VETI Grant Spotlight - Workability IV

CSUSB wants to offer students the best possible academic experience for them, yet for students with disabilities, it may be more difficult for them to get this experience than it is for other students. Thankfully here at CSUSB, programs like Workability IV (WAIV) exist to help give students with disabilities the academic experience they deserve.

With the help of the VETI grant provided by ITS here at CSUSB, the WAIV program offers CSUSB students with disabilities, access to mock interviews to prepare them for the future and access to smartpens and notebooks to help them in their academic ventures.

In order to prepare students for the working field, the WAIV program offers mock interviews for students to improve and gain confidence when interviewing with employers. When interviewing, students are video recorded and can watch the recording to realize what they can improve on.

“We all have that tendency to not want to be recorded, but seeing a video of yourself in an interview also helps anyone realize what they do,” says Elizabeth Perez, program administrator of the Workability IV program.

The WAIV program has improved its special technology for students. The smartpen services offer smartpens for students in order to accommodate their note-taking. Students use the smartpen alongside a special notebook that accommodates note-taking and records each page, allowing the student to hear back what they wrote.

Additionally, WAIV provides a fully accessible workstation that assists students with visual or audio disabilities, to help them navigate through a PC. Located in one of the WAIV staff offices, the workstation is available to any students who visit it.

“In a nutshell, that is what we do, we prepare students to overcome any challenges they may have due to their disability. Whether it be visible or invisible, we help them overcome those hurdles, so they don't use those as a way to not get the job,” says Perez.