What would your life be like if you were never taught how to send an email? If you didn't know how to shop online?
Learning how to video chat in Digitability
Young adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities often experience the "digital divide" as they move throughout the school system and after they graduate from high school. Not being exposed to or not having basic computer literacy skills places students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at an extreme disadvantage as they enter the job market. Consequently, they remain, as a group, unemployed, underemployed, and disenfranchised from the employment sector.
To address this critical need, DSAW is piloting a new Digitability class in Southeastern Wisconsin. Digitability helps individuals with disabilities develop an understanding of computers. Additionally, Digitability provides students with real life work simulations where they can apply what they are learning. This popular program has made a huge difference already! Click here to read a feature about our class's success on the Digitability website. We offer the program at several locations across the Milwaukee area, and the curriculum will be implemented in DSAW communities around the state in 2020! DSAW is the first community-based setting for this course (it is usually offered in schools), and we are a pilot for other disability groups across the country!
When you support DSAW, you give the gift of computer literacy training to people with disabilities.
DSAW staff member Sarah is the instructor for the course and a huge advocate for the program. "I am impressed with how successful this program has been for my students. I see their understanding and knowledge growing and, most importantly, their confidence in working with these twenty-first century skills."
Participating in Digitability has already helped students in their jobs! Nick started working at Fresh Thyme Market this year. He enrolled in the Digitability program at DSAW around the same time and has improved his use of his phone as a support, as well as other digital skills for the workplace. Nick loves his job, and with his new tech skills he wants to learn to run a digital cash register! He now works independently and with continued use of Digitability, he hopes to find a job using computers.
When you make a year-end gift to DSAW, you help people with Down syndrome thrive. Will you help people like Nick to gain the tech skills necessary for today's workplaces?
