• printer friendly
• mail this article
• iPod format
• digg

Photo

Pedro Pena and Anna Loporto are developmentally disabled individuals who work for facilities mana

While the sun shines brightly and the wind spreads litter throughout campus, a group of developmentally disabled individuals, working for UCLA’s Facilities Management team, diligently hunts down pieces of litter and helps keep UCLA clean.

Though it is a job that often goes unnoticed by UCLA students, it is the workers’ dedication that helps keep UCLA looking presentable.

Many of the workers say they enjoy their jobs.

As Carl Davis sat with his lunch one hot afternoon during the summer, the aspect of his job he liked most was “sweeping . . . (and) picking up large pieces of paper.”

Glen Tani, who was having lunch with Davis, chimed in: “Yes, sweeping.”

These UCLA Facilities Management employees are decked out in blue shirts and caps and are usually on campus from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, cleaning up the various pieces of paper, soda cans, candy wrappers and the other pieces of litter on campus.

During their lunch breaks, they can be seen outside the Schoenberg Music Building eating their bagged lunches or purchased snacks, conversing with each other about sports, campus events and a variety of other subjects.

Some of the workers take their break time to read books in the shade outside Schoenberg.

The group seems tight-knit, laughing during lunch and greeting each other as they pass one another.

During their lunch breaks, many of the workers courteously greet and say hello to students as they walk by the tables.

Liliane Idylle, a fourth-year bioengineering student, who has talked to the workers on previous occasions, believes the program has positive aspects.

“I definitely think it is a good program. It gives them a job, and they are very nice people,” she said.

The workers are also more than happy to talk to students and others about their job at UCLA.

“They take it quite seriously. We needed someone who is dedicated to doing a good job. I even caught some racing to pick up litter,” said E.J. Kirby, a program facilities manager.

Kirby also said there was a need for people who could pick up litter without being distracted by student life and activities on campus.

“The immediate need was for people who would pick up the paper without gawking at the young ladies,” he said

The developmentally disabled clients thus proved to be better workers than previous, non-disabled workers, who were sidetracked by campus activities. Kirby said these clients are much more diligent and attentive to their duties.

While passing groups of these workers on campus, their dedication and work ethic become highly visible, with members dashing to pick up all litter in sight trying their hardest to do their job well.

The workers are also courteous to students.

“The clients pick up litter, and if you pass by, they will engage you in quite interesting conversation – they are fun to talk with,” Kirby said.

The program, which is over a decade old, was formed initially to tackle the obstacle of increased campus waste and limited budget resources, Kirby said.

UCLA now has contracts with both the Social Vocational Services and Milestones Behavioral Treatment Program agencies.

But the program is not only important to UCLA, but also to the workers themselves.

“One of the aspects of the program is to make these clients self-sufficient. It not only keeps the university clean, but it gives these developmentally disabled clients a chance to be self-sufficient,” Kirby said.