Inclusivity Matters: How One Student with a Disability Found Meaningful Employment
By Alexandra Sullivan
W
heelchairs and stretchers don’t just appear in the hospital where they’re needed, someone must put them there. At Orlando Health, one of those people is Isfar Ali. Isfar graduated from the University of Central Florida’s Inclusive Education Services (IES) Professional Certification Program, which led to his current position at Orlando Health. Isfar, who has communication-based intellectual disabilities, joined the program to prepare for joining the workforce and utilizing his motor skills. IES at UCF gives students with intellectual disabilities an academic experience to learn how to utilize their greatest skills in the workplace. Isfar’s father, Kaiser Ali, decided to help Isfar apply to the IES Professional Certification Program because he wanted his son to have the chance to find a job he could excel at. “The main idea was that this is for students with a disability, you know, different kinds of disability, mostly intellectual,” Ali says. “So, the main idea was to basically ready them to put them into programs where they can have a job and employment.” The program is a two-year experience where students can choose to study social services, hospitality or education. Isfar chose to study both social services and hospitality during his program. He participated in classes that not only helped him learn about the area of concentration that he was interested in but in classes that taught professional skills.
48
Central Florida Lifestyle | August 2022
According to the IES website, internship experience coordinators work with each student to secure an oncampus work experience and connect with an off-campus internship partner. Once students complete the program, they receive a professional services credential.
