welcome to "beyond the headlines." i'm cheryl jennings. every week with we focus on a different topic affecting people who live and work in the bay area of the according to the world institute on disability, about one in five americans has a disability. today we're going to explore the lives of people living with disabilities here in northern california. we'll meet people from all walks of life who are here to share their stories. it's a tough economy for all of us right now. but people living with disabilities have a 70% unemployment rate. finding work recently became even more difficult. lisa filed this report in april. >> it may seem like lorraine brown is looking closely at the words she types, but she's not. >> she's listening as her

computer reads them back to her. this grandmother is blind, but she's worked for data degree and technology training companies. brown says she owes it all to the sensory access foundation. >> i wouldn't have gotten any of my job. >> the state's only job training and placement center for the blind and visually impaired closed wednesday. it's now selling off its assets to pay for employee salaries. they're calling it the state of california put us out of business sale. the executive director says the state cut their funding by 63%. as the state tightened its own budget, training continued. right now 70% of the blind population is unemployed. diana expects that number to rise with the center's closing. >> trying to get them another job is going to be nearly impossible because they don't have us there to help them, to be that conduit that they need to maybe upgrade their skills

that they need. >> reporter: which could make competing for a job even harder. the unemployment rate is 12.1 in santa clara county, higher than the national average of 9.7%. that's at transaccess are trying to help. they find jobs for those with all kinds of disabilities. not just the blind. >> unfortunately issue the impact is going to be we're not going to always be th serve them because we're not going to be as qualified as others. >> reporter: they're helping financially, by buying some of the foundation's furniture. abc 7 news. >> joining me now in the studio is bob zier, employment service specialist at transaccess. i want to thank you for being here today. >> thank you. >> you helpe create transaccess. '96. >> why? what was the motive for that? >> actually if you want to call it our mother organization was called dpi. in the old daysers it stood for disabled programmers.

we train individuals in computer programming. that was formed by an ibm executive whose son became paralyzed and he saw the need back in the '80s when the computer industry was booming. he didn't want to see people with disabilities sit on the side lines, so to speak. so he formed a small company, which grew to be a multi-million-dollar organization. then in '96, we split and they became their own for profit company and transaccess became the nonprofit, if you will. we changed our focus a little bit at that time and went more into the educational aspect of working with young students. not just adults. >> we heard your colleague talking about the budget cuts and how they're affecting everybody. i imagine disabled people are even harder hit. >> tremendously so. you have to remember, too, that statistically, it's always harder for someone with a disability to find a job than an abled body person. now with the unemployment 12% or whatever it is in santa clara county and hitting hard in the

nation, you can imagine what someone with ath a disability trying to find a competitive position. >> talk to me now about the young people that you're helping. is that a great program called school to future? >> it's a wonderful program that we have that we share with actually students, 15 years of age on up. this program goes into all areas to try to make the person more successful in life. we start at an early age so it runs all the way through high school, into college, in fact. the kind of things we do are things like a lot of self-esteem, motivation, we try to instill that in an individual. we work with any type of disability, but the vast majority of people that we work with have alike disability. like dyslexia. cognitive issues that really make it very difficult in life, reading, writing,e issues where how do they put abstract thoughts together on paper. >> you can help them? >> we can help them by doing the

kind of things we do through our services. we're in the curriculum of many schools where we are a resource to the teachers in special ed. >> that's fantastic. ten seconds left. what do people say when they hear -- what do you hear when they call for help? >> what can you do to help me find a job? where do i begin? it depends on the individual. a lot of their experience, training, a lot of it's motivation, of course. and we try to get over all those barriers, providing the skills and the tools necessary to be successful in competitive employment. >> thank you for what you're doing, bob. >> thank you. >> great to meet you. and we have to take a break. so stay with us. in a moment we'll hear how a local blind artist created her own employment opportunity by helping others in the disability community. we'll be back in just a moment. taco seasoning? ♪ ¿por que no probamos esto? [ male announcer ] old el paso.

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[ growls ] more basketballs. soccer balls! more books. yeah. like just a ton of books. [ girl ] and boo about soft this. soft and slimy. [ female announcer ] now clip double box tops for education. from totino's pizza rolls and party pizzas. and make their school a better place. >> welcome back to "beyond the headlines." i'm cheryl jennings. today we're talking about people living with disabilities in the bay area. there are staggering rates, high rates of unemployment among the disability community and finding jobs to thrive can be a difficult challenge. but there are success stories all across northern california. a blind artist in santa clara county is not only making a name for herself in the art world, but her business involves helping other disabled artists succeed. we have her story. >> this woman first picked up a paint brush at age 40. that's about the same time she became legally blind due to

severe myopia. >> it's like staring at the sun with vaseline on your glasses. i have a soft focus world. >> reporter: in the world of art, she has an almost impressionistic style. without a magnifying glass, she can't see details. her favorite subjects have a softness. this is an art collector. she has two of the pieces. >> she's an inspiration because there she is, missing one of her senses and you would never know it. she's quite a woman. >> reporter: she found her disability made logistics difficult to get around and show her art. but her loss of sight gave her a new vision. she wanted to help other artists with physical disabilities by licensing and promoting hair work. last year she launched her business called the art of possibility studios. she's starting out small, representing herself and four

other artists across the country, also overcoming physical challenges. ji. >> is a fellow artist helping her come up with ideas that transform her clients' talent noose products that are commercially viable. for instance, her drawing can become a line of kitchen towels. or the abstract designs of george, who ises have blind, could work as a play pattern. >> people respond to it well. i think buyers are going to connect to that and go, yeah. i want to buy that place set. not just 'cause i love it and it looks good, but wow. i'm going to help somebody by buying it. >> reporter: when a licensed image is used, used, say she chocolate's tapestry, the artists receives 4 to 8% of the sales price. the merchandise royalty may not seem like a lot, but it can mean the difference between being a starving artist and financial independence. preston is art cure eightor in

santa clara. >> a lot of artists are uncomfortable promoting their own work or unfamiliar with business. she does it all. >> reporter: these bookmarks using artwork licensed through art of possibility studios generated the company's first royalty check earlier this year. it also brought her the joy of being a social entrepreneur, someone who is doing good and making a living. >> it felt so right, like yeah. this is what i'm supposed to be doing right now. >> in an economy where every dollar counts, she is hoping more manufacturers and consumers make choices that make a difference. abc 7 news. >> she is such an inspiration. joining me right now is kristy feck, the vice president of tox, which is a job services, a nonprofit for people with

disabilities in san francisco. and also joining us, another success story, chantel ginochio, a client with a great personal success story from her time at toolworks. thank you both for being here. tell me about toolworks and what it does. >> toolworks has been in the bay area since 1970 and we provide services across the disability spectrum and we provide a wide range of services. we provide employment support and support for people to access the community and live independently. we serve folks deaf and hard of hearing, folksthith mental health disabilities, hidden disabilities, physical disabilities. so we run the gamut. >> it's interesting because chantel, you don't appear to have a disability, but you have trouble and you connected with toolworks. tell me how you connected with toolworks. >> i heard it through word of mouth and friends at my program where i currently reside and basically i heard some successful stories and which inspired me to look into toolworks and once i did, i

became very connected with people who could help me and guide me in the direction i needed to go. >> did you know where you wanted to go? >> i just found my way. >> what is it that you're doing now? >> working at wine valley catering, i'm a facility coordinator. i accord manage our -- i manage our venues we have and i do all kinds of around the board stuff. >> come a -- you've come a long way. >> yeah. >> all right. tell me about the training program that you went through. >> chantel came into our ten week training program, which is based on treasure island. and we provide janitorial training to folks who are homeless and otherwise socially disadvantaged. and chantel likes to say she went from cleaning the desk she sat at to sitting behind it. >> the budget cuts i imagine are devastating for your organization. >> they're devastating for all

folks with disabilities. we're seeing across the board cuts in all of the services that we provide. toolworks operates with enterprise and have a large janitorial company we run that employs 150 folks. that provides a little stability in terms of our funding. but certainly. >> are you looking for other employers to join forces with you? >> we are always looking for other employers to partner with. we've develop add wonderful relationship with wine valley catering and other employers throughout the bay area and we really would like to work with employers to make sure that they're able to retain the employees that they have that have disabilities and introduce them to new employees. >> wonderful. chantel, tell me how this has changed your life. >> well, i've grown, i've definitely acquired more skills and developed skills that will possibly lead into a future career and definitely have enjoyed working with toolworks

along the way to gain what i've gained now and i couldn't imagine not having gone through toolworks. it's helped me along the way so much to better my life. >> where do you see yourself in the future? >> i see myself in the future still with wine valley catering. i really like the company and they've helped me out so much. i basically see myself with them just in a further up position. >> i love it. 15 seconds. final thoughts for people. don't give up? >> don't give up. perseverance is the key. for folks with disabilities, there are waits for service, reduced services, but try to access the services that are going to get you through the door and for businesses, please contact an organization like toolworks to partner with to find a way to include people with disabilities to work for. >> thank you both for being here. >> congratulations on what you do and your success. >> thank you so much. >> all right. we do have to take another break. when we come back, we're going to learn about a agency

providing support and advocacy for the developmentally disabled. we'll be back in just a moment. [ female announcer ] back to school means back to busy mornings. that's why i got them pillsbury toaster strudel. warm flaky pastry with delicious sweet filling my kids will love. plus i get two boxtops for their school. toaster strudel. the one kids want to eat. and these arthe ones you'll love on a tuesday. pillsbury crescent dogs,

with just a few ingredients, you have an easy to make dinner. they're crescents r the other 364. try them tonight. welcome back to "beyond the headlines." i'm cheryl jennings. today we're talking about people living with disabilities in the bay area and joining us now to share their personal stories are lisa giraldi, the executive director of pacific diversified services, which is also known as pds, and sallie harrison with pds client. i want to welcome both of you

here today. i can't wait to hear your stories. lisa, tell me about pds. >> pds is a small organization. we purposely serve less than 30 clients and we're not site based. so the clients do not come to us, we don't have a building. we are -- our whole focus is community inclusion and helping our clients become regulars in their own neighborhoods, just to participate in all the activities that anybody else their age would participate in on a daily basis. >> sally, that's a lot of stuff going on there for you and even in the program -- you've been there a year. what did you do, how did you get connected and how has it helped you? >> i was at my other program and i did really like it. so i heard about pds and my social worker called the pds office and i got in. >> you worked really hard for a year? >> yeah. >> what did you learn? >> i learned how to advocate for

myself and how to speak up for myself and how to -- >> and get services you need? >> yeah. >> what kind of services? >> like take college. >> wow. >> yeah. >> you've been very successful with that? >> yeah. >> she has a job. >> a job at woodland market. that's by the college. tuesdays i work. >> you really are successful. lisa, sally is right there in the middle of the community. so that's the whole goal of the program? >> yes. like most people, she doesn't want to be sequestered away from society. she wants to be doing anything that any other 35-year-old woman would do. and so she's exercising at regular exercise classes. she's going out to lunch. she's enjoying a latte or soda with her friends.

and she is working and using her money to buy things. she just bought a new camera. so she's become very active in the community. >> not only are you going to school and working and you bought yourself a camera, but are getting an apartment? >> uh-huh. >> tell me about that. >> i don't like it where i'm at, so i'm going to get an apartment like with two other roommates with a disability and they'll be there to check up on us and stuff. >> she's going to have staff to check. >> check up on me. >> what do you want other people to know about people with disabilities? >> that we don't want to be sheltered. we just want to have a happy, normal life. >> it sounds like you do have a happy, normal life. lisa, this is the goal for everybody, isn't it? >> that's right. i'm very proud of sally. she's come a long way a year.

she's back someone who knows how to speak up for herself and get what she wants out of life and it's really exciting. >> with success stories like this, budget cuts are hurting. people in the community can help? >> yes. if anyone in marin wants to donate to our organization, we're such a small program that it wou make a huge difference. we are being hit very hard by the budget cuts. >> in fact, it could be a small -- as small as money for a bus pass? >> exactly. or maybe new shoes. >> i'm going to thank you both for being here. sally, congratulations on all your success. >> thank you. >> and we do have to take another break. we will find out sports ajust a moment how sports and life skills are being adapt to do make every day easier and fun for everybody in just a moment.

welcome back to "beyond the

headlines." we've been talking about the challenges and opportunities faced by local people living with disabilities. enjoying golf has been denied to some in the disability community. with special carts and special training are helping people with disabilities get out on the greens in a course in san jose. we have this story. >> reporter: two years ago, we watched jack once again play the games he loved, made possible by this special cart. >> always a huge turn around because when we found the cart, it opened up a whole new world for him. >> reporter: jack passed away in december. now his friends and family want to spread the word about these carts and the adaptive golf lessons that make it possible. >> now if they have a balance problem, they can still sit here and pit hit a golf shot. >> reporter: classes are just getting underway at rancher dell pueblo. christopher is with disabled

sports, usa. >> we want to let them know that their life doesn't end because they suffered a disability. it's an opportunity for them to get out and golf again and actually feel better and improve their quality of life. >> very good. oh very good. >> reporter: jeannie last swung a golf club 24 years ago before a car crash left her paralyzed. >> it's a really nice thing to get into mostly because my husband is a golfer. we could do it together. for me. really the major >> reporter: the chair moves up and down and swivels 360 degrees. plus the cart is designed to go right onto the green. a golfer like janie will never leave the seat. >> it will be awkward at first. there,s, you're out there, youe enjoying the game. >> reporter: that's just what jack would want. >> he's leading from above, yes, he is. he would be so happy. >> with me in the studio right

now are william and sandra mcgee, a married couple who are co-authors and publishers in their newest book, right here with me, "learning to cope with sight loss," six weeks at a blind rehabilitation center. so i'm going to hold that book up. i want to thank you both. i met you when you were going through production with this book. bill, i would love for you to tell folks about what you have when you lost your sight, what that was like for you. >> i have macular degeneration. i lost my sight in the right eye in the mid '80s. became legally blind in 03. >> it totally changed your life? >> it really did. the first thing and most important, i could no longer drive. >> which means sandra drove you. that was a whole change in dynamics? >> exactly. second, i couldn't read the regular print. i did get a tv which enabled me to continue to read. >> sandra, what was it like for you as you were watching this

happen to your husband? >> i think the very first reaction was disbelief and then what are the cures, what do we do, what surgery is there? and the second stage was probably a little b angern we rt going to go away and we started to get serious about making some practical changes. >> is that when, bill, you went into the v.a. rehab program? >> yeah. fromrst moved up santa barbara so i could be -- i could walk everywhere expect doctor's offices. i was able to have that independence. so somebody didn't have to drive me a get a hair cut. >> the v.a. center? >> the v.a. center, i learned about that five years after i became legally blind. strangely enough. it's a fabulous program down in

palo alto for the western united states. >> how long was the program? >> six weeks. it was residency. you were there, you know. we were called students. we weren't veterans, although everybody there was a veteran. >> we want to make sure we get people to know about what you've done and how helpful the v.a. center is. sandra, can you tell us a little about that? >> well, bill kept a journal while he was there and when he finished his six weeks, we turned it into a 36 page booklet with an audio cd recording and, cheryl, you so graciously agreed to read the female voices on the recording, including my words. and we're objective in doing this. it's basically to inspire and help other people that it may be a little difficult in the beginning, but you can make some changes and life does go on and bill has got another book he's working on now. >> bill, we have 20 seconds left. final thoughts for people with disabilities? >> well, i think that there is a whole lot of people out there,

the viewing audience, that perhaps could just get up off the couch and go look for some help because there is a lot of it out there. >> and you are a great success story. we've got it on our web site. i want people to know about this. this is a fabulous read. i want to thank you both for being here and for what you do. >> thank you. >> great service. we're going to -- this is it. "learning to cope with sight loss," six weeks at a v.a. blind rehabilitation center. we have information on how you can get a copy of bill and sandra's book on our web site and that is it for this edition of "beyond the headlines." if you're looking for community resources in your neighborhood, dial 211 for help. information about all of the people featured on today's show and more is on our web site, abc 7 news.com. click on the community page. have a great week. we'll see you next time. ok. what if i just had a small slice? i was good today, i deserve it!

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