Alaska's job shadow program allows disabled people to experience workplaces

From KTUU-TV:

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Finding a good job can be a challenge these days, but imagine trying to do it with a learning disability.

Approximately 50 people at an orientation Oct. 21 showed up to see what it's like to go to work every day and make a living, despite their disability.

Lael Ford, 19, has a learning disability.

"(I'm) curious what's going on, just looking forward to seeing what they're going to have planned," Ford said.

She's looking for work, and employers have agreed to host Ford and other young people for "disability mentor day," an effort to beat the odds.

"I think that the unemployment rate for people that experience disabilities is roughly 75 percent, so it's much higher than the national average," said Catie Wheeler, the event's organizer.

Ford spent the day at Sam's Club learning what it takes to make a living for herself.

At Carrs, Laura Freedman is doing the same thing.

Other mentors include a radio station and the railroad -- even a massage therapist.

But the reality is more than likely relatively simple retail or janitorial work.

"What they have is really good work maturity skills, not so much the technical skills of a job," said Mark Knight, who leads ACE/ACT.

ACE/ACT is a program within the Anchorage School District that teaches life and job skills to young adults with disabilities.

He says most employers are willing to hire his students.

"Where it starts to become more difficult is when they're looking for more advanced positions, it's being able to kind of carve out a niche for those students," Knight said.

Glenn Brown has a learning disability and has worked at Carrs for 19 years. In the morning he cleans the store and once it opens, he helps customers carry out their groceries.

"I can pay rent and buy food and clothes and support myself," Brown said.

"Carrs-Safeway is the fourth-largest employer in the state and about 4.5 percent of our folks have disabilities," said Rob Backus, the district manager.

Many employers agree that people with learning disabilities are often the most loyal employees.

"I think this would be somewhere where I would be able to see myself working at really easily. It might take me a little bit to learn the different things," Ford said at Sam's Club.

All they need is a little help.

Realistically it takes much more than a day for people with learning disabilities to acquire the skills necessary to hold a job.

Wednesday's event was organized to at the very least get them interested -- lack of confidence often stops disabled young people from seeking work.

There are more than a few resources for the learning disabled in Anchorage. The state runs the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, and it also runs Tribal Vocational Rehabilitation for Alaska Natives. That's in addition to Arc of Anchorage, ACE/ACT, Hope Community Resources, and others.