Easter Seals encourages people with disabilities to reach full potential

Through serving in World War II and working lengthy careers in publishing, gaming and the film industry, Dan Merrin's eyes never failed him for nearly 80 years.

That all changed in 2004 when macular degeneration stripped the majority of his vision from him; his peripheral sight is still intact.

He trained at a blind center for months adjusting to his new life, but still felt depressed.

It wasn't until connecting with Easter Seals did Merrin begin to bounce back.

"They gave me my whole life back," says 93-year-old Merrin.

Easter Seals is a national organization that helps people living with physical disabilities and autism spectrum disorder through rehabilitation, employment and training or adult, senior and children's services.

"We are here to help people be more independent tomorrow than they were today," says Brian Patchett, the CEO of Easter Seals in Nevada. "We just want people with disabilities to experience a full life despite having challenges."

Patchett knows firsthand what it's like working with a disability. He lost the majority of his vision when he was 7 years old. He has never let his challenges stop him from making the most of his life, including earning a doctorate.

He has been working for Easter Seals for 20 years, 11 of which he has been the CEO.

Now, he gets to carry the organization's mission of encouraging others that they can make the most of their lives despite disabilities.

The concept of Easter Seals developed in 1907 by an Ohio businessman named Edgar Allen. After the son of a wealthy man became injured he realized that there were many services needed by people who were disabled.

In order to raise money, seals to go on letters were sold featuring images of a lily, a symbol of spring. The name Easter Seals was born.

Nevada opened a chapter in the 1950s. Since then, it has been serving about 8,000 children and adults per year.

"We see parents who might have a child born with a disability and the family doesn't know what to do," Patchett says.

That family can come to Easter Seals and be set on a path toward success.

While helping people every day, Easter Seals also works with the state and legislators to make sure those with disabilities have the best resources available.

During the past few years, in Nevada in particular, Patchett says legislation has been enacted to make sure those with physical and mental disabilities have more resources.

In the 2015 session, for instance, Nevada passed a state version of the Achieving a Better Life Experience Act, which President Obama signed into national law in 2014. Previously, if a person was disabled and receiving money from Medicaid, he or she was not allowed to have more than $2,000 in a bank account.

"So if you got a job making minimum wage to try to improve your situation, you would lose your benefits," Patchett says of life before the new law.

The ABLE Act allows the creation of tax-favored savings accounts for people with disabilities without jeopardizing their eligibility for Medicaid.

While advocating for those with disabilities on a state level, the organization makes its biggest impact working on the individual level with people like Merrin.

Easter Seals sees a variety of people, from infants to the elderly.

"We have veterans from different wars who might be disabled and just want to be more independent," Patchett says.

It's in the success stories that Easter Seals takes pride.

Patchett says the organization has seen everything from an army veteran with extreme, and crippling, post-traumatic stress disorder get back on his feet to become a productive member of society to a child with autism who once spent his days curled into a ball in order to escape his hypersensitivity now have healthy interactions with people.

Even though the organization works with every age, it does a lot of activities for adults with disabilities.

"We get a combination of referrals or people just learn about us online while doing research," Patchett says.

One way of helping people is introducing them to assistive technology that can increase their independence.

"This is for people with newly acquired disabilities," Patchett says. "They might be missing a limb or recently blind."

Easter Seals clients learn how to use their new technology or devices, whether that's prosthetics or special computers.

"We help them with stuff like how to get around the house or get from point A to point B," he adds.

Merrin initially started his journey coping with macular degeneration in 2004 at a Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center in Arizona.

After returning home, he was given a special computer that magnified the screen in a way that worked with his disability.

"But I didn't know how to use it," he says. "I was feeling pretty miserable about life."

Joining Easter Seals, he began to understand that just because he was handicapped didn't mean he was helpless.

He says Ernie Hall, in particular, worked with him tirelessly answering any and every question.

"He has the patience of a saint," Merrin says. "I would be down on myself and Ernie would always say, 'You're doing great.' He was always a great source of encouragement."

Even when Merrin was set up with his computer, he says the staff of Easter Seals was always willing to answer additional questions.

"I've had questions on the weekends and he has come over to help me," Merrin says.

Merrin moved from feeling depressed to inspired to start a new project. He is currently 400 pages into writing his memoir.

One time when he thought he had accidentally erased the pages, Hall came over and helped him search the computer — he eventually found the nearly deleted document.

"I literally hugged him," Merrin says. "When I publish my memoir, Ernie Hall will be on the first page of acknowledgements."

Some adults need help adjusting to employment or education opportunities.

Easter Seals is working with about 150 adults — some who are veterans — to help with specialized training.

There are people who want to work but might have a severe intellectual or physical disability. For them, Easter Seals has a community training house that provides them with work.

At their community work site, people acquire specialized vocational skills and help local manufacturers with such activities as assembly projects to administrative and mail services.

In addition to those services, Easter Seals also has adult day care services.

No matter where they are in trying to cope with a disability, Patchett says Easter Seals can help them.

— Contact reporter Michael Lyle at mlyle@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5201. Follow @mjlyle on Twitter.