THE VOICE
Vision· Opportunities· Innovation· Choices· Expertise.
Oregon Commission for the Blind, September 2022
Executive Director's Message
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), and this year’s theme is: Disability: Part of the Equity Equation. For those of us in the field of vocational rehabilitation, we experience first-hand the many benefits of hiring qualified job seekers with disabilities. Having a skilled workforce that mirrors the community in which you serve is not only the right thing to do for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – it is simply good for business.

Disability is part of the equity equation, and the Oregon Commission for the Blind is proud to be part of statewide efforts to engage with job seekers with disabilities and the businesses who hire them. To learn more about the various ways to celebrate NDEAM in person and virtually in the State of Oregon, please visit State of Oregon: EMPLOYMENT FIRST - Training and Technical Assistance.
 
This edition of The Voice features a return to in-person SWEP after two years of virtual programming and highlights the multidisciplinary approach that makes the program so impactful for the students who participate.

As we celebrate another successful year of our Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP), we not only honor the SWEP students themselves, but also the businesses who opened their doors to host a future member of the workforce. They offered our students invaluable opportunities to learn new skills and develop critical problem solving and self-advocacy skills along the way!

I hope that you enjoy reading more about SWEP and the agency mission in action!
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In-Person and In-tense: SWEP 2022
SWEP student, smiling broadly, sits in the sunshine on the edge of a pond and fountain. She wears glasses, a Minnie Mouse shirt, and holds a white cane.
This summer we welcomed our 49th cohort of students to an in-person, college campus experience of our Summer Work Experience Program (SWEP)!

After two years of hosting the program virtually, we were delighted to host SWEP 2022 at Western Oregon University in Monmouth and at Portland State University. We also offered a community-based option for students who could not attend in person.

Students had an opportunity to live more independently and connect with their peers while working at an internship tailored to their interests. Staff and students did an amazing job of adapting to all the changes and had a great time together!

Picture at left: a SWEP student sits in the sunlight on the edge of a pond and fountain, smiling and holding a white cane.
Smiling SWEP student stands in the dormitory hallway holding a massive armful of neatly folded laundry.
What is SWEP?
SWEP gives Oregon youth ages 16 to 20 who experience vision loss the opportunity to engage in meaningful community-based work experiences carefully designed to be relevant to their individual career goals, personal strengths, and identified areas of growth.
Students in both the Portland and Salem programs live in dormitories where together they develop independent living skills from laundry to cooking and budgeting, and build friendships that may last a lifetime.

Picture at right: a smiling SWEP student walks the college dorm hallway holding a comically large pile of neatly folded laundry in his arms.
Photo of SWEP student in a stylish black suit walking confidently with a smile down the OCB hallway, as staff and students watch and clap.
Prep Week
Prior to beginning their work experiences, students completed an intense Prep Week with many orientation and job preparation activities. They:
-        Prepared and refined their resumes
-        Practiced their 60-second “elevator pitch”
-        Engaged in mock interviews
-        Learned about and discussed disability disclosure
-        Honed their professional communication strategies
-        Learned budgeting and independent living skills
-        Discussed ADA guidelines
-        Even showed off their professional attire in the annual SWEP fashion show!

Picture at left: a SWEP student in a stylish suit grins as he confidently walks the "runway" of OCB's hallway as people applaud.
An Orientation and Mobility instructor coaches a student in how to navigate the Western Oregon University Campus with a white cane.
Throughout Prep Week students also engaged in tech assessments and intensive orientation and mobility (O&M) training, learning to safely navigate to and from their worksites using cane skills, mobility technology, and public transportation systems.

Picture at right, an O&M teacher coaches a student in how to navigate the Western Oregon University campus using a white cane.

Finally, students were interviewed at their SWEP worksites, and the next week they began internships!
Photo of a SWEP student brushing a pony at her work site.
Work Experiences
Students typically worked between 25-30 hours per week while also participating in college and career prep activities, and social and recreational events.

Sixteen students completed SWEP this year. We placed them at worksites throughout Portland and Monmouth/ Independence, for a total of nearly 4000 combined work hours! Students were involved in marketing, branding, community outreach, research, education, customer service, research, and many other substantial work tasks.

Picture above: a SWEP student smiles as she brushes the coat of a pony at her worksite on a farm.
A SWEP students stands in the sun in front of her worksite, YMCA Child care. She holds a white cane.
Picture at right: A SWEP students stands in the sun in front of her worksite, YMCA Child care. She holds a white cane.

Throughout the program, job coaches, dorm staff, and counselors support students and assess their skill levels and progress. This valuable information goes into summary reports we provide students and their families upon graduation, highlighting their measurable skill gains in employment, travel, and independent living; their work achievements; and their progress in career exploration.

This information can help guide students and their support networks plan for their immediate and long-term future.
Two SWEP students smile as they stand behind the cafeteria hot tables, serving food at their worksite at Western Oregon University's Valsetz Dining Hall.
New Site in Monmouth
For the first time, Salem SWEP was based in Monmouth at Western Oregon University. Students were placed at job sites on the WOU campus and in the Independence community.

We’d like to give a special shout-out to Travis Smith at WOU’s Conference and Events Services who made sure our stay was comfortable and worked very hard to ensure we had what we needed!

Picture at left: Two SWEP students smile as they serve meals at their worksite at Western Oregon University's Valsetz Dining Hall.
SWEP students gathered around a large kitchen island at OCB's industrial teaching kitchen. Each has a tray with a variety of adaptive cooking tools in front them.
Personalized Skills Training
As a unique offering this year, because of the impact of multiple years without the opportunity for in-person instruction, Portland SWEP students were provided with focused, personalized skills training one day a week; this included meal preparation, orientation and mobility, technology, and techniques of daily living.

Picture at right: a group of students gather around a culinary instructor at a large kitchen island in OCB's teaching kitchens. Each student wears an apron and has adaptive kitchen implements.
Two students climbing high up on a tall rock climbing wall; they wear harnesses, ropes and helmets.
Focus on Teamwork
Teamwork, communication, and social skills were a big focus in both Portland and Salem SWEP. Staff worked hard to teach these skills via a huge range of activities including: STEM activities; an accessible Dungeons and Dragons game that promoted creative group problem-solving; a jujitsu self-defense class; bowling; a ropes course challenge; a climbing-wall session; a hike at Silver Falls State Park; a lesson about the ADA and what accessible options are available at movie theaters; a beach trip to Seaside; and a tour of the Oregon Humane Society. 

Picture above: Two SWEP students climb high up on a tall rock climbing wall; they wear harnesses, ropes and helmets.
Some parents sent thank you cards as they noticed the hard work their students were accomplishing. One said, “Maya had her first job and feels so proud of the money she saved. She feels more confident to live independently away from us.”

Picture at left: A group of SWEP students wearing climbing gear test their teamwork abilities on a "balance board" at an outdoor challenge course in a forest setting.

Active Learning Strategies
At every level of the SWEP experience, our staff has carefully integrated active learning strategies which increase student participation, enthusiasm, and retention of valuable career-related knowledge. Whether it was a college campus scavenger hunt, a trust-building ropes course in the trees, or a dedicated space for STEAM activities in the dorms, these activities engaged students in the process of building knowledge and skills relevant to their career goals. 
Sign that sits on the counter of PDX Starting Grounds coffee shop that says "We have visually impaired staff. Please speak up."
New and Returning Community Business Partners
We were glad to work with many new partners this year, including several offices at Western Oregon University: The Office of Disability Services, the Recreation Center, Conference and Event Services, Custodial Services, and Valsetz Dining Hall.

We were also delighted to start working with new partners Birch Community Services, Three Rivers School District, PDX Starting Grounds Coffee, HART Farm, The Gate Community Youth Center, Independence Nursery and Water Gardens, the City of Independence Office of Economic Development, Portland Parks and Recreation’s Washington Park and International Rose Test Gardens, and Hearts Compass wellness center and gift shop. We look forward to continuing to develop these amazing new partnerships.
Picture of a smiling young SWEP student hugging another smiling-and-tearful student at the end-of-SWEP celebration.
Pictured above: Sign that sits on the counter of PDX Starting Grounds coffee shop that says, "We have visually impaired staff. Please speak up." It includes their logo, a 1950s-style drawing of a widely smiling business man holding a coffee cup.

We are also deeply grateful to our incredible long-time business partners New Seasons Market, the YMCA, Independent Living Resources, Portland State University, and OMSI. Thank you for believing in our work, and most of all, in our students!

Pictured at right: a smiling SWEP student holds a framed completion certificate as she gives another tearful-yet-smiling student a huge hug at the end-of-SWEP celebration.
Blindness Without Barriers at the Orientation and Career Center
Young person bending over to prune yellow roses in the the International Rose Test Garden.
For many of us, a high school summer job was a rite of passage. Our Oregon youth who are blind want the same experience, but encounter higher barriers. Technology, printed materials, and transportation all get in their way and prevent earned wages.
 
The Orientation and Career Center for the Blind (OCCB) was able to support the SWEP program and our youth by providing training to overcome these barriers. Coming from an empowering philosophy, the instructors provide a highly-customized training experience so that youth have the skills to be successful on their summer jobs.
 
For example, one of our clients worked at the International Rose Test Garden (pictured at right bending over to prune some roses). With more than 10,000 individual rose bushes, it would be easy for anyone to get lost. The student was unsure how to navigate the maze that a person who is sighted would have an easier time with.

To make his job site accessible, an OCCB instructor created a tactile map of the garden including pertinent information such as section numbers, major features, and walking paths. This tool allowed the SWEP student to visualize with their hand how to navigate the worksite. What a success!
Picture description: The tactile map features raised surfaces each of their own size and shape with corresponding Braille description which allows a person who is blind to gain an orientation to the space before first stepping into a new place.
The sample tactile map pictured at left features different line widths along with different shaped markers. There is a legend on the right with corresponding Braille so that the user can determine what each line and marker mean.

Later in the term, SWEP students practiced their interviews using the Can You See Me app. This app has one mission: to help users with limited vision center themselves in the camera. With simple verbal feedback, people who are blind can independently position themselves in the center of the frame before attending a job interview or online meeting.

Not only do OCCB instructors provide technical training, but the result is empowering independence. Youth who are blind don’t want to be different from their peers. The skills they receive at OCCB allow them to function in a sighted world with confidence and respect.
South Falls Café Gives Students Food for Thought
In July, with participation from the NW Association for Blind Athletes, SWEP students enjoyed a hike to the magnificent South Falls waterfall at Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s largest. The South Falls waterfall is the tallest at the park dropping a massive 177 feet. What makes this waterfall so unique is the exciting trail that goes directly behind it. Be warned, however, if you choose to take this trail, you will likely be saturated as you pass behind the amazing 177-foot-tall mass of water!

Picture at left: a group of SWEP students stand on a forested South Falls hiking trail with a scenic waterfall in the background. All hold white canes and some wear bright orange vests that say "visually impaired." Picture below: massive wooden beams and graceful rhododendron branches frame the porch surrounding the historic lodge that houses South Falls Cafe.
Following the hike, students were treated to a delicious boxed lunch at South Falls Café, a business managed by Char Hawkins in partnership with the OCB Business Enterprise Program (BEP). The South Falls Café has been a BEP location since May, 2021, and has thrived under Char’s management.

Photo at right: Char Hawkins stands in front of the natural stone walls of South Falls Cafe, smiling and wearing an apron branded with their logo.

Students gathered in the historic South Falls Lodge, with its massive stone fireplace and rustic Adirondack-style furniture, to eat and engage with Char in an informative question-and-answer session where they learned about running a food business through the OCB BEP.
The ordering counter and window at South Falls Cafe.
Photo at left: The ordering counter and window at South Falls Cafe, showing the menu board and pastry case, as well as the beautiful wooden and stone design materials of the historic lodge in which it is located.

Throughout the discussion, students questioned Char about her daily schedule, the number of customers served per day, and what classes and training would best prepare them to manage a food service business.

Over the years, at various BEP locations, Char has hosted work experiences for OCB SWEP students and to her delight, she was reunited with a current SWEP student who had worked with her in the past! Overall, the afternoon was a huge success in large part to Char’s positive outlook and commitment to nurturing future entrepreneurs.
We want to sincerely thank all the community partners involved in making SWEP 2022 another successful and life-changing experience for our students. We truly couldn’t do it without you!
Pictured below: Montage of the logos from our business partners who provided SWEP work placements for our students this year.
A montage of the logos of our business partners who hosted this year's SWEP work placements.
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