An official website of the United States government
          Here’s how you know
        Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**A
              **.gov** website belongs to an official government
              organization in the United States.
        **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**A
              **lock** (
              Locked padlock icon) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Skip to contentSkip to navigation **Get help with up-to-date COVID-19 vaccines**ACL's Eldercare Locator and DIAL can connect you to tests and vaccines Announcements A - Z Browse For the Network Search
  Program and Policy AreasColumn 1 - Programs*** COVID-19 ***ACL A to Z: Programs, Networks, & Focus AreasOverviewAging and Disability NetworksAging and Disability Resource CentersAmericans with Disabilities Act National NetworkArea Agencies on AgingAssistive Technology NetworkCenters for Independent LivingProtection and Advocacy SystemsSenior Centers and Supportive Services for Older AdultsState Councils on Developmental DisabilitiesState Units on AgingUniversity Centers for Excellence in Developmental DisabilitiesAlzheimer’s Disease and DementiaConnecting People to ServicesAging and Disability Resource Centers Program/No Wrong Door SystemMedicare Improvements for Patients and Providers ActState Health Insurance Assistance ProgramConsumer Choice and ControlPerson-Centered PlanningSupported Decision MakingTransportation Research and Demonstration ProgramVeteran Directed Care ProgramData ProjectsEmpowering AdvocacyThe President’s Committee for People with Intellectual DisabilitiesEmploymentFor American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native HawaiiansHealth & WellnessBehavioral HealthBrain HealthChronic Disease Self-ManagementFalls PreventionHealth PromotionI Can Do It! (ICDI)HIV/AIDSNutritionOral HealthOpioid CrisisProgram Evaluations and ReportsProtecting Rights and Preventing AbuseElder Abuse PreventionElder Justice Coordinating CouncilHelp America Vote Act ProgramsLegal AssistanceLong-Term Care OmbudsmanFor People with DisabilitiesSenior Medicare PatrolSupporting Adult Protective ServicesResearch and DevelopmentAdvanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) ProgramDisability and Rehabilitation Research ProgramField-Initiated Projects Program Rehabilitation ResearchModel Systems ProgramNIDILRR Annual ReportNIDILRR External EvaluationNIDILRR Performance and EvaluationRehabilitation Engineering Research Center ProgramRehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) ProgramSmall Business Innovation Research ProgramSwitzer Research Fellowship ProgramRetirement Planning and Pension SupportSupport to CaregiversLifespan Respite Care ProgramNational Family Caregiver Support ProgramRAISE Family Caregiving Advisory CouncilSupporting Grandparents Raising GrandchildrenSupport for People with Limb Loss, Paralysis and TBILimb Loss Resource CenterParalysis Resource CenterTraumatic Brain InjuryStrengthening the Aging and Disability NetworksAging and Disability Evidence-Based Programs and PracticesDiversity & Cultural CompetencyDuals Demonstration Ombudsman Program Technical AssistanceImproving Business PracticesImproving Quality of ServicesNational Resource CentersProjects of National SignificancePerson-Centered, Trauma-Informed ServiceSuccess StoriesVolunteer Opportunities and Civic EngagementGrantsColumn 1 - GrantsACL’s Grants ProcessApplying for GrantsApplication TipsHow to ApplyFunding OpportunitiesClosed OpportunitiesGrant LifecycleManaging a GrantData, Research & IssuesColumn 1 - AgingOverviewData and ResearchACL DataThe State of the States in Developmental DisabilitiesNIDILRR Publications and ResourcesProfile of Older AmericansIssue Briefings and Other ReadingNewsroomColumn 1 - NewsLatest NewsAnnouncementsACL BlogEvents and ObservancesSpeeches and TestimonyColumn 2 - NewsACL UpdatesReady-to-publish materialsACL LogosArticles, Infographics, and Fact SheetsVideosFor ReportersStory IdeasCommunicating with Older AdultsFOIAAbout ACLColumn 1 - About ACLAbout Community LivingAbout the Aging and Disability NetworksMission & VisionOrganizationOrganizational ChartLeadershipRegional OfficesHistoryBudgetPolicy and RegulationsPublic InputReports to Congress               and the PresidentColumn 2 - About ACLAuthorizing StatutesDevelopmental Disabilities ActOlder Americans ActWorkforce Innovation and Opportunity ActElder Justice ActHealth Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)Help America Vote ActMedicare Improvements for Patients & Providers ActPublic Health Service ActRehabilitation ActWorking at ACLContact Us
 Home
          Program and Policy Areas
          Stories of Disability Employment Journeys Stories of Disability Employment Journeys
 Program and Policy Areas
  

        - Left Nav -

    *** COVID-19 ***
                          ACL A to Z: Programs, Networks, & Focus Areas
                          Overview
                                
                
        Aging and Disability Networks
          
                                  Aging and Disability Resource Centers
                          Americans with Disabilities Act National Network
                          Area Agencies on Aging
                          Assistive Technology Network
                          Centers for Independent Living
                          Protection and Advocacy Systems
                          Senior Centers and Supportive Services for Older Adults
                          State Councils on Developmental Disabilities
                          State Units on Aging
                          University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities
                                Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
                                
                
        Connecting People to Services
          
                                  Aging and Disability Resource Centers Program/No Wrong Door System
                          Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act
                          State Health Insurance Assistance Program
                                      
                
        Consumer Choice and Control
          
                                  Person-Centered Planning
                          Supported Decision Making
                          Transportation Research and Demonstration Program
                          Veteran Directed Care Program
                                Data Projects
                                
                
        Empowering Advocacy
          
                                  The President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities
          
                                  President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities releases 2015 Report to the President
                                Employment
                          For American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians
                                
                
        Health & Wellness
          
                                  Behavioral Health
                          Brain Health
                          Chronic Disease Self-Management
                          Falls Prevention
                          Health Promotion
                          I Can Do It! (ICDI)
                          HIV/AIDS
                          Nutrition
                          Oral Health
                                Opioid Crisis
                          Program Evaluations and Reports
                                
                
        Protecting Rights and Preventing Abuse
          
                                  Elder Abuse Prevention
          
                                  Draft Voluntary Consensus Guidelines for State APS Systems
                          Elder Abuse Prevention Intervention
                          Late Life Domestic Violence
                          National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS)
                          National Center on Elder Abuse (Title II)
                          National Elder Abuse Incidence Study (1998)
                          Prevention of Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (Title VII-A3)
                          State Grants to Enhance Adult Protective Services
                          The National Adult Protective Services Technical Assistance Resource Center
                                Elder Justice Coordinating Council
                          Help America Vote Act Programs
                          Legal Assistance
                                Long-Term Care Ombudsman
          
                                  LTC Ombudsman National and State Data
                                For People with Disabilities
                          Senior Medicare Patrol
                          Supporting Adult Protective Services
                                      
                
        Research and Development
          
                                  Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) Program
                                Disability and Rehabilitation Research Program
          
                                  Knowledge Translation Program
                                Field-Initiated Projects Program Rehabilitation Research
                          Model Systems Program
                          NIDILRR Annual Report
                          NIDILRR External Evaluation
                          NIDILRR Performance and Evaluation
                          Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center Program
                          Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program
                          Small Business Innovation Research Program
                          Switzer Research Fellowship Program
                                Retirement Planning and Pension Support
                                
                
        Support to Caregivers
          
                                  Lifespan Respite Care Program
                          National Family Caregiver Support Program
                          RAISE Family Caregiving Advisory Council
                          Supporting Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
                                      
                
        Support for People with Limb Loss, Paralysis and TBI
          
                                  Limb Loss Resource Center
                          Paralysis Resource Center
                          Traumatic Brain Injury
                                      
                
        Strengthening the Aging and Disability Networks
          
                                  Aging and Disability Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
                          Diversity & Cultural Competency
                          Duals Demonstration Ombudsman Program Technical Assistance
                          Improving Business Practices
                          Improving Quality of Services
                          National Resource Centers
                          Projects of National Significance
                          Person-Centered, Trauma-Informed Service
                                Success Stories
                          Volunteer Opportunities and Civic Engagement Employment is about more than just a paycheck. It is about maintaining independence, being a part of something larger than yourself, and giving back to your community. In the run-up to National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2019, ACL reached out to some of our grantees and stakeholders for stories about the employment journeys of people with disabilities. Below are just a few of the responses we received.
**Turning a Love of Animals Into a Career**
Jason with his wheelchair, AAC device and a sign inviting visitors to talk to him.Jason with a sign that says: "Please stop and talk to me. I have some interesting information for you."From Paraquad, a Center for Independent Living in Missouri:
This year, Jason will be celebrating his 20th year of employment at the Butterfly House! Jason started volunteering at the Butterfly House in 2001. As a volunteer he greeted guests and handed out pamphlets with activity information. Jason was offered a position at the Butterfly House shortly after he began volunteering. Jason currently rotates between various exhibits at the Butterfly House and provides guests with exhibit information. Jason utilizes his tablet to play his scripts for guests and last year Jason began independently creating his own scripts. Jason enjoys his independence and inputting his own scripts into his tablets without assistance from staff. Jason is hardworking, dedicated, and resourceful. Jason is very proud of his job at the Butterfly House and enjoys interacting with his co-workers and guests. Outside of work Jason likes to spend his time going to church, hanging with his girlfriend, going to camps in the summer, and volunteering at the Saint Louis Zoo.
"I Stopped Putting the World Can't in my Vocabulary"
For National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the National Disability Rights Network is highlighting stories of disability employment. Derek Alexander is a business consultant for the Delaware Division for the Visually Impaired.
"As soon as they find out you're blind, they start treating you differently," he says. "When I first found out that I was blind, I treated myself differently." He encourages other people with disabilities to "focus on what you can do."

**Self-Employment: Two Brothers' Garden Grows**
Jon was determined that his brother would not languish at home. He applied for and received a state grant that helps individuals with disabilities start their own businesses; Jeff's Corner Garden was born. They literally started their plot in a "corner" of a community garden under the interstate overpass. They acquired a refrigerated bicycle cart to deliver their produce to downtown restaurants. They grew quickly and opened a second location on Barrancas Avenue.
Jon says, "Fast forward to today; three-and-a-half years later and we've grown into this."
Watch the full report from WEAR TV.
**Preparing Teenagers for College and a Career**
The Next Steps Summer Program  is a program of The Ability Center, a Center for Independent Living in Ohio. During the five-week program, the students live on campus at The University of Toledo and work at a job site. 19-year-old Emily Strzelecki is spending part of her summer working in the Office of Accessibility at Lourdes University.
Watch an abc13 report about Emily's story.
Returning to Work at the Garage After a Car Accident
From Amanda and Ed:
In February 2011, Ed was involved in a serious rollover car accident in which he sustained a serious TBI, both lungs collapsed, nine broken ribs, left shoulder, arm and fingers broken. They removed the right side of his skull to reduce swelling and he was in a coma for six weeks. ... He was left with approximately 50% use in his left arm but has learned to compensate. He did several weeks of physical therapy after waking up to learn to walk, talk, etc
In 2015 we started working with our states Office of Rehabilitative Services. He was able to have neuropsych and social security benefits counseling, and a vocation evaluation. ORS was awesome and we could not have gotten him back to work without them! They helped us figure out Social security's "Ticket to Work" program and all of that.
Ed is a mechanic and even though his short term memory was one of his main issues, his brain is an encyclopedia of cars and car engines and because he did not need supportive services, she was able to get him a vocation evaluation in a garage! In 2015 he spent two weeks "working for free" at the garage basically showing that he was able to work with people, follow the rules and be a valuable employee. That garage ended up hiring him as a part time employee and he stayed there for two years!
in 2017, he felt he was ready for full time employment and as of now he is working 40 hours plus 4 hours over time every Saturday. The garage he works at is aware of his brain injury.
"The Experience Continues!": Transitioning Back to Work with a Social Media Internship
JivonJivonFrom Jivon:
On November 3, 2015, my life changed. I was in a car accident that led to a 12 week coma and loss of my ability to walk. Through healing and rehab I am, for the most part, the same as I was on November 2, 2015. However, that took some time and patience. I had a 17 year work history, which was interrupted by this incident. Fortunately, the District of Columbia’s Aspiring Professionals Program ended my three year break. I am now doing a 6-month paid internship with the DC Developmental Disabilities Council, with support from DC’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. I will be ensuring our social media stays up to date, getting to know the needs in our community to inform our future work, and keeping everyone at the office organized. I have immense gratitude for the participants and supporters of my work program. The experience continues!
**Engaging Faith Communities to Promote Disability Employment**
Putting Faith to Work is a model that congregations and communities can use to connect job seekers with disabilities to meaningful employment. Developed by collaborating University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities in Tennessee, Kentucky, Minnesota, and Texas and led by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, the project has been developed a step-by-step replication manual published in both English and Spanish.
Read the story of one congregation in Tennessee which is using the model.
Helping Employers See the Potential of Workers with Disabilities
Tiffany Diaz, a college student with a visual disability, hopes to work at a law firm after graduation.
“Some people call it ambitious,” Diaz said, “Not ambitious in a positive way, but ... they don’t think I can really do that but they say it’s cool I’m thinking of it.”
ABLE South Carolina, a Center for Independent Living, along with the South Carolina Disability Employment Coalition, is working to change that mindset through the “Hire Me SC” campaign.
Watch a WIS News 10 report on the campaign and visit the Hire Me SC site.
Project SEARCH Helps Lauren Put Computer Skills to Use
LaurenLauren at her computer.From Tennessee's Council on Developmental Disabilities:
Lauren has always wanted to develop valuable bonds with people in her community. She has looked for support through many different mediums to assist with different fears she has had with community interaction, employment, driving, and communication. While Lauren showed dedication in getting her driver’s license, she and her family realized she could benefit from services offered through the Employment and Community First CHOICES program.
Lauren was enrolled in December 2016. Employment and Community First CHOICES provided a platform for Lauren to enroll in Project SEARCH in October 2018, where she could pursue a goal of obtaining full-time work using her computer skills. Through this internship, Lauren experienced an office environment that exposed her to data entry tasks, where she was able to leverage her exceptional attention to detail. She became a leader in this program. At the end of Lauren’s Internship in Project SEARCH, she was offered a full-time position as a Referral Coordinator for Amerigroup TN.
Insisting on College and Employment After a Stroke
From Ashley:
I survived a hemorrhagic stroke due to a massive AVM bleed when I was 18 years old. I was unable to walk, talk, eat, or anything on my own at first, but I knew I had my whole life ahead of me. I was not up for wasting away, so I enrolled in community college just six months after the event. I tried to take one class that first year and fell on my face without any accommodations. I went to Vocational Rehabilitation soon after to see if they could offer any assistance. I was initially met with resistance and asked if going back to school was even a “realistic” expectation for me. Soon after, I thought that I was going in for a meeting about education and ended up at a meeting about placing me in a workshop. This did not work for me, and was not something I wanted to do. So, I left the meeting without filling out any paperwork, and feeling distraught that someone would question my goals like that. I went back to the community college and sought out the Outreach Counselor for advice. She assisted me with setting up proper accommodations and finding classes that fit with my rehabilitation schedule. I flourished and graduated with a nice GPA all without the assistance of Voc. Rehab. Thanks to getting the Pell Grant.
After I graduated with my Associates in Arts, I wanted to transfer a get my Bachelor’s Degree. The Pell Grant would not cover that, so I knew I had to make my case with VR again. So, I went back to my counselor and showed him my progress at a junior college and asked for assistance to get into a university. The only university near my rehabilitation doctors and therapists that offered the degree that I wanted was Park University, and they are more costly than a state university. I had to have them all write letters to keep me in the Kansas City area and send them to my VR Counselor. After he received them all, he authorized my full tuition to the university where I obtained my Bachelors in Social Work and Fitness and Wellness in 2017, and my Masters in Social Work in 2018.
When I graduated I had trouble finding work for about 3 months, and after applying for numerous positions, I received an email from the State of Missouri’s Mental Health Department for a position as a Service Coordinator. I nervously interviewed for the position and got it! I still do not drive, mind you, but I emphasized the use of public transportation. I was in that position for nine months, and then an intake position opened up and I decided to interview for that. I did get that position, and that’s now where I have been for a year. I am now talking to new people with disabilities every day, and getting them connected to different resources.
I am only sharing my story to let other individuals that have survived a brain injury, or that have any type of disability know that it is possible to achieve whatever you put your mind to. There will be obstacles, but the human spirit is resilient, just keep going forward.
"What Matters": More Stories of Employment from the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council
What Matters (PDF) tells the stories of nine people with developmental disabilities who work and have meaningful days in their communities. Their stories illustrate the success that is possible when the right planning, support, and expectations are in place.

                    *Last modified on 03/05/2021*
 Back to Top    What We Do and Why We Do It
ACL was created around the fundamental principle that all people, regardless of age or disability, should be able to live independently and fully participate fully in their communities. Learn more about community living.

FacebookYouTubeTwitter x logo  XLinkedInShare on Other PlatformsSite Support
  

        
      Home
                      Accessibility
                      Disclaimers
                      Contact Us
                      Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
                      Privacy Policy
                      Site Map
                      Viewers & Players
                      Vulnerability Disclosure PolicyOther ACL Sites
  

        
      Disability Assistance and Information Line
                      Eldercare Locator
                      ElderJustice.acl.gov
                      LongTermCare.gov
                      OlderIndians.govRelated Sites
  

        
      Grants.gov
                      HHS.gov
                      No Fear Act
                      Plain Writing (on HHS.gov)
                      USA.gov
                      WhiteHouse.gov
                      Vote.govSign up for ACL updates
Receive important announcements, events, and resources via email.
Subscribe
    An official website of the Administration for Community Living, an operating division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.