Tabatha Avila is 42 years old, who has a mild intellectual disability, which impacts her abilities regarding written language. She has had three cases with BVR, all closed successfully. Her first vocational goal was Maid – Housekeeper, then she found her passion for working with children. Her second successful case was for Childcare Worker, a position she currently holds.
She works as a childcare worker for Munchkinland, a local provider. Tabatha is passionate about her job, and her supervisors are very happy to have her employed there. She decided to obtain her Child Development Associate credential, which would increase not only her earning potential, but expand her duties in the workplace. She enrolled in the require classes at UNR, and embarked on her certification journey.
As Tabatha progressed in class, it became clear to her, and her instructors, that she could grasp the relevant material, but due to her disability would have extreme difficulty with the licensure test. She applied for services with BVR in hopes of finding an accommodation, or even an alternate examination mechanism that would allow her to demonstrate the mastery of the material. Her counselor worked closely with her instructor to determine available accommodations, and provided advocacy with the examination board, which convinced them to allow her instructor to assist her during the examination.
Needless to say, she passed the exam, obtained her license, and due to services provided by BVR and coordinated through UNR staff, she was able to advance in her chosen field, and continue to be an asset to her employer and the community. She was given an immediate $1.00 per hour raise, and with her license she can continue to advance, and receive regular pay increases.