Your Future, Your Voice: PEAL and Life’sWork empower youth to take charge of their futures
For young people with disabilities, the transition from high school to adulthood and meaningful employment can present additional challenges. According to Open Data Pennsylvania, around one in four Pennsylvanians with disabilities participate in the workforce compared to 70% of people without disabilities.
The Parent Education and Advocacy Leadership (PEAL) Center and Life’sWork of Western Pennsylvania, two United Way partner agencies who serve people with disabilities, recently collaborated to offer resources for youth and families navigating the transition process.
Ana Kay Yaghoubian, United Way’s Director of Building for Success in School and Life, said it’s exciting to see United Way partner agencies collaborating so directly.
“We’re delighted to see partner agencies connecting to advance their shared missions and improve life for the populations they both serve.”
On May 10, the PEAL Center and Life’sWork hosted “Lead the Way: Your Future, Your Voice,” a hands-on event blending leadership development, real-world career simulations and essential life skills training. Around 25 young people participated in learning, self-reflection and immersive career exploration, all centered around building self-advocacy, leadership and skills for planning for the future.
Participants heard about the PEAL Centers’ mission and the resources offered through the organization. PEAL staff talked about the importance of transition planning and strategies for youth to use their voices and take on leadership roles in transition meetings. They also emphasized the power of the youth, encouraging families and professionals to create space for you people to share their perspectives, goals, and experiences.
In addition, PEAL highlighted the importance of self-empowerment and supporting youth in building confidence as decision-makers in their own lives. Conversations also included exploring disability identity and how understanding one’s own experiences as a person with a disability can strengthen advocacy and foster a sense of pride. Parents heard about the value of frequent, intentional conversations about post-secondary goals and the importance of encouraging youth to make informed decisions about their future, grounded in their strengths, interests, and lived experiences.
The event featured guest speaker Michael Uher, a young adult who advocates for himself and others with disabilities at both state and national levels, who shared his journey from high school through college and into the workforce. His honest reflections on challenges, successes, the power of support systems and staying true to one’s passions resonated deeply with attendees.
Representatives from Life’sWork led a session focused on individual career goal setting and the support available to youth with disabilities who are seeking meaningful employment. Staff emphasized inclusive workforce practices and helping each individual work in a way that aligns with their strengths.
Young people explored six interactive job simulation rooms in the Life’sWork facility that offer hands-on exposure to different career paths. This immersive experience helped youth to envision future roles and understand the expectations of various workplaces.
Parents and young people shared overwhelmingly positive feedback after the event. Many parents said they now feel more prepared to support their child’s transition journey. Youth said they feel emboldened, motivated and excited to lead their own school-to-workforce transition process. The combination of peer mentorship, real-world exposure and opportunities for discussion helped reinforce to the young people participating that they have the power and right to take charge of their futures.
The Peal Center and Life’sWork contributed to this blog post.