Volusia County Disability Mentoring Day

By Belinda Hoyt

The Agency for Persons with Disabilities’ Daytona Beach Field Office came together with other community agencies to celebrate Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) and Disability Employment Awareness Month (DEAM) on October 18. The agencies involved with the planning of this event are members of the Volusia Community Transition Team (VCTT). Team members include:  Adaptive Technology Services, Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Work Orientated Rehabilitation Center, Inc., Division of Blind Services, Florida Diagnostic & Learning Resources System, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Volusia County Schools Project SEARCH. Goodwill Job Connection provided clothing vouchers as giveaways, while several anonymous donors provided gift cards.

Approximately 75 participants (individuals, Supported Employment coaches, and business representatives) enjoyed the Meet and Greet breakfast. Special thanks to Daytona Beach Regional Service Center and Department of Children and Families for being the host site and Standard Technology, Inc., a local small manufacturing company, for provided funding for the continental breakfast.

Five local federal contractors were invited to attend the event. Teledyne Marine graciously accepted, with Cheryl Perreault and her director Scott McGuire participating in mock interviews. Many members of the VCTT also stepped up by interviewing many of the job-seekers present. Feedback on strengths and weaknesses during the interview process was shared with job coaches, Adult Day Training staff, and Volusia County Project SEARCH.

During the continental breakfast, Peter Curillo from Division of Blind Services spoke about the importance of community involvement in locating employment for anyone with a disability who desires to work. Trish Reonas of EmployU, a non-profit employment service, shared several pre-employment training classes available through EmployU and how job coaching and supported employment customize a plan for each individual to ensure the proper supports are in place and there is a blueprint for success. Trish also invited Home Depot managers from the Daytona Beach and the Port Orange stores to the breakfast to share how the online application process can work to benefit job-seekers.

The final speaker during the event, Sandi Baker of Adaptive Technology Solutions, shared how they can use inexpensive adaptive technologies to help an employee to be as productive as possible without costing the employer too much money.

The best part for many in attendance was neither the breakfast nor the giveaways; it was getting a sense that many in our local communities care about the future employment of individuals truly wanting to be employed and asking, “How can I help?”

During the continental breakfast, Peter Curillo from Division of Blind Services spoke about the importance of community involvement in locating employment for anyone with a disability who desires to work.


Approximately 75 participants (individuals, Supported Employment coaches, and business representatives) enjoyed the Meet and Greet breakfast.


The final speaker during the event, Sandi Baker of Adaptive Technology Solutions, shared how they can use inexpensive adaptive technologies to help an employee to be as productive as possible without costing the employer much money.