EMPLOYMENT ARTICLES

PepsiCo — Effervescent Corporate Culture


During a recent Super Bowl, millions of viewers caught a Pepsi commercial, one that some say represents an historic first. The unusual ad featured a silent, 60-second joke: Two guys drive to their friend Bob’s house to watch the big game. Once they get to his street, neither remembers his address. So they sit in the car arguing in sign language until one of them gets a clever idea and lays on the horn. One by one, the houses light up-except for Bob’s More

Connecticut Dept. of Labor — Gift of Opportunity


Joe Stromondo was born with dwarfism. But dwarfism doesn’t define who he is; it is simply the name of his disability. It doesn’t take more than a five-minute conversation with the 24-year-old Stromondo, who works full time as a career advisor at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, to realize how bright and energetic he is. Upon graduating from Trinity with a BA in philosophy two years ago, Stromondo had hoped to pursue a PhD in bioethics, with a specific focus in disability bioethics. He applied for entry to nine different PhD programs, only to be rejected by all of them. Never one to be easily discouraged, Stromondo switched his emphasis More

Paralympic Military — Sport as Rehabilitation


Who am I now? What do I do with my life? How do I become employed? How do I provide for my family? What will they think of me?

A veteran of the Gulf War and former Olympic and Paralympic athlete, John Register saw those questions flash across the faces of soldiers as he spoke at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio, Texas. And he knew them all too well. He’d asked the same things himself 11 years ago while waiting for a prosthesis to be put on his left leg. BAMC is the place for military rehabilitation, he’d told himself, but the reassurances didn’t make his situation any easier.

Standing before a group of soldiers, all of whom had recently been injured or had undergone amputations because of combat, Register had a mission: to acknowledge any questions they may have about life after injury, and to promote sport as an answer. More
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Vocational Rehabilitation Services Programs

Connecticut Department of Social Services' - Connect-Ability funded thru Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is focused on removing barriers to employment of people with disabilities of all ages. Visit video stories of James, Jovan, Gregg, Collen, Matt and Bill
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Colorado Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), its many partners, and Colorado employers work together each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of Colorado citizens with disabilities. Take a moment to read our featured success stories; Gary Romero, Dan Rafferty and Cindy Westing.
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Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), An employment program assisting individuals with disabilities, including Floridians with the most severe disabilities, to pursue meaningful careers commensurate with their abilities and capabilities. Here are four recent stories; Joe DeMoranville, George R. Davis, Sr., Carla DePolito and David deMunecas.
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Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (IDVR) helps individuals with disabilities take their place in the work force and in the community. Their website shares the stories of nine consumers who have benefited from their services as well as from the partnerships that IDVR has developed with other agencies and organizations. Enter Here to Read Their Stories
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Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) - Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) is the state's lead agency serving individuals with disabilities. DRS works in partnership with people with disabilities and their families to assist them in making informed choices to achieve full community participation through employment, education, and independent living opportunities. Recent Story From Rockford Division Team Below:

Jim is an individual who lost his vision due to a car accident in 2005. He was shoveling his driveway at the time when a car ran off the road and hit him, causing multiple disabling conditions. Jim literally had to learn how to walk again. He also had to learn how to process and speak by using word retrieval techniques and learn the skills and techniques to adjust to total blindness.

After much rehabilitation in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, Jim was referred to the Rockford BBS Team to adjust to his vision loss and prepare for his return to work. The Team members consisted of James Moore, RCS; Elisabeth Mann, RI; Dolores Avila, RCC; and Nancy Schultz, Mobility Instructor.

After extensive team planning, Jim received the following:

· Orientation and Mobility services with Nancy Schultz,

· Rehabilitation Instructor services in the areas of Braille, Activities of Daily Living Skills (ADLs), and screen reading systems (JAWS) with Elisabeth Mann and

· Employment and vocational services with James Moore.

Jim is still employed but is on a reduced work basis as the Director of a Retreat Center. At this time customer continues to receive training from Elisabeth Mann on Braille and Counseling and Guidance services from James Moore to support an employment outcome. Jim has made remarkable progress since then, and is very grateful to Team Rockford for all their help and assistance.