National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Cody Field is a seasoned Special Olympics athlete who has been with the movement for over 20 years. He is a Special Olympics Colorado snowboarder and skier who competed in the 10th Special Olympics World Winter Games in PyeongChang, Republic of Korea as well as five different X Games in their Unified snowboarding competitions.

Daina Shilts is a Special Olympics North America snowboarder who has worked with ESPN as a sport reporter at previous Special Olympics World Games, Special Olympics USA Games, and other large sporting events.

“I got involved with Special Olympics when I was in school and I was put down all my life. So, I found out about Special Olympics and how they accepted people and how we get the opportunity to compete.”

When Pleskow is not swimming in the Potomac River alongside her mom or running on the track, she can be found within the walls of Brightspot—a software development company just outside the nation’s capital in Reston, Virginia.

Long-time Special Olympics corporate partner United Airlines announced that Special Olympics will be highlighted as a recipient of the airlines’ Miles on a Mission program.

Throughout the Special Olympics North America Region, companies demonstrate what an inclusive environment should look like and how that translates throughout the communities.

Jana Kennedy’s passion for working in the prep kitchen stems from her relationship with her grandma.

On the campus of North Carolina State University, Erin Johnston and Ke’Shaun Tillman formed an unlikely friendship.

Frank Siembab has a bubbly and outgoing personality. Whether it’s leading a crowd in a rousing rendition of ‘God Bless America’ at a Hall of Fame induction ceremony or connecting with his co-workers, the Special Olympics Rhode Island athlete is known for lighting up the room.

With National Disability Employment Awareness Month right around the corner, I've been reflecting on my own employment journey. My journey to the job I currently have was not one that I planned and it didn't go as easy as one, two, three. It was and still is a journey of faith. You see, when I left high school, I faced barriers in qualifying for disability resources and vocational training that I had been told would help prepare me to enter the workplace. As I applied for services, I was told I was either too high functioning or too low functioning to receive these services. I had a lot of time to wonder, and even be afraid of what my future might hold. The workplace had always been a scary place for me. I wasn’t so worried about the type of job I would get; I was worried about the support I would receive to be successful in my job.