Note: October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Florida’s Division of Vocational Rehabilitation within the Florida Department of Education offers various vocational rehabilitation (VR) services to Florida customers.

This division has helped clients find jobs including services, technical and professional positions, self-employment, business start-up, and others positions across the state.

Finding A Dream Job

Cheryl Ollis, who is deaf-blind, turned to Florida’s VR services for help with finding a new passion and dream job after being let go from a position as her vision continued to deteriorate.

Join Ollis as she shares her success story from being let go to finding her ideal job with help from VR and the Division of Blind Services.

Using VR Services to Jumpstart a Career Search

Sue Cassell didn’t know where to turn when her job search hit a dead end, and then she discovered Vocational Rehabilitation.

Now, she’s found her perfect job as a security guard at a local hospital.

The Perfect Job

Jonathan Sanchez, who deals with mental health and substance use issues, sought help from Florida VR.

Florida VR helped Sanchez with financing and schooling, which lead to him earning the credentials to become an air conditioning technician.

Learn more about Sanchez’s journey.

Transitioning to Small Business Owner

For Shannon Cole and Aaron Hosternman health concerns and an injury respectively caused them to have to change their career plans.

Cole loved his job as a truck driver driving 18-wheelers. Then one day he realized his plans were quickly coming to a halt. He was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but he decided he wouldn’t let his disability keep him from living life to its fullest.

Hosterman’s disability from his injury cost him his job and led to problems finding new employment.

Florida VR helped both these men transition to owning their own business.

Learn more about their stories.

All stories first appeared on the Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation’s Success Stories.