RELEASE October 15, 2002

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At a center for independent living in Jersey City, Paulette, who is blind, has been teaching Cheryl, who is deaf and blind, how to use a specialized computer application for the visually impaired called JAWS. There was certainly no such network of support as this in Helen Keller’s day. Against the background of October as Disability Employment Awareness Month, New Jersey’s Division of Disabilities Services (DDS), will showcase National Disability Mentoring Day (NDMD) on Wednesday, October 16^th. It will pair people with disabilities with others in their chosen career path in the hopes that the "mentoree’s" traverse through the tough job market, and ordinary day to day living, will be easier.

"Wednesday’s activity is just the kick-off to a year-long series of events to promote employment and career exploration for people with disabilities of all ages," announced Department of Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn L. Harris. "We wanted to focus on a day full of mentoring projects across the state to illustrate how people with disabilities can learn to not let those disabilities block their success in life and in the workplace."

Joseph Amoroso, Administrator of Information and Referral Services at DDS, has coordinated the day’s mentors and mentorees. There will be pairings of people with Cerebral Palsy, Spina Bifida, Blind, Deaf-Blind, a Learning Disability or the result of severe Traumatic Brain Injury. The professional of the pair will teach the other how to get through an entire day of work, how to deal with transportation and special accommodations needed at the work site, and how to meet the demands of the workplace. Seven pairings [if transportation plans hold together] are set for Wednesday.

Listed below are the pairings, the locations and activities. The DHS Office of Public Affairs [609-292-3703]can arrange for reporters to spend the day with the mentor pairs on Wednesday or later in the month.

Michele Leahy, of Trevose, PA in Bucks County and Kirsten Coulter of Woodstown, NJ in Salem County… Mentoring project in Exton, PA, at the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation, 102 Pickering Way, Suite 200, (888) 744-1938.

Michele Leahy, a nationally syndicated columnist with Disabled Dealer Magazine who writes "Chelly in the City", is a person with Spina Bifida. Kirsten is a 21-year old journalism student at Salem County Community College with aspirations toward a career in investigative journalism. She also is a person with Spina Bifida.

For their mentoring project, Michele and Kirsten will interview a board member of the Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation in Exton, PA, and prepare a story for the December issue of the Dealer. Kirsten has been assigned the task of preparing the interview questions and doing background investigation. As a young adult, part of Kirsten’s experience will be "shadowing " a professional with a disability that drives and addresses her own disability issues on a daily basis

Christine Cripps-Barker of Philadelphia, PA, and Teresa "Terry" Noone Hamilton, NJ, Mercer County… Mentoring Project in Trenton at the DHS building… Capital One Place, 222 South Warren Street, 1^st floor.

Christine, a person of short stature as a result of a rare disorder, has worked at the New Jersey Division of Disability Services as an Information and Referral Specialist since August of 1999. She is one of nine professionals in New Jersey to be designated as a Certified Information and Referral Specialist. Terry is a person with Cerebral Palsy who uses both an electric wheelchair and augmentative communication. She is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking sponsored by the Developmental Disabilities Council. As a regular volunteer at DDS, Terry will work with Christine on a number of projects, such as the DDS newsletter and helping to develop and maintain the DDS databases.

Besides her work at DDS, Terry is learning to meet the challenges of living in her own apartment at Project Freedom and utilizing attendant services there. With Christine acting as both advocate and resource for Terry to navigate the system, their relationship is mentoring in the truest meaning of the word.

John Hart of Lumberton, NJ, Burlington County and Reggie Spencer of Trenton, NJ, Mercer County… Mentoring project in Trenton at DHS building, 6^th floor.

John Hart, Deputy Chief of Staff at DHS, has an extensive mentoring history and will spend the afternoon [from 1 to 3 p.m.] with Reggie Spencer, a 19-year-old young man with Cerebral Palsy. Reggie currently works at The Gap in Quakerbridge Mall and is deciding what his next step on the life path will be. He’s interested in the law or social services, or possibly a career in music production. If he follows his family’s wishes to attend college, he would be the first in his family to do so. John will discuss educational options and alternatives with Reggie, review his day to day duties, relate what it’s like to travel the state with the Commissioner, and discuss how the department formulates policy in order to solve problems for the people of New Jersey. Reggie has also expressed interest in learning to drive using a modified vehicle, so Joseph Amoroso, who is coordinating the mentoring day for New Jersey, will give him a demo using his own modified car.

Joe Amoroso of Bordentown, NJ in Burlington and Chris Olsen of Freehold, NJ in Monmouth County… Mentoring project in Trenton at the DHS building, 1^st floor.

Joe is the Administrator of Information and Referral Services at the Division of Disability Services, DHS. He is an individual with Cerebral Palsy. Chris is a 16-year-old high school student, also with Cerebral Palsy. They will work on some web-based projects, as well as some press releases, which will help Chris, who aspires to a Communications and Radio career. Chris is debating choices of college majors and schools, as well as the issues of driving and the disability lifestyle.

Ryan Palencik of Bucks County,PA and Daryl Bahnke of Alloway Township in Salem County, NJ… Mentoring project in Trenton at the DHS building, 5^th floor.

Ryan is a web consultant with the Department of Human Services. Daryl is a young man with Spina Bifida who is enrolled in a web design program at Salem County College. They will work together at DHS on several projects, possibly a day other than this Wednesday if the transportation issue for Daryl is not solved.

Linda Smith of Westwood, NJ in Bergen County and Jessica Duchard of Bloomfield, NJ in Essex County and Vicki Williams of Glassboro, NJ in Gloucester County… Mentoring project at Montclair State University in Montclair, in the Academic Success Center.

Linda is Director of Services for Students with Disabilities at Montclair State University, where both Jessica and Vicki are students, working as office assistants in Linda's office. They are also trying to revive the defunct Disabled Students Organization. Vicki is a person with Cerebral Palsy who is majoring in Speech/Communications, and Jessica, who has a Learning Disability, is majoring in Fine Arts. They will be working in Linda’s office and with advocate issues on campus.

Julie Anderson of Clifton, NJ in Passaic County and Kathryn Farano of Livingston, NJ in Essex County… Mentoring project at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, 1199 Pleasant Valley Way, West Orange, NJ (973) 731-3600.

Julie is a Recreation Therapist at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Kathryn became her client after a car accident in which she sustained a head injury and profound facial injury. Her rehabilitation went so well that she was offered a volunteer position in "patient hospitality" where she can recount her rehabilitative experience with newly head-injured clients to offer peer support. Her mentoring project will be "a day in the life" as Kathryn does her jobs at the hospital. Kessler has honored both her and Julie for their Mentor relationship

Due to transportation complexities, the press can cover the following pairing by appointment only. Please call for the date on which you would like to follow this pair so that we can arrange for Paulette and Cheryl to work together on that day.

Paulette Eberle of Jersey City, NJ in Hudson County and Cheryl Brown of East Orange, NJ in Essex County… Mentoring project at HIP-Hudson, 2815 Kennedy Blvd., Suite 2G, Jersey City.

Paulette is the recreation coordinator at HIP-Hudson, one of New Jersey's centers for independent living. She is a journalist and advocate by training. She is blind, works with a service animal named Quilt, and is an experienced JAWS user. JAWS is an operating platform that allows visually impaired individuals to use the computer. As she is not paid to teach on her job, Paulette volunteers her time teaching Cheryl the JAWS application. Cheryl, who is Deaf-Blind, is training with the JAWS applications to make herself more employable. Theirs is an ongoing mentoring relationship.