jcil inthenews

At the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center,
'Success Knows No Limitations'
Dyersburg office holds awards luncheon
Monday, November 8, 2004
TERRA TEMPLE

It was a time to honor the accomplishments of persons with disabilities and the employers with the willingness to hire them when the Tennessee Rehabilitation Center at Dyersburg held its annual awards luncheon on Oct. 28. October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This year's theme in Tennessee is "You're Hired! Success Knows No Limitations," referring to the goal of removing barriers to employment so that all Tennesseans are judged on their abilities and given opportunities to contribute to the work force.

Seventeen Tennessee Rehabilitation Centers located in rural communities throughout the state and the residential comprehensive TRC at Smyrna provide vocational rehabilitation services -- diagnosis, treatment, training, counseling, job-placement assistance, and post-employment services -- to Tennesseans with disabilities.

Phillip Merrell shared his story at this year's TRC-Dyersburg awards luncheon.

Merrell's association with vocational rehabilitation began 10 years ago. A career Army man with 16 years of service, Merrell was self-employed in various occupations after his retirement. One of those occupations was driving a log truck. During one haul, the brakes failed and the truck ran into an embankment, the logs shifted forward and crushed the cab. Merrell suffered a lumbar spine injury; he's paralyzed from the waist down.

Six months later, he met Chris McClimans, rehab counselor with the TRC-Dyersburg office.

"I've had many ups and downs but what stands out in my mind is Chris standing in my kitchen (in Puryear) and saying she wanted me to go to college for four years," he said.

After expressing his desire not to go, McClimans asked him where he'd be four years from now. He enrolled at the University of Tennessee at Martin, majoring in engineering. When that dream was challenged by chemistry, Merrell changed his major to Spanish, which he had a background in from his Army days. Due to some personal conflicts, Merrell was unable to graduate from UTM.

One day, McClimans received a call from Glenn Barr with the Jackson Center for Independent Living. He needed an interpreter to interact with the Spanish population in the area. She immediately suggested Merrell. Barr hired him in November 2002 and he is now the center's coordinator for independent-living services.

"The whole time I was in school, Chris said I tested high in social work and should be in that," said Merrell who now lives in Jackson. "I met Glen and he hired me. What did I end up doing? Social work. When I rolled in this morning, Chris said she wasn't going to say 'I told you so' but she had a grin on her face that said it.

"It's been a rough road but the reason I'm here today is because of vocational rehab. After the accident, I didn't know where to go or who to call on," he continued. "They said I should go to college, worked with me, kept my spirits up, helped with all of my reasonable requests. Vocational rehab, in the form of Chris McClimans, came to my aid. Everybody sitting here -- thank you for all of your help. Most of all, thank you, Chris."

The TRC "works with persons with disabilities trying to prepare them to enter the work force and assist them in attaining and maintaining employment," said manager Alma Ruth Michael. "Phillip is a fine example of what we're trying to do and a good example of the 2004 theme. (Through the luncheon) we're here to recognize the accomplishments of persons with disabilities and the employers with the willingness to hire persons with disabilities."

REPRINTED FROM STATE GAZETTE

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Through advocacy, education, guidance and support, the Jackson Center for Independent Living provides programs and services to empower people with disabilities to reach their independent living goals.

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