Empowering People With Disabilities To Work

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• Partnerships Encourage People With Disabilities To Find Meaningful Work

  More companies are embracing workers who have autism. As part of a growing movement to help people with disabilities prepare to enter the workforce, programs across the state aim to match employers with the right applicants.

  Deanna Krell with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation said the state helped more than 4,000 people find successful employment in 2017.

  “Last year, out of all the individuals that we worked with, about 8.6 percent identified themselves as having autism as their primary disability,” Krell said.

  Krell, a workforce development director for Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Washington counties, said people with disabilities are dedicated and capable — and they want to work.

  Austin Michalski is a supply aid for the Emergency Department and Trauma Center (EDTC) at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. He’s had that job for more than two years.

  “I stock 36 exam rooms in the EDTC with medical supplies and stuff,” Michalski said.

  Michalski has developed soft skills, including understanding the value of people’s time, when to quickly say hello or engage in longer conversation, and how to adjust the volume of his voice depending on the circumstance.

  “When I had a rotation in an office setting, I had to be quiet because I was seeing other people there talking quietly,” Michalski said. “So, if I want to be part of their team, I have to lower my voice.”

  Michalski has autism. Before he secured his “dream job” at the hospital, he worked at a grocery store as a utility clerk where he bagged purchases and collected carts. He said that experience prepared him to apply for the hospital position.

  “After working at the grocery store, I learned those customer service skills, so I was ready to get the job at the hospital then,” Michalski said.

  Michalski was an intern with the Project SEARCH program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. That’s a nine-month job training opportunity for people with disabilities. The national model is finding success in Wisconsin; the state is up to 27 partnerships to train and empower people with disabilities to work.

  Krell said employers realize people with disabilities should be part of the workforce. She said she’s held basic disability sensitivity and awareness trainings for some organizations. Krell said treating people with disabilities well should be common sense, and organizations need to encourage the conversation.

  “It is no different than hiring somebody without a disability,” Krell said. “When you bring employees on, you have to be aware of what their learning style is — regardless of what that disability is or isn’t — and really try to help them figure out how to learn the job.”

  Krell said Wisconsin employers need talent and that it’s a smart business move to welcome a previously untapped labor pool to the payroll. Krell also added that employing people with various abilities offers a competitive edge.

  Nationally job rates for people with disabilities are low. Numbers from the U.S. Department of Labor show about 21 percent of people with disabilities were actively part of the workforce in March of this year. That compares to about 68 percent of people without disabilities.

  Staci Benz, director of Human Resources for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, acknowledged the state’s record low unemployment rate. She said Children’s looks for applicants who have competitive skills that can help the organization meet health care needs.

  “We serve a very diverse population of patients and clients, and our patients and families also appreciate our commitment to having a diverse workforce,” Benz said. “It provides hope for those that we serve who see others like themselves in the work environment, and it really creates a great environment for everyone including our staff and those we serve.”

  Benz said the hospital supports people with disabilities in Project SEARCH. They have class time, hands-on training, and rotations in different work environments. Plus job coaches and career specialists to guide individuals.

  “What we’re doing is preparing individuals to be very competitive for jobs here with us at Children’s and other jobs within the community,” Benz said. “Beyond what we’re doing for us as an employer, it’s a great opportunity to build skills within our community for other employers as well.”

  That means no Project SEARCH participant is guaranteed a job. Each person must apply for a position and prove they’re the best candidate.

  Krell said that is what she hopes for Wisconsin: a competitive — and fully integrated — employment environment for people of all abilities.

  “We often define ourselves by what we do and where we go everyday, and that’s no different for our individuals with disabilities,” Krell said. “It does provide purpose and meaning.”

  Emergency department supply aide Michalski said he’s learned a lot preparing for work. He drives a car now. He’s also a tidy eater and dines with coworkers at lunchtime.

  “Having autism is not easy, but I’m going right through it,” Michalski said.

  Michalski said he no longer thinks about how his disability affects his life every day. He just goes to work like everyone else.

  For more information from Wisconsin’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, call 800-442-3477 or email dvr@dwd.wisconsin.gov.