Vermont resident Bill Villemaire, who has an intellectual disability, benefitted from the state’s major policy shift, a change that states throughout the nation are mulling.
Villemaire, 58, said he felt claustrophobic and worn out while working for a pittance at a sheltered workshop. He is now a seasoned employee at a Sweet Clover grocery store, checking for products that have expired or have been damaged.
With that paycheck, he enjoys trying new restaurants and buying Christmas gifts for friends and family. “My life has taken a turn for the better,” he said.
Michelle Paya can vouch for that. As the employment director at Champlain Community Services, where Villemaire received help in finding the job, she remembers the day he got his first paycheck.