Thanks to a three-year grant awarded by The Johnson Scholarship Foundation, the Disability Resource Center (DRC) and the Office of Career Services at Florida International University (FIU) will now be able to help thousands of students with disabilities overcome employment obstacles with a new initiative called The Johnson Scholarship Foundation Career Services Initiative (JSFCSP).

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation, which has been providing scholarship funds to students with disabilities through the DRC for the last 15 years, is going one step further with the JSFCSP initiative. The initiative is a growing partnership between the DRC and the Office of Career Services at FIU that will allow researchers at FIU to expand the university's career services to include students with disabilities as they prepare for the workplace. The foundation gave the university $100,000 a year for the next three years. The initiative is part of the Johnson Foundation's goal to foster "independence through education."

Amanda L. Niguidula, interim director of The Disability Resource Center at FIU and project director of the JSFCSP, says the collaboration with the foundation should be a huge success.

"We're creating a model," says Niguidula. "Having this partnership has brought awareness to underemployment among students with disabilities and highlighted the need to help." 

There are more than 54 million Americans with disabilities, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The JSFCSP program, which is designed to assist and support students with disabilities, will give students the resources and skills they need to be competitive in the job market. Increased research will help experts counsel students with disabilities in every aspect of the employment process, starting with cover letter and résumé advice, tips on how to dress for an interview, and proper interview etiquette. The initiative also will help the DRC and the Office of Career Services communicate with employers..

Lenroy Jones, director of career services at FIU, says now is the best time for employers to tap into the great hidden talent that students with disabilities have to offer.  

"Timing is everything," says Jones. "A more diverse and enhanced working environment will lower the underemployment rate. Just look at their résumé and give them an opportunity to vie for that opportunity."

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