By Cynthia Day Spitler and Joan VanSickle Sloan
Blount County offers a wide range of resources for people with disabilities.
A Disability Resources and Transition Fair will be held at the Blount County Public Library on Monday, April 11, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. For people with disabilities or their families or those who work with them (educators, service providers, etc.), this fair will provide valuable information about community resources and local businesses.
Courtney Elrod, with Blount County Public Schools says, “Whether you’re a young adult about to graduate from high school or whether you were in a car accident or suffered a stroke that changed your life and physical, social or mental abilities, there are numerous resources in the Blount County community to help you achieve a better quality of life.”
Exhibitors will include Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville, Mane Support, Legal Aid of East Tennessee, STEP, Inc., Area 15 Special Olympics, Epilepsy Foundation East Tennessee, Gate – Gateway to Independence, Mental Health Association of East Tennessee, Universal Pathways to Employment Project, Pellissippi State Community College, Home Repair Collaboration, Blount County Department of Veterans Affairs, TRIO – Educational Opportunity Center, and more.
Each organization will have a booth set up to pass out information and demonstrate assistive devices that can help with compensating for disabilities and improving quality of life. Guests are welcome to inquire about services, and they may come and go as they please. Light refreshments will be served.
“Persons with disabilities, families, friends, educators, service providers and students are encouraged to attend to gain knowledge about available resources in the Blount County community,” says Elrod.
This event is co-sponsored by Blount County Public Library and Blount County Schools. Blount County Schools Transition School to Work program assists students with disabilities in developing job and life skills to become successful, independent members of the community.
Open to the public, this program is hosted by the Blount County Public Library, located at 508 N. Cusick Street, Maryville, where services are an example of your tax dollars at work for you.
For further information about library programs or services, call the library at 982-0981 or visit the Web site at www.blountlibrary.org . To sign up to receive a monthly calendar by email, go to the library’s Home Page and type your email address in the box at the top right that says “Email for library news
