Recently featured on the TV program A World of Difference were RAISE director, Loren London, RAISE director of Employment and Education Rachel Slavkin, and three gainfully employed RAISE alumni. A World of Difference is a monthly TV series that celebrates neurodiversity, which is a viewpoint that brain differences are normal, rather than deficits. The idea of neurodiversity can have benefits for children with learning and thinking differences. This concept can help reduce stigma around learning and thinking differences.

The program was created three months ago by Beacon College in Leesburg. Fla. Beacon College is the first accredited baccalaureate college in the U.S. for young adults with disabilities.

London and Slavkin shared about the inception of RAISE and the focus of the program to develop social skills and interpersonal skills.

"So much of the research of adults with disabilities in the workforce shows that they can be your most loyal, your most dedicated, consistent employees, but where they tend to struggle is with their social and interpersonal skills," said Slavkin.

Also featured in the segment were three RAISE graduates - Regina Marchionda, Leslie Anne Fisher and Kenya Matthews - all gainfully employed and proving themselves to be an asset to the companies where they work.

The RAISE episode was live streamed on Sunday, Oct. 25 and can be viewed at https://youtu.be/9lKLe4RD9d4.

London shared with Heritage that so much has been happening with RAISE in just the last eight weeks.

"Although we could not safely host a Meet and Greet this year, our team redesigned programming to meet the needs of a record number of applicants through online teaching," said London.

Find out more about what RAISE has been doing to continue this successful program in next week's Heritage.