AHEAD was founded by blind student Gerry Ellis, the wider disabled students community and then UCD registrar John Kelly in 1988. Since then, the organisation has helped to transform the tertiary educational landscape in Ireland by working with and for students and graduates with disabilities to advocate for more inclusive systems of education and employment.

That, however, is only part of the AHEAD story. Attaining a degree is seldom an end in itself, but rather a means towards securing work, and with it the opportunity to contribute to society.

The good news is that the active support, which is crucial for those with disabilities, now extends beyond university campuses through the WAM Programme – the purpose of which is to help students, when they finish their courses, to take the next major step into employment.

DISABILITY FRIENDLY

For the uninitiated, WAM (Willing, Able, Mentoring) and GetAHEAD are both funded by the Department of Social Protection, promoting access to paid and mentored employment for graduates with disabilities.

Established in 2005, the scheme supports the upskilling of students by providing training events, information on grants, blogs, general tips, and a host of other resources which help students with disabilities to maximise their employability. Elsewhere, the online WAMworks database provides much-needed information on placements, and allows users to benefit from the supports run by the initiative.

Graduates or final year students from various educational backgrounds will have access to a broad range of roles that are exclusively for people with disabilities offering competitive salaries (last year’s average was €33,000).

The results speak for themselves. With the aid of WAM, over 650 grads with disabilities secured paid and mentored full-time employment, with 81% going on to full time employment – highlighting the importance of work experience as a stepping stone to further opportunities.

WAM also helps employers to build the capacity to accommodate disabilities in the workplace, operating with a number of high-profile organisations including the ESB, Allianz, Bank of Ireland and Pfizer (with new companies being added each year).

One prominent employer is the Civil Service. With nearly 300 placements in 18 years and a new “permanency pathway” in place, the public sector has proved to be one WAM’s biggest success stories.

“The idea of being able to try out an office position was really appealing,” says Trinity graduate Ian Lynam of his experience.

“My placement was with the EU funding compliance unit in the Department of Social Protection,” Ian adds, “ which is probably the most civil servant position you could get! For a start, it was really helpful to have someone from WAM to clarify things. They asked if there were any accommodations I needed. It was an optimum recruitment process as I was getting realistic expectations from my would-be managers and colleagues.”

This kind of care and attention to detail helps put graduates’ minds at ease, with 92% saying they gained confidence in their ability to work in a mainstream environment.

“I think a lot of people would worry about how they would socially function in an office, but the civil service is quite autism-friendly, as it’s structured. You know what you’re about to do and when that’s going to happen.

“People need a helping hand in the workplace. It’s great when someone learns to advocate for themselves, but empowerment only comes from being given that support in the first place. Something I appreciate about WAM is that, while it does empower people to speak about their experiences, it doesn’t put any undue emotional labour on people.”

IMMEASURABLE RELIEF

The ‘Building the Future’ initiative is a cornerstone of the GetAHEAD project. Scheduled this year for Wednesday, 29 May, in a Dublin city centre venue, it’s an event which provides an excellent opportunity for students with disabilities to meet face-to-face with employers, and engage in a variety of activities, including mock interviews, CV clinics, taking professional headshots and joining a range of workshops covering topics like Networking, interview prep, and Choosing Your Career Path.

Crucially, it provides a space for people in similar situations to meet, share their stories and be reminded that they aren’t alone.

“I had this feeling looming over me,” says Philip Carroll, working in AHEAD as a WAM Project Officer, “of being really worried about what my future is going to look like.

“I went to ‘Building The Future’ and met other graduates with disabilities. For an organisation like that to exist, which made me feel like I wasn’t on my own, the sense of relief is immeasurable. I couldn’t describe it in words.”

The provision of ‘Needs Assessments’ is a crucial part of what WAM does, with 98% of people opting to disclose their disability in a safe environment.

“I knew going in somewhere to work that I didn’t have to explain myself,” adds Phillip. “WAM checked with me regularly throughout my placement. I knew that, in the background, there was somebody to provide support. Now I’m a WAM project officer providing that support.

“I know that there are graduates out there who are going to feel that same dread that I felt. I’ve been on the other side. I know what fears they have. I can really empathise with that.”

• Register on AHEAD’s WAMworks Database to find out more about WAM and Building The Future - www.ahead.ie/wamworks