Crystal Taylor loves to make jewelry.

She and her mom, Clarissa, design bracelets and necklaces out of their home in Eastsound. Crystal, who has low-functioning autism, enjoys having a creative outlet.

“I am excited,” she said. “It’s so fun.”

Crystal, 26, will be selling her work at the Holiday Festival of the Arts on Saturday, Nov. 24 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the senior center. Her jewelry is also at Pike Place Market in Seattle.

She is launching her new endeavor with the help of job coach Cara Cohn, who is the local program manager for Washington Vocational Services, a private nonprofit contracted through San Juan County.

Based out of Orcas, Cohn has 11 disabled clients in the San Juans. The program, which is in Washington and Alaska, has been active in San Juan County for the past three years.

“It’s very cool helping people make their dreams come true,” she said. “The obstacles are pretty tremendous … it humbles me every morning when I wake up.”

Cohn has lined up work for her clients at such places as the public school cafeteria, grocery stores and island shops. All six of her clients on Orcas are currently employed.

Eastsound business owners Jill and Roger Curtiss have Crystal’s ID bracelets in their store Jillery and Ben Harlow and Ken Brown clean the shop in the morning with the assistance of a helper.

“They don’t have a lot of opportunities here,” Jill said. “They are capable of doing a lot of things. They are reliable, they are always on time, they don’t call in sick. They are so happy to receive a paycheck and feel some independence.”

Once someone is employed, Cohn stays in constant contact to assure the business owner is satisfied. She says there are tax credits available to those who employ disabled workers. One of her most recent success stories was with a client on San Juan Island.

“This young man’s dream is to become a film director,” Cohn said. “Using the high school, I found him a mentor and together we were able to develop a Facebook presence for the San Juan Island Food Co-op and he was able to do interviews and videotape them. He was glowing. He was alive. My heart burst wide open. It was so gratifying.”

Cohn says it’s critical to help those with disabilities find jobs – for their well being as well as the island at large.

“Working with all of our community members is critical to the health of any community,” she said. “We’re trying to avoid having these people experience isolation and depression.”

“Designs by Crystal” is perfect for her because she does best when working from home and her mom Clarissa has multiple sclerosis.

Crystal’s older sister Algerae is a biology researcher at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and her younger sister Mackenzie is in the U.S. Air Force.

“Crystal does not want to leave the island,” Clarissa said. “I have family in California. Right now I’m still fine, and I figure for the two of us, it’s still feasible for me to live here. Being off-island is hard for Crystal; her thing is one store, one road.”

Orcas Islander Jake Griffith, who is 22 and has developmental disabilities, is a janitor at a local hairdresser and does the finishing work for Crystal’s jewelry.

“I find out the interests and the strengths of the individuals we work with, and try to connect them to the community,” Cohn said.

Meredith M. Griffith contributed to this story.