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Assistant Managing Editor EAST LONGMEADOW When he enters his senior year at East Longmeadow High School in the fall, Jesse Ascioti said he'll be focused on applying to college and pursuing a career in which he does not have to spend a lot of time behind a desk something that requires plenty of travel, such as archaeology or marine biology. But, beginning this week, and for the rest of the summer, he'll be working as a camp counselor at Agassiz Village in Poland, Maine. As a camp counselor through the Easter Seals summer camp program, he'll be a role model for youngsters of all ability levels. Ascioti himself has low vision and is hard-of-hearing, but that doesn't stop him from being very athletic and from serving as a leader to other youths. He said he has been attending Easter Seals camps since he was in elementary school. "My parents didn't want me to be stuck around the house all summer," he explained. The Reminder's questions were interpreted by Susan Mangiamelli of the Willie Ross School for the Deaf, which has a partnership with East Longmeadow High School. Like many boys his age, Ascioti is modest when talking about his achievements at camp and explaining how he was promoted, from leader-in-training, to teen leader, to camp counselor this year. However, he said just a few of the qualities he learned during his years at camp were responsibility and open-mindedness, and he recently spoke to Springfield-area Civitan Clubs about his experiences. He also has made friends at the inclusive camp, and has met other campers who come not only from the Northeast, but from all over the U.S. and other countries. The Easter Seals summer camp program, he said, is "something everybody should have a chance to do." "With Easter Seals, I have had more opportunities to help people and I've done a lot of speeches for them," Ascioti added. He said he would like to continue his involvement with the organization in the future. For teens with disabilities, like Ascioti, the Easter Seals summer camp program not only provides a chance to hone leadership skills and help others, but it also provides them with summer employment, something Easter Seals of Massachusetts President Kirk Joslin said is hard to come by for youths with various disabilities. Joslin explained that summer and after-school jobs are an important experience for all teens to prepare for the working world whether they enter it directly after high school or after college. He also said that, while there is a high rate of desire to work among adults with disabilities (of all adults with disabilities, 70 percent want to work), only about 30 percent are employed. He said summer or after-school jobs for teens are important experiences to help teens transition to employment in later years. "Whether you're at a job or part of a team or club, you're learning good social skills, learning how to respond to others besides family members, teachers, and peers," Joslin explained. "These are good skills that prepare every one of us [for the working world], but teenagers with disabilities don't always get chances." Ascioti said he has recently searched for an after-school job, but without any luck. He said he would be interested in unloading trucks for a retail store, or something similar. Joslin said there is not enough awareness that teens with disabilities can work in a variety of venues, and that may be an obstacle for teens like Ascioti. "When kids apply for jobs, they usually show up," Joslin explained. "There's an ad, they go to the mall and apply in person." However, for teens with disablities, that might not be so simple a scenario. For example, Joslin said a teen who is deaf or hard-of-hearing may need to use the relay phone system to call to inquire about a job. Some people, he said, have never even heard of this phone system let alone have experience using it and can be skeptical of the intention of the caller. He said he had heard of someone thinking a relay call was a scam. Joslin also said there are ways that jobs can be adapted so that people with disabilities can also perform them. He added that Agassiz Village had been an inclusive camp, but, as a place of employment, there were no staff members who had disabilities. "The camp includes kids with disabilities, but the majority are not," he explained. "One of the things we realized in trying to keep it inclusive is that we really had to integrate the staff." Joslin said the camp started hiring more people with disabilties, and that it has been a great opportunity both for the camp and for the staff members. While there are teens who come back to camp and work as leaders in training and as counselors, like Ascioti, he said some may prefer to work in the kitchen, or on the grounds, helping to contribute to the camp in another way they enjoy. In addition to providing youths with summer activities and opportunities for employment and leadership, Joslin said Easter Seals of Massachusetts recently initiated the Leadership Development Program. This program, he explained, helps youths with disabilities and their parents to "prepare for whatever they should be doing." Whether they want to go to college or directly to work or get involved in their communities through volunteer work, Joslin said the program helps parents and students to become more active in their school situation and in employment and social situations. He said the program also focuses on parents and their expectations. "Sometimes, as parents, we tend to protect our kids," Joslin said. "Sometimes we protect the youngest one ... sometimes we protect the one we think has had the hardest time. We're doing it for a good reason [but it's not always the right thing to do]." As they arrive at Agassiz Village this week, Joslin said Ascioti and another local teen, Trevor, will be helping to train campers and counselors in basic American Sign Language. Joslin said that, in addition to memorizing the traditional camp songs, he hopes each child will also know the song in sign language. "Both Jesse and Trevor will play a major role in making that happen," he said. | ||||||
