‘Program hopes to help those with disabilities get hired’ - Spectrum News
(Spectrum News/Zarina Khairzada)
At just 21 years old, Connie Cardona was diagnosed with a condition that will eventually leave her blind. Now, at 24, she’s learning how to become a massage therapist despite her vision loss.
“I’ve always given myself that, ‘maybe I shouldn’t get into that because I can’t.’ But with massage therapy, I feel like I have more of a connection and ability to do it. Like, I’m able to do it and it makes me inspired to do it,” Cardona said.
Cardona is currently enrolled in a nine-month massage therapy course for the blind at the Health Care Career College in Paramount. Through the program, she is learning about the body’s muscular, ligament, and other systems — as well as how to perform massage techniques without relying on vision. After completing the course, she will have the opportunity to take part in a one-year apprenticeship through the Ready, Willing and Able program.
This program was created by the California Department of Rehabilitation in partnership with the Institute for Workplace Skills & Innovation America to help people with disabilities receive training and secure employment in the health care sector.
“What I’m really excited about is enjoying what I do and relieving someone’s stress,” she said.
In December, there was a 40% employment gap between people with disabilities and those without, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Ready, Willing and Able program, launched in May last year, reports that over 100 participants have already completed training and are ready to be hired within the health care field. What they need now are employers willing to give them a chance.
Amita Garg, campus director at Health Care Career College, said more employers should look beyond disability when hiring.
“Massage therapy is an excellent career for those with visual impairments because the success on the job is not related to how well you can see. It depends on your sense of touch, your interaction with a patient, how intuitive you are — and those are all qualities someone with visual impairments has no barriers to developing,” Garg said.
The college also provides training for roles such as medical billers and coders, among other positions within the health care industry. In the meantime, Cardona may have found her future path.
“It makes me think that there’s still opportunities out there for me,” she said. “I wasn’t giving up, but it makes me think of other things I could be doing, like opening my own practice.”
