Moving forward

Like any recent high school graduate, Melanie Albo looks forward to a steady paycheck.

But the 21-year-old has a few requirements: a job coach to help her with interviews and applications and an on-site trainer to answer her questions at work.

And patience.

“There are some days when I have my good days and some days when I have my bad days,” said Albo, who has a developmental disability.

For many young adults with disabilities, the transition from high school to the real world can be bumpy. Only about one-fourth of students with disabilities move on to postsecondary education.

Nationally, 75 percent of people with disabilities are unemployed, according to federal statistics.

Albo has joined Project MOVE, a Spokane pilot program that provides mentoring to young adults, ages 16 to 21, with physical or developmental disabilities. Funded by a federal grant, the new program requires volunteer mentors to commit to the program for one year and spend two to four hours a month educating and assisting students and recent graduates.

“Many of them haven’t had enough encouragement to think beyond high school,” said Cathy Sacco, a program manager for the Washington Initiative for Supportive Employment, which coordinates the mentoring matches.

Among the public and potential employers, “There is a lack of information, as well as misperceptions about people with disabilities,” Sacco said.

The volunteer program gives working professionals the chance to share their knowledge with high school students and recent graduates, said Tim Foster, a program manager with Project MOVE.

Kendra Cox, a vocational specialist with Spokane Public Schools, said that recent graduates entering the work force may no longer have access to assistive technology – such as reading software – that helped them succeed in school.

Cox has helped Albo balance what she’d like to do with what she’s qualified to do. Albo, for instance, dreams of working for the Greyhound bus service, but she is unable to meet the minimum lifting requirements for a strenuous job like handling baggage.

About once a week, the two meet to explore Albo’s career hopes and to handle more pedestrian tasks – resumes, applications and training.

“Melanie is a really good communicator,” Cox said. “She’s very hard working once she gets started. But she needs the routine.”

For years, Albo has held internships – both paid and unpaid – at retail stores and a grocery market. But trying to adjust her sights to full-time work in a competitive environment has not been easy, Albo said.

For parents, too, the move from high school to independence can be trying.

Ilze Zarins-Ilgen wants her 17-year-old daughter, Sascha, to gain self-confidence as she prepares for her final year of high school.

“I’ve always been her advocate, and I think most families feel like that,” said Zarins-Ilgen. “I was worried that the resources weren’t there for Sascha to become independent.”

Sascha, who has attention deficit disorder, hopes to work in health care. She plans to get a driver’s license this summer, as well as a part-time job to save money for college courses.

Britta Hulbert, a 65-year-old retired medical assistant and social worker, said Sascha is “realizing she is an independent person. She has a lot of potential.”

As Sascha’s mentor, Hulbert said she hopes to help her develop that potential.