CareerConnect

Name(s) of students(s):

Age and grade level:

Goal from IEP connected to lesson:

Objective from IEP connected to lesson:

Objectives for student learning: 

After completion of the lesson, the student will be able to:

1. State why it is important to be knowledgeable about legislature as an adult seeking or maintaining employment.
2. Research AccessWorld for employment resources and product evaluations of technology the student will need to complete work related tasks efficiently.
3. State the purpose of National Disability Employment Month in October.

Materials needed: Notetaking device, internet access

Discussion

“Can potential employers ask you about your disability? No. During an interview, do you think the employer is pondering how you will do the job you are being interviewed for? Yes, of course they are. Just like your teacher in high school has questions about how you will do your class work, your employer will have similar questions about how you will perform your job duties. Therefore, you need to be prepared to convince a prospective employer you will be able to do the job you have applied for by educating them about how you will use access technology. Essentially, you will need to disclose your disability and your efficiency tools to your employer.

“You’ve looked at access technology for school, now you will explore how access technology will help you obtain and maintain a job. Before you delve deeper into considering the accommodations you may need at a job, it is important for you to take into account the fact that the unemployment rate among people with visual impairments is high. Therefore, you need to take ownership of your needs and the way to do so is to empower yourself with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to obtain and maintain employment. Your preparation and training for employment should begin now. Most jobs require computer and email skills. Can you complete Internet research efficiently? Can you compose and respond to email efficiently? You are responsible for not letting accessibility be a barrier to your future employment. AccessWorld is one of many resources you can tap into for technology news to support your endeavors to be a successful employee”.

Activity: Understanding the ADA

“Consider the following questions:

• Will your employer provide access technology for you?
• What type of reasonable accommodations can you expect an employer to provide for you?
• Will your employer decide what to purchase for you?
• Will you have the opportunity to try several devices prior to a purchase being made?

Get to know your rights under the ADA by reading Questions & Answers about Blindness and Vision Impairments in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).”

Activity: Research Workplace Access Technology

“Now that you have learned about how the ADA applies to you, spend some time searching AccessWorld to further your knowledge about access technology used in the workplace by people with visual impairments. The accessibility you may or may not have to assist you in performing some job duties may influence the career path you follow.

“Is a job that requires you to be well-versed in using a copy machine to complete 75% of your work duties a good job for you to pursue? Consider your interests, your skills, and how accessible a copy machine is to you.”

• Instruct the student to search AccessWorld using the keyword “Copies.”
• Read Can You Make Me Some Copies, Please? by Darren Burton and Lee Huffman.
• Read Accessing the Machine: Two Solutions for Using Large Multifunctional Copy Machines, by Darren Burton and Lee Huffman.

“What year were these two articles published? Visit the copy machine in your school. Is the copy function on the machine accessible allowing you to independently make a copy?”

“Are you going to be on a tight budget when you graduate high school? Knowing about freeware and shareware programs will keep you on your budget and give you options for accessing information.”

• Instruct the student to search AccessWorld using the keywords “screen enlargement program.”
• Read A Review of Freeware and Shareware Screen Magnification Software for Windows, by Ike Presley.

• Instruct the student to search AccessWorld for the keywords “free screen readers.”      
• Read NonVisual Desktop Access and Thunder: A Comparison of Two Free Screen Readers, by Darren Burton and John Lilly.

“Are you interested in running a small business? If so, you may need to create invoices and write checks.”

• Search AccessWorld using the keyword “QuickBooks.”
• Read Product Evaluations and Guides, An Introduction to Accessible QuickBooks by Intuit and My Blind Spot, by Aaron Preece.
• “How might knowledge of the contents in this article benefit you as an employed adult working from home?”

“AccessWorld offers many more employment resources.”

• Search AccessWorld using the keywords “employment resources.”
• Read 2012 Employment Resources for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired, by Joe Strechay.
• “Everyone is afforded equal opportunity and access to the employment process under what Act? Have you ever thought about starting your own business? What resource was mentioned in the article that has a course for students interested in entrepreneurship?”

Activity: National Disability Employment Month

“Are you familiar with National Disability Employment Month?”

• Have the student search the October issues of each year of AccessWorld to learn more.
• “Why is it important for you know about National Disability Employment Month? How can you participate in or contribute to National Disability Employment Month?”

Progress notes:

Goal of next lesson: