Read about the successes your peers have had in hiring workers with disabilities, and how they've evolved the workforce for the better. And if you have a story of your own to share, we'd love to hear it!

By telling your story, you’ll be providing a useful service not just to workers with disabilities, but also providing useful information to other businesses and peers looking to tap into a tremendous employment resource.

Have a success story you want to share?  Contact us to share it.

When sharing your success story, you may find it helpful to answer some or all of these questions:
• What led you to learn about hiring a worker with a disability?
• How did you find this employee?
• Did you face any challenge(s) when hiring this employee? These could include your own concerns and/or the concerns of employees, or accessibility issues.
• How did you overcome these challenges?
• What has been the greatest benefit to your company?

	John Bahr My caseworker, Kelly from Easter Seals Nebraska, asked me some months ago if I would like to speak in front of new trainees from different agencies helping people with disabilities wanting to work. This came about because of a program that I am signed up for called the PASS program. The PASS stands for Plan for Achieving Self Support. The premise of the PASS is to try and get disabled people resources so that they are not relying on government assistance so much. This is what purchased my van and my computer. So, I figured the least I could do after what I received was to tell my story of how the PASS helped me and affected my life. Read more >>
	Mike Kaczmarczyk The year was 1979, summer was in full swing and Mike Kaczmarczyk was a hard working 17 year old. All that changed when Mike jumped out of a friend's boat to pull it ashore and slipped on a rock. That slipped caused a spinal cord injury that left him doing life differently, life from a wheelchair. After his rehab Mike decided to not finish high school at his former school, but rather through a GED and then began college. Read more >>
	Chris Powers With the assistance of Voc Rehab and Assistive Technology Partnership, adaptations were made to Chris’s car.  Chris found a job as a host at Red Lobster.  He said, “It felt awesome to get this job on my own!”
	Lance Volker Voc Rehab has worked closely with Lance providing a variety of vocational services during and after high school.  When asked to what advice Lance would give others he commented, “Make sure you learn to help yourself and accept help from others who are willing to help you.”
	Lisa Moody Lisa reminds others that just because you have a disability, it does not mean that you can’t live your life like everyone else.  “Remember, your disability is not who you are; it’s what you have.”
	Clayton Lemmer Clayton is pleased that he not only has a job he enjoys, but also one that has given him four pay raises in his first year of employment.  Clayton likes his job because, “it keeps him busy all day and the day goes by fast.”
	Kathryn Jimenez Kathryn Jimenez says the Summer Youth Program, a partnership between Voc Rehab and Nebraska Workforce Development, gave her hope.  Now she can see other possibilities in her future.  She sums it up quite simply by saying, “Don’t limit yourself!”
	Toby Arneson Toby says the best thing about his job is working with the people.  Linda Arneson (Toby’s mother) says, “Out experience with Voc Rehab was a great one.  I feel like the staff had our best interests at heart and they worked very hard to find a good fit for Toby.”
	Ryan Klimek Voc Rehab worked with Ryan during his high school and college years.  During this time he gained valuable construction experience.  “I’ve worked in all aspects of commercial and residential construction…now I just have to work hard to expand my business.”
	Lisa Shore Lisa’s active participation and interest throughout the Voc Rehab process made her success story possible.  “It’s good to have expectations and hopes, but when you don’t have the money to back it up, it’s hard.”  Lisa said of Voc Rehab, “If it weren’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am now.”
	Kevin Paxton Kevin sough the support of Voc Rehab at the suggestion of his family and friends.  Kevin would like to become a cook one day.  His goal, “I’d like to work at Godfather’s a while longer, and possibly, if I can, become a shift manager.”
	Jenny Keown “Voc Rehab has helped me realize my goals and aspirations.  They have helped me to achieve independence through making me aware of resources that I did not realize were available before.  They’ve opened the doors to a lot of opportunities for me.”

Have a success story you want to share?  Contact us to share it.