Joshua: Overcoming His Fear of Water to Become a Lifeguard
Training hard and persistence are no stranger to Josh, who’s been a certified lifeguard for 10 years, holds two other jobs, and is a member of his state Special Olympics Board of Directors.
When Preparation Meets Opportunity
Are you interested in learning how YOU can prepare for employment and leadership opportunities in your community?
For far too long, many capable people with autism, intellectual and/or developmental differences have been sitting on the sidelines waiting for employers to recognize their abilities and provide equal access to opportunities within the workforce.
Get Started
1
Take the Job Seeker
Self Assessment
Where are you in your employment journey? Take the assessment to find out.
2
Review Our
Resource Library
Here you’ll find a collection of resources to help you prepare for job and leadership positions.
You are talented. You are a leader. You are employable. 
Spark a Discussion: Conversations about employment can start at home or in the classroom. You should know that opportunities are available to you. 
Self-Advocate: You don’t necessarily have to rely on others to jump-start your employment journey. Practicing self-advocacy skills, like searching for resources, can prepare you for the workplace. 
Identify Interests: Assess your interests and hobbies to help pinpoint companies and job positions that could be a natural fit for you. 
Assess Skills: Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, help you identify opportunities for continual growth and success before and after securing employment. 
Choose a Field: Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and ask yourself what kind of work aligns with your interests, skills and personality. Take advantage of career tests to help you match with fields that might not already be on your radar. 
Benefits: If you are worried about employment affecting your social security benefits, note that there are work incentives like PASS (Plan for Achieving Self Support) that might help you reach your personal and work goals. 
Pre-Employment: Internships, training programs and leadership academies are great lead-ins to part-time or full-time employment. They can also help you better understand your work style and which employment model is right for you. 
Opportunity: In their new 2019 study, i4cp noticed a significant increase in employment of people with intellectual and developmental differences in white collar jobs (i.e. analysts, management and senior leadership). 
Get Connected: There are companies across the nation that are looking for talented employees like you. Get connected by attending in-person or virtual networking events, enrolling in job placement programs and searching job portals.
Success Stories
Cindy: Inspiring Everyone to Achieve Their Goals
A born leader whose determination, hard work and goals brought her to high-visibility positions on the board of Special Olympics Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Board for People with Developmental Disabilities. “I never quit and I never say I can’t.”
Job Seekers Say:
“Don’t say, ‘I have a disability.’ Say, ‘I am somebody.’ Say, ‘I am going to be somebody; I am going to change the world.’”
—Tajha Ilerant, Special Olympics Florida athlete and Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools intern
“We are capable of these jobs just as much as everybody else, if not more. I enjoy constant, repetitive work. I love that type of work because it keeps me in a good rhythm, and I enjoy that.”
— Daniel Ray, AutonomyWorks
“We need mentors in the workplace, supervisors who are willing to take a risk and invest some time to teach us new skills to help us learn.”
— David Egan, Athlete and Athlete Leader, Special Olympics Virginia