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On this page you'll find:
Vocational and Job Training Programs to prepare you for employment in the competitive labor market utilizing your strengths, resources and abilities
2-4 year college programs that promote inclusion in the educational environment through guidance or mentoring, educational accommodations, and social skill development
Resource websites that provide information on your rights under the American's with Disabilities Act, accommodations, and more to keep you on track as you search for employment.
Vocational & Job Training Programs |
| Each American Job Center offers digital labor market information, free Internet access, workshops, online talent banks, job placement, recruitment, and training. |
| At ACT, our mission is to identify the abilities of our trainees and to transform those abilities into job skills desired by employers. We use research-based curriculum and hands-on programs designed to prepare trainees for success in the workplace. |
| With the right training and support any employee can thrive. Career Coaching places a job coach at a client’s place of employment. Coaches work with clients and their employers to help clients perform their jobs more efficiently and professionally. We believe everyone can succeed at work. Our goal is for each client to find the right job and develop the skills needed to maintain it. |
| ASSIST is a 12-week parent training program that helps parents advocate for services for their young adults on the autism spectrum. This project's primary goal is to improve the transition to adulthood for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) |
| The Tennessee Rehabilitation Center (TRC) in Smyrna is a state-operated training center that provides career and technical education to prepare individuals with disabilities for greater independence and competitive integrated employment in their local communities. TRC-Smyrna provides vocational skills training in several Areas of Study and offers additional enhancement courses as needed to support individual students’ educational goals. Students who attend TRC participate in classroom instruction, hands-on-training, and campus life activities. |
| The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation brings engineers, business scholars, and disabilities researchers together with experts in neuroscience and education to understand, maximize, and promote neurodiverse talent. |
| The Precisionists, Inc. bridges the divide between jobs and the talent pool of people with disabilities. We have a variety of job opportunities for full-time positions across the US in exciting and expanding regions. Complete a statement of interest form and a member of our talent acquisition team will contact you to explore opportunities. |
| On The Avenue provides a place where individuals can come together to work on creative services projects, create an individual assignment, and interact with the community and practice and learn new life skills. This allows each person the opportunity to share in a “REAL WORLD” working environment while having the opportunity to learn at their own pace and be met “where they are.” The unique interaction between our proprietary IABL (Individual Assignment Based Learning) and actual work for our clients allows each individual to enter the world of commerce in the creative services industry at their own pace. |
| JobWise has been partnering with Vocational Rehabilitation Services for over 14 years assisting people with disabilities find meaningful competitive employment in the community. JobWise can assist in the following: Applying for jobs, Meeting with employers, Creating resumes, Preparing for interviews, Helping with orientation, On-site job coaching, Ability to coordinate with ECF CHOICES. |
College Level Programs |
| Austin Peay State University: The Office of Disability Services' (ODS) primary mission is to ensure access for students with disabilities to all curricular and co-curricular opportunities. |
| Access ETSU is designed as a two-year, undergraduate, non-degree program for young adults with a documented intellectual disability (ID) who seek to enhance their academic, career development, and social skills alongside their same age peers at ETSU. |
| Tennessee Transfer Pathways (TTPs) are advising tools designed to help community college students plan for transferring to a Tennessee public university or select regionally accredited, non-profit, Tennessee private colleges and universities to complete their baccalaureate degree. |
| Mosaic is a multifaceted and comprehensive program developed to support the holistic needs of degree-seeking UTC students on the Autism Spectrum. This program has been in existence since 2008 and was developed out of the request and expressed needs of students with Autism. |
| Next Steps at Vanderbilt is a 4-year inclusive higher education program committed to providing students with intellectual disability an inclusive, transformational postsecondary education in academics, social and career development, and independent living, while honoring equality, compassion, and excellence in all endeavors. |
 | The University of Memphis TigerLIFE Postsecondary Education Program culminating in a completion award in Career and Community Studies. The program provides individualized Programs of Study in the areas of academic, social, vocational and independence for students ages 18-29 with intellectual disabilities. At the heart of TigerLIFE is a person-centered planning model that uses the Systems Approach to Placement |
| The Disability & Access Center is a cultural, social, and academic support hub for students at Middle Tennessee State University. We serve as an initial point of contact, conduit of information, and provisioner in matters related to disability accommodation, access, and awareness. By keeping abreast of emerging trends, the Disability & Access Center will effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of the population it serves. |
 | NSCC Access Center provides a support system for students who have educational, psychological, and/or physical disabilities who may be eligible for accommodations that provide equal access to educational programs and activities at their home campus. |
| The IDEAL Program at Lipscomb University is two year program that is designed to encourage and support students, ages 18-36, with ID/DD to experience college as their peers do. IDEAL students will take classes, go to sporting events, eat in the cafeteria, and enjoy just being a college student. Summer skills workshops for returning students & their parents. |
| FUTURE is a comprehensive program that helps young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities make a successful transition from high school to adult life. During the program, we provide students with specially designed FUTURE classes, the opportunity to audit undergraduate courses, and an internship on or off campus. Also available is career and clinical counseling to help develop academic, vocational, social, and decision-making skills. Upon successful completion of the program, students receive a vocational certificate. |
| The Kelly Autism Program Circle of Support at Western Kentucky University provides five major areas of assistance: private dorm room, study tables, mentoring, socials, and counseling. The theoretical framework for the Circle of Support is Social Information Processing Theory and Executive Function Skill Development. |
| The UA-ACTS program provides individualized services to help students develop appropriate skills for self-advocacy, daily living, and social interactions that will contribute to their success as an independent adult. UA-ACTS seeks to provide support for the transition into a large, traditional university campus and to guide students towards achieving their goals for the future. Also, the program seeks to promote awareness and understanding of ASDs throughout the campus community through education, training, and collaborations with University programs, faculty, staff, and students. |
| The Union EDGE program is a two year, 48-hour Postsecondary Education Program for students with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (IDD). This program is based on the Think College national standards. Graduating students will receive a 2-year certificate, not a degree (they will audit courses). The focus is on Employment training | Daily living skills, Godly focus | Educational enrichment |
Resources |
| JAN provides free one-on-one practical guidance and technical assistance on job accommodation solutions, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and self-employment and entrepreneurship options for people with disabilities. |
| ADA National Network offers Information, Guidance, and Training on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Southeast ADA Center is the regional center that serves Tennessee. |
| Understood, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, is to help people who learn and think differently thrive. They provide articles and informational resources on Understood.org to a wide range of users, from families to educators, to young adults. |
