Megan Braun
Megan Braun entered the Next Steps Summer Program driven, goal-orientated, and fueled with a desire to gain independence. Megan was well aware of the impact of Ability Center programs, having received her service dog Wixey in 2010 from the Assistance Dogs Program (Assistance Dogs). Wixey assists Megan by picking up dropped items and stabilizing Megan as she walks.
Fast-forward eight years when Assistance Dogs’s Client Services Manager referred Megan to The Ability Center’s Next Steps Summer Program and shared it would assist Megan in developing her employment skills as she begins her search for a job.
Currently enrolled in a community college studying general education classes, Megan aims to hone her skills and research career paths she may want to explore. “I want to find a job I love,” explains Megan. She is confident now that she can one day attend a four-year university. “I never thought I would be able to do anything like this and now look at me,” Megan says. Megan gained vital employment skills while working with children at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Family Center during the summer program.
Megan Braun entered the Next Steps Summer Program driven, goal-orientated, and fueled with a desire to gain independence. She was well aware of the impact of Ability Center programs, receiving her service dog Wixey in 2010 from the Assistance Dogs Program (Assistance Dogs). Wixey assists Megan by picking up dropped items and stabilizing Megan as she walks.
Megan explains, “Since getting Wixey, I have become a lot more independent. I do not have to hold someone's hand or be next to someone all of the time. I no longer have to use a walker.”
Fast-forward eight years when Assistance Dogs’s Client Services Manager shared about the Next Steps Summer Program and how it would assist Megan in evolving her employment skills as she begins her search for a job. Our staff develops relationships with each consumer and recommends services that will positively impact their life.
Currently enrolled in a community college studying general education classes, Megan aims to hone in on her skills and research career paths she may want to explore. “I want to find a job I love,” explains Megan. She is confident now that she can one day attend a four-year university. “I never thought I would be able to do anything like this and now look at me,” Megan says. Megan gained vital employment skills while working with children at the Toledo Museum of Art’s Family Center during the summer program.
Megan also made time for fun and leisure. During the program, Megan could be found with a book in her hand, playing an intense game of Skip Bo, or chatting with those closest to her from back home.
With her strong support system and newly refined skills, she comes out of the program with a fresh perspective on life, disability and her future ahead.
