DSB success story: Carlos Aponte finds perfect job after 2-year lay-off

Two years ago Carlos Aponte was one of the many deaf Americans who got laid off in the midst of a national economic crisis. Finding a new job turned out to be a major struggle and test of his patience as he applied for help from Vocational Rehab Services. Today, he is back on the proverbial horse, though, as he is making a living as part-time dishwasher at Sweet Tomatoes in Brandon, Fla. thanks to his employment specialist and job coach, Raymond Clark.

Clark, who is, in fact, the Director of Employment Services at the Deaf Service Bureau, started working with Aponte in February 2012 and successfully placed him after only one month. Needless to say, Aponte could not be happier about his improved financial situation since supporting a family on SSDI benefits is virtually impossible.

When asked about the secret of Aponte's quick and painless job search with Clark he stated that the smooth communication in sign language and Clark's understanding of his needs as fellow deaf community member made all the difference in the world. He added that Clark also helped him during the interview and training process with the comprehension of written materials since Aponte relies almost exclusively on sign language for communication. But Clark did not stop there--he also made sure that Aponte's co-workers and supervisors knew just how to communicate with him by pointing and showing rather explaining things verbally.

Clark confirmed that Aponte has indeed benefited greatly from the connections and advocacy DSB has been providing and added that Aponte's supervisor praised his great job performance and ethics.