Texas Focus 2007
The World on a String:
Connecting through the
Expanded Core Curriculum
Exploring the Work World
Al’An Kesler, DARS-DBS,
Children’s Program Coordinator
Lauren Newton, Principal,
TSBVI Special Programs
Laura Wofford, Behavior Specialist, TSBVI
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Project SWEEP: It’s All About Work
By Kevin Hutchins
What lasts for 10 years? Your car? Your watch?
Your marriage? No, it’s Project SWEEP! Believe it or not,
Project SWEEP, as a residential summer work program
for Transition age consumers has been ongoing for the
past ten years…12 if you count the two years when it
started out as a non-residential program.
SWEEP is an acronym for Summer Work Experience
Empowerment Program. It started in 1994 as a day work
program with seven Transition consumers from the
Lubbock area. In 1996 it took on a residential
component, with consumers from all over West Texas,
coming to Lubbock, residing at the dorms at Texas Tech
University, and…WORKING! Over the years, SWEEP has
continued to grow. West Texas has the good fortune to
have an excellent Cluster group that is composed of DBS
and Education Service Center personnel from Lubbock,
Amarillo, Abilene, Wichita Falls, and Midland/Odessa. In
terms of territory, you’re looking at approximately 1/3 of
the State of Texas! The Cluster has been instrumental in
insuring the continuation and continued success of
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Project SWEEP as well as all of the other activities that
occur in West Texas. Two ESC employees, and Transition
Counselor, Tricia Sigafus from Wichita Falls even traveled
to Lubbock and assisted with attendant care!
This year, 23 Transition consumers from all over West
Texas participated in the five week program. All of the
consumers were blind or significantly visually impaired,
and a large percentage had multiple disabilities including
cerebral palsy, mental retardation, autism and other
disabilities. Five were in wheelchairs, requiring attendant
care. In the true spirit of the Vocational Rehabilitation
Program, consumers with the most significant disabilities
are given an opportunity! Participants resided at the
dorms at TTU during the week and went home on the
weekends. Many of the students rode the Greyhound bus
home on weekends. For many this was their first
experience traveling away from home independently!
During the first week of Project SWEEP, participants
engaged in intense Job Readiness training under the
guidance of VR Coordinator Susan Poff, Field Director,
Juanita Barker, and Transition Counselor, Hannah Bone.
They worked on completing applications correctly. They
participated in mock interviews that were video taped.
Consumers gave positive feedback to peers on ways to
improve performance in the interviews. Consumers were
counseled on appropriate dress for work, job
performance, and job keeping skills. During this week,
participants completed application for their prospective
summer job and interviewed with the employers. During
the remaining four weeks, consumers work on jobs in the
community. Transition Counselor, Kevin Hutchins
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contacted numerous employers during the months prior
to SWEEP, setting up jobs in which participants would be
placed. Participants worked 4-5 hours per day and were
paid for their hard work! SWEEP had participants
working in childcare, grocery stocking, office work,
working with horses, sorting clothes, at a television
station in the newsroom, at Family Protective Services,
and at a nursing home in the activities department. DBS
hired job coaches to work with the students on the job
sites. Interns from the O&M program at TTU, under the
supervision of O&M instructor, Stephanie Campbell,
evaluated each student to determine whether the were
able to utilize the regular bus service or had to rely on
the demand response bus services. Many students
utilized the regular bus services independently! O&M
interns also evaluated and provided training to
participants on traveling around the Texas Tech Campus
independently.
After work, students worked on independent living skills.
Residential instructors were hired to provide skills
training to the SWEEP participants. Students were
required to keep their living areas clean and neat. They
were not allowed to take laundry home for Mom or Dad
to wash; instead they were required to do their own
laundry each week. Each week they prepared menus,
shopped for groceries, and prepared a meal. They even
had a cooking competition between the young men and
young ladies! Juanita Barker and I had the pleasure of
judging this contest and were very impressed with the
consumers’ efforts. Oh, by the way, the young ladies
won. Since the participants were housed at TTU, they
had the opportunity to interact with non-disabled young
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men and women from other programs or camps that
were occurring at the campus. This was a prime
opportunity for our consumers to educate their nondisabled peers. I would like to tell you about one SWEEP
participant, who, during an O&M lesson under blindfold
encountered someone from a football camp who was
commenting that he was not really blind. Our SWEEPer
took off the blindfold, handed it to the football player,
and asked him if he would like to try to travel across the
cafeteria under blind fold and with the white cane. The
football player accepted. He made it across the cafeteria
with much difficulty and at the end stated that this was
much harder than he had thought. Our SWEEPer then
explained his eye condition to the football player and
even did a little training on going down stairs nonvisually. What a positive encounter!
Work is the primary goal, but you know what they say
about all work and no play. SWEEP participants had the
opportunity to engage in activities each week that were
just for fun, entertainment, and exercise. They went to
the 4th on Broadway parade. Many of the participants
thought that having a float or marching in the parade
next year would be cool. Can you visualize 23 kids under
blindfold marching down Broadway Avenue with their
white canes! Participants also had the opportunity to go
bowling, swimming, see a movie at the Omnimax
Theater, play basketball, work out at the TTU Rec Center,
shop at the mall, and ride the rides at Joyland
Amusement Park. Facilitating all of these activities and
handling all of the paperwork was Rehabilitation
Assistant, Solia Parras. It is safe to say that SWEEP
would not be what it is today without her efforts in
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setting up vendors (RIs, Job Coaches, nurses, activities,
housing, parking, transportation, etc.), as well as
insuring that purchase orders were issued and payments
made in a timely manner. Imagining the quantity of
multiple consumer purchase orders required for this
endeavor is frightening.
The End of SWEEP Awards Ceremony was held at the
Holiday Inn. SWEEPers, and parents dined on prime rib
and chicken. Each SWEEPer presented awards to the
employers for whom they worked and gave a little
speech. Let me tell you, some of these kids are great
public speakers. The audience was either falling from
their seats laughing at the comedic routines, or bawling
at the heartfelt recounting of what working meant to a
first time worker. It was a moving experience. Each
participant then received an award for completing SWEEP
and for special merit.
Well, that’s a wrap folks! Until next year…SWEEP your
cares away!
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SWEAT
(Summer Work Experience in Austin Texas)
Working in a local restaurant
Student assists in developing accessible software
Working at hospital rehab center
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June 3 – July 6
PreSWEAT: April 13-15
This will be the 21st annual offering of our outstanding
SWEAT program, provided jointly by TSBVI and the
Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services
(DARS) / Division for Blind Services (DBS).** SWEAT is
an intense, demanding, exciting and fun five weeks that
prepares academic students for success in the world of
work and adult living -- through increased
independence, competence, and self-confidence.
Students, staff and employers all rave about this
program (see video). A copy of the final 2006 SWEAT
report is attached, providing detailed information about
the program.
Applicants should be functioning within approximately
two years of grade level, and possess prerequisite skills
to be successful in community employment and adult
living. In particular, students must posses the social
and cognitive skills to work alone at a job site. SWEAT
is the most advanced vocational and independent living
class offered at TSBVI, and the expectations for
students are high. Students receive vocational training
at paid jobs in the community, classes that focus on
job-related skills and independent living skills, and
Orientation and Mobility training. In order to be
accepted to SWEAT, a student must agree to the
following:
Students are highly encouraged to attend preSWEAT weekend on April 13-15. (described below)
 Students are expected to participate for the full five
weeks of the summer program. If you are not able

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to make this full commitment, please discuss this
now with the principal in order to determine
whether special arrangements can be made.
 During the first week of the program, and
occasionally during later weeks, students will have
after-school homework assignments related to
vocational and independent living skills. In addition
to evening recreational activities, students will be
expected to complete their homework assignments.
 Students will be expected to use a cane for mobility
at all appropriate times, regardless of degree of
vision loss.
 Students are expected to spend weekends on
campus as part of the SWEAT program. Students
will be given permission for one off-campus
weekend during the program. If a dire situation
arises requiring the student to go home at any
other time, this should be discussed in advance
with the principal.
 Students will earn a training fee approximately
equivalent to the minimum wage after deductions.
From this fee, students will be expected to pay a
minimal amount for living expenses. The purpose of
this activity is to help students learn to budget and
pay bills.
During the first week of SWEAT, students will receive
intensive training in independent living skills (including
mobility), as well as exposure to job-related skills such
as interviewing and appropriate interpersonal skills.
During the remaining four weeks, students will be
employed at individual, paid jobs somewhere in the
Austin community. After participating in the SWEAT
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program, it is expected that students will be better
prepared to take part in summer jobs offered in their
local community.
The number of applicants for SWEAT typically exceeds
the number of students who can be served. Students
who are not selected may be offered options for
attending other summer programs at TSBVI, so please
consider selecting other Academic Secondary
Enrichment programs as an alternate choice. A student
can remain on the SWEAT waiting list while enrolled in
another program, and move to SWEAT should an
opening arise.
Pre-SWEAT Weekend: All selected students are strongly
encouraged to attend the pre-SWEAT weekend at
TSBVI, beginning the evening of Friday April 13 and
ending at 10:00 Sunday morning April 15. If you live far
away and need to leave home before the end of the
Friday school day, the TSBVI principal will write a letter
to your school’s principal requesting that Friday be an
excused absence. Pre-SWEAT is a nice way for students
to participate in enjoyable activities with peers, see how
they think they will like the program, and help our staff
get to know you so that we can develop better summer
job placements, provide more individualized O&M
training, and view your skills of independent living. It is
difficult to select an appropriate job for a student who
we do not know. Students needing support with
transportation on that weekend may request assistance
from DARS/DBS, their school district, or their Education
Service Center.
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**SWEAT students should be on the DARS/DBS
caseload. If you do not yet have a DBS caseworker, you
are encourage to pursue this during the spring, as
DARS/DBS offers many services to students that extend
beyond the need to enroll in this class.
For information about program content, contact Laura
Wofford (512) 206-9303
LauraWofford@tsbvi.edu
For information about the application process, contact
Cathy Olsen (512) 206-9182
CathyOlsen@tsbvi.edu
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WALIC
(Working and Living in the Community)
Working in a local green house
Alphabetizing and restocking books at public library.
Receiving wages at the end of the work week
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June 10 – July 6
The WALIC program is an excellent 4-week vocational
and independent living program for students 16 - 22
years of age who are visually impaired with
developmental disabilities. Students must be able to
participate in approximately 16 hours a week of workrelated activities with only moderate support from a job
coach (up to 5 hours of work in a given day). In
addition:
Students should be fairly independent in their
dressing, eating, toileting, hygiene, and
communication abilities.
 Students should not have challenging behaviors that
interfere with the instruction of self or others.
 Students are expected to participate for the full four
weeks of the summer program. If you are not able
to make this full commitment or if you are not sure
your child can endure a program of this length,
please discuss this with the principal at this time in
order to determine whether special arrangements
can be made.

Students spend most of their day at a community job
with two job coaches, in groups of approximately four
students. At these job sites, they are introduced to: (1)
a variety of work routines, (2) skills for interacting with
a supervisor and coworkers, and (3) other expectations
for the work situation. Students learn to manage the
money received for their work (a $25/week training fee)
through experiences such as budgeting, paying a
minimal amount for rent and utilities, shopping, and
recreational activities.
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Students live in home-like settings where they are
taught independent living skills (such as cooking,
cleaning, dressing, and personal hygiene), and
participate in recreational activities and social
interaction with peers. Emphasis is placed on
developing independent living and community access
skills, as well as promoting personal responsibility and
initiative, during work and throughout all other
activities.
For information about program content, contact Margot
Marshall (512) 206-9398
MargotMarshall@tsbvi.edu
For information about the application process, contact
Cathy Olsen (512) 206-9182
CathyOlsen@tsbvi.edu
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