Jason Wilson of Rincon has just become certified as a peer supporter for people with disabilities. The class was sponsored by and held at LIFE, Inc. in Savannah and conducted by Disability Link of Macon. Funds were made available from the Georgia Department of Human Resources through the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities.
This certification will allow Wilson to support others throughout Georgia who are struggling with a disability by talking with them about how he has personally adjusted to his own disability of being left blind after an industrial accident 12 years ago.
Wilson has a family and has lived in Rincon for three years. When he first moved to Rincon and realized there was no public transportation in Effingham County he became discouraged and talked to many Rincon and county officials about what can be done for people who are not able to drive for many reasons. The solution, he was told, would take many years. Eager to speed up the process, Wilson began to make contact with advocates in the area and attended training on the ADA.
From there, LIFE, Inc. sent Wilson to Montana for training at the Association of Programs for Rural Independent Living (APRIL) conference; this inspired him to move forward and has since accepted positions on the Board of Directors for LIFE, Inc. and The Arc of Effingham.
Wilson will also be the point person for LIFE, Inc. for Effingham County. A point person will contact/represent individuals with disabilities who need services, identify the issues that impact people with disabilities and work with LIFE, Inc to resolve them. He can be reached at (912) 247-4612.
LIFE, Inc. is a nonprofit organization based in Savannah serving 11 counties. LIFE's goal for Jason is to empower him to be an informed citizen-advocate, to help better the lives of people with disabilities in Effingham County.
The mission of Living Independence for Everyone is to empower people with disabilities to have equal rights, equal opportunities and integration into the community in order to level the playing field and create a world where everyone can fully participate.
LIFE carries out their mission through the services they provide such as advocacy, peer support, information and referral, independent living skills training, home modifications/adaptive equipment, voucher transportation program, sign language classes, alternate formats program, and disability sensitivity training to name a few.
