Last year we decided we wanted to do something to honor one of our founders, Olivia S. Stoner. Along with Marian Headrick, Ms. Stoner started what became the Occupational Development Center in 1948. For nearly four decades, Ms. Stoner was an integral part of what we did, and a driving force behind the mission we still hold to today.

The honor comes in the form of the Olivia S. Stoner Award, a unique award created for us by the glass blowers at the Stiegel Glassworks in Manheim.

This award will be given out each year to the individuals and businesses that

“embody the spirit and mission of the ODC and co-founder Olivia S. Stoner, and her commitment to creating a better life for individuals with developmental disabilities.”

This past week, we had the honor of presenting the First Annual Olivia S. Stoner Award to Benjamin and Mignon Bowman, a couple that has been supporting the work of the ODC, and its participants, for more than fifty years.

Mr. Bowman first became involved with the ODC in the early 1960’s as a member of AMBUCS (American Business Clubs), an organization which raised money for us. Ben took a more hands on role when his company, Wickersham Construction, built the first addition onto our building in 1965, and then the warehouse addition in 1984. In the 1980’s, he also served on our board and was board president for a time.

Mrs. Bowman became involved early on, as well, as a very active member of the ODC Auxiliary, of which she continues to be a member.

Over the years, the Bowmans have given very generously to the ODC of their time and finances, and despite being in their 90’s, continue to be among our most fervent supporters.

We are pleased to give this award to the Bowmans as a small token of our appreciation for all they have done for us over the years. Thank you!

Over the past 70 years, there have been quite a few families that were integral to we were, and are, at the Occupational Development Center.

One of those families is the Mearig family, whose history is closely affiliated with ours.

Recently, some friends of the ODC, and of the Mearigs, came to us, looking for a way to honor this important family. They settled on a plaque that now hangs on one of our walls, as well as a financial donation. While the donors wish to remain anonymous, we think it’s important that everyone learn more about the Mearig family.

Herbert “Bud” Mearig, and his wife Doris, became involved with us back in the early 1950’s when we, as the Child Development Center, were just getting started. They only had one child, Herbert “Herbie” Mearig, Jr., who was born with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As a result, he was one of the many children who came to the CDC for schooling. In 1958, when we became more focused on providing occupational training, Herbie stayed on, and was here at the ODC for more than 50 years.

While Herbie was one of our participants, his parents were regularly involved in our day to day operations. From the 1950s, all the way into the 1980s, Bud served on our board, and for a time was board president. His wife, Doris Klopp Mearig, also served on the ODC board as secretary and was active in our Parents Group and the ODC Auxiliary for many years.

Both Bud and Doris were born and raised right here in Lancaster and attended Upper Leacock High School together. Bud served in the U.S. Navy in WWII, and owned an office equipment and business machines company, and was also a business consultant.

With Herbie working here at the ODC, Bud and Doris continued to be involved, and were generous with both their time and money.

Herbie passed away at the age of 63 in 2009, shortly after his retirement from the ODC. Doris passed away in 2011 at the age of 93, while Bud passed in 2016 at the age of 99.

We are so grateful for the Mearigs and how they made the ODC a central part of their lives for more than half a century. And we are grateful for their friends who have decided to honor them in this way.

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. While it’s something we think about all year long, this is a time for all of us to become more aware of the people in our lives and communities who have been diagnosed with developmental disabilities.

These are the folks we serve here at the Occupational Development Center. These are the people who come here every day in order to learn new skills and hone their existing skills, and to earn a paycheck while seeking to find a job.

Capability > Disability

We use a lot of terms to describe people. As a society, we like to label people and things. But every term that is used to describe the participants here at the ODC falls incredibly short.

Disability.

It’s a word that implies that there is something wrong with a person; that they are somehow “less” than the rest of us and are not capable of doing things.

But nothing could be further from the truth. This is why we prefer to focus on their capabilities.

Can > Can’t

When faced with a specific work related task or life skill, it’s often easy for many of us to look at someone with a developmental disability and say, “Oh, they CAN’T do that!”

But is that the truth?

Is it that they can’t do something, or that they haven’t yet been taught to do it? Or, that they just can’t do the task in the way that we think they should do it?

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Part of what we do here is not only train individuals how to do a task, but also find ways to help them do it if it is difficult for them. This is why the Americans with Disabilities Act talks about the fact that employers may need to make reasonable accommodations to help those with disabilities flourish in the workforce.

For us, this might mean creating some sort of “jig” that helps our individuals do a task properly.

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And, just like any task we learn, there is a learning curve. We might start out slowly, but as we do a task more often, we get better and faster at it.

There’s a lot of things I can’t do. I can’t play piano. I can’t fix an engine. I can’t build a desk.

But with time and patience, I could probably learn to do any of those things.

And there are some things our participants CAN do that I CAN’T do.

I can’t paint a good picture, but Vince sure can.

Change > Status quo

All it takes is a change in the way we think and look at things.

We need to focus on what individuals with developmental disabilities are capable of doing, not what they aren’t capable of.

Focus on what they can do, not what we think they can’t do.

By doing this, we are preparing our individuals to possibly gain employment in a competitive, integrated setting in our community.

And it takes people like you to consider hiring them in those jobs. Don’t say that you have no jobs that they can do without actually giving them a chance. Instead, think about how you can make reasonable accommodations so that they can succeed.

Giving them the chance to work provides them with increase self-worth, and it provides them with a paycheck which brings them closer to a life of independence.

Isn’t that what all of us really want? To be independent and to feel needed and useful, and appreciated for what we CAN do?

If you have any ideas for us as to how we can do our job better, or how you can help out, give us a shout! We’d love to hear from you.