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Disability Navigator to Empower Job Seekers: Inspired by My Mother’s Service and Resilience—Meet Lia Weiler Gallagher, Disability Advocate at Arapahoe Douglas Works
Join GlobalMindED in celebrating the achievements of individuals with disabilities and those who support them. We're highlighting inspiring stories from education, business, and advocacy.
Lia Weiler Gallagher is a Disability Navigator at Arapahoe Douglas Works. With a passion for creating inclusive workplaces, she provides guidance, support, and resources to help job seekers navigate the hiring process and secure fulfilling employment opportunities.
What is your personal/professional story?
I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of Denver, Colorado. I obtained my first real job at fifteen years old when I began working at my local Subway to save for my first car. By my senior year of high school, I was balancing two part-time jobs, at Subway and DSW. I continued working at DSW throughout college, and I attended Colorado State University (CSU) as a social work major. I spent my summers as a camp counselor for a summer camp for gifted and talented students called the Summer Enrichment Program (SEP) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). After completing an internship with the Human Animal Bond in Colorado (HABIC), where I trained my dog to be a therapy dog, and graduating with honors from CSU, I wanted to start building experience to break into the service dog field. After a few years of working with dogs, I decided to go back to my roots and focus on helping people. I began working at Bayaud Enterprises to assist people in applying for SSI/SSDI benefits. After three years, I began working for Arapahoe County, first as a TANF case manager and then moving to the Disability Program Navigator (DPN) role, which I helped to build from the ground up starting in 2022. Since then, I’ve been in this role to help job seekers with disabilities connect with workforce programs and services, vocational rehabilitation, and other community resources. I regularly attend hiring and networking events, present to groups of professionals, and speak with members of the community. I’m very proud of my work as the DPN in the last two and a half years.
What key moments in your life led you to where you are today?
I believe that beginning work at fifteen years old instilled a very strong work ethic in me. My ability to be a good worker and positive member of a team instilled confidence in me for the first time, and I’ve always found a lot of personal fulfillment from my work and leadership. In my current role, I’m able to help people understand their abilities and passions and help them find employment. Being able to help people understand their true potential and help them build an independent life for themselves is extremely rewarding. I focus on job seekers with disabilities because I enjoy helping some of the most disadvantaged groups accomplish their goals and understand that their abilities are limitless. I’m able to connect with people through shared experience, empathy, and an understanding of what many disabled people in my orbit deal with in their lives.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
My mother has always had a passion for helping others, even before she did it professionally. Throughout my upbringing, I was able to see how she planned community events for disadvantaged youth, how she always gave to those less fortunate, and how she opened our home to those who needed it. My mother also has experienced multiple disabling events in her life that have required her to pivot. Instead of letting these circumstances bring her down and make her jaded, she has found new ways to help people and even went back to school to become a professional counselor. The idea of helping and giving to others has always been ingrained in me and is a core aspect of who I am.
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?
GlobalMindED’s Inclusive Success Network is a great resource to provide to my customers, especially those who need a bit more support and guidance to reach their employment goals. Their monthly equity sessions (and library of past sessions) provide valuable insight into how people from disadvantaged communities can break into some of the top industries in our state.
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