefit of those in the audience who have a visual impairment. Although this is a kind gesture, it can be uncomfortable to ask people to describe what they look like, as it emphasizes what they lack due to their disability.

I haven't asked many of my friends who are visually impaired what their opinion is on self-description. It could be something that they appreciate, and if that is the case, that's great. I won't make fun of them or crack a joke about it just because it doesn't directly benefit me.

I would like whoever is in charge of deciding the accessibility protocol to think about who needs it, what situations need it, and how to make changes easier. Hopefully, this method of implementing accessibility protocol can help to build relationships.

Phoenix, who was born prematurely with severe medical problems, delays, and cerebral palsy, is now a five-year-old with no boundaries!

Guadalupe has no fear when it comes to her hearing tests at the Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, even though she has a disability and does not speak English. She enjoys the experience and feels at ease there.

Interpersonal communication problems can be a major obstacle to achieving goals in the home, school, workplace, and society. The Augmentative & Alternative Communication (AAC) program enables people with complex communication needs in the area to achieve their goals!

The Easterseals Group Home program is dedicated to improving lives, encouraging independence, and creating a sense of family. Learn more about the opportunities for new residents and the benefits of living in a supervised group home.

Discover the benefits of the Easterseals Early Learning Center, the only place in Evansville that provides full-inclusion early childhood care and education. Find out how an environment that welcomes children of all abilities can benefit your child.

The Easterseals Rehabilitation Center, located at 3701 Bellemeade Avenue in Evansville, Indiana, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its telephone number is 812-479-1411.

Easterseals Rehabilitation Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization located at 3701 Bellemeade Ave. in Evansville, IN 47714. The phone number is 812-479-1411.