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The Blind Life Podcast
Breaking Barriers: How ABLR Is Creating Real Jobs for the Blind - Ep. 48
00:35:12
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- [00:00]
A
Today's conversation is all about training that leads to real employment. In this episode, I'm joined by Mike Ianneli, the CRO at Abler, and Heather Buster, a visually impaired professional who completed training through Ablor's workforce development program and turned that into a job. I'm really excited for this conversation because we dig into what Abler does, how the program works, and what it's like to go through it as a participant. Hey guys, it's Sam and Rachel and you're listening to the Blind Life Podcast.
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B
This is the companion podcast to the popular YouTube channel the Blind Life.
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A
Here I share tips and tricks, how.
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B
To'S, interviews with amazing VIPs in the community, and loads of assistive technology reviews.
- [00:56]
A
The goal of the Blind Life is to help you live your best blind life. Mike and Heather, thank you guys so much for joining me. I really appreciate it.
- [01:06]
C
Yeah. Good to see you, Sam. Thanks for having us on.
- [01:09]
B
Hi, Sam. Thanks for having us.
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A
Yeah, yeah, my pleasure. So, Mike, why don't you really quickly give a little bit of background about yourself and your role at Abler.
- [01:21]
C
Yeah. How long should we be here? Because I could talk for a couple hours, but we'll keep it brief. Yeah, I'll keep it brief. Thanks for the heads up. So, yeah. My name is Mike Ionelli. I'm the co founder and CRO of Ablor and Ebler is a nonprofit, mission driven disability inclusion and digital accessibility company helping to eliminate the barriers for people with disabilities and very specifically recently with visual impairments and low vision. Now we do that in a few different ways. We do that through digital accessibility services where we work with organizations like Manscape, like Lenovo, making sure all their digital assets are fully accessible, usable and compliant through all the requirements and standards. But we are really built around the usability components and we are built around really the human in the loop, what we call it, where all of our testing is done by human beings that are native users of assistive technology, meaning people that have visual impairment, low vision, physical disabilities, etc. So by doing that, we are creating really universal experiences for everybody, which is a differentiation than using sort of like an automated tool or some sort of AI widget. So very proud of the work we're doing there. We also have a lot of educational components that we, we work with. Ulta Beauty is one of our clients that trains about 60,000 other employees on disability etiquette and inclusion. It talks about the history of disabilities and how this assistive technology in the world has changed and shifted and opportunities are plentiful for everybody, which is beautiful. Which leads us to our workforce development program that we have as well. And that's where we align with states around the country and their division services for the blind and vocational rehabilitation centers. And ultimately, what our mission there is to create opportunities for people with visual impairments and low vision where they can actually come into the ABLER program. They can have mentorships and internships and milestone training and all sorts of education that really arms them with tools and information and education to create really meaningful job opportunities. Not just the run of the mill, but these are corporate technology jobs. So we're thrilled. I think we've graduated over 40 people already. I'm talking like crazy, but our employment rate is over 77%, and people are getting jobs with great organizations like LC Industries and Lenovo and Ulta Beauty and Pegasystems. So, yeah, we're thrilled to be on the show today and excited to hear a little bit more from Heather and go from there, my friend.
- [03:45]
A
Yeah, well, and you kind of touched on. I was going to ask what the core mission was about, but you really touched on it. Why. Why is accessibility and workforce inclusion so important to you guys?
- [03:57]
C
Well, you know, it's funny. My. I got into this five years ago. I met my partner, John Samuel. John has retinitis pigmentosa, lost his vision probably 20 or so years ago. He started to. It started to degenerate. I was working for an advertising firm doing a lot of different work, and came to meet LC Industries to see if there were some. Some opportunities to work together. And I met John the first day, and he took me through a tour of this facility, and I was absolutely blown away. I had no idea. So LC Industries is our holding company. They employ almost 300 people with low vision and visual impairments here in Durham, North Carolina, and at military bases, commissary stores around the country as well. So an incredible mission. They ended up acquiring our assets just a couple years ago. So we all work under the LC Industries umbrella. But meeting John and being exposed to folks with different types of disabilities, and I tell people all the time when I get on calls with folks, it's transformative. It's. It's. It changes the way you are as a human being. And so many. For so many years, I was building incredible content for major businesses and brands and websites and mobile apps and digital campaigns, and I never actually considered the community, and I was never really a universal person. I always thought of, like, everybody's like me, right? Selfishness. We're all the same. But in reality, there are millions of other people that are not and have been sort of left on the sideline all these years. And so meeting John, hearing a screen reader for the first time, it just sort of like I always say, it was a punch in the gut to me that I was in search for fulfillment. I wanted, I was missing, there was something missing in my life and John came around at the right time. I, I think it was divine. It changed my life, it changed who I was as a person. It's giving me purpose and fulfillment and mission. And the best part is we're doing things together as a team and it matters and people are excited and we're, we're providing full time positions for people out there. So now they're not on disability, they're earning incomes, they've got a 401k, they've got a pension and PTOs and all the things that we all have. But we're leveling up the playing field for others that never had that opportunity. And truthfully, that's the way it should be. The accessibility component is to me again, Covid hits and Internet statistics go through the roof. Usage is through the roof. We are living in a technology world obviously with AI and all of a sudden these websites that may once have never been used before, that's all we do is use digital commerce and digital experiences. And so the fact that 90% of them can't be used by people with disabilities or visual impairments, it's unacceptable. And so we help organizations, like minded organizations that want to say, hey, we're inclusive for all people, we care about inclusion. And when you think about accessibility, other than doing the right thing, because that's what it's about in my opinion, is doing the right thing. We don't want to exclude anyone, but from a business perspective, right, you're, you're intentionally leaving out potential prospective clients or partners or customers. And it doesn't, it doesn't make any sense. And so by creating an experience that works for everybody, you're, you're obviously increasing your output and reach, you're increasing your reputation, but you're also creating an environment that everyone can be included in part of. And ultimately that's the goal of humanity and that's, that's really what we're focusing on.
- [07:06]
A
That sounds good. Sounds good to me. Well, let's chat with someone who's actually gone through the program. Heather, can you tell me a little bit about yourself? And I, and I'm curious what led you to seek out abler.
- [07:20]
B
Hi Sam. And yeah, I'm Heather Buster and again very happy to be here today with, with you and with Mike and talk about the good work that the Abler is doing. And I found out about Abler through I had probably In September of 23 I had. There was an update to. And I won't say say what, what mobile platform that I'm on, but it was a very frustrating experience. Ended up on the phone with, with, with the company and was trying to work through some of the issues and that led me to, to consider, you know, who, who are they talking to? Are they actually including people with disabilities when they make these design changes or these platform changes? So I started researching Section 508 of the Rehabilitation act and started researching a little bit more the Americans Disability act, which passed in July of 1990 when I was starting college. And it was in around that same time. It was actually in November of 23. I had an appointment with my low vision doctor at Duke University and met with the occupational therapist. And we were just in as part of, you know, our, his job. I was going, you know, looking at different apps and things on my phone and I said, I said gosh, you know, I'm really frustrated by. And it kind of, you know, it gave him a synopsis of what I had gone through in the last couple of months and he said, boy, do I have a program for you. And he literally handed me a piece of paper and it was all about the Abler program. And that day I sent Mike an email. It was November 15, 2023. And I sent Mike an email and it said he Hey, I just had an appointment at Duke. Please tell me about your program. And, and I was enrolled in the, in the program by, by February of 24. And, and I, you know, shining star.
- [09:21]
C
She is shining.
- [09:23]
B
No, I. One of the things that struck me though, Sam, is that, you know, having been legally blind for gosh, I think since I was 13 years old, 12, 13 years old and growing up and I felt like I was fairly tech savvy. You know, I had actually found your channel prior to learning about. I didn't know about digital accessibility. I didn't even know it was a thing. So, so the, you know, so I was just, I was just stunned and kind of like you Mike, with your meeting with John. I just felt like all the stars were aligning to lead me down this path and trying to. I was a stay at home mom. The kids were launched and now it was like what, what do. What am I going to focus on? And how can I Give back. And how can I. What, what can I. I've always felt like I've been a strong advocate for people with disabilities, but this was on a whole new level. And one of the things that the team at Abler likes to say is that, you know, now that we know, once you see, you can't unsee it. So when you get on a website or you get on a mobile app and you're just like, wow, look at that color contrast, or wow, look, that's not even accessible to someone just tabbing through a website, you know, so it's been, you know, from day one in that program, the amount of time and attention to detail. Because it's not only just the people going through the program which we learn about, you know, the WCAG guidelines, which are basically guidelines that tell us how websites and mobile apps should function from that level, helping us prepare for taking that certification test, but also, you know, the work that they're doing behind the scenes with companies like Mike mentioned, Lenovo, with Ulta, to bring awareness that this is, this is an issue. Access is important, inclusion is important. And involving native screen reader users, involving native, you know, magnification users is important because as much I will say that through the program, one of the surprise and delights for me was learning to use a screen reader. Because in going through the program, you know, you do need to learn how to use a screen reader. And I'd never experienced that before because I, you know, I've always been a magnification user, but use now I rely heavily on a screen reader because it cuts down on the eye strain for me. So that was, that was just a wonderful realization and one that I would, I would highly encourage any low vision user, computer user, learn how to use the. On, on iOS and Android, learn how to use those functions, learn how to use a screen reader. NV is a free program and learn how to use that and, and start your kids young. Because one challenge that I did have being a visual learner is that I had to learn how to be an auditory learner. And those are two different things. So. But as much as I, you know, came to rely on the screen reader, I still was not a native screen reader user. So, so to have to, so to be able to promote native screen reader users, native magnification users with these companies is very important because as much as I would like to understand a screen reader, as much as I think I do, I don't know it as well as a native screen reader user. So having that interaction and having that Feedback for companies and corporations is very, very valuable.
- [13:21]
A
First of all, I have to laugh because I know exactly what you're talking about. Growing up through my 20s, I worked in restaurants for years and years and years and years worked in kitchens. And so then I got to the point where I didn't like going out to eat because I saw all the things that they were doing wrong at the restaurants. And then now, having done this job, having worked with assistive technology so long, I'm the exact same way going into any website or I open an app happen, it's like, oh, it's really poor color contrast. That's not, that's not good, you know.
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C
Or, or it's more way.
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A
Sam, I know exactly what you're talking about. That's, that's hilarious. Well, I want to dive into, and I appreciate what you said about the screen reader becoming a screen reader. More comfortable working with screen readers because I'm the same way and I advocate that all the time, that I'm still a visual person, I still use magnification most of the time. But getting comfortable using that screen reader just speeds everything up, you know, and, and like you said, it can help with eye strain and productivity and all kinds of stuff. So I appreciate that. But I wanted to, before we dive into, I want to learn more about the specific training and all of that in the program. But going into this, I'm curious, did you have any expectations for the program? Were you nervous about it? How did that, how did that look?
- [14:47]
B
I, I was nervous about passing that test. You know, it's a certification through iaap and it is, you know, it's a global certification. So you can imagine what kind of doors that could open and to be able to, to say that I'm, you know, somewhat of an expert in this field was, was very important. So I felt like that gave some credibility to, as far as what I could bring to a job, to a position and the program itself, you've got different modules that you work through and the, and again, the attention to detail that they bring. So it's not just what you're learning, it's how you're learning it. They, and you know, presentations that you have to make. There's, there's guest speakers, you know, that, that are involved, there's mentorships that are facilitated and that was extremely valuable. And then once you go through the 16 week course, you know, there is a pretty stringent process in order to pass through to the, to the internship. And, and that is a 24 week internship which was absolutely incredible. And, but they want to, you know, they, there's some preparation, you know, there's you, you know, you need to make sure that you're following along with the program, that you know, you have a full understanding because the dedication of the team during the internship process is incredible. So you're actually working on websites, you're, you're making presentations, you're doing assignments and it is all to get you comfortable. Just like with any internship, they want you comfortable with what you're doing. And it is, you know, it's one of the things I miss most about the program. I love, I value that time with, with our, with our, the folks who are involved in the internship process. So, but again, the attention to detail every step of the way, learning how to, to manage LinkedIn, you know, there's, it's resume building, interview skills. I mean I could just go on and Mike, please add to, to this.
- [17:07]
C
If you, if you're doing such a great job. I don't want to stand in.
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B
No, well, I did great.
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A
I did want to kind of touch on. And you're talking, you're touching on it here and there. But, and Mike might be able to help with this, but can you kind of go over the main core training program that Ablor offers?
- [17:25]
C
Yeah. So right now it's the Accessibility Digital Accessibility Analyst training. So Heather was referring to this big exam at the end, which is the cpac, which is the accreditation for certified professionals in the accessibility area. And so we prepare individuals through a 16 week, very rigorous course trained by Shannon Garner, our very own amazing instructor who has lived experience as well. She's been, she started off here at LCI and has worked her way up through accessibility testing. And now she's our lead instructor. Very proud of her, very excited about the work we're doing. But yeah, right now it's focused on the accessibility training. Now we are rolling out a series of new courses that are going to be really cool. I can't talk about all those right now, but we are expanding the horizon for new tech jobs, for the future of work. Again, we look out into the future about what are they going to be the opportunities for the future for all of us. And then we build our courses around that. So, but right now this one is that Heather gone through is she's working, she's got her cpac and after you get your CPAC certification, you can go back and get your trusted tester. But I think what I love about what Heather's sharing is the rigorous of the course. A Lot of organizations say, oh, and again, I say this because we're all about universal inclusion too. Right? You can't say one thing and then expect another. Right. So it goes, it basically goes both ways. We're not here just to, for eye candy, to help people, you know, pass through some content and, and say, yeah, I did it. This is, this is, there's an assessment process, there's interview processes. Acceptance is not easy, but it is doable if you work hard and commit yourself to get into the program. Heather said, we talked about tech upskilling. Just making sure your tech skills are where they need to be so you can be successful in the program. There are mentors and guest speakers. So the mentors come in and support and work alongside of the students at any given time. And those are really solid professional mentors. Actually, Sam, you're going to be one of those. I haven't asked you yet, but love to have you meet one.
- [19:27]
A
So you hear, you heard it here first, right?
- [19:33]
C
Our students are learning from great people who have walked the walk. And so our goal from this entire experience is to arm them with the tools and the information and the motivation and confidence they need to be independent, to build a new life for themselves. And so it's not easy and we didn't want it, we don't want it to be easy. When our people come out, they go into interviews with customers that we're talking about with Ulta Beauty and Lenovo and vegasystems, these massive organizations. And we do have this whole program during as well as we talk about resume building and career readiness. Right. So getting your LinkedIn profiles up, making sure your images are right, making sure you're doing your SEO or all the things necessary to get you from not really knowing what you want it to do with your life to, oh my goodness, I have something, I have a path now, now whatever I choose to do with it, but I have a path. I have a certification, I have an education, I have people that care about me. I have a whole support system behind me that to me is that's our mission and that's a life changing mission for everyone involved. And so it's so nice to see, to see Heather talk about it and see Heather's got a great job now with, with a great organization too now doing work that she loves as well. So we're, we're just, you know, like, we're always evolving and trying to get better and, and if I, if, if we went back five years ago from our first graduation, we, we had it At Mellow Mushroom. It was adorable. Now we have, you know, we have a PA system, we have guest speakers, we have degrees. You know, we have, it's just, it's a wonderful evolution and it's getting better every single day. And I'm excited to look out upon the future in the next three to five years and see where this program is going and how many lives it changes for the better.
- [21:15]
A
Heather, I think, I think I already know the answer to this, but did the. Do you think the program met your expectations?
- [21:24]
B
Met and far exceeded. Yes. Yes. And like, my goodness, I was waiting. Yes.
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C
I wasn't sure what you're going to say there, Heather.
- [21:33]
B
Oh, gosh, no. I'm one of the biggest cheerleaders for this program, honestly. And you develop a passion for this work as well. It's an advocacy. One of the things that has really been wonderful to participate in is we have the ability to make user experience videos. So you go onto a website, you know, you create a meeting in zoom. You basically record yourself using a website and with magnification screen reader. And what's amazing is when, when some of these companies look at, through the eyes of someone who is using a screen reader, someone who's using screen magnification because oftentimes they, they don't have. That's not their experience. They are amazed at, at, at some of the barriers that are, that are unveiled. So, and it's, it's, it's wonderful. You know, I always try to point out the good things that they're doing because there's definitely some, but there's definitely areas where, hey, we could use some work here. And, and again, it's that, you know, that idea that once you see this, you really, you know, you really can't unsee it. So, so it's been, it's been wonderful to see companies really, once they know, they really work hard to try to fix this. And that's the other great thing again, that Abler is doing is they're, you know, they're working with companies. Not only are they working to put people with lived experience in those roles and to have a say, but to really bring that awareness to corporations, which is incredible.
- [23:15]
C
We're providing the environment, we're providing the education, we're providing the tools, we're providing all the influence we can, but at the end of the day, it's up to the individual to take ownership of their own life. Right? So our program is getting in better and better and better. But there are cases, you know, again, it's, it's again, full inclusion. And not everybody's the same whether you have a visual impairment or not. Some people want to get out of bed every morning. Some people want to work hard. Some people have goals, Some people are motivated. And then there are other people sometimes that they don't. They don't, they're not motivated. They're, they're, they're excited about what it could be and what it means. So everyone's typically at a different range, right, of where they want to be professionally and personally in their growth. And that's why there's an assessment process, right, because our, our entire mission isn't to train people for the sake of training. Our entire mission is to train people for employment, meaningful employment. So we're not really here just to say, oh, here's your course. Thank you so much, have a good life. It's like we, we've got some people internally in our organization that their main job, their job developer, and their job is to work with every single candidate to determine what they're looking for, what do they want to do for a living, what motivates them, what inspires them, where can they use these practical skills that they've learned to now find an organization that is willing to hire people with virtual work? Looking for accommodations, we do onboarding. So this is an entire program from A to Z. And then we even have an alumni group as well that we stay in connection with constantly. I mean, Heather, you can talk through that, but we're getting through. This is a community is what we're building. We're building a community of what I like to look at it is future rock stars for a point, because you think about people with disabilities, you know, again, statistically speaking, whatever, but they're loyal, they're grateful, they're hardworking, they're motivated, they're excited. They just want an opportunity. And so when an employer thinks about what they're looking for, that's the first thing I want. All of those skills. Now the other skills, we can train and teach, but you have somebody that's loyal and hungry and motivated, wants to learn, is grateful and is excited and hardworking and never had the opportunity before. Now they have a taste of it. That to me is incredible talent for the future of any company. And so harnessing that talent, making sure they have all the skills and they're lined up for success, that's what it's about. It's this, it's the long term success of the student and their future. And that's, that's really, it's really a beautiful thing. And I know it sounds cheesy saying it, but I even, I've struggled, you know, getting this concept and I'm a co founder. It took me years to understand how it all works. But when you see it all come together and you see the difference it makes in people's lives, you know, it's just, it's really, it's a miracle in a lot of ways to see what we're doing. I'm very grateful for it.
- [26:04]
A
Yeah, well, I say it all the time that, that, that employers are looking for, for people that can adapt and work under pressure. And it's like what community adapts better than us? I mean, we have to do it.
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C
On a daily basis. You said it. You're absolutely right.
- [26:21]
B
And it's working today. Yes.
- [26:24]
A
Right, right. We face hardships and difficult situations all the time. Well, on that note, does Ablor offer any post graduation job placement support or networking, anything like that?
- [26:39]
C
Yeah, all the above.
- [26:40]
B
All of the above, yeah.
- [26:42]
C
Heather, why don't you talk about that? Yeah, I just thought this is your turn.
- [26:46]
B
Well, I won't say it as eloquently as you will, Mike, but yes, they offer job placement and there's some accountability there on the student's part as well. There's a job tracker that, you know, we submit every week. Hey, these are the jobs we've applied for. There's. And it's okay in the tracker. It's, you know, what's the company, what's the website, you know, what, what have you reached out to the hiring manager? You know, there's, there's a step by, kind of a step by step guide and a way to fill that out and it can be submitted. There's, there's weekly meetings if you want them with, with the business development person saying, hey, these are the companies that, that you know, we're hearing from. Here's some jobs, you know, so there's like, like Mike said and I said all of the above. You know, again, there's really, I can't think of anything that they have not thought through and just really. And have perfected with, with each cohort. So that's come through the program.
- [27:52]
C
Very nice for you to say that. We are on our way. We aim to improve every cohort. So thank you for that because we, I still think the sky's the limit. I think we're going to, you're going to see a lot of new, a lot of new amazing stuff in 2026 and 2027 from the Abler team.
- [28:06]
A
Yeah. Well, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like that, that Abler not only isn't just focused on helping the graduate get a position, but they're, they're very dedicated to helping to build those long term foundational career growing skills, career growth skills.
- [28:25]
C
Absolutely. And, and again, I, I say that absolutely. But I also can't stress enough how important it is to have your A game when you're ready to come into the program again. I, we're not, we're not here just for fun. We're here, I mean, we're here for fun, but we're. The program is a real deal program and it's hard and it's, it's, it's time and it's effort and it will test you. But that's what you want, right? That's what you want. You don't want an easy program, especially when you get into a company like an Ulta Beauty or Lenovo. And if you don't know what you're doing, you're going to be exposed pretty quickly. So we do have a job. Developer Heather mentioned that internally that his core job is to find organizations that are open minded to like minded hiring, looking to diversify their employment, looking at bringing in new unique talent that has different perspectives on life. And we work with organizations, we create a pipeline of companies and organizations that want to hire our folks. So we kind of match make. We have the companies, we have the education and the team and then we align the two together. But it is a matchmaking process. And you again, I say it again, you have to earn it. You need to be prepared for your, your, you get your resume dialed in, your LinkedIn profile dialed in, your communication dialed in, your tech skills dialed in, your interviewing skills dialed in. We're going to be there to support you. But you again, this is internal. If you want something big and you want to change your life and you want to put the effort into doing it, this is the, this is the place to do it. It's not the place to do it. If you just, I just want to go through some training on board and hopefully I can get through it. That's not what we're looking for and that's ultimately not fair to you either. So it is a program that demands effort, accountability and performance. And you've got to deliver on performance. So we take it very seriously because we're in the business of, you know, creating meaningful opportunities for, for people with low vision and visual impairment and they've got to be matching our level. And so together we're seeing that and it's exciting. We've got incredible students, incredible interns. Just, just spending some time with one recently that I'm just, I'm blown away with. I mean, I don't typically get the chance to spend a lot of time with our students because I, I kind of manage the part of the, the marketing, the, the business development, but I don't live with the students every day. But I am one of the mentors and got to spend some time with Colin and I was just, just blown away. Just. I kept calling Maria and saying, I'm just, I can't believe this is that these are the talented people that we're producing because these are people that I would hire and they're hungry, they're motivated, they want to work, they deliver on time. Right? They do spell check. They do all the basic fundamental things and they have the hunger. And when you find that in someone, regardless of any ability, that's attractive.
- [31:18]
A
All right, shout out to Colin.
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C
Shout out to everybody. But yeah, Colin's a gentleman I just started working with and he's, he's got. Yeah, we'll talk offline about that. But he's, he's great.
- [31:28]
A
That's awesome.
- [31:29]
B
Well, Sam, one thing I did want to mention is that the, the Abler program is virtual. So it, it was, it's all done from the comfort of your, of your own home. The, the internship that is offered. The 24 week internship is a paid internship through the Abler program as well. Again, all done virtually. So because I know for me transportation would have, would have been an issue. So it was wonderful that they offered that opportunity to work from home. So.
- [32:00]
C
Yeah, the other two things I would mention on that too, Heather, is one is you do have to have a counselor at the division Services for the Blind. And if you don't have a counselor, we can help you with that. We do help there. So that. And currently we are in seven states and there are three more on the docket. So if we do not have a contract as a vendor at that state, please still reach out to us if you're interested and we can help connect the dots on that. So there's a few little things there. But if you, you know, you can go to the website, obviously and check all that out. But the whole program was built to be flexible, convenient, but also give you the opportunity to learn as much as you can possibly learn and apply those skills to remote jobs.
- [32:43]
A
Well, I think it's fantastic, guys. If anybody is interested in Learning more. What's, what's the best way they can do that?
- [32:50]
C
Yeah. So if you are interested in learning more, you can go to abler360.com back word/the blind life to learn a little bit about the programs. Or you can also just email one of us, either Heather or myself. My email is Michael. I guess it'll be somewhere in some text somewhere, but michael.ineliebler360.com Two N's, two L's and the last name or searching me up on LinkedIn. Either way, we want to talk to you if you're interested in learning more.
- [33:16]
B
My email is H Buster B as in boy us T E R the number one mail dot com. Again, very happy to answer any questions. And I just want to say again, you know, from start to finish, the Abler team has gives you everything you need to succeed. You need to come with your own ambition. But you just will not be disappointed with the outcome of the program.
- [33:43]
A
Yeah, it definitely sounds like an incredible program. It sounds like an amazing opportunity for the participants. So if you guys are interested, I will have all of that contact information either in the show notes or the video description down below. Reach out to them and get that information. Well, thank you guys so much. Any last words, any last messages you want to give out?
- [34:05]
C
Yeah, Sam, that's a great point. I also just want to mention we have as part of the workforce development program, we have the adult learning program. We have a pre ETS program which is pre employment transitional services for high school students. So if you're a visually impaired student in high school and not really sure what you want to do with your life, is it college, is it full time employment, is it whatever it might be, it might be part time employment, might be community school or it might be an enabler program. But either way we have folks that go through this program and we help train and teach and educate people at high schools to help determine what direction they want to go with their life. So if you're in high school and you're interested in learning more about that, you can also check out the pre ETS program. We also have an accelerated program too. So a lot of folks now are coming in from college, maybe they just graduated. And this accelerated program just selects a few milestones to help you with job placement, job readiness and career readiness and job placement. So there are a few different programs, but either way we'd love to talk with you if there's something there that motivates you.
- [35:07]
A
Mike, Heather, thank you guys so much. For joining me. I really appreciate it.
- [35:10]
B
Thanks, Sam.
- [35:11]
C
Thank you, Sam. Appreciate you, my friend.