Disability Employment Event Set For Thursday
By Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
HOUSTON COUNTY – Texas Workforce Solutions (TWS) will be holding an event in Crockett Thursday, Oct. 5 to mark National Disability Employment Awareness with an all day conference covering vocational rehabilitation and the various programs offered through TWS.
The event will be held at the Crockett Civic Center and begin at 9 a.m. with a meet and greet followed by a proclamation read by Crockett Mayor Dr. Ianthia Fisher before TWS Vocational Rehabilitation Supervisor Keith McLeod presents the programs and services offered to this with disabilities and employers.
McLeod said the conference will be held this year in Crockett and the public is encouraged to attend and learn more.
“Anyone interested in learning more about vocational rehabilitation as well as employment and we’re inviting local businesses,” McLeod said. “Our business outreach coordinator Christina Ward has been contacting several local businesses around Crockett because part of vocational rehab (VR) is what we call a dual customer approach where we have the person with the disabilities as the customer, but also businesses are our customers because we provide well-suited employees.”
McLeod said this link with businesses can provide well trained candidates able to fill the roles needed by local companies in spite of their disability.
“Employers can come to us looking for employees and we can provide them with people that have been trained. People with disabilities are able to do anything just like anyone else can do. Sometimes, we need appropriate accommodations and that’s what we also help to provide,” McLeod explained. “It’s knowledge and training on those subjects for both the person as well as the business because sometimes businesses might be hesitant to hire someone with a disability, because they just don’t understand what limitations or what the person can do, but with appropriate accommodations, most times people are able to overcome the disability or overcome the impediment to disability.”
McLeod said TWS has offices around the area, including Crockett where people with disabilities or employers can always find more information.
For more information, McLeod can be reached at 936-234-4716 or will be present in person Thursday at the Crockett Civic Center, located at 1100 Edmonton Dr. in Crockett.
“That’s what we’re all about – VR is helping people to overcome the disability and to obtain employment,” McLeod concluded.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
