There’s a Florida program out there that lets students with disabilities explore potential career options, the Tallahassee Democrat reported. High school students with all kinds of disabilities participate in the course, called the Able Trust’s High School/High Tech program. What students do is go through a combination of field trips, shadowing, internships and skills training, among other things. Students in the over 30 programs of this kind in Florida make the transition from classroom to workplace, usually with ease, according to the Democrat

Thousands of Florida students from over 100 high schools participate. The program’s been in Leon County, Florida since 2001, the article said.

The program seems very effective as well. During the 2008-2009 school year, almost 100 percent of graduates of the program went to post-secondary education and there was only a two-percent dropout rate. So, 86 percent of students seem to really enjoy the program. The number of students who go to college or other types of training, the article said, is over three times that of other Florida grads with disabilities.

The High School/High Tech program, while being part of a national initiative that’s supported by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment policy, still has to be funded by Florida, the Democrat reported. Even area businesses can get involved, according to the president and CEO of The Able Trust (the Governor’s Alliance for the Employment of Citizens with Disabilities).

Our Take:

More states should look into programs such as this. I think it’s a great idea for those students with disabilities to examine such opportunities. Many can be destined for wonderful, fulfilling careers. I also think the president and CEO of the Able Trust is making a very good point about businesses getting involved. I feel that if they do, they’ll definitely be pleasantly surprised. I hope to see more states considering such programs in 2010. I mean, an 86 percent success rate is pretty darn good I’d say, right?