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Community Supports help an individual receive resources and assistance within their communities to live a full and successful life. Everyone receives, or should receive, certain supports, regardless of whether or not they have a disability, to assist them in living full and integrated lives within their communities. Personally, I was told in many situations that living independently and being able to work were not guarantees for me. It was unsure if I would graduate high school on time; it was unsure if I could attend college; it was unsure if I would ever work or even if I could ever live independently.

As a young person, this was a discouraging experience which led to anger and depression. When I was about 15, I became involved with a local Center for Independent Living (CIL) and in advocacy, which later led me to the [VBPD] Youth Leadership Forum. I graduated from YLF in 2004, but continued to be involved for many years through advocacy and volunteering as staff. My involvement with the CIL and the YLF began the transformation of my thinking – I moved from feeling helpless to feeling the need to exert my independence and self-determination. I became much more involved in the direction of my future. I decided I was graduating on time; I was going to graduate from college; I was going to work full time; and ultimately I was going to live and be independent. Much of this change was due to the positive influences and high expectations of community supports such as, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the Youth Leadership Forum, distance learning programs, and local CILs. My family, friends, and supporters were also absolutely essential through their encouragement and support of believing in me. Without these services, supports, and programs, my future could have evolved much differently.

My first attempt at college was unsuccessful as I was forced to withdraw for medical reasons. Eventually, I was able to earn my diploma through the less traditional route of distance learning. This taught me that although an individual may not be able to access something in the most traditional format, that fact alone does not bar them from success. It takes innovative programs to allow all individuals to achieve their goals. Programs like as ACE-IT at VCU, which assists individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities attend college, are steadily eliminating those barriers as they focus on using college as a pathway to employment for all individuals.

With continued support of person-centered and community-based programs focused on employment and high expectations, we can assist all individuals with potential opportunities that will help them lead a self-determined life of their choosing. As advocates, we can raise the bar together on expectations for all individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities. Conversations in the future will focus on the individual and their preferences versus the individual’s barriers and label. With continued development of projects that have self-determination at the core, the demand for high expectations will increase as youth give voice to an overwhelming “I CAN.” The very idea of “I CAN’T” will slowly fade away as we as a community, and as individuals, continue to create, build, support, and advocate for programs with successful self-determined outcomes as the ultimate goal.

As an individual with a disability, I have found that many of my successes can be attributed to a variety of the community supports I have received -- they led to an individual with a significant chronic illness being fully integrated into full-time community-based employment. Personally and professionally, the importance of community supports has been reflected in the variety of work that I have completed over the years, including teaching, job coaching, advocacy, and in my current efforts as an Outreach Specialist at the Center on Transition Innovations. All of us, as part of the community, play a key role in the development and implementation of supports focused on successful education and employment outcomes for all individuals.