U.S. CONGRESSMAN JOHN C. FLEMING, M.D.

Washington, Apr 28 - Ryan Gutkowski, an intellectually disabled college student, seldom spoke when he first came to Capitol Hill. Now, he engages with staffers frequently — at times from behind the desk of his boss, Mississippi Republican Rep. Gregg Harper.

Gutkowski calls it “my desk.”

Usually painfully shy, Gutkowski, whose disability is caused by a chromosomal genetic abnormality, cracks an easy smile anytime Harper addresses him. Staffers say the two seemed to have an instant connection.

“Tell them where you’ve been sitting when I’m not here — are you sitting at my desk?” Harper prods Gutkowski.

“Comfortable chair!” Gutkowski responds.

“Well, I love that chair, but I don’t mind you using it when I’m not here,” Harper says.

During the past month, Gutkowski and two other students with intellectual disabilities have worked in the offices of Harper, Reps. Bill Cassidy, John Fleming, Cynthia Lummis and Cathy McMorris Rodgers, as well as the Republican office of the House Administration Committee. The students do everything from answering constituent mail and shredding paper to learning how to give tours of the Capitol.

“I’m excited about having someone in the office who brings the real-world perspective of battling a disability and being able to have a lot to contribute,” said McMorris Rodgers, whose young son, Cole, has Down syndrome.

The internships are part of a pilot program created by Harper, House Administration Committee Republicans and Mason LIFE, a post-secondary program at George Mason University for adults with intellectual disabilities.

The program doesn’t guarantee the interns jobs on the Hill, but it does give them office experience in a high-profile workplace that is likely to boost their résumés when they begin searching for jobs.

Harper’s 20-year-old son, Livingston, has a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome, which is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disabilities. Since graduating from high school, Livingston has worked several days a week in a Mississippi restaurant and takes a few community college courses but still dreams of attending Mississippi State University in Harper’s district, just like his sister.

The congressman is helping the university develop its own program for disabled students. In the process, he connected with Mason LIFE Director Heidi Graff and asked whether there was a way Congress could aid her students.

“After dealing with these issues for 20-plus years, that’s kind of where our heart is,” Harper told POLITICO. “A lot of times, when you get out of high school and you’re dealing with intellectual disabilities, you fall off the educational face of the Earth. Sometimes you’re looking to give hope to some of these families who want their child to continue on.”

Barely six weeks old, the Hill program is rapidly generating interest among members, largely because the interns advertise themselves. Already, Senate and legislative branch offices are expressing interest.

“It’s all very exciting,” Graff said. “There’s no doubt that when it comes to intellectual disabilities, Congress is not a one-party unit. We’re seeing support from across the aisle.”

Kia Hill, a 22-year-old with intellectual disabilities, used to think her only real talent was painting her nails.

But after more than a month of an internship and mentoring by a group of House Republicans and their staffers, she talks readily about her goals after graduation.

“There are so many things I want to do,” she said, standing in the Capitol Rotunda, after displaying a handful of intricately designed glitter-covered fingernails.

“I would love to work to help homeless people in here. I want to change people’s lives, that’s the No. 1 thing I want to do. I think I could possibly do that by getting a job here.”

Vivian Alonso, a short, smiling 25-year-old with Down syndrome, has trouble speaking, remembering and telling the difference between long and short lapses of time. Months often seem like days, and last week can easily become “yesterday.”

But she proudly shows off her desk in the GOP House Administration Committee office, and she’s using the internship as a way to work on her reading skills.

The program is designed to serve a dual purpose. Each intern is accompanied to the Hill by a guide, known as a job coach. Graduate students from George Mason’s special education program serve as the coaches, getting hands-on experience in their field.

Megan Kime, one of the coaches, says she’s been amazed by the interns’ progress.

All three show signs of confidence as they learn office skills and develop relationships with other employees.

Along the way, the interns learn life skills: how to commute on Metro; how to buy lunch in the House cafeteria; how to interview for a job. Hill has begun setting her alarm clock to be sure she’s up in time for work.

According to Kime, Alonso is happy with her work at the Capitol; Hill handles herself well, “even though she’s never been in a work environment before”; and Gutkowski “is making fast progress at becoming more vocal with his co-workers.”

“The skills they are learning are top-notch,” Kime said.

The pilot program doesn’t close until the end of next week, but Harper already has big dreams for the next round. He aims to expand the program throughout Congress and hopes to make it similar to the congressional page program, in which students live in nearby housing and work on the Hill.

It’s the kind of opportunity Harper says he would like for his own son to have.

“We’re trying to get them to the point where they can get a job. Not a menial job, but a real job that they actually enjoy and can contribute to the functions of an office,” Harper said. “I think it’s a great bridge for a lot of these kids, and I’m just thrilled to be a part of it.”

Read the article here: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0410/36448.html