Part 2: She Believed She Could but She Didn't Because It Wasn't Accessible

 

Some time had passed we went to the DMV to obtain my license. Due to that disappointing experience, I hadn’t done anything else pertaining to getting my license. I was still unsure on where to go from there. I still had the desire and dream to drive and was thrilled with the independence that driving would create for me.

While I was approaching my senior year of high school, there was a program at my school offering work-based learning. This program allowed students to attend school part of the day and work the other part. I knew I wanted to participate in the program, but I knew finding a job I could physically do would be sort of difficult.

In my job search, I was introduced to an organization, Parents Educating Parents and Professionals, PEPP. PEPP, Inc. The organization is a nonprofit 501c3, that was founded to work on civil rights issues for disability legislation, inclusion in community, the right to work, and educational advocacy for 26 years. I knew that based on its mission; this organization would be able to assist me.

Through PEPP, I received my first job with Douglas C.O.R.E., as the Executive Assistant to C.O.R.E’s founder, Amanda Bryant. One day at work, I was having a conversation with Mrs. Amanda about my driving experience the previous year and the difficulties I faced. Through that conversation, I was introduced to Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (Voc Rehab). Voc Rehab has five programs all with one goal, helping people with disabilities to become fully productive members of society by achieving independence and meaningful employment. One of the services they offered was driving assistance and assistive technology. I was very excited to learn that there was an organization already established that offered the very thing I needed to achieve my dream goal of driving and independence.

My family and I set up a consultation meeting with Voc Rehab. We were elated at the thought of having guidance on my driving journey. Little did we know, we were going to encounter many more obstacles and moments of uncertainty before I would see myself behind the wheel.

                Part 3 of this blog series will be posted on Monday April 4th, 5:00pm. 

                                                       See you soon!