State Seeks To End Sheltered Workshops

DERBY, Conn. -- A 33-year-old Shelton woman may lose her job at the start of the new year along with over 80 fellow clients if the state succeeds in thinning the amount of people employed in “sheltered” workshops around the state.
Jacelyn Hoha works at VARCA , Inc., located at 5 Coon Hollow Rd. in Derby. The private, non-profit manufacturing factory offers developmentally and intellectually handicapped individuals with employment opportunities.
This past October, the State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Disabilities (DDS) released the initial draft of their Five-Year Plan to address the needs of the clients they serve, like Jacelyn. One of the plan’s main goals is to “decrease the number of individuals in sheltered workshops and day habilitation programs.”