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ADULT STORIES
Dennis’s Story
 Dennis, a 30-year-old man with cerebral palsy, bilateral hearing loss, and blindness in one eye, is considered a pioneer in United Cerebral Palsy's Community Employment Program, an award-winning model launched several years ago at various local businesses to provide job opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
One of the first employees to participate in the agency's INTERFACE Skills Training Program at Key Bank, Dennis performed so well that bank officials hired him to process data.
According to Tom Donovan, who has worked with Dennis for many years, Dennis' many skills were immediately apparent when he began working in the Community Employment Program. 'He also has a contagious, friendly smile,' Donovan said.
Over the past several years, Dennis has worked at several supported sites including the Cuyahoga County Public Library, Charter One Bank and Fifth Third Bank. At Fifth Third Bank, he helped to create computerized databases, processed customer requests for account statements and worked in a consumer loan department.
In 2005, Dennis began a placement at the Brecksville Branch of National City Bank where he processes customer privacy notices and investigates incoming documents in the National Home Equity Department.
'Dennis has made a lasting impression at every place he has worked,' Tom Donovan commented. Dennis' infectious sense of humor and playfulness enrich the workplace and draw his co-workers to him. Several National City employees are even taking courses in American Sign Language so that they can better communicate with Dennis.
'Wherever Dennis has traveled in his vocational journey, he has not only improved his own skills, but provided valuable services to his employers,' Tom said. 'He has truly been a joy to those with whom he has worked.'
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