Barriers to jobs for disabled youth under discussion

Nevada Daily Mail

Community leaders met with MPACT and On My Own to begin discussing ways to help disabled youth transition from high school to the job force.

Because it was the first meeting of what the organizations hope will be many other meetings with the community stakeholders, the meeting's agenda was mostly a discussion of strengths and barriers for the youth.

"Businesses maybe being a bit afraid to hire someone with a disability; Not knowing how to give them a job was one of the barriers. That's why we're trying to get businesses come to our meetings," Jill Jenkins, youth transition specialist at On My Own said of the discussion that took place, Jan. 27.

The need for the community to understand the barriers is important in establishing a way for disabled youth to overcome them and become part of the functional society, Jennifer Gundy, executive director at On My Own said.

"The need for the students to be able to transition into the workforce is just the natural progression," Gundy said. "Students with disabilities sometimes have more difficulties transitioning in that process. The schools do an excellent job, in regards to, if they have a special education program, but sometimes students fall through the cracks. Or they are not in that program or the students -- depending on their disability -- may have more struggles in certain areas. So the Regional Transition Network is just a great place for different entities to get together to work on making sure there are not barriers set up in the community and in the high school setting, helping them transition into the work force."

Gundy said some of the barriers in society for disabled youth include skills to go into the workforce such as "Learning how to go through job interviews, learning how to dress appropriately for interviews and work and learning how to answer questions."

Disabled youth can also contact resources from agencies that pay employers to give on the job training to the youth hires. Other organizations do job coaching, said Jill Jenkins, youth transition specialist at On My Own. "A lot of kids don't know about them or access them," she said.

Carrie Ragsdale, regional coordinator of MPACT, led the Regional Transition Networks discussion with about 12 business owners and community leaders.

"We want to empower youth. Teach them what their rights are, to advocate for themselves and to speak up for themselves after they graduate," Ragsdale said. "They won't be in school for their whole life."

Ragsdale said it was important to realize these youth are no different from "any other person, they just need more accommodations.

"We are all individuals, and we need to be treated as such. We should treat everyone as a normal person," she said.

The next open meeting will be held March 9, and 10 a.m. at the On My Own building.