Disability Mentoring Day empowers 15 students

To mark this month as National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the State Rehabilitation Council and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation matched up 10 private and public job sites and 15 high school students with disabilities from Kagman High School and Saipan Southern High School for a Disability Mentoring Day activity on Oct. 19, 2005.

The students, who were matched with workplace mentors according to their specific job interests, were given the opportunity for one-on-one job shadowing, mentoring, and some hands-on experience. DMD benefited the students as they learned first-hand about internship and job opportunities, explored possible career paths, demonstrated skills to potential employers, and gained greater confidence in their own employability. Employers or workplace mentors, on the other hand, gained access to a pool of new emerging talent, learned more about the experience of disability, and demonstrated positive leadership in the community by agreeing to participate in this worthwhile activity.

The companies and government agencies that participated included the Hyatt Regency Saipan, Pacific Development Inc., Calvo’s Nursery and Landscaping, Department of Public Health, Northern Marianas College, Department of Public Safety, DFS Galleria, Sorensen Broadcasting Power 99, Philippine Eagle Corp., and Aquarius Beach Tower.

SRC and OVR also cited the assistance and participation of Ana Yamada of Kagman High School, Nancy Pestanas of Saipan Southern High School, and their students for making this year’s Disability Mentoring Day possible.

Disability Mentoring Day, a program created through the collaboration of the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Education and Rehabilitation Services Administration, began in 1999 with fewer than three dozen student participants. Last year, however, that number has skyrocketed with the participation of 9,000 students and over 2,500 employer mentors.

DMD is held on the third Wednesday of October each year, with the next DMD scheduled to be held on Oct.r 18, 2006.

The effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment began back in 1945, when Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October each year as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1962, the word “physically” was removed to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of individuals with disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and changed the name to “National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

The CNMI Office of Vocational Rehabilitation aims to increase employment and promote independence among eligible individuals with disabilities throughout the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. (PR)