Did you know that over 10% of our workforce in Nevada is considered disabled? With the unemployment rate at over 12%, this puts our disabled community at a bigger disadvantage for finding jobs.
One of the ways our disabled community can receive help is through the agencies such as the State of Nevada Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation. This agency can not only help the disabled, but also the employers who want to hire those with disabilities. Many times, it is a matter of training, both for the disabled worker, and the companies who have job openings.
I have found that smaller to medium sized employers are interested in hiring disabled individuals, but aren’t sure how to adapt their work environment to accommodate such employees. The larger corporations are very knowledgeable about the requirements for accommodations.
Twice per year, an organization called WEET, offers a Sensitivity Training, to help employers learn about assistive technology and other issues and requirements related to hiring the disabled. This one day seminar is jam packed with useful information and resources for employers. The next seminar is going to be held on November 13, at the CSN W. Charleston Campus. (For more details, please contact Laurie Clemens at 702-853-7482, or go to our website at http://www.lv-
So what types of Assistive Technology are available? For the vision impaired, there are software programs which will help magnify the text on a computer screen. There are other programs that allow the computer to read the text at a very fast rate, so someone who is visually impaired can read the text as it is typing.
For hearing impaired individuals, there are closed captioning programs, for individuals with use of one hand, there are keyboards that can be used in place of a standard keyboard, for right or left handed. For someone with a traumatic brain injury, there are memory building software programs that can be used to train someone to build up their memory skills.
Many of our veterans coming back from serving our country have been diagnosed with memory loss, or some type of traumatic brain injury. This is something I believe we will be seeing more of in the years to come. Employers, educators and employment counselors must be proactive to assist these job seekers in receiving help.
These software programs and assistive technology allows disabled job seekers compete with others for positions, and “level the playing field” when it comes to employment. Most times, I find the disabled just want the same opportunity to excel as their able bodied friends and family. They don’t want special treatment, just the opportunity to show what a great job they can do!
At our training center, LV-PITA, The Professional Institute of Technology, we are partnering with Microsoft, and our local agencies to help our disabled job seekers. We provide training on software programs, and utilize the assistive software programs. Besides training the disabled, we believe in hiring the disabled as well. We have staff with disabilities, but you may not know it when you meet them! That is they way they prefer it; to be “just one of the guys/gals.
As technology continues to evolve, I believe we will be seeing many more innovations in training and technology for our disabled community. It will be exciting to see where the next decade will take us!
Laurie Clemens, is the Director of the Professional Institute of Technology, and has over 15 years in HR, Career Education and working the disabled job seekers. For more information contact her at 702-853-7482 or laurie.clemens@
