NCDHHS and the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities are celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October by highlighting the contributions people with disabilities are making in workplaces across North Carolina.
For more than 100 years, North Carolina’s vocational rehabilitation (VR) program has helped North Carolinians with disabilities explore, prepare for, find and keep competitive jobs in the community. The VR program also provides no-cost services to employers seeking to build a disability-inclusive workforce where everyone has an opportunity to contribute and thrive.
“Our vision and mission is that every person with a disability who wants to work will have the opportunity to do so — in meaningful jobs that offer fair pay and true inclusion in their communities,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Use Services. “People with disabilities are skilled, capable, and vital members of our workforce. They deserve equal access to opportunity and workplaces that value and respect their contributions."
Below are several success stories of people who have overcome their disability-related barriers to find meaningful employment and the VR employees who are committed to building a strong and inclusive workforce.
Goldston Turns Help Into a Career
Debbie Goldston of Raleigh was born with Cone dystrophy, a rare eye disorder that affects the cone cells of the retina, leading to decreased visual clarity, decreased color perception, or increased sensitivity to light.
Determined to maintain her independence, she managed her condition for years but eventually needed special glasses to enhance her vision. Without health insurance, she could not afford them.
Her doctor at Duke Hospital recommended she reach out to NCDHHS' Services for the Blind (DSB), where she found Britney Hodges, a VR counselor who did more than help her get a pair of glasses.
“Britney was so helpful, knowledgeable, and understanding,” Goldston said. “I received the glasses that were needed, low vision tools and guidance and counseling on career goals.”
Goldston said she told Hodges she wanted to work somewhere “meaningful.” A few months later, Goldston found herself working alongside Hodges at DSB.
“I have been there for six years and absolutely love my job,” she said.
Partnerships Pay Off for Burlington Success Story
Elon University is home to more than 7,000 students who range across its 656 acres of meticulously landscaped grounds – and it’s up to Cevion Marsh (and his fellow groundskeepers) to make sure the school stays stunning.
Marsh joined Elon’s groundskeeping team full-time in January. He’s happy in his job, he enjoys the work, and he’s grateful to NCDHHS' Division of Employment and Independence for People with Disabilities (EIPD) staff who have lent their support and guidance during his career journey, which began more than four years ago.
“The best aspect of my job is that I get to work outside,” Marsh said. “I’m thankful to EIPD for helping me get this job – it was a lot easier than doing it by myself.”
VR counselor Daylan Acevedo met Marsh in November 2021 when Acevedo joined the team at EIPD’s Burlington office. Marsh was a high school student in the transition program.
“I enjoy working with Cevion,” Acevedo said. “He’s highly motivated, he’s driven, and he’s got a lot of great family support.”
Acevedo worked with Marsh to help him identify his areas of interest. When Marsh saw the greenhouse at Alamance Community College, he was intrigued and enrolled in the college’s Horticulture Technology program. EIPD’s partnerships with Alamance Community College and Elon University were the keys to helping Marsh get the job he wanted.
Working With Inclusion Works
Brittany Ellis shares her story and her thoughts on the importance of employment.
Meaningful employment provides a sense of pride, self-satisfaction and independence. The right to work was enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and that right lies at the heart of the state of North Carolina’s commitment to Inclusion Works.
Inclusion Works is both a philosophy and a North Carolina state initiative. As a philosophy, Inclusion Works presumes individuals with disabilities, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, can be successful in competitive integrated employment when provided with reasonable accommodations.
Competitive integrated employment refers to regular jobs in our communities, where an individual with a disability works alongside co-workers without disabilities, customers and the public. It also means people with disabilities get paid the same and get the same benefits as people without disabilities doing the same job.
The VR program helped Brittany Ellis land her first job at a daycare center when she was 20. Her VR counselor helped her find an opportunity in retail sales at Walgreens, where she worked for six years.
For the past six years, she has worked full-time at a Smithfield thrift store operated by Johnson County Industries. She accepts donations, works the register and stocks shelves – and she’s a leading voice of the inclusion movement.
Every Monday, Brittany leads a Peer Mentoring group that meets at Johnson County Industries. She shares what she’s learned and encourages her group to develop their skills and to act as their own advocates.
“Everyone has their own talents and gifts, and it’s important for everyone to contribute their abilities,” she said. “It’s important that we don’t limit ourselves. When I was getting older, I was wondering how the whole job thing was going to work. I was able to go to work because I had the right supports from VR. They helped me find the right fit, and they supported me in finding jobs.”
Working with her counselor and the VR staff helped Brittany identify her strengths and target jobs where she would be a good fit.
“Society has a view of people with disabilities, but everybody has things they’re good at or not so good at,” she said. “We can all contribute and add something special.”
While she loves her job, she says the best part is the sense of purpose it provides, as well as independence and money to do things she loves, like going to concerts.
Bringing the Past to Life at the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County
From cataloging dinosaur fossils and Civil War-era swords to preparing pottery shards for display, Kalias “Kai” Coleman is doing whatever it takes to get the Museum and Archives of Rockingham County (MARC) ready for its grand opening in the fall.
Coleman, 30, of Madison, began working for The MARC in February as an EIPD intern, a unique collaborative opportunity developed through the efforts of Business Relations Representative Laurie Suthard. When she reached out to the local museum, she identified a role she and Kendra McCallum, Coleman’s VR counselor, thought would be perfect for him.
Coleman, however, took some convincing. His degree from Western Carolina University is in Parks and Recreation Management, and he’d never considered working for a museum. He was glad to be proven wrong, and it wasn’t long before he felt at home. He’s come to love working at the museum, thanks to the support he received from the EIPD team and encouragement from MARC staff.
“This is the first time I’ve been successful at a job,” Coleman said. “It was a surprise that my counselor suggested this kind of setting. I wasn’t sure I wanted to work in a museum.”
From the beginning, it was clear his skills and interests were a great fit for the MARC – including his graphic design talents, which made Coleman the ideal choice to design the museum’s cartoon fox mascot.
“The museum job was geared toward his strengths,” said McCallum. “He was assigned to the museum’s library to organize and categorize the books, and he knocked that out in a couple of weeks – they love him.”
Coleman learned about EIPD’s services when his therapist, who was working to help him with executive function skills and job preparation, encouraged him to give EIPD a try.
“I would definitely recommend EIPD’s services,” Coleman said. “They offer supports that people don’t realize they have access to – I didn’t know a lot of the supports I actually needed until I got into a real-life situation. Now I’m starting to figure it out.”
Working at the MARC has turned out well for Coleman and the museum.
“Kai didn’t expect this to be a good fit, but he’s flourished in this opportunity. In fact, he’s inspired us to expand our internship program – now we have eight interns and they’ve been really successful here,” said Cameron Stewart, Operations and Program Manager for the MARC. “My message for other organizations is simple: please take the opportunity to hire interns. People make assumptions about what people can contribute, but what Kai brought to the museum has been wonderful – it’s been amazing to have him here.”
Learning Skills and Building a Future: Project SEARCH Graduate Enjoys His New Role
When Jose Kovach came to EIPD, he wasn’t sure what the future held for him. He had left his job at Cook Out and was eager to find a new job that fit his skill set and interests.
He enrolled in the Project SEARCH Transition-to-Work Program, a business-led, one-year academic employment program that takes place entirely at the workplace. The program combines classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training, culminating in individualized job search and placement. Members work three internships, each of which lasts 10-12 weeks. At the end of the program, more than 70% of interns are hired and working in competitive integrated employment.
Kovach worked internships in maintenance, engineering and food service at the Hilton Charlotte Airport Hotel. Having gotten to know him and seen his work ethic, the hotel’s engineering and banquet departments were eager to offer him a job. Kovach chose engineering, but he also helps out in the banquet department as needed.
“They were fighting over me and engineering won–it was fun,” he said. “I’m good with my hands, and I like to work really hard and stay on task.”
Kovach’s job is to make sure everything in each room works before guests arrive. He has an extensive checklist that includes making sure curtains slide properly on their tracks, checking the smoke detectors, and ensuring the plumbing is working.
Whether he’s changing out the air filter on the HVAC unit or replacing the plate on an electrical outlet, Kovach makes sure it’s all perfect. It’s no small job. Depending on the state of the room, making sure it’s right can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours.
“I’m grateful for this opportunity. They treat me with respect, and I would definitely recommend Project SEARCH to other people who might be looking to learn new skills and get a good job.”
Kovach is a solid employee – a fact that’s not lost on anyone.
“Jose is a hard worker – he’s dependable, he’s always on time and he’s very thorough,” said EIPD Case Work Technician Benny Perez. “He’s a leader. He’s quick to volunteer for tasks, and he helps the other students. He’s been really great from Day 1.”
Project SEARCH began at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and has grown to 787 sites across 48 states and 10 countries. There are 15 Project SEARCH locations across North Carolina. Of those, four are for adults and 11 are school-based.
“Project SEARCH is making a big difference in the lives of people in this state,” said Adrienne Kittle, EIPD’s Statewide Coordinator of Project SEARCH. “Working with our program partners and the fact that the interns are getting real-world experiences is key to the success they’re finding in competitive integrated employment upon their completion of their internships.”