OVIEDO, Fla. — A nonprofit in Central Florida is providing workplace readiness training to help connect people with disabilities with area employers.
DiscoverAbility staff is assisting clients by helping them prepare for interviews, teaching them how to build a resume, and guiding them through the application process.
What You Need To Know
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
A nonprofit based in Central Florida is connecting clients with disabilities with resources to find a job
Staff at DiscoverAbility say they have helped more than 330 people find a job so far this year
Joseph Sabarre said he heard about the organization through a family-friend, and thanks to DiscoverAbility’s help, he now works as a landscaping equipment operator at Twin Rivers Golf Club in Oviedo.
“Through my case manager, they were able to find this particular position,” he said. “And I had some on-site training for about a month-and-a-half, and once they found out I was a good fit, I’ve been working ever since.”
Sabarre said he has been raking the bunkers and preparing the course for golfers since Twin Rivers Golf Club hired him this summer.
“I’m learning everything I need to know, and I feel good,” he said.
Sabarre, who has autism, is one of the 336 people so far this year to find a job through DiscoverAbility, according to Antonela Spiric, the nonprofit’s supervisor of employment services.
Spiric said more than 600 people have participated in DiscoverAbility’s six-week, work-based learning experience.
“He was paired with one of our employment specialists, Lynn Martin, who worked with him one-on-one to uncover some employers in his area that were hiring,” Spiric said.
Kim Young, the Twin Rivers Golf Club director of golf, said Sabarre was a standout applicant.
“We’re always looking for a superstar, someone who stood out. Joseph stood out,” Young said. “He always came enthusiastic. He was attentive. He was always on time. He’s a good person. So I knew we had to hire him.”
Course Superintendent Scott Hullinger said this is the first time Twin Rivers Golf Club has worked with DiscoverAbility, and said the staff are impressed with Sabarre’s performance, too.
“He’s consistently on time. He gets along with everybody — he’s always in a pretty jovial mood,” Hullinger said. “And he’s got a very good eye for detail, which you have to have working on a golf course.”
Spiric said DiscoverAbility is always looking for future clients and companies looking for new hires.
“We all get a lot of self-worth from our jobs, and it’s great to go out there, do something meaningful, get a paycheck,” Spiric said. “So really, a lot of it is just helping them feel more integrated in their local communities.”
Any potential clients or companies looking for more information about DiscoverAbility can email info@discoverability.org, visit the nonprofit’s website, or call 407-894-5051.