HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1975-06-12, Page 17See the whole, Mime of WHITE outdoor products at
THE HURON EXPOSITOR,NE 12 7S 76 SECOND SECTION iA
ARC Industries rehabilitates handicapped
Who want to be• cc
WHISTLE AS YOU WORK — Danny. Carter of Seafortfi is busy making a wondAn,
picket fence in the workshop at ARC lndustries.,Oanny now commutes' from Grand
Bend during the week. Besikil picket fences, he makes small wooden garden chairs, and tables as seen in the picture.
Everyone has views on hoithe
mentally retarded look and act.
Like many generalizations
these yiews lead to misconcep-
dons. L
*Robert Fry, director of ARC
Industries in Dashwood, a reha-
m bilitative centre for the handi-
capped said.these individuals just
want to be accepted as real
people.
The , rehabilitative centre
located in Dashwood was opened
a year and a half ago and has 21
idult trainees. ,
"The program is .open to all
tandicaps whether they ' are
-ihysically, mentally or emotional-
! y handicapped," he said.
In the past, an air of guilt and
'ear surrounded the handicapped;
nit Mr. Fry said: "We've come a
ong way in the last ten to fiteen
rears to educate people."
Mr. Fry said people who know
'hat the centre is trying to do,
Are interested, in the program but
hose who• do not know,''have their
trf wyn value system and are afraid
•
to change While others are afraid
to come inside ARC. Industries
cause they don't know what' is
happening there.
Like a poem once said,, the
easiest way to coneher fear is to
it and so it is eqeally true,
that the easiest' way ,to under-
stand ARC Industries is to visit it:
If people expect the building to
be dark and dingy, they should
think again. ARC lndttsfries is
located in a bright, modern
building.
Perhpas the most startling
thing about entering ARC 'Indus-
tries is. when the visitor realizes
how difficult it sometimes is to
Story,
and
photos
- by
Nanty Andrews
distinguish the trainees from the
instructors. '
14r. Fry said he doesn't like to
use the. name "mentally
- retarded" because it is . a social
stignia. "It's a label and we'don't
like labels," he said.
"Ideally the program is geared
o the trainable retarded but
because we are the only facility in
the area, we have to program
accordingly," he said. '.
To enter the program, the
individual must be accepted by an
admission committee of four that
decides whether the program is
' suited to the individual, he said,
If acceptedThe person would be
on . probation for three to six
months. Since the age of the
individual is not a determining
factor but rather his materity,, the
age of 18 is used only as a
guideline. -
ARC Industries offers two basic
programs. :The sheltered work-
shop program is for those . who
'will always have to ivork under
close supervision and the, work
adjustment training program for
those who one day may be able to
hold, down a •competitive job. .
From 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five
,days a week, ARC Industries is a
beehive of activity. (When this
reporter visited ARC Industries,
some trainees were busy filling
contract orders such as-packaging
tape, or fitting rods together or
sawing holes for sign posts in the
brighly lit workshop area.)
Betty McKellar who is supprvi-
. sor of, the workshop, said there
are three full-time employees,
three on Local Initiative Program,
LIP Grants and more than 40
active volunteers, the majority of •
whom are housewives.
ARC Industries get contracts
mainly from local industries.
Although the trainees are taught
to treat their work like a job, "It
isn't only a business, it's also
rehabilitative," Mr. Fry said.
One Tool
le said the contracts are only.
tool in the rehabilitatiye
'cess and they only take them if
it gill further their goals.
Other trainees were doing work
that would be sold directly from
the center, like wooden picket
garden fences and another man
was •refinishing furniture.
Other trainees were working
throughout the building. Several
work as maintenance workers
keeping, the floor swept, and
. .-, . •
cleaning. Two other girls'work in failure and rejection.
the office and another in the Unlike a vocational school;
laundry room. Several girls work ARC Industries don't admit
in the kitchen and prepare snacks, someone to its program and teach
for the coffee breaks and lunch. him to be a carpenter, Mr. Fry
The attitude of loving,,eoneern said. We show them the basic was felt throughout thebuilding. job skills, such as how to follow At coffee' break, mrie of the authority, good grooming and trainees was handling cash. One of the instructors was how to punch a' clock. Its a
training centre in all senses of the standing by her and' held up a one word and the centre gives train-dollar bill and asked 'for change
for $2. Without comment the girl forg in on
example
living,
stwo
kills,
of Mr. Fr aine
said.
S tes gave him change for $1. It was a e l', type. This is unusual but it sort of test turned into a game, a
game that could be more mall- jhuestsahia p
o
happened to work that way,
cious ,outside ARC Industries.
Another group of trainees was The real handicap of the
' busy in the. craft room upstairs, mentally retarded is a social handicap. In some cases parents
have not given the child a chance
and he is being held back. `
,Mr. Fry said "I learn as much
from them as they from me."
Unlike most people who play
roles, they are just themselves,
and that's one of the reasons its a
pleasure to work with them he
said.
If they play any roles, it is of
being handicapped, he said. The
handicapped learn early'in life to
manipulate their parents with the
Words, "I can't".
These people are 'not dumb, if
they are told they're too slow or
they can't do something, after
awhile they' sit back and say to
themselves, if they, want to do it,
let them,' Mr. Fry said.
'Here we show them what they
can do and they appreciate it and
accept," he said.
The biggest problem thateARC.
Industries seems -to be. facing is, a
financial one. Mr.,, Fry said the
financial problem has been allevi-
ated to a (Certain extent because
the government is assisting , with
funding.
ARC. Industries is funded partly
by., the of hope campaign,
15Y •the sale of its products,
through the provincial govern-
ment and by local donations,
On top of that the trainees, are
charged a fee of $22 a month to
participate ih the program, which
is normally paid from the
trainees' disability pension. The
fee was charged to keep the
program going but it is not a
normal situation to have to pay to
come to work Mr Fry said.
ARC Industries pays a wage of
five cents an hour which is mainly
an incentive wage. It's a matter
of finances again Mr. Fry said.
The Centre has no residents
but bus takes trainees from the
Exeter 'area and goes to Grand
Bend and as fat south as Arkona
and a new bus started May 30
covers the northern areas as far
as Clinton 'and hopefully in the
future Seaforth as well. There are
definite plans to service ,„,the
Clinton-Seaforth areas. There are
ity
showuhldo
apreeonpl te b ei gt hsee rvciot emdmtuhna
' be Mr. Fry said:
"Maybe they aren't aware. of
Pe service, maybe we haven't
been, able to provide this service
out to ;those areas," he said.
A Residence
Mr. Fry said there is a
possiblitythat a residence may-be
built in the Dashwood-Exeter
area:
"I feel residences are impor- .
(„Ont if they can fit into the
community. I am not opposed to
the natural type of residences as e
place for further training," he
said.
The physically and- mentally
hatidicareed are ,not the ..only
people' with social handicaps.
Many of the so-called chronically N •
unemployed have many of the
same attitudes and fears toward
work.
The Depaetment of Manpower „
is involved in a program to help
rehabilitate. these peoplecand put
them back into the.labour market.
Mr. Fry said: "If and when a
program does start in this area,
we will certainly participate.",
• ARC GETS DONATION — Mrs. William Hodgert,
Seaforth presents a cheque to Danny carter Of
Egmondville on behalf of . the ladies division •of the
Seaforth AGricultural Society. Dahny, whO is a
'trainee at ARC Industries, Dashwood, received the
donation on behalf of the' Rehabilitation Centre.
• (Exeter T.A.Photo)
•
filling an order of coloured paper,
• flowers, the type used for
wedding decorations.
Betty - Mekellar who has
worked at the centre since its
beginning, said "they have•
flowers coming out of our ears,
the demand' is so great."
In the hallway other craft work
was, on display for sale. , There
were knitted items as well as two
pictures,of string art done by Stan
Pickering, 21, a physically handi-
capped trainee who was refinish-
ing furniture with •hie one good
arm..
-As Mr. Fry said, it motivate
you when you ' see what the
trainees can do.
Mr. Fry said "We have the
potentially employable here, I.
can't say what percentage our
program is always changing' and
we feel we are offering a valuable
(-service and -think there is a, real
need for this type of program." •
Babysitting
Mr. Fry said ,generally this
type of workshop 'lacks parental
,.support. Some, parents see the
workshop as a type of babysitting
service.
"Some don't understand what
wa are all about and some don't
beli eve we., ate really sincere • in —
the fact we say the trainees have a
lot of potential." . -
The greatest problem the
trainee fa'ces is being accepted by
others, Mr. Fry said.
Job Training
So far none ofthe trainee's have
been placed permanently but
several have gone for job training
. for several weeks. , • '
He said if 'you place a trainee in
the job market before he is
there could be psychologica
damage caused by a 'feeling of
WHITE outdoor products: Versatility that meets your needs
KENNETH W.. WHITMORE ,
received „ his Doctor of Dental
0 Surgery degree at the University
&Toronto Spring Convocation on
May 29. Dr. Whitmore is a
graduate .of Seafbrtk District
High School and a son of Mf: and
Mrs. Warren Whitmore of
R.R.#4, ,Seaforth and is married
to the former Mary Beth Harland
of Clinton. He is a Dental Officer
at the Canadian Porces Base
Oronrocto, New Brunswick. .
RODRICK [RICK( MacKEN;IE
son of Mr. and Mrs. Gordon
MacKenzie, R.R.1, Seaforth, has,
received his Bachelor of Scieece
in the Honors Science (ClieWnstry
Major) programme at the
University of Waterloo , Spring
Convocation.
Rick plans to attend Queen's
University at Kingston in the fall.
to obtain his Bachelor of
Education.
Rick reCieved his elementary
education at S.S.No.4, McKillop
and his secondary at Seaforth
District High School.
MARY' VAN MILTENBURG
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Van Miltenburg of RR 4 Seaforth,
graduated from the Early Child-
hood Course at Fanshawe College
on May 30. She attended St.
James. Separate School and
Seaforth District High School.,
.Mary has taken a position . as
pre-school teacher at Central Day
Care, London, Ontario. (Right)
RAE CHRISTINE [HUTSON]
YOUNG, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Jack •Butson, Staffa,
received a Bachelor of Arts
degree, majoring in Geography
and Sociology from the University
of Western Ontario at convocation
on Monday, June 2, •1975. Rae
received her elenientery educa-
tion at SS #4 Ribbed and is a
graduate of Seaforth District High
School. (Left)
"" MARLENE FRASER
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Keith
Fraser, R.R.1, St. Marys,
received a Bachelor of Science
degree in Nursing from the
University of Western Ontario on
Friday, June 6. She received her
earlier 'education at Mt. Pleasant
Public School and Mitchell
District High School. Marlene has
accepted a position as Public
Health Nurse with the Huron
County Health Unit, and will be
working out of Seaforth Office.
4.45i )4.0. t
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