Paula Buford was a Qualified Medication Aide for 25 years, working primarily in nursing homes. In 2000, she was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a disorder resulting in varying degrees of paralysis. She went from working in a nursing home to living in one for seven months, receiving intense physical and speech therapy.

Passed by Congress in 1990, The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a civil rights law that protects individuals from discrimination based on a disability. The ADA requires covered employers to provide reasonable accommodations to employees with a disability and imposes accessibility requirements on public accommodations.

Chrissy Wilkins was referred to Goodwill by Indiana's Vocational Rehabilitation Services program last year. She was born with Down syndrome and has worked for New Hope Services in Jeffersonville since graduating from high school in 1994. Chrissy was already taking swimming and art classes at the Clark County YMCA when she expressed an interest in taking on a housekeeping role there.

Born with cerebral palsy, Nathanial Gregory credits his successful high school experience in part to accommodations that were designed to help him overcome his educational barriers. Upon graduation, he enrolled in college – the first in his family to attend – and found himself in an unfamiliar academic setting with little knowledgeable guidance.

The typical student at The Excel Center® – Goodwill’s high school for adult learners – is between 18-24 years old, but returning to school at the age of 47 isn’t the only characteristic that separates Brenda Leake from most of her classmates.

Lorena Salas, Goodwill’s 2003 Achiever of the Year, is a valued associate who has consistently demonstrated excellence during her 17-year career with us. Despite living with blindness and cerebral palsy, Lorena has continued to persist and thrive.

Since 1997, Nancy has worked as a janitor at the Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. She is described as the heart of her team of nearly 20, remembering co-workers’ birthdays and coming in early every day to eat lunch with others before her shift starts.

Dawn Baxter was a wonderful person to work with. She was one of the first graduates of our janitorial training program and had been a long-time employee in our Commercial Services area. Dawn passed away this last weekend.  Our deepest sympathies to her family and friends. We will miss her very much.