Taquilla, a young woman whose barriers to employment include a developmental disability as well as deafness, came to Vocational Guidance Services frustrated due to her lack of communication skills outside of sign language. Taquilla had a deep desire to overcome those barriers so that she could obtain her brighter employment future.

At VGS, Taquilla met with our vocational rehabilitation staff to determine her employment goals and design a plan to accomplish them. Her plan began in our Custodial Work Adjustment Program.  Thanks to this program Taquilla received vocational training through paid work experience and developed critical job keeping behaviors such as punctuality, productivity, and work-appropriate appearance, as well as many others.

Taquilla’s Job Coach/Interpreter noted that she has seen a change in Taquilla and that VGS’ custodial work adjustment training program has enabled her to acquire the proper skills to succeed; Taquilla now understands what is expected of her by her employer. She comes to work on time, in work –appropriate attire, and she works hard to achieve the goals she has set for herself. In fact, her supervisor has noted that her general outlook and behavior have changed a great deal. Taquilla loves working at VGS and recommends that many of her friends who are deaf attend the Work Adjustment Program. 

Today, Taquilla is a member of a custodial crew that is responsible for the daily maintenance of two large facilities (over 130,000 square feet). Taquilla’s custodial supervisor says that “she has become a leader in her program and has even begun to train some of the other consumers who work with her.”

Each year thousands of individuals facing physical/mental disabilities or other barriers to employment come to VGS with hope for a brighter future. Each week 1,000 individuals overcome their barriers and collect a paycheck thanks to the innovative vocational rehabilitation programs and social enterprise work opportunities that are offered at VGS.