Campaign Seeks to Improve Job Outlook for People with Disabilities

Maddie Hansen, left, chops onion,
while Sue Weber, a job coach,
looks on.

MANITOWOC, Wis. — Unemployment is a problem for people from all walks of life, but that’s especially true for those with disabilities. A new campaign in Manitowoc County called Jobs First! is seeking to close that employment gap.
The idea is to change employers’ perceptions of hiring people with disabilities “and at the same time raising the expectation on our students,” said David Koenig, Next Step UW and transition coordinator for the Manitowoc Public School District. Next Step UW is a program for 18- to 21-year-olds with developmental disabilities that is housed at the University of Wisconsin-Manitowoc.
“We’re trying to provide more training opportunities for these students that are tied directly into employers’ expectations,” Koenig said.