CREST HAVEN –– One local man is amazed with the progress that the new Office of Disability has made since opening this time last year, but thinks officials should fund it more substantially so more good work can be done for Cape May County’s disabled people.
Ronald Jost, of Court House, told the Herald he couldn’t believe what the office’s director Paulanne Pierson has accomplished just working 20 hours per week.
Under Pierson’s direction, the office created and maintains a searchable resource directory, facilitated training workshops for local organizations and published two informational brochures for distribution all while constantly responding to requests for information and referral by county disabled people.
It was Jost, 60, having been disabled for 20 years, who prompted the freeholders to open a disability office three years ago.
“Paulanne has done a wonderful job here, we’re very fortunate to have her,” Jost said. “But we are still hoping the county makes her position full-time and gives her a dedicated staff.”
Pierson currently shares a secretary and office space with Jersey Cape Diagnostic, Training and Opportunity Center at 152 Crest Haven Road.
Pierson, of Morristown, has a background in education and management, but believes her personal history as case manager and advocate for her multiply-handicapped daughter for more than 15 years gave her the right experience to do her job effectively.
According to a press releases, the mission of the disability office is to empower disabled residents by providing resource information to ensure their participation in all aspects of life, promote community awareness of the needs and challenges of living with disabilities, and assist the county in identifying, planning and developing services for the disabled.
Jost said he worked with Pierson on developing the informational brochures, which provided a guide to county beaches and surf chairs for those with disabilities as well as a handicapped parking guide.
“Those were primarily the biggest projects I assisted Paulanne with this year,” he said. “We’re currently putting together a list of preferred contractors for disabled people to call when they need ramps built or bathrooms refitted to be handicapped accessible. That’s another one of her great ideas.”
Regular office hours for the office are Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information on the county Disability Office, call (609) 465-4117 or visit its Web site at www.cmcods.org.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
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Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…
