"Success Stories and Employment" was one of the conference's most well-attended workshops. The panel was comprised of young men and women with a variety of disabilities who are using their experience and careers to help springboard other Latinos with disabilities onto success.

Joel Irizarry shared his story first, telling the rapt audience how he rose above a violence-filled youth as a gangbanger to become, as he says, "a role model who my peers and people younger than me look up to." His gangbanging days behind him, Joel now serves as a Violence Prevention Coordinator at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital. He uses this platform to educate others on the importance of steering clear of the path that led him to his injury. He says as someone who has survived gang violence and begun a new life he "can't slack off now."

Miguel Perez, like Irizarry, was injured when he was shot by a fellow gangbanger who shot him not just once, but again as he lay on the ground, leaving him for dead. Perez didn't die; but he felt he might as well be dead. "I thought because I was paralyzed, so was my future," said Perez. Perez learned about a training program at Access Living. He completed it, learning everything from how to write a resume to what his rights were under the law. That led to his being hired as a Youth Leader at Access Living, and he's now working with Irizarry in Violence Prevention at Schwab.

Both Perez and Irizarry see their injury as the catalyst for turning their lives around, and they take their responsibilities as role models seriously. They use their roles at Schwab to offer peer support to those who are newly injured, helping them to see that they, too, can have a bright future.

Taina Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, was born with Marfan Syndrome, and came to the continental United States in search of technology to treat her disability. Like Perez and Irizarry, Taina too felt the allure of the gangs. Taina, though, turned away from the scene, knowing she was meant for more. For Taina, it was the Disabled Peer Youth Initiative sponsored by the Chicago Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities that put her on the path to success. The program led to her getting a job at Access Living as a Staff Associate, where she was instrumental in starting a support group for women with disabilities. Dubbed the Empowered FeFe's, the group was the first of its kind, addressing the previously taboo subject of women with disabilities and sexuality. Clearly, the group filled an unmet need as its membership bloomed from an initial membership of seven to almost 50. Rodriguez now works for Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky in Chicago, keeping the legislator abreast of issues of importance to the disability community.

Laura Rourke, who experienced a spinal cord injurty 6 years ago, was the first person in her family with a disability. She waited for years thinking she was going to walk again, because her doctor told her she would. Finally, after three years, she realized no miracle was in sight, and began to figure out how to live her life again. Learning to drive, learning about the disability community and participating in support groups helped open the doors to regaining independence for Rourke.

Now a project coordinator for Proyecto Visión, based out of Access Living in Chicago, Rourke stressed the importance of not getting discouraged and learning what's available in your community. She says: "It's important to educate our families that we are able and want to work."

Jose Mendez, born with cerebral palsy, believes enlisting the support of mentors, friends and family is the key to success. He says "you never know when someone you know is on the board of a big company or works somewhere you'd like to have a job." He continued, "so developing those networks is crucial." Like the other panelists, Mendez places a high value on educating the community on the abilities and skills of people with disabilities to encourage hiring. Mendez now works for the One Stop Centers as a disability advocate.

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