THE WORLD.
THAT'S ON CLICKORLANDO.COM
POWERED BY NEWS 6.
>>> IT'S TIME FOR ANOTHER
INSTALLMENT OF FLASHPOINT.
THIS WEEK MORNING ANCHOR
KIERSTEN OCONON SITS DOWN WITH
GOODWILL INDUSTRIES ON HOW THE
NON-PROFIT IS HELPING PEOPLE
ABOUT THE DISABLES FIND WORK.
-- WITH DISABILITIES FIND WORK.
>> REPORTER: GOOD MORNING.
I'M KIERSTEN O'CONNOR.
ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
MILLIONS WO DISABILITIES FACE
OBSTACLES IN THE WORK FORCE AND
HERE GOODWILL IS GETTING
RESULTS AND PROVIDING EMPLOYEES
WITH THE PROPER TOOLS TO EXCEL
AT WORK.
AND JOINING US THIS MORNING, WE
HAVE VICE PRESIDENT AND
VOCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY
SERVICES AT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES
HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US FOR
FLASHPOINT.
>> THANKS FOR ASKING US TO
COMEMENT WE'RE SO HAPPY TO BE
HERE.
>> THIS IS A GREAT TOPIC TO GET
STARTED TODAY AND WANT TO TALK
ABOUT FINDING EMPLOYMENT AND WE
KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT NO MATTER
WHO YOU ARE, BUT HOW FAR
DIFFICULT IS IT FOR SOMEONE
WITH A DISABILITY?
>> IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT.
SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS EASILY
DEPENDING ON THE DISABLING
CONDITION AND THE ATTITUDE OF
THE PERSON AND THEIR
CONNECTIVITY WITH POSSIBLE JOBS
IN THE COMMUNITY AND THE SKILLS
THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT IT CAN ALSO BE VERY, VERY
DIFFICULT AND VERY FRUSTRATING
FOR THE PERSON WHO'S TRYING TO
FIND A JOB.
>> I CAN IMAGINE.
SO WHAT'S THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
LIKE FOR WORKERS WITH
DISABILITIES?
>>FOR WORKERS WITH DISABLES
IT'S ABOUT TRIPLE THE NORMAL
RATE.
THEY'RE BETWEE12 AND 13%.
>> IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF
THE POPULATION.
ABOUT 80% OF PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES ARE NOT IN THE
WORK FORCE.
WHY IS THIS -- CAN YOU GIVE US
AN IDEA OF WHAT THE CHANGES
ARE?
>> THE CHALLENGES ARE ALL ALONG
THE PATHWAY AS THEY'RE GROWING
UP.
IF IT'S A DISABILITY THAT THEY
ARE BORN WITH OR ACQUIRE AS A
CHILD, THEN THEY'RE DEALING
WITH IT FOR A LONG PERIOD OF
TIME BEFORE THEY CAN EVEN GET
TO THE POINT THAT THECAN GET
A JOB.
AND GET SOME SKILLS SO THEY CAN
WORK AND OTHER CHILDREN ARE NOT
DISABLED AS CHILDREN AND
ACQUIRE THE DISABILITY AS THEY
GET OLDER AND THEN THEY HAVE TO
DEAL WITH THAT.
AND THAT CAN BE VERY DIFFICUL
AND THEN WE HAVE EMPLOYERS WHO
HAVE A FEAR OF BRINGINGPEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES INTO THE
WORKPLACE.
SO JUST NOT SURE HOW TO DEAL
WITH THAT.
AND THEY'RE NOT SURE HOW TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THE PEOPLE.
>> REPORTER: SO WHAT CAN
EMPLOYERS DO TO HELP AND REACH
OUT IF THEY'RE NOT AFRAID,
LET'S SAY.
>> REPORTER: IF THEY'RE NOT
AFRAID, ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS
OPEN THEIR DOORS AND ALLOW
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO PUT
IN APPLICATIONS AND YOU HAVE A
FAIR MINDSET WHEN THEY ACTUALLY
INTERVIEW THEM.
BECAUSE HAVING A DISABILITY
DOES NOT AT ALL MEATHAT YOU
CANNOT WORK.
IT MAY MEAN DEPENDING ON THE
DISABILITY THERE ARE THINGS YOU
CAN'T DO OR WON'T DO IN THE
WORKPLACE BUT THERE ARE THINGS
THEY CAN DO AND ESPECIALLY IN
THE DAY OF TECHNOLOGY BECAUSE
MORE AND MORE TECHNOLOGY IS
BEING UTILIZED TO HELP PEOPLE
WITH DISABLES ACQUIRE MORE
SKILLS.
>> WONDERFUL!
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TALKING WITH
YOU IN JUST A SHORT WHILE.
STAY WITH US AND WE'LL FIND OUT
MORE ABOUT HO
>> WELCOME BACK TO FLASHPOINT.
TODAY WE TALK WITH THE VICE
PRESIDENT OF VOCATIONAL AND
COMMUNITY SERVICES AT GOODWILL
INDUSTRY SERVICES OF FLORIDA.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> THANK YOU.
>> REPORTER: WE WANT TO TALK
ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
AND HOW YOU HELP THEM FIND JOBS.
WHAT ARE SOURCES THAT GOODWILL
PROVIDES?
>> GOODWILL PROVIDES RESOURCES
AS FAR AS EDUCATIONAL TYPES OF
THINGS AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS
AND REALLY GETTING READY TO
JUST GO TO WORK.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES PEOPLE WITH
THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES
AND HAVE NOT DONE THAT PRIOR
AND THEY'RE JUST NOT SURE HOW
TO WRAP IT ALL TOGETHER IN
THEIR LIFE SO THAT THEY CAN DO
THAT ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND THERE ARE, DEPENDING ON THE
DISABILITY, THERE ARE SOME
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WO MAY
NEED PART-TIME JOBS, BECAUSE
PERHAPS 40 HOURS A WEEK,
DEPENDING ON THE DISABILITY,
AND THEY MIGHT BE A LITTLE
DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
FOR OTHERS, YOU MAY NEVER EACH
KNOW WHO HAS A DISABILITY
AROUND YOU BECAUSE IT JUS
DOESN'T SHOW AT ALL.
THEY ARE PERFECTLY COMFORTABLE
WITH THEIR DISABILITY.
THEY KNOW HOW TO WORK AROUND IT.
THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING THAT
IS WITHIN THEISKILL LEVELS,
AND LOOK AT FRANKLIN ROOSVELT.
THE LONGEST PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES EVER.
AND HAD AN EXTREME DISABILITY
AND IT BECAME MORE AND MORE SO
AS IT BECAME OLDER.
BUT IT DID NOT STOP HIM AND
THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT TO STOP
MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES.
ONOF THE REALLY MAJOR THINGS
THAT A PERSON NEEDS TO BE AWARE
OF, IF THE CHILD IS IN SCHOOL
THEY NEED TO LOOKAT SPECIAL
EDUCATION PERHAPS IF NEEDED SO
THEY CAN GET THE EDUCATIONAL
PLAN TOGETHER FOR THEIR CHILD
AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE DURING THE
SCHOOL AREA.
IF THEY NEED THAT, THE PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES DON'T NEED
THAT AT ALL AND GO ON TO
COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL AND
EVERYTHING ELSE AND THEN THE
OTHER THING THEY REAL NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT IS THAT THERE IS A
DIVISION OF VOCATIONAL
REHABILITATION AND IT'S THE
STATE AGENCY AND THEY CAN FIND
IT UNDER STATE GOVERNMENT IN
THE PHONE BOOK AND ON THE
COMPUTER AND FEDERAL FUNDS COME
DOWN TO EVERY STATE DIVISION OF
VOCATIONAL AND THEN IT IS TO
ENSURE THEY BECOME EMPLOYED AND
THEN IT IS WITH THE PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES THAT COME TO US
THROUGH THE DIVISION AND THEN
THE STATE AGENCY TO ASSIST
PEOPLE AS ADULTS TO FIND
EMPLOYMENT AND EVEN THE VA.
A LOT OF VETERANS NOW, TOO.
>> AND THE FIRST STEP IS JUST
FIGURING OUT HOW TO FIND A
PLACE THAT WILL HELP YOU.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER
STEPS?
>> THE OTHER STEPS, THEN, ARE
WHAT THEY GET INTO THAT REALM.
AFTER THEY GRADUATE FROM HIGH
SCHOOL, THEY MIGHT NEED SOME
MORE ASSISTANCE, AND SO
DECIDING ON WHAT THAT
VOCATIONAL SKILL IS BEST MEANT
FOR THAT PERSON TO BE.
SO YOU CAN DO WHAT'S CALLED A
VOCATIONAL ASSESSMENT WHICH HAS
EVERYTHING FROM PAPER AND
PENCIL TESTS TO DIAGNOSTIC
TESTS, ET CETERA, SO YOU KNOW
WHAT THEY LIKETO DO THEN, WHAT
THEY'RE REALLY DRAWN TO AND
CAPABILITIES ARE AND THEY MAY
GO AS HIGH AS THEY WANT TO GO
IN THAT FIELD.
AND THE VISIBILITY WON'T HOLD
THEM BACK AT ALL.
THEY CAN PERSEVERE.
OTHERS MAY DISCOVER THAT THEY
CAN BE INTHAT SAME FIELD BUT
PERHAPS NOT DOING EXACTLY WHAT
THEY WANTED TO DO.
THEY CAN STILL BE IN THE
AIRLINE INDUSTRY
PERHAPS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
SO IT STILL MIGHT WELCOME THEIR
SKILL SET BUT PERHAPS AT THE
DIFFERENT LEVEL.
SO THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS AND
THEY'RE ALL IN THE DIFFERENT
PLETHORA OF THINGS FOR JOBS AND
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO DO
JUST AS THERE ARE FOR PEOPLE
WHO DON'T FEEL THEY HAVE A
DISABILITY.
AND TRULY, IF WE ALL SEARCHED
OUR SOULS LONG ENOUGH AND HARD
ENOUGH WE ALL HAVE A DISABILITY
SOMEWHERE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND THAT SELF-ASSESSMENT
HELPS THEM DETERMINE WHAT
PATHWAY TO GO.
HOW MANYPEOPLE HAVE YOU HELPED
WITH GOODWILL, PLACING THEM
INTO THESE JOBS?
>> WE WORKED WITH OVER 3,000
THIS PAST YEAR BECAUSE EVEN
THOUGH NOT ALL 3,000 OF THOSE
WERE SENT TO US BY THE DIVISION
OF REHAB OR BLIND SERVICES OR
THE V.A., A LOT THEM COME TO
OUR JOB CONNECTION CENTERS
BECAUSE GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF
CENTRAL FLORIDA HAS 9 JOB
CONNECTION CENTERS THROUGHOUT
THE 6 COUNTIESTHAT WE SERVE
AND THOSE ARE FREE, WALK IN AND
GET HELP FINDING A JOB PLACES.
>> AND TALKING THOUSANDS OF OUR
LOCAL RESIDENTS AND PEOPLE
RIGHT HERE WHO CAN GET HELP.
I LOVE HEARING THATNUMBER.
>> AND ACTUALLY LAST YEAR, NOW
THIS ISN'T JUST PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES.
THESE ARE ALL THE PEOPLE THAT
COME TO US AND WE SERVED OVER
42,000 AND HELPED MANY GET JOBS.
>> AND IT MAKES YOU LOVE WHAT
YOU'RE DOING:
>> CAN TOTALLY DO THAT.
>> WHAT ARE BUSINESSES OFFERING
EMPLOYMENT TO DISABILITIES?
>> VERY LARGE BUSINESSS IN OUR
AREA WITH THE COMMUNITY FEEL TO
THEM AND ARE VERY GOOD ABOUT
HELPING PEOPLE WITH EVEN SEVERE
DISABILITIES SUCH AS PUBLIX.
AND CHICK FILA.
LOTS OF GRAS ROOTS
ORGANIZATIONS REALLY PLAY A
PART IN ALL OF THAT.
BUT MANY TIMES THAT'S FOR SOME
PEOPLE PERHAPS WITH
DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES
PRECLUDING THEIR DOING OTHER
THINGS.
TRULY EVERY BUSINESS AND EVERY
COMPANY IN THE AREA CAN HIRE
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THAT
DISABLING CONDITION IS.
>> SO THEY JUST NEED TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY CAN PUT IN
FRONT OF THAT PERSON?
>> EXACTLY.
>> WHAT THEY'LL BE ABLE TO DO.
>> EXACTLY.
>> AND HUHOW THEY CAN HELP THE
BUSINESS GROW.
>> I LOVE THAT.
>> YOU CAN IMPLEMENT ALL OF
THESE PEOPLE IN ANY BUSINESSES,
YES?
>> THE GOAL IS TO FIND WHAT'S
THE BEST NICHE FOR THEM THAT
THEY WILL BE HAPPY IN.
THAT THEY WILL FLOURISH IN AND
THAT HOPEFULLY THERE ARE OTHE
STEPS THEY CAN GO THROUGH TO
GET INTO HIGHER POSITIONS.
>> CAN OTHER PEOPLE COME AND
SAY WHAT TYPES OF TRAINING CAN
I GET AND HELP?
>> WE'D LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO COME
AND ASK THAT QUESTION AND WE
CAN TELL THEM WHY NOT TO HAVE A
FEAR TO HIRE PERSONS OF
DISABILITIES AND HOW TO WELCOME
THEM AND HOW TO TRAIN THEM AND
TO KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO
HAVE, PERHAPS, A LIFE-LONG
EMPLOYEE.
THEY WE ALSO HIRE PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES AND VARIOUS
DISABLING CONDITIONS AND SOME
OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE
HIRED HAVE BEEN WITH US FOR UP
TO 35, 40 YEARS.
AND BECAUSE THEY FOUND THEIR
NICHE.
THEY'RE HAPPY.
IT SUITS THEIR SKILL LEVELS.
IT WORKS.
AND SO THERE'S SO MUCH FOR
EMPLOYERS TO LEARN ABOUT THAT.
>> CAN YOTHINOF A SPECIFIC
PERSON OR ANY SUCCESS STORY
THAT COMES TO MIND?
>> WE HAVE SO MANY SUCCESS
STORIES.
WE HAVE A GENTLEMAN THAT CAME
TO US REFERRED BY THE DIVISION
OF LIGHTS SERVICES AND ACTUALLY
HAD BEEN A PROFESSIONAL
BASKETBALL PLAYER AND EVEN
PLAYED INTERNATIONALLY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN HAVE ALL
THOSE KINDS OF SKILLS AND STILL
HAVE A DISABILITY.
AND HIS PARTICULARDISABILITY
WAS CHRONIC DEPRESSION.
AND BECAUSE BECAUSE OF THE
DEPRESSION HE ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
AND SHOT HIMSELF IN THE HEAD.
HE LIVED, BUT HE HAD LOST ALL
OFHIS VISION FROM THAT.
FROM THAT INCIDENT.
AND STILL, OF COURSE, HAD TO
GET PAST THE DEPRESSION AND GO
FORTH WITH LIFE AND NOT DO THE
THINGS HE HAD BEEN SO SKILLED
AT PRIOR.
>> RIGHT.
>> AND HE WAS SENT TO US AT ONE
POINT IN TIME IN HIS
REHABILITATION AND WE HAD HIM
WITH A SPECIALIZED COMPUTER
SYSTEM SO THAT HE COULD LEARN
TO DO THINGS TO THE COMPUTER HE
DID NOT NEED HIS VISION FOR AND
TO LEARN THAT HE HAD THAT
CAPABILITY OF DOING THAT AND
INTERACTING WITH PEOPLE AND HE
WAS JUST MIRACULOUS.
AND HIS WHOLE AT ITUTED IS NOW
SO DIFFERENT HE ACTUALLY IS AN
INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKER NOW.
>> AND IN MORE WAYS THAN JUST
HIS JOB.
>> HE HAD TO GO OUT TO SEE --
THE CORE OF HIM WAS STILL THERE.
>> REPORTER: RIGHT, ABSOLUTELY.
>> AND PROBABLY A MORE HEALTHY
CORE THAN HE HAD HAD WHEN HE
WAS DOING WELL AS A BASKETBALL
PLAYER AND THEN THE DISABLING
CONDITION THAT HE HADN'T REALLY
FACED.
>> WHAT AN INSPIRING STORY AND
FROM GOODWILL AND THEN TELL US
HOW PEOPLE CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT
GOODWILL SERVICES?
>> IF THEY HAVE A COMPUTER OR
ACES TO A COMPUTER, THEY CAN GO
ON THE WEB AND WEARE ON THE
WEB AT WWW.GOODWILL.CFL.ORG AND
THEY'LL GET A PLETHORA OF
INFORMATION ABOUT US ON THAT
THEY ALSO CAN CALL AND THE
NUMBER IS ON THE WEBSITE OR
CALL AND ASK FOR VOCATIONAL
COMMUNITY SERVICES AND WE CAN
GIVE THEM A LOT OF INFORMATION
AND BE HAPPY TO HAVE THEM COME
AND TALK TO US IN THE OFFICE.
WE TRY TO BE PART OF THE
SOLUTION, NOT THE PROBLEM, AND
SOWE WANT TO HELP THEM GET THE
SERVICES THEY NEED THE MOST.
>> AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US