DSPD Photos

Twenty-five Fairfax County Public Schools students spent the day with county social workers, emergency personnel, librarians, recreation staff, communicators and administrators to learn about their training requirements and day-to-day responsibilities on October 28 at the Fairfax County Government Center. The event was organized by Department of Family Services’ Disability Services Planning Development.

The students attended seminars on career exploration and then “shadowed” their county job mentors throughout the afternoon. Mentors were selected to match the career goals and interests of the students.

Teachers, involved with also participated in the day. This program helps students with disabilities transition from high school to college or the job market.

Capital Grille Restaurants of Tysons Corner and Chevy Chase provided the luncheon, gratis.

Follow Fairfax County Disabilities on Facebook.

Giant Food and Ernst & Young
Win 2011 Fairfax Disability Employer of the Year Awards

The Fairfax Area Disabilities Services Board honored Giant Food of Landover, Md. and Ernst & Young with the 2011 Disability Employer of the Year Awards during a Government Center ceremony on October 25 in Fairfax.

Giant Food, celebrating its 75th anniversary, was honored for providing career and promotional opportunities to people with disabilities at their local stores and for their disability-friendly employment policies. Pictured to the right are Thomas Choman, chairman of the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board employment committee, with Giant Food representatives from the Jermantown Road store in Fairfax: (L to R) Sonya Khan, store assistant manager, Janet Ue, Joe Herrell, Cesar Bedolla, and Steve Ascone, store manager.

Ernst & Young, a professional services company, was honored for developing a corporate culture that promotes disability awareness and inclusion. Pictured below accepting the award from Thomas Choman are (L to R) Partner and Executive Sponsor Kati Penney, McLean Abilities Champion Misty Koper and Associate Director of Inclusiveness Lori Golden.

The county’s Fairfax Area Disability Services Board presents the Martha Glennan Employer of the Year Awards each year to businesses in the Fairfax area that encourage inclusion in their workforce and provide employment and promotional opportunities to people with disabilities. Martha Glennan was a disability activist and served as the first chairperson of the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board in 1992.

Find out more about Disability Services Planning and Development and the Fairfax Area Disability Services Board.

Disability Employment Awareness Month Proclamation Reception, September 27, 2011

Chuck Caputo (left), Fairfax Area Disability Services Board member, and Tomoko Taguchi Rose, volunteer placement program specialist at Brain Injury Services. 

Tina Chave and Benjamin Fuoto, employees at MVLE, an employment services organization for people with disabilities. 

(Left to right) Harriet Epstein, Fairfax Area Disability Services Board member; Bob Eiffert, Long Term Care Coordinating Council; Martha Villanigro-Santiago, director of the Equity Programs Division of the Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs; and Chuck Caputo, Fairfax Area Disability Services Board member.