Breaking down barriers with Supported Employment
King County’s Supported Employment Program matches job seekers with developmental disabilities to jobs by identifying efficiencies and unmet needs throughout King County government. King County is celebrating Disability Awareness Month in October and recognizing the work that County employees do to serve and support people with disabilities in our community, including the Supported Employment Program. Many divisions have partnered with Christina Davidson, Supported Employment Program Manager, to hire through the Program to meet their business needs. Recent hiring Departments and Divisions include: Dept. of Natural Resources and Parks in the Solid Waste, Wastewater and Parks Divisions, Dept…. Read More
Supporting Disability Awareness Month through Annual Giving Drive
Each year King County employees help hundreds of nonprofit organizations do vital work in our community and around the world by donating to the Annual Giving Drive, and this year’s Giving Drive is now underway. The start of this year’s Giving Drive coincides with Disability Awareness Month, which King County celebrates each October. The following are four participating nonprofits whose work helps people with disabilities in our community (click and scroll down for details): The Arc of King County (9233) – Serving individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities through case management, peer support, leadership… Read More
Disability Awareness Month – a history of Metro’s Accessible Transit Services
Crossposted from Bytes and Boxes Today an industry leader in public transit, Metro has been shaped by citizen involvement since its establishment by the voters of King County 60 years ago. One significant area of Metro leadership and citizen engagement has been the development of accessible transit services for people with disabilities. The Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle (“Metro”) was formed in 1958 with a public mandate to improve local water quality. Over time, Metro expanded to other civic projects and services. The Forward Thrust bond campaign, headed by community activist James Ellis,… Read More
Success at work!
This article is featured courtesy of Karla Lynch, Employment and Community Access Program Manager, with Department of Community and Human Services When we think about our careers, and how we landed in our present jobs, we recognize that each path is unique. The same is true for persons with developmental disabilities (DD). In the early days of the supported employment movement, most people who experienced a developmental disability worked in sheltered workshops – segregated settings in which persons with DD worked together, typically performing a variety of manual tasks. As we’ve learned more about how to… Read More
Celebrating Disability Awareness Month
This October King County is celebrating Disability Awareness Month and taking the opportunity to recognize the many contributions of people with disabilities to our workforce and our communities. King County provides many programs and services – such as easier access to public transit, greater access to parks, facilities and trails, housing assistance and improvement programs, and Accessible Voting Centers – to help people with disabilities bring their unique contributions to our communities and live fulfilling and rewarding lives. King County Executive Dow Constantine and the Metropolitan King County Council proclaimed the month of October as Disability… Read More
County resources help employee find the right job
Sometimes you get a second chance. When Sean Porter started his career at King County, he had a completely different job. For the first eight months, things went well. But then the pressures grew – along with the workplace distractions. It was soon discovered that Sean had a very treatable medical condition. After working with a trusted supervisor, along with Disability Services, he was able to locate a new job as a Maintenance Planner Scheduler/Transit Administrative Specialist II at Rail. Though it’s never easy to switch jobs, he credits the help of… Read More
Keeping employees safe delivers cost savings
“Prevention is the best cure” might sound like a cliché but it’s an important part of keeping King County employees safe at work and decreasing injury-related costs. King County’s Safety and Claims section is implementing a multifaceted approach to reduce costs on workers compensation claims and lost work days as a result of occupational injuries and illnesses, and their efforts are delivering an estimated $7 million in annual savings in liabilities – funds that can go to providing services to more customers. “It’s not any one thing in isolation that is moving… Read More
Breaking down barriers with Supported Employment: Ting Chou
Ting Chou is a 17-year King County employee in the Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention whose positive attitude and work ethic spreads sunshine through the correctional facility walls. Ting is a supported employee through King County’s Supported Employment Program, which matches job seekers with developmental disabilities to jobs by identifying efficiencies and unmet needs throughout King County government. He is proud of everything the program has helped him to achieve. “If you set a goal for it then you can accomplish a lot of new goals and achievements,” said Ting. Watch the short video below… Read More
The Kitsap County Civilian Navy visits King County to learn about Supported Employment
In June 2016, King County hosted the Kitsap County Civilian Navy to share best practices about supported employment in order to assist them to grow and develop their own Supported Employment Program. During the Navy’s visit they toured the workplaces of three employees: Jennifer in DES Records and Licensing Division, Tony in DPH Financial and Administrative section, and Kirsten in DCHS Community Services Division, who showcased their work. Debra Wood, Kirsten’s supervisor, states, “It’s been wonderful to see Kirsten grow. [The Supported Employment Program] is a terrific! I want everybody who has… Read More
The Annual Employee Giving Drive and Disability Awareness Month
The County’s 2016 Annual Employee Giving Drive continues, and this year’s goal is to raise $1.82 million. King County employees have donated $286,165.44 so far, bringing the drive to 15.7% of the goal! The Employee Giving Program is a philanthropic resource for King County employees that benefits county employees by providing prescreened nonprofits, allowing you to plan your giving, making it possible for you to donate time (vacation or compensatory hours), and offering anonymity. In observance of King County’s Disability Awareness Month, the following are four nonprofits serving the King County area… Read More
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