There is no typical day for A.J. Zwettler, director of employment services at the Developmental Services Center (DSC).
Zwettler runs the Connections and Community First programs for DSC, one of the premier providers of services and supports for individuals in Champaign and Ford counties with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Every day, for upwards of 70 individuals, the Community First program offers over 40 weekly groups focusing on a variety of interests and recreational activities, like cooking or swimming. Connections is a complementary arts program that fosters creativity and community through skills training in multiple media, such as painting, textile, and woodworking.
All activities are designed to fit around an individual’s life: Monday might hold a meeting of the automobile enthusiast group while Tuesday features a shift at Walgreens and Wednesday contains an art class, and so on. No day is the same.
“The typical day is really atypical,” Zwettler explained, “Anything could happen. We spend six hours per day out in the community doing whatever it is that people are interested in. Our goal really is to help people figure out what those interests are and to make sure that we provide or find a place in the community for them to do it.”
In the past, the norm was for participants to practice skills with an organization like DSC before beginning a job beyond the center. This model often struggled when there was a mismatch of opportunity and participant interest, so DSC added the Community First and Connections programs to focus on discovering and stimulating those interests. Now, Zwettler advocates for the development of employment prospects and skills in parallel with the development of pursuits that are personally meaningful.
“We are working with the person to identify their support needs in employment, and at the same time they are blossoming as a person,” he said. “They are really figuring out their place in the world.”
Zwettler notes that the Family Resiliency Center has helped DSC capture and raise awareness of those success stories.
“I don’t have a background in data,” he said, “although we certainly take and keep a lot of data. The Family Resiliency Center has been very beneficial to us because we are now able to identify and meaningfully track the effectiveness of our programs and bring that back to our funders as a shining moment, as a success story. That has been really good.”
Ensuring that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not invisible is Zwettler’s central motivation. He strives to normalize the community’s perspective on these individuals.
“They go to the coffee shop; they are artists; they work,” he said. “They are just as much as part of this community as you are.”
He is particularly proud of the arts program, Connections, which also operates The Crow at 110, a community arts space located in downtown Champaign (110 E. University Ave).
“The Crow is truly a community space for art,” Zwettler said, “It is special. The Crow also supports people who make soap, candles, and wax melts by paying them hourly for their goods. We have a following of people who love our candles and such, and we are able to give people a paycheck for making these great and popular products. They are really proud of themselves for making those things.”
The Crow participated in last weekend’s Boneyard Arts Festival, a three-day event bringing together artists, businesses and organizations to showcase the art of Champaign County. “What I am most excited for in this show is the theme of unity and art,” Zwettler said. “Professional artists, amateur artists, artists with disabilities, and artists served by other area networks like NAMI coming together in one place to create a show that is truly representative of every single type of artist in our community.”
Zwettler is quick to note that he is not an artist himself, although he is married to an art teacher and his mother is an artist and retired art instructor from Edison Middle School.
“I appreciate art, and I am so thankful and blessed to be around it as much as I am,” he laughed, “But in my family, artistic talent skips a generation.”