FSACentral is proud to once again celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month by featuring people with disabilities sharing their advice & experiences. We lost some momentum in October due to the hurricanes so are extending our employment profiles into November.
As we continue to highlight working people with disabilities in November, we're spotlighting Elyse Mundelein who works as an Office Assistant for Elder Law Center of Kirson and Fuller. Elyse is an Orlando resident.
Elyse has an extensive employment and advocacy background. She is on the board of directors of Best Buddies of Central Florida, has been a counselor at the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida Self-Advocacy Camp, and interned with Florida Senator Marco Rubio in 2015.
Employers: Current, Elder Law Center of Kirson and Fuller
Position: Office Assistant
Duties and Responsibilities: Sets up the conference room, stocks the supplies for the office, and helps out with marketing. Past employers include Quality 1 Wireless and ProActive Technologies where she also served as an office assistant.
Years on the job: 5
What is the best advice or encouragement you’d give to a fellow self-advocate about accessing or keeping employment? My advice would be to work hard, be positive, follow the rules of your job, and come to work on time.
What advice would you give employers about hiring a person with a disability? My advice would be to give people with disabilities a chance to work within your organization. I think people with disabilities can do anything if given the opportunity to.
In your opinion, how does employing a person with a disability help their quality of life? Working gives me confidence and the opportunity to become independent.
What’s the most important employment-related challenge you face as a person with a disability? My biggest challenge at work is sometimes talking too much to others.
Which agency (VR, APD, CIL, etc.) was the most helpful to you in accessing and maintaining employment? Best Buddies helped me find my job.
How should we be advocating for better employment opportunities and practices in Florida? We should be advocating for better employment opportunities and practices by helping people be better self-advocates to get a job.
Florida Self-Advocacy Central would like to thank Elyse for her time and thoughtful answers.
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