Note: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Manufacturing, healthcare and information technology are three promising career pathways for Kentuckians seeking training and employment in in-demand jobs that pay family-sustaining wages and have opportunities for advancement.

Project CASE was created to increase the numbers of individuals with disabilities training and working in these fields by finding and/or developing flexible and innovative training and postsecondary approaches to skill attainment.

Project CASE’s six Career Pathway Coordinators help increase the capacity of Kentucky’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and Office for the Blind in reaching employers who can provide work experiences such as job shadowing, internships, apprenticeships and, ultimately, job placement in these pathways.

Through the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration grant funding, Project CASE provides direct services to eligible individuals in the seven counties of Metro Louisville (KentuckianaWorks) and 23 counties in Eastern Kentucky (Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program—EKCEP).

Problem Solving and Persistence

Barbara King, a customer services representative at Humana Group Medicare, has severe hearing loss and is legally blind. She uses assistive technology and works closely with her team leader and an IT specialist to ensure the systems she needs access to for her position work in a suitable manner for her.

Learn more about King and her accommodations.

Taking Strides to Achieve a Lifetime Career Goal

Josh Gentry knew from a young age that he wanted to help families during times of grief. Even though Gentry has Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye disease, he has not let that stop him from obtaining an apprenticeship as a funeral home director.

Meet Gentry and the funeral home director who believed in him and has helped Gentry with the accommodations he needs.

Note: October is also Meet the Blind Month

Blog content originally posted to Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation website.

Visit Project Case to find more program success stories.

Blog articles provide insights on the activities of schools, programs, grantees, and other education stakeholders to promote continuing discussion of educational innovation and reform. Articles do not endorse any educational product, service, curriculum or pedagogy.