[nfbmi-talk] TMSG: Beyond Our Barriers

[Mark Eagle]

  (WLNS) – The job hunt can be tough for anyone, but there’s a specific portion of our population that has an even harder time finding work.People with disabilities often struggle to find jobs and in Friday’s Tell Me Something good 6 News Mariah Harrison shows us a local man who’s working to change that.“First impressions are extremely important, probably more important than they should be.”First impressions for a potential employer are even more important.“People with autism may take a long time to answer something, may not have good eye contact. Other people with disabilities will take a long time to explain something or may not be able to find the right words,” said Justin Caine, president/CEO, Beyond Our Barriers.Justin Caine saw a need.“The job market’s not good for anyone, but for people with disabilities it’s 70 percent unemployed.”Enter Beyond our Barriers, a virtual work pool of people with disabilities.People looking for jobs can upload resumes and a list of skills.“The most specific and most important part is near the top, the video resume component.”“The employer’s able to see, this person may struggle with communication or whatever or struggle with something else we’re not going to put them in that situation but they’re extremely successful when they’re put in this situation.”The video resumes are about a minute long.They allow employers to see the person and see their abilities.“What is this person good at? What do they struggle at?”The video also serves another purpose.“There are things that employers are not allowed to ask, which causes issues along the way, because if the employer knew about it ahead of time they’d be able to accommodate that issue and then the person would be able to keep their job.”Justin’s production team has 10 videos finished and uploaded so far. Beyond Our Barriers has also scored a contract with Michigan rehabilitation services to provide videos for some of their clients.“Not only do these video resumes help people get employed but they help them stay employed.”Because everyone deserves the right to be able to support themselves.The website is currently under construction, but they hope to have it live in a couple weeks.If you or someone you know could benefit from Beyond Our Barriers’ services, contact Justin Caine by e-mail at Justin at goodfruitvideo.com.