Follow
By Heide Brandes | Photos by Emily Brashier
OKC Dodgers makes dreams come true through iJobs disability training program
Take in an Oklahoma City Dodgers baseball game this season and likely you saw one of the Dodger’s most popular and prolific employees.
Sandy-haired and eager, 18-year-old Carter Williams of Edmond helps usher fans to their seats, scans tickets, stocks supplies, fills ice buckets and rubs dirt on new baseballs.
He’s a hard worker. He’s popular with both his co-workers and the Dodgers players.
He’s also intellectually disabled, but that never stops him from doing his best and excelling at his job.
“I do lots of things. I put mud on the baseballs, scan tickets, hand out programs, work in the locker room, load buses with equipment for road trips, work security on the field, deliver ice, do bag checks and work at the children’s playground, Carter said. “I get assigned different jobs each time. I smile a lot and talk to a lot of people.”
A senior at Edmond Memorial High School, Carter spent his summer in a blue polo shirt and cap with Dodgers logos—the official customer service uniform.
He got his dream job through iJobs, a training program for high school students with disabilities, operated by the Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services.
“iJobs gives high school students the opportunity to possibly have their first paid work experience in an area related to their vocational interest,” said Kim Osmani, DRS Transition School-to-Work Coordinator for a range of job training programs including iJobs.
“For most, this experience helps solidify what vocational goal they want to work toward, and for a few, it helps them weed out those jobs they thought they wanted to do,” Osmani said about the program she launched in 2013.
As a DRS Transition program client, Carter, who has an intellectual disability, is building good career skills and is now looking toward a successful future.
Ballpark Dreams
Carter is one of four challenged employees that Wayne Mosby, customer service manager at the Dodgers, hired. As a former executive at Mattel Toys, Mosby volunteered at Special Olympics. Once he was hired on with the Oklahoma City Dodgers, he knew he wanted to hire the disabled there as well.
“I will find out their strengths and weaknesses and where they excel,” Mosby said. “I’m compassionate about kids with disabilities. They teach us as well. Everyone from the general manager to the grounds crew knows and likes Carter.”
Thirty-three students participate in the summer program, which includes half-days of classroom studies each week. That focus is job and social skills, money management, students’ workplace experiences—and ultimately building self-confidence. Students take field trips to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, window shop at the mall and Goodwill Industries, or visit the Federal Reserve Bank.
Carter and Wayne, however, have a special bond.
“Carter wanted to work at the ballpark,” said Mosby. “I think any kid who wants to work at the ballpark should have the opportunity, no matter what ability.“
Carter takes a little time to warm up to new people, but once he does, he charms them all. Mosby, especially, is a close mentor and friend to the young man.
“Wayne is a good man. He is fun and nice,” Carter said. “He makes me laugh. He tells me what time to be at work. My friends at work are nice. I like them. We help each other.”
Home Run Future
Nancy Williams, Carter’s mother, has seen a difference in her son, who suffers from verbal apraxia. Verbal apraxia is a motor speech disorder that causes problems in saying sounds, syllables and words. Most with the disorder know what they want to say, but the brain has difficulty in coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words.
“Carter has his challenges, but we know there is a place for Carter,” said Williams. “He’s very bright. When we looked into iJobs, Carter had to put together a resume and do an interview, which he was terrible at because of his difficulty.
“But Carter interviewed with Wayne, and Wayne has such a tremendous attitude. He believes that if you don’t provide opportunities, you don’t know what people can do.”
Having the summer job with the Dodgers not only gives Carter skills and puts money in Carter’s account, but has added to his independence as well. Additionally, his parents learned that their son is capable of more than anyone gave him credit for.
He has his driver’s license and drives himself to and from work.
“I think that’s what we got out of it,” said Williams. “We can recognize his independence. We can accept that he could go to an out-of-state college. He’s grown independent, and my husband and I can see a more independent life for him.”
After high school, Carter may attend a specialized college program out of state that specializes in students with intellectual disabilities. While these students can audit regular classes, their focus study is mainly on life skills and learning to be independent. “I want to go to college and after that, I want to own and manage a sports complex—some place where people can play basketball and soccer and golf and baseball and all kinds of sports,” Carter said.
The Oklahoma City Dodgers are the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers and have been a member of the Pacific Coast League since 1998. The team has won seven division titles in 17 seasons and plays home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. For more information, visit okcdodgers.com or call 405-218-1000.
For more information about iJobs, contact DRS Transition at 405-635-2768 or 800-845-8476 toll free or visit DRS Transition on the web at okdrs.org/drupal/students/transition.
Follow
