Advocates for Life Skills and Opportunity (ALSO) s inlägg

We had a really interesting discussion last week. We were due to work with a woman starting a role in retail.    However, the manager for the role has said that this person WOULD NOT be hired following a trial period because she wouldn’t be exceptional in the role.    This is before they have met the individual and seen what they can do.    The company in question has the Disability Confident kite-mark, which makes this even more difficult to accept and to understand.    As we have mentioned with previous posts, fewer than 5% of people with learning disabilities are in paid employment and this is one of the reasons why.    There is still a stigma, and there are still low expectations, making it harder for people with disabilities to access employment opportunities. There are ways around so many potential 'barriers' but for someone to be judged in this way feels so unacceptable. The matter has been taken higher up within the organisation, and there may yet be a resolution. But why would/should the individual even continue to pursue this?! Positive Futures WY #DisabilityConfident #SupportedEmployment

Join us for our upcoming Employment Supports webinar on Tuesday, December 5th, 2023, from 10:00 am to 11:30 am AEDT. This event will be held online, and you won't want to miss it! 🔹 Register for this webinar here! 🔹 https://lnkd.in/gFg72ADZ Finding the right employment support is crucial for individuals with disabilities to succeed in their roles. But it's not just about finding a 'match'—there's so much more to consider! In this new webinar, we're excited to share innovative approaches, strategies, and tips for families and allies. Our goal is to empower you to find the ideal job supports for individuals with disabilities, ensuring the best employment outcomes. Our approach differs from traditional methods in the disability sector, focusing on individualised support for genuine inclusion. 📌 Topics we'll cover: ✨ Finding the perfect match ✨ The role of a job coach ✨ Characteristics of an effective job coach ✨ Steps to find the right support ✨ Supporting the job coach in their role ✨ Innovative approaches, strategies, and tips ✨ Embracing an individualized approach ✨ What is "School to Work"? 📚 "School to Work" aims to inspire and prepare students with disabilities, with the support of their families, to pursue meaningful, paid employment within the community. 👥 Who should attend this webinar? 👉 Families, professionals, and service providers looking to support individuals with disabilities in their journey toward genuine community employment. 👉 Employers who have hired or are considering hiring individuals with disabilities. Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your knowledge and make a real impact in the lives of those with disabilities. Register today and be part of the change! https://lnkd.in/gFg72ADZ #Employment #EmploymentSupports #EmploymentWebinar #SchoolToWork

Missed Opportunities…. So many valuable opportunities are missed when we determine a person with a disability is “Not Job Ready.” The missed opportunity for the person with a disability to share their diverse talents and perspectives to the workplace. The missed opportunity for the person with a disability to fully participate and thrive in the workforce through modifying work environments, communication methods, and providing assistive technologies that promote productivity and diversity in the workplace. The missed opportunity to create inclusive work environments and build real natural work relationships. The missed opportunity for employers to create a diverse workforce of diverse cognitive styles and abilities. The missed opportunity to create a more equitable and accepting society. The missed opportunity to explore innovative approaches such as customized employment opportunities to match the person’s diverse talents and strengths. And lastly, and most importantly, the missed opportunity for employment professionals to advance their skill sets of creativity, confidence, competency and comfortableness of working with all people with different cognitive styles and abilities. Focusing on the opportunity of equal opportunity, accessibility and embracing diversity, we can maximize the potential and contributions of all people with disabilities versus the “Not Job Ready” opportunity.

February is recognized as Low Vision Awareness month. These two websites provide useful information about low vision education and employment accommodations: https://lnkd.in/gvjf9dj7 https://lnkd.in/g2hTmXbU

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime." 🎣 With this philosophy in mind, we are diving deep into the world of supported employment in the blog below. Discover how this tailored approach is revolutionizing the employment landscape, helping people with disabilities find and maintain meaningful jobs.

With the launch of our Early Career Talent Accelerator, we are excited to be partnering with Disability:IN Corporate Partner companies to address the need for disability-focused development programs that empower #Disabled professionals to thrive early in their career journeys. This accelerator program is a crucial link to increasing #DisabilityInclusion in the workplace through the retention and advancement of professionals with disabilities in the workforce, and we are keen to learn how the program will support long-term growth for these Early Career Talent Accelerator participants. This is only the start! Check out the article at https://lnkd.in/gVcYm8BV via Kristen Parisi (of HR Brew ™️). [ID: Blue gradient background behind white and green text, Disability:IN Early Career Talent Accelerator. "Getting employees in the door - that's only half the battle. You want to retain, develop, advance, and grow your talent. And that should include your talent that's disabled." - Jill Houghton, President & CEO, Disability:IN. To the right is a line divider separating Jill's quote from her headshot. Jill is a woman with blonde hair wearing a blue-collared black pin-stripped polo, smiling in front of a white wall.]

Do you know what you love, but don't love what you do? Do you know you’re capable of more? Imposter syndrome is common in the workforce – especially for young adults with disabilities! Let it be known that you are capable and that you have the capacity to move forward in life. If you’re an adult aged 18-30 with a disability and seeking the confidence to build your career, look into NextGen Careers! The initiative supports young adults searching for meaningful employment in a person-first, success-driven way. Learn more about NextGen Careers and how they can help you or a loved one gain confidence in their career path: https://lnkd.in/eHga_4Xq Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) #WorkforceWednesday #CelebrateDifferences #Neurodiversity #SelfCapacity #NextGenCareers #Accessibility #DisabledinSTEM

From the DSP Collaborative: "Direct Support Professionals (DSP’s) assist hundreds of thousands of Californians with developmental disabilities to work and live as independently as possible. Current workforce shortages impact the ability for these services and supports to be truly individualized.   DSPCollaborative is an initiative by two neighboring regional centers and their service providers to promote employment in the developmental disabilities field. Valley Mountain Regional Center and Alta California Regional Center have partnered our service provider community to promote DSP Jobs! This is a free service for job seekers and for service providers. If you are a VMRC service provider, please consider posting your employment needs here! https://lnkd.in/djdZviwb This is a FREE job posting site!  For job seekers: https://lnkd.in/dQUqMia6 Select the job that is right for you by location (by county) For Providers: https://lnkd.in/daGmfs8r The DSP Collaborative is a DSP recruitment effort that combines a multi-media advertising project to brand the term DSP with an on-line DSP Collaborative job site that connects potential employees with subscribing DD provider employers. The DSP Collaborative website was launched in direct response to the number one challenge facing California’s Developmental Disabilities System – the workforce crisis. Providers are experiencing record high staff vacancies and employee turnover. In addition, the federal Department of Labor projects that direct care will be the number one job in demand during the next twenty years, resulting in a challenge of significant proportions."

Everyone has the potential to achieve great things. …yes, that includes all individuals, including YOU. With the right support and resources, people who were once overlooked are now being given opportunities they never thought possible. Our mission is to help bridge the employment gap for those with disabilities—providing them with job placement and support they need to succeed in the workplace. So if you're ready to break barriers and pursue the job of your dreams, we are here to help you every step of the way. Remember, you can do it no matter who you are👉https://bit.ly/GaltCareers