Testimonies of people with disabilities and the world of work

• In an interview for The Diary, They talked about their experience in the Buena Voluntad association and what they expect from their first work experience

Gabriel Rojas, 20 years old, is part of the training program of Buena Voluntad, a Venezuelan civil association that helps people with disabilities to enter the workforce. After 7 months of training, he got his first job.

Rojas’ visual disability did not prevent him from getting what he wanted: a job. “At Buena Voluntad they taught me about hiring and everything that has to do with what we can give to the company and vice versa,” he said in an interview for The Diary.

He said that upon entering the association’s program he began training in areas of communication, conflict resolution, information management, as well as prudence regarding what should or should not be said to an authority figure.

“In my work performance, I was taught the right attitude for work, to always go with the willingness, to be confident in the job interview, to know what you are going to say, what can be said, what cannot be said, and to always keep in mind that your disability does not make you less and that you can achieve many things,” she stressed.

“Every day is a learning experience”

Gabriel Rojas said he suffers from keratoconus, a visual disease that causes blurred vision and sensitivity to light. “I say I suffer because it clearly hasn’t been easy, it’s been a process of ups and downs, but with the help of the specialists who have supported me and given me strength to keep going,” he added.

Rojas was 9 years old when he was diagnosed. Because he was glued to books and screens at school and at home to try to see better, his mother decided to take him to specialists, who performed tests that determined the disease.

Keratoconus:
It is a condition that causes the clear tissue in the cornea to bulge out.

“Having a disability is not easy, because every day is a learning experience. Every day is like having a little introduction to life,” he said.

Despite his disability, Rojas stressed that he learned that it is important not to let yourself get down and get bogged down in the “I can’t” or “I’m not good at this.” He noted that everyone faces challenges at some point in life, but it is essential to continue striving to achieve dreams.

Gabriel Rojas, after an interview with Farmatodo, got a job at the company. Despite feeling nervous when they mentioned the interview, he managed to stay calm in order to demonstrate the skills he acquired during his time at Buena Voluntad.

“I said: ‘I have to get ahead here, I have to show that the people of Buena Voluntad are really not wasting their time, I have to show that what they do is trustworthy and that the fruits of the work they do every day are worthy of being seen,'” he stressed.

Rojas said that having a job is the result of accepting that he has a disability but that he can still be part of productive society. “I really want to last a long time in that company,” he added.

Autism is not an impediment to work

Although people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have difficulties relating and communicating, for Russell Ray Kanchikauran being autistic does not represent an impediment to wanting to work.

After more than seven months in the Buena Voluntad program, she has been able to overcome her limitations. “My process here was long, at first it was a bit difficult for me to try to understand things, but little by little I got the hang of it, as my dad says, the thread,” she said.

Kanchikauran is 20 years old. He said that in the program he learned how to work in a team and how to perform in a work environment under different types of bosses, as well as the rules that must be followed.

“What I liked most was the job performance. In addition, in the computing area we learned how to work in Word to make documents, resumes and brochures,” he added.

From the area of ​​​​applicant to selected

Although it was difficult for him to learn everything related to applications and hiring, Russell Kanchikauran said that over time he saw that it was a different topic but one that he could understand, such as the types of contracts and the different work spaces.

“I would like to work in customer service, basically because I work better in that area,” she said.

The job interview practices, a process that he found fun because they role-played with classmates and teachers, paid off for Russell. After an interview with Farmatodo, like Gabriel, he was selected to work for the company.

When I showed my mother the list, she couldn’t believe it. I was shocked, but she was very happy. I’m waiting for them to call me to know when I have to go take the entrance exams,” he said.

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“We are showing that we can do it”

Russell said that when he was diagnosed at the age of 8, his mother was told by specialists that it would be difficult for him to study or attend a regular school. “But my mother made an effort, with the help of my grandmother and family, and we were able to prove that I was able to study both at school and at high school,” he added.

Now, with the leap into the workforce, Russell pointed out that they are demonstrating that people with ASD can indeed integrate into society and the workforce.

“We are showing that we can do it. It doesn’t matter what type of disability it is, because we are showing that we want to get ahead, to work and to support our families,” she said.

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Teamwork to deal with disability

José Gregorio Quello Oviedo, 27 years old, has an intellectual disability that was diagnosed when he was a baby. Before entering the Buena Voluntad program, he defined himself as a fearful and shy person, which prevented him from functioning effectively in a social environment.

For this reason, he said that his experience in the association has been “pleasant and meaningful.” “They are preparing and training me to go to a job, God willing, with the help of teachers and specialists,” he said.

After six months at Buena Voluntad, José Gregorio has not only learned how to use computers, but also how to navigate social networks, both personal and professional.

“I enjoyed working as a team with my colleagues and providing them with all the support they need,” he added.

The desire to be independent

Quello Oviedo said he is preparing to work in the areas he likes, such as customer service and the organization and distribution of products on shelves.

“The experiences have been very satisfying, the activities I do are varied, I watch exhibitions and videos to later analyze the topic presented. These things help me improve so I can be selected for a job,” he said.

Quello Oviedo stressed that he wants to have his own income to support his parents and also to be independent in life. He has put this into practice by going back and forth from his house, located in Los Teques, to the Buena Voluntad association in Los Samanes.

Overcoming barriers

Ylenis Hernández, 29 years old, also has a mental and intellectual disability. This is linked to a series of seizures that she suffered from when she was 3 years old and were permanent for at least 4 years.

She said that when she was little, her mother took her to many clinics and specialists to find out the root of her seizures.

“They gave me more than seven pills to counteract the seizures, but my mother read a book about the ingredients of each medication and realized that they were harming me. I no longer spoke, I could not walk alone, I had no coordination,” she added.

Hernandez said that her mother, a religious person, entrusted her to José Gregorio Hernández and the Nazarene and took away almost all of her pills. “She left me with only one that I took until I was 17 years old, and now I don’t have convulsions,” she added.

Despite her disability, she has had work experiences at Fru Fru and studied Tourism, graduating with a degree. However, Hernández believes that she still had to overcome several barriers that have not allowed her to perform at 100% in the social and labor areas.

“I have had a hard time getting jobs because I am not selected after job interviews. There is a barrier that I have not overcome,” she said.

Hernández’s goal is to have the necessary skills to work for a television channel, a travel agency or a hotel. “To achieve this, I know that first you have to have discipline and perseverance, and keep learning,” he said.

After four months at Buena Voluntad, Ylenis Hernández has received training in the social and labor area, where she has been taught the dress code, labor risks and correct job performance, as well as everything related to office automation.

“On Fridays we have mock job interviews. We all come dressed formally and we practice job interviews and that way we get better at job interviews,” he said.

For Hernandez, every day of learning is one day closer to the job he wants to get.

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