Photo By Master Sgt. Ryan Campbell | Laura Ortiz, a community planner with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo...... read more read more
BUFFALO, N.Y. — In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Buffalo District, shared their stories of resilience and the critical role that support systems have played in helping them thrive in their careers.
As a significant part of their journey, some members of the Buffalo District have found meaningful assistance through Adult Career and Continuing Education Services – Vocational Rehabilitation, a program administered through the New York State Education Department.
This program offers vital support, helping individuals with disabilities gain or maintain employment by providing resources such as job counseling, job training and workplace accommodations.
“Our mission of ACCES-VR is to assist individuals with disabilities to achieve and maintain employment, and to support independent living through training, education, relocation and career development,” said Dennis Martinez, regional business relations coordinator with ACCES-VR.
The Buffalo District’s commitment to inclusion aligns with the broader goals of NDEAM, which promotes the importance of a workplace that welcomes the skills and talents of all individuals regardless of ability. The theme for NDEAM 2024 is “Access to Good Jobs for All.”
ACCES-VR is part of a federally backed, national program that started after World War I to assist service members with war-related disabilities, but then evolved to include all people with disabilities.
Martinez explained that the program services those with medically documented disabilities to prepare, enter, engage, retain, and advance in employment.
Laura Ortiz, a community planner with the Buffalo District, spoke about leaving the State University of New York at Plattsburgh, mid-semester, after receiving a cancer diagnosis.
“My doctors did not want me to return to Plattsburgh,” she said.
When she returned home and started attending school at then-Buffalo State College, she had a couple of semesters left and needed financial aid to cross the finish line to graduation.
Resources from The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) – the predecessor to ACCES-VR – provided the needed financial aid, including books, said Ortiz.
An opportunity also became available to take additional classes that would broaden her career opportunities, which VESID also assisted with.
“My professor wrote a letter saying that my employment opportunities would be greatly increased if they could fund three more classes,” she continued. “That got me over the hump.”
Christopher Morris, an operations research analyst with the Buffalo District, also sought out support to help get settled into a career.
“Throughout my 20s, I struggled to settle within a career,” he said. “I completed college and graduate school, got a master’s degree and so when I was 30, my psychiatrist referred me to get evaluated and I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The diagnosis was eye opening for me. Being a customer of ACCES-VR opened opportunities for me and taught me to play to my strengths.”
With ADHD, the one thing Morris needed was a chance to prove he could do the work.
He said through ACCES-VR, he was able to find training and opportunities that made him competitive in his career field.
“And when I applied for a job at the Buffalo District, I was competitive and I didn’t need any reasonable accommodations,” said Morris.
Thomas Lavean, the chief of project management at the Buffalo District, sought out support for his son who also has ADHD and had career struggles despite going to college.
“Right now, he’s actually in an auto mechanic program and ACCES-VR has helped out quite a bit with him,” said Lavean.
Lavean said the services offered by ACCES-VR have been meaningful to his family. The organization has made further support being available to his son as he progresses through his career development, to help him achieve success in the workplace.
The employment rate of those with disabilities is still below that of the non-disabled community.
“We’re always trying to change that,” said Martinez. “There’s still a lot of disinformation and stigma surrounding people with disabilities.”
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has long been committed to ensuring equal opportunities for its employees, offering various resources and accommodations.
“At the Buffalo District we believe that individuals with disabilities bring unique talents, perspectives and contributions that enrich our workforce and enhance our ability to serve the public,” said Kaleena Prince, equal employment opportunity manager for the Buffalo District.
In 1945, the U.S. first designated a national week to recognize the contributions of people with disabilities. Designated by Congress as NDEAM in 1988, it evolved to acknowledge the importance of increasing the number of people with disabilities in the workforce.
“We understand that true excellence comes from harnessing the diverse strengths of all employees and we actively work to ensure that individuals with disabilities have the opportunities and resources they need to succeed,” said Prince.
| Date Taken: | 10.23.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2024 13:18 |
| Story ID: | 483759 |
| Location: | BUFFALO, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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