The Choice Group

A great story from one of our counselors, David, about a most recent success working with a talented individual such as Patrick Dunbar. Patrick Dunbar is currently working for the Clean Machine in Charlottesville where he washes, dries, vacuums, and details all types  of vehicles.  I started supporting Patrick on January 21st.  Patrick was  diagnosed with ADHD, and he had an extremely limited work history.   In a way, the Clean Machine is his first official job.  When reaching out  to other employers, some of the challenges that Patrick faced were not  having a driver’s license, living an hour away from where he wanted to  work which was Charlottesville, lack of work experience and limited  education.  It was my job to  assist Patrick with obtaining his driver’s license, finding a job, and  moving into his own place closer to town.  Shortly after working with  Patrick, I sup...

One of our Project SEARCH clients was featured in this week's "Week in the 'Peake!" Congratulations on the great new job, Sean!

Sylvia’s virtual resume is a great example of how innovative and resourceful our counselors can be in helping clients find work they’re passionate about. Click here to find out more about Sylvia Frye, or to hire her!

      This month, JAN, the Job Accommodations Network, released the findings of a study they conducted beginning in 2004.  JAN is a service of the Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor.  Interviewing over 2,000 employers, the JAN report covers a range of industry sectors and sizes.  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Amendments Act and regulations from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission refocused attention on workplace accommodations by broadening the definition of disability.  In interviewing employers, the study found that cost of accommodations was a concern of employers, however, the study showed that workplace accommodations are not only low cost but positively impacts the workplace in many ways.       These are their main findings: 1.  Employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees 2.  Most employers rep...

As an animal lover, Nicholas Barker has found a second home working at Petco.  When Dana, a counselor from The Choice Group, and Nick started working together to find employment, his two interests were animals and gaming. When Dana and Nick first started working together, they applied to Game Stop because he has an immense knowledge of many different games.  But, one of the main responsibilities of an employee there would be having to work the cash register and Nick had an aversion to that particular part of the job.  Having Asperger's, social interaction can sometimes be stressful for Nick.  Their next strategy was Petco.  Dana thought perhaps Nick could  find commonality with others through their love of pets.  Because he liked animals so much it seemed like a good fit— and it was!  He began to love the people who shared his passion.  At first, when meeting for an interview, he was very nervous and didn’t necessarily interview the best...

      Recently, The Choice Group was fortunate enough to have a dynamic guest speaker.  She is almost fully blind and has been most of her life.  Her experience is not unique, but her perspective on disability is.  She shared with us this perspective and how she gained it when seeking to learn the martial art of Krav Maga.      When she first approached her martial arts teacher revealing her desire to learn Krav Maga, he sat in thoughtful contemplation for a minute, before replying.      “Krav Maga is a striking art, which relies heavily on awareness from a distance of your opponent’s motions and location.  What if you tried Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, instead?” He replied.  “It’s a grappling art, and might be better suited to someone with reduced vision.  Lots of people practice Jiu-Jitsu with their eyes closed.  You are in close contact with your opponent the whole time, which would allow y...