Jada thrived at the Virginia Living Museum (VLM), where she was involved in diverse tasks like “bird watching, museum collections, and the museum store,” she explained. Jada’s creativity truly shines in her work with the animal enrichments. “I already made them for Halloween. I made a ghost. I’m creative,” she said proudly. Her enrichments help to keep the animals healthy and entertained.
Her Skills Trainer, Rahlana, praised Jada’s resourcefulness and spirit. “Jada is funny and very sweet. She’s very creative, and when she is working on the enrichments, it’s fun to see what she comes up with,” Rahlana shared.
Jada also enjoys interacting with guests. She got to do a coloring filter activity with kids and then later took a beaver skull on the trail. “I tell them that the beaver lived 10-12 years and that the beaver lived in the river,” she said. Rahlana added, “She’s good about asking what it is if she doesn’t know a word.” It’s great to see that Jada has continued to grow in her ability to advocate for what she needs through the READY Program.
Rahlana reflected on her takeaways on what she would like people to know about working with individuals with disabilities. “They’re still capable just like the rest of us. Patience is key. Just like with everybody if you get upset they can feel that.”