Celebrating Workers with Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities for Employment Month |
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To recognize the vital role of people with disabilities in the nation's workforce, The Arc of New Jersey celebrates National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) throughout October. We take this chance to highlight some incredible individuals who are competitively employed and who benefit from supported employment services. This year, the US Department of Labor chose "Disability: Part of the Equity Equation," as the NDEAM theme. Led by its Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Department of Labor's annual observance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month acknowledges the contributions to the nation’s economy made by workers with disabilities, current and past. Keep reading to learn more about supported employment and individuals with IDD working in New Jersey.
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Meet Tyler Who Works at Verizon Ridge Hotel & Carla, his Employment Training Specialist |
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Carla Tiongson is an Employment Training Specialist with Project HIRE and in her role, she helps people with intellectual and developmental disabilities find and maintain competitive employment in the community. Carla started with Project HIRE in 2008. She is responsible for assisting individuals in learning how to complete the job tasks assigned to the employer's standard. These services are delivered intensively at the beginning of hire and are faded to a long term type arrangement for as long as needed to maintain the job. She also is available to interface with the individual, his/her coworkers and management to ensure participant's progress towards independence. "As an ETS, I've really enjoyed working for this great organization assisting people with IDD in any way that I can. Since starting with Project HIRE, it's been great to see so many of the participants I have worked with succeed in the workplace," Carla said. "I've learned that dealing with some employers and participants that it's not always easy, but finding balance and different solutions to make it work is key." When asked what she would like employers to know, Carla said: "There's many employers that I have come across that aren't as supportive and understanding when hiring individuals with IDD, so I really wish more employers took the time to understand and learn about the individual before making any judgements and/or decisions when hiring... It's really hard when they don't have patience and get to know the individual first."
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Tyler M. started working at Verizon Ridge Hotel in Basking Ridge as a dishwasher. With Carla's help and support, and with determination and hard work, Tyler was promoted four months ago and he is now a Cafeteria Attendant. In this new role, Tyler is responsible for preparing and cooking food. Carla reports that management at The Verizon Ridge Hotel love Tyler and appreciate his great work. Tyler is even helping out in his previous role as dishwasher, in addition to being a cafeteria attendant, while the hotel looks to fill a recent vacancy. Carla reports that as an employer, the Hotel has been very supportive of Tyler and they're very glad to have him on the team.
As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, we congratulate Tyler on his success and we commend Carla for all her hard work and dedication as an Employment Specialist.
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Meet Eryn Who Works at No Limits Café |
Eryn started working at No Limits Café, a restaurant in Monmouth County, in February 2020. Her role involves food prep - making the herb aioli, Buffalo chicken sauce, and the coleslaw dressing - and she is now learning different job functions such as making sandwiches and working as a line cook. When she began, Eryn worked only one day a week, but with the help of her Project HIRE Employment Training Specialist, she learned how to advocate for herself and her confidence naturally increased. She subsequently moved up to two days a week at the Café, and just recently she increased her schedule to three days a week. Eryn says she enjoys the challenge and the math involved when completing recipes, and she encourages others to work because a job could be the starting point for somebody to reach their dreams. We congratulate Eryn on her progress and wish her the best of luck on the job! |
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Meet Casey Who Works at ShopRite |
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Casey is a long-time employee of ShopRite supermarkets. Originally at the Hillsborough location for 15 years, Casey started working at the Stirling supermarket in Morris County in February 2022. His role previously included cleaning and handling returns, but now he focuses on maintaining the parking lot which he enjoys a lot more. When asked what he likes about working at the supermarket, Casey talked about earning money and the chance to meet new people. For other individuals with IDD who may be considering competitive employment, Casey says everyone can find a job they like. He is grateful for his Project HIRE Employment Training Specialist (ETS) who supports him on the job. The ETS ensures Casey is completing his work tasks and checks in monthly with management on Casey's performance and progress. Congrats on all your great work, Casey! |
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NJBIA Webinar Showcases Benefits & Process for Hiring People with Disabilities |
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The Arc of New Jersey was proud to be a participating organization in the recent NJ Business and Industry Association webinar entitled, "Hiring People with Disabilities: On-the-Job Training for Individuals with Disabilities," which was held Thursday, August 18. The webinar focused on the benefits and process of hiring and training individuals with disabilities and how they help a company thrive. Attendees heard from three panels of employers, job coaches and employees with disabilities about their success stories on navigating on-the-job training. The event also included information about the resources available to employees and employers through the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. To watch the recording, click the image on the right. Additional webinars can be viewed here:
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If you missed the webinar and would like to view the presentation in its entirety, click the image above.
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What is Supported Employment? |
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Supported employment services help individuals with disabilities to obtain and maintain competitive employment in the community. The Arc of New Jersey's Project HIRE program assists people with IDD to ensure their work experience is a successful one. Project HIRE is accredited for Community Employment Services and School Transition Services by the Commission for the Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). Project HIRE offers the following services: job development, long-term follow along services, Pre-Employment Training Services, Trial Work Experience, pre-vocational training and career planning. In addition, Project HIRE is now a member of the American Dream Employment Network which is a national administrative Employment Network providing services to individuals receiving Social Security Administration disability benefits under the Ticket to Work program. To download a copy of the Project HIRE brochure, click here, visit their website by clicking here, or reach out to Director Adam Kubler at AKubler@arcnj.org. |
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The Arc of New Jersey | 732.246.2525 | info@arcnj.org | www.arcnj.org
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