We all know that internship opportunities are important, however, “the power of internships for those with disabilities takes on additional significance because of social inequalities in education and income that result in drastically poorer employment outcomes for people with disabilities” (Izzo & Lamb, 2002). Internships are fundamental because they offer skill building tools for people with disabilities that are critical for career development needed to compete in an increasingly competitive job market.
Since September of 2015, Brio started a full internship program after implementing a successful pilot program in 2014. Currently we are training four adults from NuPath, two adults from the LABBB Collaborative and two students from Winchester High School. The interns are training in video production, administrative skills and creative writing.
NuPath Inc. is a valuable collaborating partner who has been a leader in the human services arena for more than 40 years, providing a network of creative day services and residential options for people living with developmental disabilities, autism spectrum disorders and acquired brain injury. The LABBB Collaborative another one of our valuable partners helps students with special needs reach their full potential through high quality programs that integrate academic, social, recreational and vocational services and enable participation in the least restrictive environment. Our community partner in this very important project is WinCAM who’s staff have graciously offered their expertise and time to our interns and believed in giving them an opportunity.
