Although special education programs in the public school system have become more effective in guiding students through their school years, enormous gaps still exist for disabled graduates trying to make the transition into the working world. And as the job market grows tighter, those searching for employment are becoming increasingly frustrated.
But Don Minor, coordinator of secondary programs for the Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization is trying to bridge the gap by creating alternatives for developmentally challenged individuals looking for work.
”We found that once they graduate, up to 75 percent can`t find employment, and once they leave the school system we can`t help them,” Minor said. ”So what they need is a network, a support system to help them make that transition.”
Minor brainstormed with others who shared his beliefs, and he was instrumental in creating the Work Opportunity Resource Coalition (WORC), a community-based group dedicated to matching the employment needs of businesses with disabled individuals who want to work.
The coalition plans to determine which jobs in the northwest suburban business community can be performed by disabled people, provide job coaches to master those tasks and teach them to the individuals. It proposes to start a for-profit temporary service agency, and it hopes to create businesses
Although WORC is still in the planning stages, those who serve on the board are actively pursuing the coalition`s goals.
For example, Dennis Breitholtz, director of employment and recreational services for Little City Foundation in Palatine and a board member, has been busy placing individuals in jobs. He found positions for four developmentally challenged people at Heidenhain, a manufacturer of precision measuring instruments in Schaumburg.
According to Rick Korte, vice president and general manager of Heidenhain and a member of WORC`s board of directors, employing developmentally challenged individuals may require some attitude changes, but it makes good business sense.
”We pigeonhole people automatically because of our own preconceived notions, and the businessman has to challenge himself not to do that anymore,” Korte said.
