VSA arts is proud to provide a forum for these talented voices.
A network of VSA arts ' affiliates nationwide and in more than 60 countries
serve more than five million people through programs focused on engaging
students in the arts by helping teachers create more inclusive learning
experiences; empowering artists with disabilities by encouraging their career
paths; and supporting arts access to community cultural facilities and
activities for people with disabilities.

Department of Rehabilitation refers individuals to
this program where the training takes anywhere from six months to a
year based on the student's abilities and commitment.

inclusion mrdd

"We hope Ekiwah 's work and personal story provide a backdrop for the
important literary contributions of young people around the world," said Soula
Antoniou, president of VSA arts.

vet adaptations

engages clearinghouse

Here, under
instruction, students create their resumes, cover and thank-you
letters.

disabled learners

Some of them will go on to join GSC
Employment Services Program and find a job. Mariflor went through the program
while attending college.

difficulties fape

org.
As teaching aids, the stories and poems in Infinite Difference give
educators a tangible tool to engage students in the writing process.

adcetera hearsay

"I cannot walk by myself, yet in my poem I not only walk, but give myself
license to have eight legs and experience movement.
Each curriculum is customized to fit the individual's needs. She still attends a community college and hopes to
continue on to a bachelor's degree.

developmentally admits

VSA arts Launches Interactive Online Literary Journal Infinite Difference

difficulties disability

learners admits

Debut Celebrates National Poetry Month

WASHINGTON, VSA arts today launched an interactive
online literary journal showcasing creative writing by students ages 11-18,
with a connection to disability.

palsy difficulties

'" A panel of professional writers and teachers judged the
submissions and selected a group of ten stories and poems that best exemplify
the creative voices that emerge from experiences with disability. In order to
graduate from this program, an individual must stay in one job for at
least one year. Students graduating
this March come from an area spanning the San Fernando Valley through
West Los Angeles.

cerebral sabugueiro

Infinite Difference includes poems and creative nonfiction by Ekiwah Adler
Belendez, a young poet from Mexico with cerebral palsy, whose story was
featured on NBC Dateline.
Sixteen students completed GSC Personal, Vocational and Social
Adjustment Program.

ghouse equality

She volunteered and continued to attend
school while looking for work and now has a part -time position with a
staffing agency.

informs difficulties

The
program helps people adjust to outside environment, teaching them
basic skills such as time management, conflict resolution, job
retention, motivation and more.goodwillsocal.

hearsay engages

When I read a poem, on an
ephemeral level I go to the places the poet describes ," said Ekiwah.

Philanthropy Writers/News Editors/Community Editors

LOS ANGELES----Twenty -five Deaf and
Hard-of-Hearing students graduated from Goodwill Southern California's
(GSC) programs this March. The students then participate in mock interviews and receive
advice and support while searching for a position.
GSC operates 43 discount stores, three campuses and seven
community -based career resource centers in Los Angeles, San Bernardino
and Riverside counties.

General inforamtion sites about education for people with disabilities.

sabugueiro techdis

vsarts. Infinite Difference also offers educators an
interactive tool to tackle national writing standards and promote literacy in
the classroom .org and explore the thought
provoking and enjoyable works of the young writers of Infinite Difference .

About VSA arts
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by
Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with
disabilities learn through , participate in and enjoy the arts.
Mariflor Lalu, resident of Panorama City, received the coveted
Graduate of the Year award because of her commitment to become
self-sufficient and productive .

disabilities disabled

This program is designed for people who are referred to GSC by the
Department of Rehabilitation and are looking for work. For more information about
GSC and its programs, visit www.org

engages disabilities

Students
are invited to read the work of their peers and post comments on the site --
http: //www.

inclusion palsy

Nine more students graduated from GSC Employment Services Program.
In addition to receiving their completion certificates for these
programs, a number of students were honored with awards including
Graduate of the Year, Most Improved, Most Motivated, and Perfect
Attendance.
More than 15,000 people with disabilities or vocational
disadvantages benefited from Goodwill Southern California 's education,
job training and placement programs last year. Charity Navigator, an independent charity
evaluator, gave GSC its highest four-star ranking for four consecutive
years, because GSC spends 92 percent of its budget on programs that
transform lives through the power of work.

techdis hearsay

By
reading and responding to the work of their peers, students make personal
connections to writing. Today as a
leader in arts-based teaching and learning, VSA arts' programs support key
national education goals: literacy and school readiness, teacher training, and
parental involvement.

Twenty-Five Deaf Students Graduate from Goodwill Southern California's Programs; Programs Open Employment Market to People With Disabilities

Others have already kept a
job for more than a year and will continue to earn a living and
increase their net worth.

admits sabugueiro

vsarts.

developmentally informs

engages palsy

The online journal -- Infinite Difference --
presents selected pieces from a call for flash fiction and poetry. They then are
re-assessed during the program and at its end.

developmentally equality

Visit http://www. The individuals are tested in basic
Math and English before starting the program.

learners techdis

The call for flash fiction and poetry asked students to "explore the
beauty in variety, perceived imperfections, and the infinite complexities of
'difference.