Friday, August 17, 2018
The tap, tap, tap of canes could be heard in several Janesville businesses this summer as students in the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired (WCBVI) Summer EmployAbility program gained valuable job experience. The program ran from June 17 to August 3 with a short break for Independence Day.
In the Summer EmployAbility program, Wisconsin students aged 16-21 who are blind and visually impaired had the opportunity to learn the skills needed to secure a job and then work in the community. In the first two weeks, students learned how to write a resume, how to conduct themselves in an interview, and how to travel in Janesville. They also gained daily living skills like cooking, grocery shopping, and doing laundry, living as independently as possible in a dorm-like setting.
After the Fourth of July holiday, students returned for the final four weeks of the program in which they worked 20 hours per week, Monday through Thursday, earning minimum wage. On Fridays, students participated in activities that were designed to develop self-confidence and other skills within the Expanded Core Curriculum for students who are blind and visually impaired.
David Ballmann, Transition Specialist with WCBVI Outreach, is the EmployAbility Coordinator. He says the program is important because students who are blind or visually impaired have a much lower rate of employment compared to sighted peers of their own age. With all of the areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum that need to be learned, students who are blind or visually impaired often don’t have time to look for or work at a job. Also, students often need job coaching to be successful. EmployAbility gives students practical experience with travel skills, shopping, and meal preparation. The ultimate goal of the program is to transfer knowledge and experience back to the students’ home communities and give them more confidence when they are looking for employment.
Twelve students participated this year. Ronnay Howard, 17, from Milwaukee, was one of those students. She worked at the Creative Children’s Learning Center. She liked the program because she learned how to apply for a job. She would recommend the program to others because “even though you may have a visual impairment, you can go out there and get a job.”
Kordell Bergemann, 18, of Burlington, said that his mother thought that EmployAbility would be a good experience for him. He worked at Jack and Dick's Feed and Garden. After going through the program, he agreed because “it is a good way to get job experience and it looks good on a résumé.”
Andre Ellis, 16, from Milwaukee, worked at Janesville’s Montessori Children’s House, LLC. He was happy because he learned how to cook and it was easier than he thought. He also learned how to take care of himself and to get ready for work and be on time.
Alex Mason, 18, of Fond du Lac, worked at ECHO, Inc. He attended because he thought it would be a good experience and he likes to meet new people. He thinks the program is important because he learned job skills, bus routes, and cooking.
Other area businesses that participated were the Italian House restaurant, Petland, Basics Cooperative Natural Foods Store, Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin, Mocha Moment, Walgreens, and the Janesville Police Department.
In addition to general education classes, students who are blind or visually impaired also get lessons in the Expanded Core Curriculum. Subjects such as Braille, Orientation and Mobility (techniques which enable students to travel safely and independently), Social Skills, Independent Living Skills (personal hygiene, dressing, eating, cooking, cleaning, money management, meal planning, and laundry), and Assistive Technology are among the Expanded Core Curriculum.
The WCBVI has sponsored a Summer EmployAbility program since 2005, helping over 125 students gain work experience. Students look forward to the program, with some attending multiple times.
Subscriber Submission: Written by Michelle Rueckert