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Program helps those with special needs adapt
Published July 28, 2010
MONROE — Although there is a host of services within the local school systems for students with disabilities, once those people leave school, it can be easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Janette Woodard has worked with people with disabilities for years in a variety of settings, and she wanted to provide an outlet for people with disabilities to continue working toward reaching their potential.
Out of that dream was born Woodard’s Exceeding Your Expectations, a center for people with mental or physical conditions and providing them with opportunities for community integration.
“We want to help people with disabilities be a part of the community and part of everyday life,” Woodard said. “Too often, these people end up shut up at home and forgotten. This is about offering opportunities and chances to them.”
The new center, which officially opens next month, will offer a variety of services based on the needs and learning ability of individuals.
Some may focus on basic adult living skills, such as personal hygiene, money management, cooking and household maintenance. Others may take job application courses or go on outings to focus on socialization.
“They’ll be able to go into the community and find jobs,” Wood-ard said. “They’ll be able to function as high as they can.”
As the business develops, Woodard hopes to add horticulture classes in a greenhouse and computer classes for technology skills.
“I got a lot of ideas,” Woodard said. “It’s a passion I have.”
As Woodard continues to focus on advocacy for people with disabilities, she said the most important lesson for anyone at Exceeding Your Expectations would be the simplest: personal agency.
“They are able to do,” Woodard said. “I’m going to show them how.”
For more information, call 770-207-5703 or 678-754-6800.
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