Proyecto Visión

Proyecto Visión (http://www.proyectovision.net) was the first national technical assistance center for Latinos with disabilities, providing services to employers, service providers, and jobseekers to address barriers to Latinos by effectively utilizing disability services and connecting to work. Since 2001, Proyecto Visión has developed an infrastructure to provide positive employment outcomes for Latinos with disabilities by bridging the culture/language gap, creating culturally appropriate responses to the group's particular needs, and by providing role models and mentors. In 2008 with support from AT&T and Wal-Mart, Proyecto Visión began to shift its focus to Latino and other youth with disabilities from underserved populations, ages 12 - 35, so they may successfully transition from school to higher education, attain sustainable independent living, and employment outcomes.

Proyecto Visión (PV) is now a leader in providing information for Latinos and youth of all backgrounds with disabilities.  PV’s online information services are composed of several parts: a newsletter, resource referrals, current opportunities, success stories, and event listings, all of which are available in both English and Spanish. The newsletter includes a mix of information about current news, issues that affect Latinos and young people with disabilities, success stories that show Latinos with disabilities achieving their personal and professional goals, and resources that can help people with disabilities achieve their goals. For example, the Spring 2009 Newsletter had a detailed article about the financial aid process, highlighting the many steps in this process and discussing the different sources of financial support that are available for students with disabilities. It also included a video profile of disability advocate Juliana Recio Calero, in which she describes her struggle to become proud of her disability, an interview with entrepreneur Javier Robles, who talks about the challenges people with disabilities face when starting their own businesses, and links to upcoming opportunities and resources that have been added to the PV website recently.

The Opportunities section of the Proyecto Visión website has been a major part of PV’s new focus on youth. Over the course of the last year, Proyecto Visión has compiled the best online calendar of scholarships for students available anywhere. This list, which is constantly being updated and improved, provides detailed information about more than 90 scholarship programs, including award amounts, deadlines, and links to the application instructions. Other opportunity calendars include detailed information about more than 30 internships and dozens of educational opportunities, grants, contests, events, and job listings. For transition age youth, these opportunities are great ways to hone their skills in ways which over the long-term will help them make connections, gain employment, and achieve independence.

PV’s Resources lists expand upon the opportunities we present, offering readers a starting point to expand their knowledge about various aspects of their lives, their rights, and the agencies that they can use. Some of the lists refer people to other websites that list opportunities – for instance, the scholarships PV lists are mostly national, but there are links to various resources that tell about scholarships for students in specific cities or at specific universities. Other resources refer people to government programs and help explain how they can help. Finally, a couple of the sections focus on issues beyond employment and education that can have a significant impact on a person’s mentality and approach to success, such as discussions about the concept of “Independent Living.” These resource lists are regularly updated and improved. An example of this is the recent addition of a section for Veterans with disabilities, including both English and Spanish language resources at Veterans organizations and at the Veterans Administration.

A major new part of Proyecto Visión is its presence on Facebook. More and more people are using Facebook as a way to share information, meet new people, and learn about common issues, and PV is doing the same. Each week, PV announces the “Opportunity of the Week,” which tells fans about one of the many great opportunities listed on the PV website and reminds them that this opportunity has an upcoming application deadline. Previous Opportunities of the Week include a $10,000 scholarship for computer science students with disabilities, video and art competitions for young artists with disabilities with total prizes worth more than $60,000, study abroad programs focusing on disability issues, and many more!

The PV Facebook page is also a great way for readers to participate. They can ask questions, provide information, and meet new people who are also interested in the same issues. Through the use of this page, Proyecto Visión is able to be a part of this new way of communication and networking that puts people and organizations on a level playing field, everybody able to contribute his or her knowledge and enthusiasm to the greater community. It empowers people to be a part of the community, to interact, and to make new friends. At the same time, it lets them tell other people about the opportunities, stories, videos, and other resources that Proyecto Visión offers, meaning that PV can reach a broader audience. The long-term goal is to become a central location where youth with disabilities can discuss the issues that affect them.

Proyecto Visión is looking for freelance writers for its newsletter who can write about issues facing youth with disabilities in underserved communities. Writers will be paid on a per-article basis. The application deadline is March 1st. For more information about Proyecto Visión and how to apply, see http://www.proyectovision.net/english/news/index.html.