October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and a local nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping people with disabilities live independent lives, and that includes getting a job.WBAL-TV 11 News has more on how their workforce development program is changing lives.Inside Park Books, there’s a lot to be done, from stocking books to cleaning and hosting events like author talks, and the owners say they really lean on one employee to help get the job done. Melody Wukitch is the owner of Park Books.”Dalton is actually one of the finest employees that we have. He’s reliable, he follows instructions really well. We leave him task, and everything gets taken care of on his shift so, it’s been actually a real pleasure having him here,” Wukitch said.Rukitch and her husband, Chris, own the bookstore in Severna Park. She said hiring people with disabilities has been a benefit by helping the community, providing a sense of dignity for the employee and improving workplace culture.”Everyone feels good about their day. We’re all working together as a team. It’s been honestly probably one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” Wukitch said. Dalton Smith started as an intern through the Anne Arundel County School System but became a paid employee after graduation.”Yes, because I make money and I buy nice stuff for my girlfriend,” Smith said when asked if he likes his job at Park Books. Smith is supported by Fello, a local nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities in central Maryland live independent lives through programs including workforce development.”I get more support, and I get help if I don’t know how to do stuff. I have a job coach who helps me,” Smith said.Fello provides job coaches who create a plan, find the job and support employees when they need help, while also helping employers. Will Rothrock is the workforce development manager for Fello.”We believe that working with people with disabilities is going to be the fastest way in the community to be able to normalize hiring people (with) disabilities, because as soon as people hire people with disabilities, they start to understand just how beneficial it can be to have them on their team,” Rothrock said. He said the program removes some employer apprehension but also allows people with disabilities to chart their own path.”So, for the person, it’s a sense of independence, a sense of belonging, of needing to be there for people, whereas people with disabilities, we find as they go through childhood, a lot of decisions are kind of made for them, not with them,” Rothrock said.For more information on Fello, visit the following website.
SEVERNA PARK, Md. —
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and a local nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping people with disabilities live independent lives, and that includes getting a job.
WBAL-TV 11 News has more on how their workforce development program is changing lives.
Inside Park Books, there’s a lot to be done, from stocking books to cleaning and hosting events like author talks, and the owners say they really lean on one employee to help get the job done. Melody Wukitch is the owner of Park Books.
“Dalton is actually one of the finest employees that we have. He’s reliable, he follows instructions really well. We leave him task, and everything gets taken care of on his shift so, it’s been actually a real pleasure having him here,” Wukitch said.
Rukitch and her husband, Chris, own the bookstore in Severna Park. She said hiring people with disabilities has been a benefit by helping the community, providing a sense of dignity for the employee and improving workplace culture.
“Everyone feels good about their day. We’re all working together as a team. It’s been honestly probably one of the best decisions we’ve ever made,” Wukitch said.
Dalton Smith started as an intern through the Anne Arundel County School System but became a paid employee after graduation.
“Yes, because I make money and I buy nice stuff for my girlfriend,” Smith said when asked if he likes his job at Park Books.
Smith is supported by Fello, a local nonprofit organization that helps people with disabilities in central Maryland live independent lives through programs including workforce development.
“I get more support, and I get help if I don’t know how to do stuff. I have a job coach who helps me,” Smith said.
Fello provides job coaches who create a plan, find the job and support employees when they need help, while also helping employers. Will Rothrock is the workforce development manager for Fello.
“We believe that working with people with disabilities is going to be the fastest way in the community to be able to normalize hiring people (with) disabilities, because as soon as people hire people with disabilities, they start to understand just how beneficial it can be to have them on their team,” Rothrock said.
He said the program removes some employer apprehension but also allows people with disabilities to chart their own path.
“So, for the person, it’s a sense of independence, a sense of belonging, of needing to be there for people, whereas people with disabilities, we find as they go through childhood, a lot of decisions are kind of made for them, not with them,” Rothrock said.
For more information on Fello, visit the following website.