Derek Point has been supporting the mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for more than a decade. He found meaningful employment through Melwood after a series of jobs where he wasn’t respected. Because he’s deaf, Derek was often in jobs where his full potential was untapped.

“It’s so hard for a disabled person to find work. It breaks my heart. But luckily I have a job where I can do the cleaning, painting, and all the things that I do,” he signed. “There’s a lot of different things to do here.”

Derek has worked for Melwood at the USDA’s George Washington Carver Center in Beltsville, Md. since 2012, and in that time, he’s earned the respect of his bosses and co-workers, in part because of his desire to continually improve his skills. In 2026, Derek was recognized with the prestigious William M. Usdane Award, an honor from SourceAmerica that recognizes individuals who exemplify how disability employment drives innovation, strengthens the economy, and enhances the nation’s workforce readiness.

“If people were saying, ‘You’re deaf, you can’t do this,’ or if my boss said that, I would show them that I can,” he signed.