How Fairfax Co. is helping students with disabilities get job experience before graduation

On Friday afternoon at Brooke Rental Center in Vienna, Virginia, Fairfax County student Curtis Roberts took inventory of some of the items throughout the warehouse.

Sometimes, he helps with equipment maintenance, cleaning, sanding or painting chairs, or putting things back together.

Those are among his responsibilities at the business, which specializes in party goods. It rents glasses, dishes, tables and equipment, such as generators.

Since September, Roberts has worked at the store three days per week for one hour each day. It’s part of a countywide program that aims to get students with disabilities working experience before they graduate. Students serve as unpaid interns and are supervised by school district employees.

Roberts — who his mom said has autism — attends Cedar Lane, a school that offers smaller classes for students who need extra support. He takes a county school bus to the job, and months into his internship, he’s gaining confidence.

“I’m very thankful that my son can get this opportunity for the future,” his mom, Aida Roberts, said. “That he can get up, he can be a good person, that he can find a job, that he can be independent.”

Curtis described his favorite part of the role as “the fact that it’s quite easy and very beginner to get into.” He also cleans chairs and cuts pipes.

He’s being mentored by Cedar Lane graduate Damien Lloyd, who’s now a full-time employee at Brooke Rental Center. Lloyd was an intern at the business two years ago, evolving his skill set to complete tasks such as rewiring chandeliers.

“He adds value to our company,” said James Brooke, president and owner of Brooke Rental Center.

“He has skills that we didn’t realize he had. He works 10 hours a day, three days a week, and he keeps working the whole time. It’s been a complete win-win situation.”

Lloyd is similarly involved with inventory, cleaning and managing equipment, and looks forward to working because “I get to do new things every day.”

“These chandeliers in the tent right now, I wired those up,” Lloyd said.

Cedar Lane principal Cheronda Farrish said teachers build community partnerships, which help students obtain skills they might not get sitting in a classroom.

The school has also established relationships with nearby Dollar Tree, Panera Bread and Alya Salon, among others — a list that’s expanding based on students’ interests.

“This is their passion,” Farrish said. “This is an experience for them, and they absolutely love it. They’ll come back and say, ‘Hey, I learned how to do this. I learned how to do wiring, I learned painting, I learned how to color hair.’ They learn life skills, and it’s just irreplaceable.”

Anna Veltri, an employment and transition representative with the school district, said the program helps students become independent and more confident.

“A lot of times, thinking about the future for our students is kind of scary, like, ‘I don’t know what I want to do. And I don’t know where I want to work, and I don’t know what I’m good at,'” Veltri said.

“And it’s really hard to answer those questions when you’ve never had these experiences.”