Story and photo from the MERIL April 2018 newsletter

At Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, teachers and IEP students in 7th through 12th grade learned about the skills needed to succeed in life after school.
The Regional Transition Network (RTN) – which consists of members from several agencies, including MERIL, throughout the Northwest Missouri area  – hosted the event.
This year’s keynote speaker was John Gilbert, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player who won a gold medal in the 2016 Rio games.
John grew up in Fairfax, Missouri, and began using a wheelchair when he was six years old after a spinal cord injury. He started playing wheelchair basketball when he was 10, and he has continued since.
From John and the other presenters, attendees learned about the significance that discipline, goal-setting, and self-advocacy can have on employment success.
Since 1994, MERIL has provided five core services for people with disabilities in Northwest Missouri: Information and referral, independent living skills training, transition services (youth and nursing home), peer support and advocacy.  Learn more about Centers for Independent Living in Missouri at www.mosilc.org. MERIL service area includes: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway, and Worth counties.