Indiana woman with Down syndrome takes pride in her work

From WSBT-TV:

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — The month of March is Disability Awareness Month in Indiana. People in the South Bend community and throughout the state are raising awareness about the positive contributions people with disabilities make.

Sarah Schelstraete (pictured), a woman with Down syndrome, proves she has what it takes to be a valuable employee. She has worked at Underwriters Laboratories in South Bend for 17 years.

“It's very, very important to me,” Sarah said, about her job, “because I like it here, I love it here.”

“She brings a lot of fun to the laboratory a lot of days,” said Donna Martis, Sarah’s supervisor. “She keeps us all smiling and in a good mood.”

Martis said Sarah is a valuable employee who knows how to do her work, and requires little supervision.

“She is probably one of our most dependable employees. She has a perfect attendance record. I mean, she's here all the time, and on time,” Martis said.

Stacey Simcox, Sarah's employment consultant, said Sarah is great at her job and her employers are wonderful with her.

“I think they have expectations and standards and they're not afraid to let her know. Oftentimes, other employers don't give someone the chance because they already have the mindset that they're not going to be able to do the job even with the support,” Simcox said.

Martis said Sarah is treated like any other employee. She is expected to follow a schedule. She arrives at work before 8 a.m., and is usually on the clock until 3 or 3:30 p.m.

Myrna Schelstraete, Sarah’s mom, is proud Sarah has a job, and all the advantages that come with it.

“She doesn't take any kind of government help, because she gets medical through here, she gets an IRA, she's on the retirement program here,” said Myrna.

She said Sarah has also gained a sense of independence.

“It's funny, because her dad and I are both retired and sometimes when she gets in one of her little moods she'll say ‘I'm the only one in the house that works,’” Myrna said with a smile.

Like any hard-working employee, Sarah knows one big benefit of having a job is making money. She often uses her paycheck to buy DVDs and CDs. She said she wants to work for about 20 more years because there is one more thing she wants to buy — a new house, with a garage, for her mom.