Employment Programs
The DSAGSL has heard from parents and community agencies about the challenges people with Down syndrome face when looking for and retaining employment. Our goal is to develop an initiative that involves agency support, employer relations, community engagement, and parent and self-advocate education.
3•21 Roasting Coffee, Hand-painted cups, Tumblers & Gift Boxes!
The 3•21 Roasting Program is a great hands-on skill building programs for individuals with Down syndrome working toward finding community-based employment. Program participants help roast fresh coffee beans, as well as package and label the coffee. Then, at a Pop Up Marketplace event, our team presents the items & sells them to customers. This helps participants practice sorting, organizing, labeling and work on their customer service skills.
If you would like to view the items currently available, click on the Online Store button below. For more information about our 3•21 Roasting or Ready 2 Work program, please contact Don at don@dsagsl.org • 314-710-3603.
Thank you to everyone who has supported our program!
Pop-Up Marketplace
The Pop-Up Marketplace is where we put the training into action! Run by individuals with Down syndrome, we pack up our entire display and set it up at our local partner’s businesses.
Our product offerings have grown over the last year, but one thing remains the same – the learning & satisfaction our members share during every interaction. We use this unique setting to provide coaching, plus job & communication skills training.
What do they offer? Snack boxes – curated by our team – locally roasted delicious coffee, hand-painted coffee cups, 18 oz. tumblers and more.
Check out our Online store here: dsagsl.org/merch.
If you are interested in hosting our Pop-Up Marketplace at your business, please contact Don at: don@dsagsl.org • 314-710-3603.
Career Solutions Training Program
Welcome to the DSAGSL’s Employment training, Career Solutions!
We took time during the pandemic to enhance our training and offer more resources to help our candidates find community-based employment.
If you are interested in learning more about the curriculum, we have created a Course Outline, which provides an overview of the discussion topics, in-class activities and self-study activities for each week. To download the Course Outline, click here.
Participation is limited to allow for personal caching, mentoring, and assistance. To apply for the next session, please complete the application and email to Don Williams.
Still have questions or want a deeper dive? Contact Don at don@dsagsl.org.
Advocacy
There are easy ways for you as parents and support persons to advocate for our loved one’s with Down syndrome regarding employment:
1. Share the following facts about the benefits of hiring people with disabilities with a business you know.
2. Join our Corporate Advisory Board which meets quarterly by phone for networking and strategic brainstorming. Email Erin@dsagsl.org.
3. Invite your company or a business you frequent to attend our Employer Summits held throughout the year to meet our newest Employment Academy grads and learn about hiring.
4. Ask if your spouse’s office, neighbor’s office, or your own office building will host our Pop-Up Marketplace. Email Don@dsagsl.org for more information.
5. Share your son/daughter’s success story with us! The more we can help our members shine, the more businesses will believe that this mission is possible.
More Resources on Employment
Hiring People with Disabilities – It Just Makes Good Business Sense!
It is a return on investment: By hiring people with disabilities, a business can access new markets, improve productivity through innovation, reduce hiring and training costs, and increase retention.
New and exciting marketing opportunities: Customers with disabilities and their families, friends, and associates represent a trillion dollar market segment. A large number of Americans also say they prefer to patronize businesses that hire people with disabilities.
- Think innovation: Employees with disabilities bring unique experiences and understanding that transform a workplace and enhance products and services. People with disabilities can help create more efficient and effective business processes, use technology in new ways to increase productivity, and stimulate new product and services development.
