Disabled find local prospects
By Ashley Hopkins, contributing writer
Posted on October 26, 2006

Jack Brandt graduated from JMU last May, but picked up his diploma differently than his fellow students. He moved across the stage using a wheelchair.

Brandt interned with Senator Michael Enzi of Wyoming while he was a student and worked in the Office of Community Integration for People with Disabilities after graduation as part of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s Fellowship Program.

Brandt did this despite suffering from cerebral palsy, a disorder that affects his speech and mobility and is the reason he is confined to a wheelchair.

Brandt is just one of many who deal with their handicaps every day — some of which interfere with school, social occasions or employment.
 
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an effort supported by Congress to call attention to the societal contributions from people with disabilities. Various programs will be held throughout the month to address employment barriers for the physically or mentally impaired as well as laud their many accomplishments.

Many other programs and facilities in Harrisonburg work year round to bring attention to the contributions of disabled workers.
 
At JMU, the Office of Disability Services arranges for work force recruitment to come to campus once a year in search of hard-working individuals. Additionally, the Academic Advising and Career Development Resource Center has an entire section of information regarding internships and employment for people with disabilities.

Off campus, Friendship Industries, Inc. is working to develop and maintain employment for them as well. The company hires individuals with and without disabilities and provides jobs that fit their education and work experience level while taking note of their physical limitations. These jobs include everything from contract packaging and manufacturing to putting together escape and evasion kits for the military.

“Our job is to assess people and make sure they are as productive as they can,” said Colleen Mullen, an employment specialist for Friendship Industries.  “It’s not what they can’t do, it’s what they can [do].” 

While there are many programs and resources available for people with disabilities, many still face obstacles in their daily lives, especially with regards to finding employment.
Brandt ran into many communication issues during interviews, and said that it was hard to find an employer who would allow him to prove his skills and abilities.

“The entry-level job requires communication via telephone as well as other physical tasks that I can perform,” he said.  “But the employer is often reluctant to discuss reasonable accommodations or allow me to demonstrate various methods in which I can successfully complete the task at hand.”

Melinda Burchard, a learning strategies coordinator in the Office of Disability Services, also commented on employees’ misconceptions regarding people with disabilities.
“I think that people naturally assume that people with a disability cannot achieve, and that’s just not true,” she said. 

Dana Smith, a worker for Friendship Industries, also ran into complications regarding employment. After working 16 years of hard labor, he found himself with tendonitis throughout his wrists and arms and problems with his shoulders and knees.  Not able to do heavy lifting, Friendship Industries gave him the opportunity to get back into the work force.

“A job is more than a job,” Mullen said.  “It’s a purpose for life.”