Dates for the 2025 Summer EmployAbility Program are as follows. Please
note that all students who wish to participate in this summer program will
be required to attend the Pre-EmployAbility weekend.
The Pre-EmployAbility program is a weekend to assess each student’s
skills related to employment. Participation in this portion is mandatory for all
students who will attend the 2025 Summer EmployAbility Program. The
dates for this program are Friday, April 11 with an arrival time of 4:00 pm
through Saturday, April 12 with a student pick-up time of 4:00 pm.
The weekend will consist of activities to give program staff the opportunity
to get to know the students’ abilities, strengths and areas of need as they
relate to competencies of employment through assessments in the areas of
independent living, assistive technology and social emotional skills. There
will also be discussion of job placements for the summer program.
· Students will participate in discussions about job placements for the
summer program.
· Students will access WCBVI laptops to determine keyboarding, email
and internet access skills.
· Students will stay in the dorm at WCBVI where the four-week
Summer EmployAbility Program will take place.
· Students will become familiar with the WCBVI campus. Students will
be introduced to the Janesville Transit System (JTS).
The result of the pre-EmployAbility weekend will be a report highlighting the
students’ abilities, strengths and areas of need as they relate to the
competencies of employment, Orientation and Mobility (O&M) and
Independent Living Skills (ILS). The report will help guide staff in
determining whether a student has the skill set for the rigorous four-week program and whether or not they have the skill set to work in the community.
This program is for students ages 16-21 who are enrolled in school in
Wisconsin and who are eligible for special education services and are blind
or have low vision. It is designed for students who plan to work in the
community after completion of high school.
Dates for the Summer EmployAbility Program are July 7-18, 2025, for two
weeks of on-campus classes and July 21-August 1, 2025, for two weeks of
paid employment. Students will reside on the WCBVI campus for the entire
four weeks, July 7 – August 1. As Limited Term Employees (LTE’s) with the
State of Wisconsin, students will work up to 20 hours per week in their
assigned jobs.
Focus
The focus of the summer program will be on developing employment skills
that lead to employment in the community. Students will have two weeks of
classes in Employment Skills, Orientation and Mobility and Independent
Living Skills.
Employment Skills class includes researching jobs, creating a resume,
learning to complete job applications and interview, communicating with
employers and coworkers, learning about requirements of various jobs and
what type of qualities employers are seeking in a candidate.
Instruction in Orientation and Mobility (O&M) will include learning about
community safety, safe travel to and from your place of employment,
exposure to the Janesville Transit System and shared ride services. It is
expected that students will have basic cane skills upon arrival to the
program.
Independent Living Skills (ILS) includes use of basic kitchen items such as
microwave, stovetop and oven, learning about healthy lunch options and
preparing simple meals.
Who Will Benefit?
This program will benefit students who plan to live independently, work with
no or minimal support, and/or attend a university, private, or technical
college. This program is not part of a student’s IEP, nor any local district
programming.
Eligibility
Students who are 16-21 years of age, who are blind or visually impaired
and have attended high school in Wisconsin for the 2024-2025 school year,
are eligible to participate. Students will become state of Wisconsin Limited
Term Employees and must satisfy all hiring requirements. All students who
sign up for the program will receive a certificate upon successful
completion. The program is limited to eight students.
Program Requirements
In order to participate in the program, students must commit to the April 11-
12 Pre-EmployAbility weekend and the full four-week summer program.
Students must provide their own transportation to and from the Wisconsin
Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired campus in Janesville.