PROVAIL

I’m currently reading a book called Exploding the Phone: The Untold Story of the Teenagers and Outlaws who Hacked Ma Bell. One of the stories is about a blind man who had immense technical talent when it came to the phone system, but couldn’t land even the most basic job because of discrimination. He concocted a plan to get arrested for phreaking (phone hacking) because he knew the publicity would lead to quite a few job offers. The plan worked. Nobody should have to go to those lengths to overcome a disability or the discrimination based on it, and that’s why PROVAIL exists. They are a Seattle, WA based non-profit that “supports people with disabilities to fulfill their life choices.” It’s all about expanding opportunity and breaking down barriers that might keep people with disabilities from living the lives they want to live.

Prevail at PROVAIL

PROVAIL started out with a focus on cerebral palsy, but today they work with people with all kinds of disabilities. The organization’s services are offered in areas including Therapeutic and Assistive Technology, Employment, Community Living, Dental, Fabrication, Brain Injuries, Arts, and Personal Finance. These “integrated programs encompass the many facets of people’s lives and effectively addresses a wide variety of needs for people with even the most severe disabilities.” You can read about the results on PROVAIL’s Testimonials page. If that’s the kind of effect you’d like to have on people’s lives, check out PROVAIL’s Careers page and their jobs on Idealist. The latter seems more up to date, and it includes positions like Development Assistant and Communications Coordinator.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• PROVAIL.org
• Jobs at PROVAIL
• About PROVAIL
• PROVAIL’s History
• PROVAIL News
• PROVAIL’s Annual Reports

What have you heard about PROVAIL?