USAID Publishes Manual on Job-Search Strategies in Braille

On May 29, 2014, USAID’s Persons with Disabilities Internship and Employment Project, in cooperation with the Dimitar Vlahov State School for Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired Children and Youth, presented The Manual on Job Search Strategies published in Braille for blind and visually impaired people. The manual, a collaborative effort between the Project and Dimitar Vlahov School, will provide guidance to blind and visually impaired people seeking employment.

“Employment of people with disabilities is not a matter of charity, but one of human rights. We must remember that persons with disabilities are persons with many abilities, and they should have the same opportunities as everyone else. Ensuring those opportunities is what our project is all about,” said USAID Mission Director James Stein.

“The visually impaired students attending lectures at this school acquire the same theoretical knowledge as any other student who is part of the Macedonian education system. They also gain necessary practical skills, abilities, and qualifications that will help them to enter the workforce after formal education. During the job search process, in addition to other documents, they must provide a resume, a motivational letter, and conduct an interview with the potential employer. This manual will guide them through that process,” said Spiro Ristovski, the Minister of Education and Science of Republic of Macedonia.

USAID’s Persons with Disabilities Internship and Employment Project supports the implementation of Macedonia’s National Strategy on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The project helps persons with disabilities participate in society by improving their employability skills through training in resume writing and interview protocol, internship opportunities, and workshops on how to start and run a business. Project activities are geographically focused in Polog, Skopje, and the northeast regions of Macedonia. The project is implemented by My Career in Skopje in partnership with Handimak in Tetovo and Poraka Nasa in Kumanovo. To date, it has provided job search training to 232 persons with disabilities and entrepreneurship training to 14 persons with disabilities, It has also advised 130 representatives from companies and other organizations how to provide mentorships for persons with disabilities, and directly facilitated the meaningful employment of 57 persons with disabilities.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

The American people, through USAID, have invested more than $500 million in Macedonia since 1993. USAID is working with the people of Macedonia to create jobs, strengthen democratic institutions and practices, enhance integrated education, and prepare students for the workforce. These initiatives improve the quality of life and support Macedonia’s transition to a stable and prosperous democracy. USAID provides economic and humanitarian assistance in more than 100 countries. For more information please visit http://www.usaid.gov/where-we-work/europe-and-eurasia/macedonia and USAID FB page http://www.facebook.com/USAIDMacedonia