Many people in the community of Latinos with disabilities do not have sufficient information about programs and services available to them. This lack of information has impeded hundreds of Latinos with various disabilities to reach independence.

How can a person become independent if they do not know where or if there is accessible housing and transportation available? How can they become independent if they don’t know there are employment training opportunities available to them?

Access Living Center for Independent Living and El Valor advocacy center for people with disabilities in Chicago created an educational workshop for Latino families and individuals in the area to educate them about the opportunities they can avail themselves of.

Four workshops were planned to take place on separate days throughout last summer and fall. During the four workshops, attendees received three hours of training about: laws in the United States that protect people with disabilities, how to create a strong resume, what services are offered at centers for independent living and other service centers, how to apply for accessible transportation, how to figure out what benefits a person is eligible for, finding opportunities for work on the Internet, and support groups. For each workshop, the class size was restricted to 20 people to create an intimate working environment.

The objective of the workshops was to provide families and individuals with disability with information and resources they can use to empower and advocate for themselves to live an independent life. After the workshops, and with the help of the new things they learned, two workshop participants got jobs.

printer friendly format