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Career Exploration

Students are able to look at the interests satisfied by careers and compare them to their own interests.

Begin with Career Interest Assessment

Career Exploration class begins with students taking an on-line career interest assessment which generates a profile based on answers to questions regarding individual preferences. Students are able to look at the interests satisfied by careers and compare them to their own interests.

Cover of total life learning

O*Net Interest logoThe O*Net Interest Profiler is a free online career interest survey.

Use Transition Curricula to Identify Goals and Activities

Total Life Learning: Preparing for Transition

By Wendy Bridgeo, Beth Caruso, Linde D’Andrea, Denise Fitzgerald, Steve Fox, Christa Gicklhorn, Cathy Mills, Susan Summersby, and Mary Zatta

This curriculum was developed for students ages 3 to 22 who are blind or visually impaired, including those students who have additional disabilities or are deafblind. The focus is on the development of life and career goals that enable student to maximize independence, self-determination, employability, and participation in the community.

The curriculum provides teachers with goals, objectives and activities in the following content areas: work skills, organizational skills, self-advocacy skills, personal care/daily living skills, employment, and secondary education. The curriculum articulates the importance of beginning instruction on foundation skills in these content areas at a young age for students with visual impairments to ensure that they develop the concepts necessary to navigate the world around them. Includes CD of curriculum assessment tool for students ages 3-22. 

Cover of School to WorkSchool-to-Work: Developing Transitional Portfolios for Students with Significant Disabilities

By Wendy Bridgeo, Christa Gicklhorn, and Mary Zatta

This practical guide focuses on developing meaningful vocation activities & transition portfolios for students with significant disabilities.  Includes sample forms to create work portfolios that focus on three areas: the Individual’s Perspective, Personal Information and Vocational Experiences.

 

 

Visit Various Job Sites and Meet with Adult Service Agencies

Trips into the community allow students to “shadow” employees at various jobs; students visit job sites where blind and visually impaired individuals work and learn about accommodations and other important aspects of those jobs. Speakers from training programs offer advice on education, networking and finding employment.  Adult agencies such as the Commission for the blind bring information about their role in assisting students to achieve their educational and career related goals.  Students benefit from learning about laws/regulations pertaining to employees’ rights, accessibility requirements, and importance of self-advocacy.

 

Develop Career Options Using These Effective Strategies 

The following overall strategies are effective in helping students who are blind or visually impaired to develop knowledge of career options:

More on Preparing for Work:

Career exploration

Job fairs

Job development

Job descriptions

Tiered work systems

Giving back to the community

A team of support

By Denise Fitzgerald

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