Please join me in welcoming our first post from Easter Seals Massachusetts. Thank you Easter Seals!
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Easter Seals Massachusetts is a statewide, community-based organization that has been helping people with disabilities to live full and independent lives for over 60 years. Our singular goal has been to expand independence for children and adults with disabilities by providing direct service. Since 1944, Easter Seals has maintained a resolute focus on its vision – full participation in every aspect of family and community life for people with disabilities. Easter Seals is the only statewide organization that serves people of any age or background, and with any kind of disability.
Currently, some of the programs we offer are:
§ Assistive Technology – delivers high and low tech solutions to increase independence for children and adults in a variety of settings.
§ Youth Leadership Programs – provides youth with opportunities to develop their lifetime leadership skills through service learning projects and other work related programs.
§ The Demonstration and Loan Regional Center helps people with disabilities in Eastern Massachusetts make informed decisions about assistive technology they can use to increase their independence at home, on the job or in school. Devices are also available to individuals or groups living in Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, and Middlesex counties.
§ Job Training and Employment – provides computer skills training, vocational evaluations, job support services for adults and school to work services for youth with a focus on assistive technology.
Others include: Therapeutic Rehabilitation, Disability Resources, Assistive Technology Loan Program, Advocacy, and the Paid Community Intern Program.
Our Most Recent focus has been to grow the Job Training and Employment program by engaging the community to really understand the challenges that folks with disabilities face when they are seeking employment. Our newest venture is creating internships in other non profits or small businesses that could really use professional office assistance, but that might not be able to afford it. The benefit is really two fold – Our students have the opportunity to enhance there skills and the employer is receiving some assistance to lighten their work load.
How to get involved: One of the most important ways the community can address the issue of unemployment and disability is to engage these individuals in the work place. There are many different ways to do this including: setting up an internship, providing practice interviews, job shadowing opportunities, or most importantly using Easter Seals as a free service to recruit from a pool of qualified and professional job candidates. If you are interested in learning more please contact Ann Marie Latella, Assistant Director of Job Training and Employment, at (617) 226-2854 or alatella@eastersealsma.org
