Still Accepting Pilot Study Participants
EmployAble is a model virtual reality employment orientation and support center using Second Life as a platform to provide training, networking, mentoring and employment resources for people with disabilities and employers.
EmployAble is the first such center of its kind, and will serve as a model for future centers aimed at increasing the employment rate of persons with disabilities.
What is EmployAble?
EmployAble is a model Virtual Employment Orientation and Support Center funded by the Kessler Foundation and developed by the Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii. Using the virtual environment Second Life as a platform, EmployAble facilitates employment skills training, networking, mentoring, and employment resources for both persons with disabilities and employers.
Who Benefits from EmployAble?
EmployAble is designed to meet the needs of people with diverse disabilities, with a particular emphasis on Veterans and those with Traumatic Brain Injuries. EmployAble also has resources for employers looking for ways to connect with potential employees with disabilities and ways to support and retain their existing employees.
How Do I Access EmployAble?
EmployAble is still under construction. We are conducting a pilot study in the summer of 2013 and are recruiting eligible persons with disabilities to participate. For information about how to access Second Life, please review the document Introduction to Second Life. If you would like to be placed on our mailing list to receive updates on the project, please email employ@hawaii.edu
How Will EmployAble Impact Employment for People with Disabilities?
Many current programs that support employment for people with disabilities rely either on ongoing, in-person, highly individualized support, or on providing general one-time referral and information. EmployAble is a hybrid of these two approaches. EmployAble provides important information to employers and people with disabilities that can be accessed by anyone through electronic communications, and provides individualized skill-building and networking.
Can Blind and Visually Impaired People Use Second Life?
Yes, blind and visually impaired people can use Second Life. Blind and visually impaired users are able to use assistive technology or alternate browsers to access the content and social opportunities in Second Life. The EmployAble curriculum is also available in an alternative format on our website. Read more
EmployAble is funded by the Kessler Foundation. For more information about the project contact employ@hawaii.edu.
