The good folks at Twisted Pine Brewery in Boulder have demonstrated their commitment to providing supported employment to those with significant needs by carving out a special position for Gerald. For those of you who don’t know him, Gerald lives in the Bob and Judy Charles SmartHome in Boulder. Gerald has significant physical disabilities, including limited mobility and a limited ability to communicate vocally. Over the past few years, however, Gerald has used an assistive communication device called a DynaVox to improve his ability to communicate his needs and desires. He has also used the device to begin to learn how to read and write – at the age of 48!
Twisted Pine has been collaborating with Gerald, Imagine!’s CORE/Labor Source department, and the staff members at the SmartHome to create some tasks that Gerald can perform at Twisted Pine using his DynaVox, including assisting with inventory and even making posts on the Twisted Pine Facebook page!
Think about that – someone who just started learning to read and write a few short years ago is able to act as a spokesperson for a company thanks to technology!
Gerald has already shown his willingness to be a dedicated employee – he has studied feverishly to get up to speed on his reading, writing, numbers, and counting using the DynaVox.
Twisted Pine has shown equal dedication, including installing a special ramp for Gerald so he can access the production area of the brewery.
Enjoy this video of the first time he travels down the ramp to explore the newfound possibilities that come with being employed and contributing to his community.
Thank You Thursday
4 years ago
What a different world it would be if everyone was as excited about going to work as Gerald is. Gerald has worked hard to learn to identify numbers and has a lot to be proud of. I know he appreciates the people who helped him too. Also, thanks to Twisted Pine Brewery for hiring Gerald.
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