What's New with DEAM?
Florida to Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month during October!
Save the Date for Disability Employment Awareness Month: Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Florida Disability Employment Awareness Month/Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) is part of a large-scale national effort to promote career development for students, job seekers, and veterans with disabilities through hands-on career exploration, on-site job shadowing, and ongoing mentoring potentially leading to internship and employment opportunities. Participating students and job seekers have the opportunity to visit an employer mentor's job site and learn about his or her day-to-day job experiences in an effort to better prepare and sharpen their skills for a particular career path. Employer mentors gain access to a pool of emerging talent, potential interns, and demonstrate positive leadership in their community.
Florida Disability Employment Awareness Month will be observed during the month of October, and Disability Employment Awareness Month will be commemorated on Wednesday, October 16, 2013. Across the state of Florida, thousands of employer mentors and mentees will take part in job shadow and mentoring activities during the month of October. Florida leads the nation in mentoring opportunities through Disability Mentoring Day, and was the first state to establish mentoring activities in every county.
Florida’s DEAM program is organized by The Able Trust and statewide partners, who provide support to local community liaisons who coordinate the matchmaking experience between mentors and mentees. The Able Trust receives tremendous support from disability agencies and the business community in order to provide this innovative mentoring experience. The experience helps students and job-seekers with disabilities develop some of the necessary skills and experiences they'll need to compete in today's competitive workforce, as well as identify possible careers.. Over the past 11 years, The Able Trust has seen the value that mentoring adds to career development for students and job seekers with disabilities in Florida. Through collaboration among community organizations, business partners and educators, The Able Trust and its statewide partners have worked to expand opportunities for hundreds of job seekers with disabilities to improve their career knowledge and skills.
If you would like to participate in DEAM as a Community Liaison or mentee, please contact The Able Trust. Businesses who wish to participate in a job shadowing or mentoring experience or who are interested in sponsoring the statewide program can contact The Able Trust at (850) 224-4493 or write to info@abletrust.org.
“The Able Trust is excited to represent the state and to serve the organizations that are helping to implement the Disability Employment Awareness Month program. It is through the help of such organizations and programs like DEAM that we are that we are able to continue our mission to assist those with disabilities in securing meaningful employment.” Susanne Homant, President & CEO of The Able Trust
DEAM 2012 Highlights
- 2,625 mentees participated in DEAM activities,
- Liaisons offered DEAM/DMD activities in 60 counties in Florida.
- 34 interviews were set, 55 applications and resumes were submitted and continued mentoring took place in eight counties
- 95 ongoing mentoring opportunities were reported, including volunteer positions and internships.
- Florida DEAM/DMD 2012 was supported financially by: The Able Trust, Publix Supermarkets, Vocational Rehabilitation, , Darden Restaurants, Florida Power & Light.
Florida DEAM 2012 was supported financially by: The Able Trust, Publix Super Markets, and The Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Employers who participated in statewide activities were: Publix Super Markets, Florida Power & Light, Florida State Parks, Darden Restaurants, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Florida’s AmeriCorps Program sites. You are encouraged to patronize these companies.
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM), sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), began in 1999 as part of a White House effort to increase the profile of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrated every October. It is a national partnership between the AAPD and the US Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy.
DEAM was patterned after other school-to-work activities such as the National Groundhog Job Shadow day, and began with just three-dozen student participants, mostly in Washington, DC. In 2000, DEAM began to take root in communities across the nation.
If you would like to participate in DEAM as a Community Liaison or mentee, please contact The Able Trust. Businesses who wish to participate in a job shadowing or mentoring experience or who are interested in sponsoring the statewide program can contact The Able Trust at (850) 224-4493 or write to info@abletrust.org.
Employers
You could play an important role in the career path of a young adult with a disability. Learn more about being a Mentor…
Students/Job Seekers
DMD will give you the opportunity to network with individuals who have already pursued the career track that interests you. Learn more about being a Mentee…
Community Liaisons
Facilitate job shadowing and Mentoring opportunities for young adults with disabilities in your community. Learn more about serving as a Community Liaison…