When Khadija started her first day on the job at a corporate cafe, her family could barely believe it.
Her mother, Hawa, remembers the moment well. “At first I never thought they’d be able to work,” she says. But with PROVAIL’s support, Khadija did work — and then some. She’s been promoted from the kitchen to the employee café, where she takes pride in her work.
Khadija deserves the chance to work, contribute, and belong.
So does every young person with a disability.
Khadija’s story is one PROVAIL works toward every single day. Young people with disabilities deserve a future full of purpose, but the barriers are high. Funding cuts, legislative rollbacks, and systemic gaps continue closing doors for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities before they ever get the chance to open them.
For students like Khadija and her brother Ibrahim — who also has a disability and big employment goals — access to employment support can provide a critical foundation for a lifetime of independence, confidence, and belonging. These opportunities change everything.
But the work goes far beyond job placement. PROVAIL staff start by identifying each student’s unique skills, interests, and goals. They build resumes, conduct mock interviews, and connect students with the right first job to set them up for a lifetime of growth. For many students, the barriers are complex and often invisible. And when the system falls short, PROVAIL helps fill the gap.
How can you work on your resume or share your skills when you’re also navigating language and cultural barriers? PROVAIL helps connect families with translation and interpretation services.
How can you get to work when you can’t drive and the bus commute is two hours long? Transportation support can open up an entire world of opportunity.
How can you apply for a job without the identification and paperwork required to begin employment? PROVAIL staff help students navigate the process and secure the documents they need to begin their employment journey.
Hawa put it simply: “I believe it’s important to work. After graduating from school, they’re home all day. They’re excited on work days. They get up early, take a shower, get ready. It gives them purpose. It has made a big difference in our whole family’s life.”
Employment opens doors not only for individuals, but for families and communities as well. At a time when government funding is being cut and people with disabilities are too often overlooked, PROVAIL continues working to ensure students have opportunities to pursue meaningful employment and independence.
Laila, Khadija’s PROVAIL Employment Consultant for the past two years, sees this impact every day: “Doing direct work every single day, this is our little pocket of good.”
That “pocket of good” looks like one-on-one coaching, employer partnerships, translation services, transportation coordination, and the above-and-beyond support that helps students transition from school into adulthood with confidence and support.
Khadija’s family is grateful in a way that is hard to put into words. “We’re really grateful to have this opportunity,” Hawa says. “Not everyone gets this opportunity. You’ve done a lot for us, and we’re happy to give back just a little bit.”
