EdSource

After a recent morning rush at a Fresno Grocery Outlet, 22-year-old Elena Santos moved down each aisle to return misplaced food items to their proper places. She brought vitamins to the front of the shelves and neatly arranged hygiene products. These tasks were once difficult for her because of a cognitive disability. Santos struggles to process things, especially when overwhelmed. Knowing where to find items makes her life easier, which is what she has been doing for customers since she started gaining hands-on experience at the grocery store in October. Santos is one of the dozens of teens and young adults with disabilities working in local businesses as employees and schools as teachers’ aides through a Fresno County program that is rethinking how vocational education prepares students for the workforce. 

“Now they’re placed in community businesses where they’re employees alongside everybody else,” said Liza Stack, who oversees the program. “They’re building skills and contributing to the team.”