Reducing Barriers to Employment & Advancement: Lukas & Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin
“People with disabilities are some of the most marginalized among us. People with disabilities face barriers to employment throughout their whole lives,” said Rachel Reit.
Rachel is the Director of Marketing & Development at the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin (DSAW). She sees firsthand the barriers that people with disabilities face when looking for employment, as well as within their workplaces. Employment services offered at the organization help to reduce these barriers through career discovery, work readiness, and work-based learning for people with disabilities.
Lukas has been attending the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin since he was a child.
“I learned life skills, making new friends, making new connections,” Lukas said. “What a job means to me is to have a lot of things – like skills and opportunities.”
The services at the organization are driven by an individual’s personal wants and needs, working together to achieve what they envision for their future. Programs are designed so individuals can explore different industries to see what fits their skills and interests. Individuals are given the lift to set their own goals and drive their career programming, while the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin provides job hunting support and coaches them in their career choices.
“DSAW helped me a lot. They support me. DSAW is my tribe,” Lukas said.
“United Way has been so important in the support of DSAW’s Employment Services in getting people with Down Syndrome into jobs in the Milwaukee community, in changing our local workforce, and in changing lives,” Rachel said. “We get to see every day the impact of our work, of our mission. If we place one person in a job and their whole life is changed, if they find something they’re passionate about, we know we’ve done that. And we’ve done that with the help of United Way.”
Your donation to United Way’s Reducing Barriers to Employment & Advancement initiative helps support organizations like the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin. United is the Way we help individuals like Lukas begin their journey on a stable career path.