Age: Senior Adult

Regional Center: Frank D. Lanterman Regional Center (FDLRC)

Job: Advocate for Easterseals

Howard is an advocate, public speaker, and poet. Some of his many strengths include a deep love for community, a strong moral compass, and a rare ability to powerfully convey those things through both public speech and writing, like blog posts and poetry. He is most passionate about building a safer, more secure world for the generations who follow him. It’s no surprise that the career goal in his person-centered plan was becoming a public speaker, with the intent of reducing gun violence nationally through his advocacy. But Howard wasn’t always an advocate. Like so many, his journey towards the Self-Determination Program and towards his own ideal employment started with a realization: he needed more support.

Where Howard started: The Department of Rehabilitation offered Howard job coaching and job training to be a crossing guard. They also assisted him in finding job placement. He worked for an elementary school in the Glendale Unified School District. However, there were no additional employment supports in his IPP. Before Howard was in the SDP, DOR and his regional center did not assist him in exploring other employment options, or in developing the career path he would later create for himself.

Work before the SDP: Like so many Americans, Howard was deeply dismayed by the Parkland Elementary School shooting. He felt that the students he watched each day were not adequately protected. This concern weighed heavily on him, and he felt he could no longer work for a system that did not defend its vulnerable students. Additionally, while Howard’s job as a crossing guard gave him the chance to participate in the community at some small level, he was not challenged by his job. It wasn’t using his many valuable skills. A person without any disabilities who possessed even half of Howard’s talent and drive would be presumed capable of greatness and encouraged to pursue that greatness. Howard had much more to give to his community; that community just had to empower him to share his gifts. For him, that meant more support, and different kinds of support, than he was able to access in the traditional system.

What Works for Howard in the SDP: When Howard entered the SDP, the person-centered plan he led solidified the new direction he wanted to take both his life and his employment. The SDP also gave him the support he needed to raise his voice far and wide. Howard had a great experience with his regional center coordinator and speaks very highly of both his coordinator and his circle of support, including his independent facilitator and his Easterseals supervisor. Howard now works for Easterseals as an advocate and for himself as a public speaker. His needs have changed since he entered the SDP, and he now requires 2:1 support for much of his day. The traditional system would expect Howard to rely on a group home or institution, staffed by strangers he cannot choose or fire, for his care. Instead, the SDP allows him to use his budget for staff of his choice to support him in the home of his choice and while traveling. Without this flexibility, it would be very difficult for Howard to maintain his public speaking schedule, as Howard uses a wheelchair and relies on staff to help transport him. He also uses the sole employer model for his Financial Management Services, which allows him to employ staff independently and offer more generous rates to attract higher-caliber staff..
Thanks to that previously mentioned increase in his budget, Howard can also use his SDP funds to employ an assistant. This assistant transcribes his biweekly blogs, which is a vital part of his business. He’s also reserved part of his SDP budget for a publicist, who his team is currently helping to search for. He was able to purchase necessary technology supports for his job, hosting for his website, and necessary supplies such as printers. He purchased a second, foldable powered wheelchair with his SDP funding, which allows him to travel far more easily and without the fear that airlines might break his traditional power chair. Howard also gets transportation support through his SDP funding, with the goal of ultimately owning his own accessible vehicle which he can use to get to different speaking engagements.
For many disabled people, accessibility and accommodations are two of the biggest barriers to employment they find meaningful and engaging. When Howard was given the authority to determine what he wanted to do for a living, the responsibility of figuring out what supports he needed to accomplish his employment goals, and the financial support to acquire those supports, he was able to work with his own circle of support to build a career that works best for him. That’s a perfect example of the potential the SDP offers those who use it – the potential of a future far broader and brighter than what many find available in the traditional system.

Where You Can Find Howard: Howard currently works as an Advocate at Easterseals, where he teaches poetry reading, history, and advocacy, often over Zoom. He also maintains his own public speaking presence and advocacy work, which you can follow at www.howardmcbroom.com. Howard is proud to serve on the board of the Lanterman Regional Center, where he works to ensure all people served by that regional center have access to the support he experiences. He is additionally working towards being a published author, so keep an eye on the shelves of bookstores near you.

Quotes:

“It’s Howard’s life. What does Howard want?” – Brian

”I did have a good team to support me, and that helps enormously.” – Howard

“Mostly the regional center concentrates on getting people into jobs like grocery store working…not really the kind of thing that could develop into doing something that might change the world.” – Howard