Highland Community College Job Fair Helps Disabled

Jobseekers can connect with potential employers at the Highland Community College job fair.

The annual event started today.. and runs through Friday.

The fair is designed to help the college's students as well as the greater Freeport area find work.

But there's also a couple of booths to help one specific group.

"You can either drop it off at the front desk or even throw it in the mail is fine."

A job fair has become a common sight during this great recession. But one corner of this job fair has a narrow focus. Helping people with disabilities.

"They come into a stigma that they have a disability, they they're not capable of doing the job which is totally incorrect."

The national disability jobless rate in March was 15 point two percent. Seven points higher than the eight percent non disabled rate. Vocational Coordinator Tammy Gillam says disabled people often give up looking for work.

"The person you know is down on themselves because they are disabled and they don't want to put themselves out there and get turned down again."

But as one Illinois agency tries to get the disabled jobs. The division that houses disabled people faces closures. Potentially stranding people that can't work out on the street. And pressuring private groups to expect more clients.

"A lot of people haven't heard of our company, they don't even know that we're there, that's because we try to blend into the community as much as possible."

Frances Home's Roy Woessner says the company is expanding because of Illinois' shaky stance towards the disabled. And the homes need caregivers.

"A lot of the residents they have need to go somewhere and its important to get our name out there, and let people know that we're there."

And Gillam says the people that can work, just want the chance to.

"Everyone wants to work, that can get a job and gainfully employed, that helps boost self esteem and helps get them out of the disability they may have."

The job fair at Highland Community College in Freeport runs Friday from nine to one.