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Students to Participate in Disability Mentoring Opportunities

GAINESVILLE, FL - More than two dozen people with disabilities in the Gainesville area will have the opportunity to learn about possible career choices as part of Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) activities throughout October. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD) is coordinating DMD activities in Alachua County, as well as in the surrounding counties.

DMD is celebrated nationally on the third Wednesday of each October as a chance for students and job seekers with disabilities to participate in a one-on-one job shadowing experience. Several businesses in Alachua and surrounding counties have agreed to participate in mentoring activities throughout the month.

The scheduled activities follow:

• October 13–Dudley Farms State Park from 10 a.m. until noon. A tour of the working farm, along with some hands on activities that relate to animal care, such as feeding a calf and chickens. Park rangers will provide information on their particular duties around the farm and how to apply for positions within the Florida State Parks. The park's address is 18730 West Newberry Road, Newberry.
• October 18–A Tacachale employee in the Housekeeping department will be providing one-on-one job shadowing for an individual who is interested in this field. The Tacachale address is 1621 NE Waldo Road, Gainesville.
• October 19– A deputy with the Alachua County Sheriffs Department, Deputy Tate, will be providing a mentoring experience for an individual who is interested in a career of law enforcement. They will be presenting at Santa Fe Community College about alcohol prevention from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. The address for Santa Fe Community College is 3000 NW 83rd Street, Gainesville.
• October 19–Olive Garden is hosting a complimentary luncheon and will introduce their employees to six individuals who are exploring a career in food and hospitality. The restaurant's address is 3440 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville.

APD will be hosting an event to bring DMD to a close on October 20 at the Thomas Center beginning at 5 p.m. The agency will be recognizing all participants and their efforts in making this DMD in the Gainesville area a success. The Thomas Center's address is 302 NE 6th Avenue, Gainesville.

This is the 10th anniversary of the state of Florida participating in DMD. This year, more than 3,000 individuals in all 67 counties across Florida will be participating in DMD.

For more information about DMD activities in the Alachua County area, contact Coordinator Jennifer Valenzuela at (352) 955-5121 or Jennifer_Valenzuela@apd.state.fl.us.

The agency annually serves about 35,000 Floridians with developmental disabilities of mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information on the agency, call 1-866-APD-CAREs or visit http://apdcares.org.