For young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the path from school to employment is not always clear. But help from programs that provide real workplace experience, along with the confidence and skills to advocate for themselves, can make all the difference.
That’s the kind of support provided by Disability Rights & Resources, a partner agency of United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA).
Through its Empower Me! program, the organization partners with Project SEARCH at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to help young adults with disabilities build confidence, understand their rights and prepare for long-term success in the workplace.
Real Workplace Experience at UAB Hospital
The Project SEARCH program at UAB partners with Birmingham City Schools, where students with developmental disabilities spend a year participating in internships throughout the hospital. Through these experiences, students begin to discover the type of work that interests them while gaining real-world job skills.
Angelo is one of those students. He has completed multiple rotations through the program, including one in patient transport, where he helped move patients throughout the hospital and learned how to navigate the large medical campus. The role gave him the chance to interact with hospital staff and patients while building confidence in a busy workplace environment.
He’s now interning in Central Sterile Supply at UAB Hospital, where he helps clean and prepare surgical instruments used by doctors and surgical teams.
“I like feeling like I’m doing something that’s important,” he said. “I’m not just sitting around the house. I’m actually out helping my community.”
Learning to Advocate for Themselves
Alongside that hands-on experience, Disability Rights & Resources regularly leads Empower Me! sessions with the interns. During these sessions, participants learn about disability rights while practicing how to communicate with supervisors, ask for support and advocate for themselves on the job.
“Programs like Empower Me! help participants understand that their voices matter,” said Kim Smith, Community Empowerment Specialist at Disability Rights & Resources. “When they know their rights and feel confident speaking up for themselves, they’re better prepared to succeed — not just in a job but in their community.”
Building Confidence for Long-Term Success
As students move through each rotation, instructors gradually step back so participants can begin receiving direction directly from supervisors, just as they would in a typical workplace.
Rolanda Williams, a Project SEARCH instructor at the UAB location, said she has seen that growth firsthand with Angelo. When he first started the program, he sometimes approached new tasks with hesitation. Over time, he has become more comfortable in his role and more confident discussing the work he does.
“Without Empower Me!, many of our students wouldn’t be able to maintain jobs as long as they do,” Williams said. “We spend the year teaching workplace skills and preparing students for employment; and the Empower Me! program reinforces those advocacy skills while building the confidence they need to apply them on the job. That partnership is really important.”
With support from Disability Rights & Resources and the experience he’s gaining through Project SEARCH, Angelo is discovering new possibilities for the future and building the skills he needs to pursue them.