We want to hear about your employment or entrepreneurial success story! NDSS is featuring stories from across the country from the perspective of employees and entrepreneurs with Down syndrome. Please complete the form below and submit a picture of a self-advocate in action!
I have been working for the Cleveland Browns since 2017 as a greeter. I love my job and meeting the fans. I like to get them excited about the game and cheer on my favorite football team, the Browns. My favorite thing about working for the Browns is meeting new people. I also like to pass out posters to the fans as they come in. I also work at Longhorn Steakhouse. I love my job there too! I help them out by preparing all the silverware for the lunch and dinner guests. My favorite part is meeting new people and greeting the regular customers who come in.
Hi, everyone! I am so happy to tell you about working. Please follow me @tristathebartista. I have 30,000 followers and I love to make all of them smile and be happy. I make my followers smile AND I show them what all of us with Down syndrome can do. We can work. We can dance hip hop. We can be a good friend. We can have boyfriends. We can be amazing baristas. We can be funny. We can workout at Crossfit. We can be preschool teacher assistants. I show all of that on my Instagram and people are learning a lot and smiling and being happy.
I love to work. I just love it so much. I had my first job when I was 16. My mom and dad helped me make a binder with letters of recommendation from my coaches, teachers and places I volunteer at and I went to the interview with my binder. It helped me tell them what I could do and I got the job at Palmetto Grande Regal Cinemas. I loved it. I got paid and I got free movie passes.
I also got a job at On the Border. It was so much fun and I hung out with the other people who worked there. I also had a job at Harris Teeter. I loved that, too. I had three jobs at one time. My Mom said it was too much and I could only have two jobs. I had those jobs for three years.
I wanted to do something else and my sweet friend Sandy saw I was good with children. Sandy talked to the people at East Cooper Christian Pre-school and they hired me as a teacher assistant. I worked there from 2012-2017. It was awesome. I play with the children and I taught some lessons and I did crafts with them. In 2015, Robin the director of child education at my church asked me to work at BLAST a preschool at my church, too. I worked at both pre-schools. I loved it so much and I love the kids so much.
In 2017, A friend told me about a coffee shop coming to town called Bitty and Beaus and I got excited about being a barista and making coffee and working a cash register. I sent a video interview to Amy Wright the owner and I was the first barista hired at the new Charleston Bitty and Beaus. My mom said I had to give up working at one pre-school. That was hard to do, but I knew being a barista was going to take a lot of my time. So now I work at one pre-school and at Bitty and Beaus. I write happy messages on little cards and give one to every customer. They like it and they keep them in their wallet. I just love working and I love to make my own money. I LOVE my co-workers and hanging out with them after work
My name is Matthew LeFluer, and I’m proud to serve as an Official Statewide Vermont Correspondent Member, working with several organizations, including the Vermont Legends of Cities and Towns, the Vermont Truth and Realization Commission, the Vermont Climate Council, the Vermont Environmental Justice Network, and the UVM Umbrella Network of CDCI. As a person with Down syndrome, I use my voice and lived experience to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and build a sense of belonging across Vermont—especially in rural communities and for people who are often overlooked, like individuals with disabilities, seniors, and low-income residents. I’m proud to help make Vermont a stronger, more connected, and more inclusive state for everyone.
My name is Danny Leonard and I am 18 years old. I just graduated from Milford High School. I have been going outside from my school to explore and experience different work sites for job training. I applied and interviewed for the Guest Relations Assistant position at the Detroit Zoo. The interview experience was challenging and a fun experience and I got the job! I am looking forward to bringing a lot of enthusiasm to my first job. I have visited the Detroit Zoo since I was a baby and it has always been a delightful pleasure for me
I have worked more than 15 years at the Westchester Institute for Human Development, a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), affiliated with New York Medical College. As the Self-Advocacy Coordinator, I promote self-determination and person-centered practices; and also coordinate a self-advocacy group that has educational meetings. I also teach medical students, graduate students and physicians; and develop training curriculum on health and transition. I am a liaison to local, state and national organizations. One of the biggest successes of my job was to start a self-advocacy group at our Institute about five years ago. I am the staff member who coordinates all of the activities for “Hear our Voices”, a self-advocacy group of young adults and adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities living in the area of Westchester County, New York. This group believes in advocating for ourselves and for each other; and for speaking up on issues that affect us. We provide a forum to learn about these issues and to develop advocacy and leadership skills. Our members are aware and informed on the supports and services in our community and able to help others to advocate for themselves. Our series of monthly educational and social meetings are held here at the Westchester Institute for Human Development and when we get together, we talk about important topics of interest to us with invited discussion leaders who are faculty or staff at WIHD or are experienced professionals from our community. Some of our members help us to train graduate students and medical students by sharing our own personal stories and experiences
Hi, my name is Valoree Lisi. This is my story on my successful journey of how I have achieved four jobs; two paid jobs and two volunteer jobs. I began working when I was 14 as a volunteer for the Hudson Valley SPCA. I still volunteer once a week for 4 hours, 13 years later! When I was 17 I began working for Price Chopper as a bagger in Newburgh NY. I have been working there for over 10 years.
I am also currently working for Newburgh Enlarged School District, as a cafeteria prep worker. I have worked there for 3 years and will be getting retirement benefits!
I am also a Self – Advocate working with the Down Syndrome Association of Hudson Valley and have been for four years. I helped make the ABLE Act become law of the land.
I went to 3 online colleges and I received 3 diplomas for cooking, catering, and natural health consulting. I have written 2 cookbooks and I am working on my 3rd cookbook
Joel began attending a day habilitation program in the Fall of 1989. He was seriously interested in laundry work but none was available in his metro suburb. His Case Manager suggested a job at the Washington County Government Center, creating a position with his day program in the Community Services division.
As a clerical worker in Community Social Services he and his daily job coach work on stuffing envelopes and collating and assembling packets on adoption, aging , child support, chemical dependency and foster care. One of his coworkers said “Joel is a timesaver.” His coworkers also agree he takes pride in his work and he is respected throughout the Government Center. Joel loves his job, hates to miss a day and many have said if they’re having a bad day Joel can help them turn it around.
Joel has lived with 3 other guys in a group home since 1994. He loves to bowl and dance and really enjoys traveling. He’s been to Hawaii, Fiji, the Tonga Islands, Mexico and many US States. He loves weekend visits home to see his Mom and family.
On February 4, 2020 a celebration was held for him for 30 years as a Washington County Community Services employee. The County Board Declared it as “Joel Loer Day.” It was attended by current and retired employees of the County, County Board members, group home staff and family and friends. We are all very proud of this young man
I decided to start my own pet-sitting/walking business. My business is called “Kelly’s Kritters.” I started it to earn money while I go to school. I LOVE animals, so this is a great job for me. I actually have had to turn down work because I have so many animals to take care of now.! I make over $15 an hour and will probably hire another walker to help soon. Right now my mom is helping when I am busy. I love it! It is fun and it keeps me in shape!
I never thought about having my own business before. Nobody told me I just needed an idea. I had job experiences in my Transition Program, Go-Backs, Sorting underwear and boring stuff like that. Then I got a job at a grocery store facing shelves and doing carts. I hate the carts. I quit. Then I got a job at Home Depot. More carts. I quit that job too. I got to be on the TV show Born this Way and love it so much. I give speeches to groups all over the country, and now in other countries because I spoke in Canada too.
I told my mom that my speech was boring and told her what I wanted it to say. She helped me do a new PowerPoint with pictures and my words. It’s called, “It Could Happen, That’s What Faith Can Do.”
And I tell the stories of my big dreams and when they happened and then I say, “That’s What Faith Can Do.” I get the audience to say, “It Could Happen,” when I tell my big dreams to them. One day I’m going to give the speech in Angel Stadium to a lot of people.
After mom and I finished the PowerPoint I told her we needed T-Shirts and hats and mugs and bags that said, “It Could Happen,” and “That’s What Faith Can Do.”
She listened and called her friend who is an artist and she told us how to do it. Mom thought it was a good idea and helped me get the shirts to look like what I wanted them to.
I explained to Mom what I wanted the shirts to say and what they should look like, she drew what I said (not very good) and sent it to the designer and they made it like I said. Then I told them ok, or change things depending on if I liked it or not.
We got the first two and now I keep thinking of things that should be on a shirt.
Mom helped me name the company, “Seanese” because I speak my own language. I say things backwards sometimes and it can be funny. Now I get to be a model too with my shirts, mugs and bags.
I’m going to have a poster and some pillows but those aren’t done yet and I have a lot more ideas about things to put on shirts. Check it out at seanese.com
I wanted a job working with kids and I just got the perfect job for me. I’m going to work at a trampoline park helping little kids and helping with their birthday parties and I can’t wait it will be so fun.
And now I speak to groups, work on Born this Way, have my own business and work at a trampoline park. I think I have a really great life. Now maybe I can save enough money to buy a house on the beach with a pool
Through the years Katie McNamee has volunteered at Acme Supermarkets and Senior Nursing Centers but from the young age of 13, Katie’s dream job has always been something involving music. After working very hard for the past year with a non-profit organization All Together Now Music, Katie has finally had her dream come true!
She worked very hard for the past year not only singing her own songs but also writing her own lyrics for the songs! To our knowledge, there is not anyone out there with Down Syndrome who has accomplished this wonderful feat! Katie’s CD is titled Power Of The Music and was released on April 27th, 2019! It is available for download at www.alltogethernowmusic.com/katie where you can also find a music video that was put together.
In her spare time, Katie volunteers at a social program for developmentally delayed young adults named Kate’s Place, a program that was started in her honor
My name is Sami and I am a guest services ambassador for the Chicago Cubs. I get people in Gallagher Way and help people feel welcome. I also get to get people during concerts too! I love what I do!
Jose has worked at Brewability for a little over 4 years now. Brewability is a pizza and brewery that hires folks of all abilities. It is a super fun place that gives him and his coworkers a place to shine. You can find Jose working in the kitchen or joining one of the local bands to sing or dance. He loves to entertain and loves his job.