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Ability Links: Linking Qualified Persons with Disabilities to Employment Opportunities - Including Latinos?
By Sara Capetillo, Chicago, IL |
Established in July 2001 (www.abilitylinks.org) Ability Links is a web-based organization dedicated to connecting jobseekers with disabilities to employers and vice versa. The idea to create the website was conceived when rehabilitation staff at Marianjoy, a rehabilitation hospital in Illinois, noticed an increase in the number of people with Traumatic Brain Injuries who were not able to find new jobs or return to their former ones. Many jobseekers returned to Marianjoy, looking for help securing better vocational outcomes. Research shows that people with disabilities have very low employment rates despite the inception of the Americans with Disabilities Act's (ADA) and other legal protections. Kathleen Yasko, Chief Executive Officer of Marianjoy and founder of Ability Links, established a committee to address the issue. The committee decided to create an employment resource offering services that could be accessed online, by phone or in person. Ability Links Information and Referral Coordinator, Janice Duvall, explained that the difference between Ability Links and other employment resources is the website itself. "The job seeker can use our site anytime, not just during office hours or with an appointment," said Duvall. If a person with a disability were to utilize the services the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Services they may eventually have their case closed if they are deemed "unemployable" or obtain employment for 90 days. In some instances, an employee quits or is fired from their place of employment due to an inappropriate job match. At Ability Links, a person can request resume assistance, receive job leads, and utilize the online services on an ongoing basis and as needed. Job seekers aren't the only ones served by Ability Links. Employers who wish to advertise their positions or search through resumes can do so as well. For as little as $50, employers can become "associates" of Ability Links. The price for involvement ascends for companies that request additional services including workshop training on disabilities and accommodating employees; a virtual company kiosk or company logo displayed on the Ability Links website. Latino links? Over 100 companies and organizations are members of the Ability Links consortium. When asked how many of these companies were Latino-owned, Duvall was unaware of how many Latino employers utilize their services. She said the organization's main focus is on "providing a pool of skilled candidates to employers." Duvall added, "Ability Links does not keep track of, or focus on the ethnic backgrounds of the participating employers." She was open to suggestions on how to improve the website and requested ideas on how to encourage Latino business owners to be a part of Ability Links. Staff plans to translate the website and written materials into Spanish, and may offer workshops in Spanish in the future. The most notable advantage to this website is that employers from any part of the country can search for potential applicants and advertise positions. Jobseekers from just about every part of the country can search for job opportunities anywhere too. The bit of advice that Janice Duvall gave before the interview is to keep sending resumes and try contacting potential employers. "The more you put your name out there the more likely you are to get a job," said Duvall. Unfortunately, efforts to obtain testimony from an employer about the website and organization were unsuccessful. Employer representatives from different companies (Ability Links consortium members) declined to comment on their experience hiring people with disabilities through Ability Links. |
