All people have the right
to fulfilling competitive employment.
And today more than ever
people with disabilities are working in a wide variety of jobs
and having a meaningful impact in their communities.
The young people in this video talk about how they went about finding their jobs
and why employment is an important part of living their best lives.
I love my job.
Employment is important to me because I feel like it's a way
to make a difference in the world
or make an impact
on the economy.
You need it to pay the bills.
You need it to do some fun stuff
and you get that first paycheck
it's going to feel good.
It provides a critical role in
on improving my job skills which in turn
increases my potential for employment and the career of my dreams.
To me for Camilo and actually for everybody
I think the work really gives you an identity and something that you can be proud of.
I think it enhances your self-worth in the sense that work
gives you a value and it's not just value you place on what you do
but it's the value that other people place on what you do.
[Co-worker] Hi Cam!
Hey how you doin?
[Co-worker] Good how are you?
I'm good so far!
Employment is important to me
because I have the opportunity to work as a team to reach a goal.
And we can all be successful together.
I love to work.
I love to, like be a part of a team.
I love to contribute to something that I couldn't do on my own.
People with disabilities
not only can they do a job but they're capable of doing that job.
They can thrive and excel in those.
And then also just to prove to other people with disabilities that
you know, I did it, you can do it.
It feels like it gives me purpose.
Something to do something to feel proud of.
It's really nice being able to tell people the kind of work that I do.
It oftentimes surprises people just because
at first glance I might not look like I'm able to do that kind of work.
When I went into job interviews I would address the elephant in the room.
I would say, okay, I know you may be afraid or unable to ask
certain questions in this setting so let me tell you
how I'm qualified for this job.
I looked through the whole company's
mission statement, core values
everything like that
and I said, "okay, here's how I meet the expectations for each of these."
Here's how I demonstrate integrity.
Here's how I
demonstrate hard work
innovation
creativity.
Whatever those were I had examples to speak to.
Probably the primary fear that I had when applying for a job
and having a disability was worrying that an employer might not assess my full value.
Essentially not placing so much of an emphasis
on what I can do and worrying too much about what I can't do.
And that was a concern for me.
Before I entered the workforce
I did feel afraid about getting jobs and what that would look like
but I was always able to learn from my mistakes and find a better path
and a better solution to get through whatever challenges I encountered.
At my work now I have a lot of great coworkers
that I wouldn't have met if I didn't have my current position.
I have found a number of people through work that have become friends
that I hadn't, you know, I wouldn't have met them otherwise.
Some people are more technical professionals
being able to help me learn and increase my technical skills.
And others just have similar interests and its fun to just talk about
nerdy things outside of work.
That we both have interests in.
Preparing for employment includes exploring work options
understanding benefits and how it pays to work.
Navigating the system to reach goals and accessing resources to find employment
such as job banks and job coaches and career counselors.
These young people are enjoying a variety of work experiences.
They're earning an income that is paying their bills
and for things they enjoy doing.
Just as importantly, employment is giving them a sense of purpose
as well as connecting them with others.
And they learn that their fears about the workplace
can be overcome with appropriate supports and accommodations.
Employment can be a vital experience
for young people with disabilities.
And it's possible.