WOODLAND HILLS : Grant Aids Program for Disabled Workers

For the second year in a row, a program which helps skilled, disabled workers tackle the odds against getting a job has received a grant from the state to continue.

Miriam Gottlieb, specialist for the Pierce College Workability III program, said this month’s $48,000 grant from the state Department of Vocational Rehabilitation will pay 70% of the costs of continuing the program, which helps trained disabled people find work.

The class has 10 students with disabilities such as those caused by injuries, deafness and epilepsy. They learn how to handle touchy questions about their disabilities in job interviews, and get advice on whether they should disclose disabilities--such as epilepsy--which may not be apparent in an interview, Gottlieb said.

The federal Americans with Disabilities Act has changed the prospects of finding employment for many disabled people. Gottlieb’s program teaches disabled job applicants to talk to prospective employers about the act, which granted people with disabilities equal access to jobs and services.

The next session of the class will begin in August. So far, Gottlieb said, two students in the program have found jobs. Others are still looking.