Employment Services

Imagine that you are a person who experiences a significant disability; you have completed your public education, probably in special education classes that may not have included any of the friends that you grew up with from your neighborhood or others without disabilities (other than the teaching staff). Did you know that 70% of all individuals with significant disabilities between the ages of 18 and 65 are unemployed? So, as you look around at your "Graduation Ceremony", seven out of every ten of your classmates will be unemployed. And oh, by the way, those other three...many of them are going to be under-employed. They might work in some sort of supported employment; they may work very few hours at minimum or sub-minimum wages, and perhaps the schedule is at times that they don’t perform their best. Service industry jobs are common; the five F’s (food, filth, flowers, filing, and fetching) are very common. The opportunity for career development and making lasting friendships with community members is better than in a sheltered workshop, but still limited.

Many people are discouraged from working because they or their family are convinced that as soon as they earn any income, they will lose their Social Security Cash and Medical benefits. Others are completely devalued, and considered “unemployable”. If they are lucky enough to get selected for services, they get to spend their days together with other “unemployable” people, visiting community activities as a group, or just relaxing together.

Employment services are finally changing dramatically; more and more, careers are possible. It may be that a person still works in a service industry business, but now the job may have been carved out of another position, or customized by combining several functions of a number of different jobs that just never seem to get done, and creating a new position. Assessments have a greater emphasis on functional skills, wants, desires and competencies, and less credence is given to clinical test results that define deficiencies based on performance of tasks that the focus person may never choose to do on their own.

Customizing opportunities for people with significant disabilities to fully participate in employment begins with an unwavering set of values and belief that ALL people can work. All of us have gifts, talents, and skills, and rely on support to develop meaningful employment outcomes. All people, regardless of disability should be presumed not only capable of working, but of developing a successful career.

The Center for Human Development offers several areas of support in employment and career development for persons with significant disabilities. We are especially interested in promoting and increasing Micro Enterprise Development or Self-Employment by people with disabilities as an avenue of preferred choice. We also provide Benefit Planning and Assistance services to help those who depend on benefits make a smooth transition to the workforce. We work and collaborate closely with other service providers who embrace the concepts of self-determined and directed supports in all phases of life. Browse our page; you may find just what you need to get your career started.

For more information contact:

Ken Hamrick in Anchorage at 907-264-6235 or 1-800-243-2199.