TOM CONNELLY: Agency helps clients with hearing problems secure employment

Robert Bentley and Jasper Slaton, two clients on Catherine Beaty‘s deaf and hard of hearing caseload in Southwest Georgia, have been successfully rehabilitated. And because of that, these two newly productive individuals are singing praises about the agency.

Mr. Bentley applied for VR services in April 2015. He had experienced difficulty obtaining employment prior to that because of some substantial reasons. Specifically, Mr. Bentley had difficulty seeing and hearing (especially in his right ear), and there existed several related factors.

Ms. Beaty worked diligently with the client, providing him with numerous -22- services.

Among this number, she provided Mr. Bentley initially with a hearing aid, job readiness training, job placement services, and an assistive technology evaluation. She also provided the client with the evaluations and purchases of devices to help with his visual problems. In addition, Ms. Beaty provided client with work adjustment training, uniforms, transportation as well as tools and other adaptive devices.

Because of Ms. Beaty’s painstaking efforts, Mr. Bentley obtained employment at D&D Tree Services. Starting out as a general laborer, he now works as a supervisor. He has been in this capacity for approximately nine months.

Mr. Bentley stated he was very impressed with GVRA and Ms. Beaty. He called the agency “awesome” with the work it does, and said he “thinks the world of Ms. Beaty.” He stated that she “was there (to deal with) all of (his)” problems. Because of this, the client would gladly recommend VRS to anyone who has a disability and is seeking a job.

Mr. Slaton also experienced problems securing employment and, as a result, applied for VR services in 2014.

To help the client compensate for the hardships caused by his disability and to assist him in his quest to become employed, Ms. Beaty provided Mr. Slaton with 13 services. Among this group were counseling and guidance, assistive technology evaluation, job readiness and job placement, as well as an array of interpreter services.

Besides CRC Beaty’s assistance, client’s EC, Cassandra Coley, was involved in the effort. Client stated that Ms. Coley was “invaluable to” him, as she provided the client with a large number of job opportunities.

Client now works at Sumter County Board of Education in Americus, where he is working full time as a custodian. Mr. Slaton, too, spoke very highly of VR, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the agency to anyone with a disability who wants to secure employment.

Tom Connelly is a public affairs specialist with the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. This is the fifth in a series of weekly guest columns for National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October.