Empathy Map for Design Project - Transitioning from School to Work

1. The Transition from School to Work
Linda Stancil

2. Say -
 “The transition from school to work for someone with
a disability involves a lot more than just finding a
program. The guardianship issues, school
issues, healthcare, transportation and a one-to-one
mentor are all problems.”

3. Say-
 “(My son) works 2 days a week for a small amount of
money; mostly for self esteem.”
 “The plan is for him to keep this job but his helper just
quit, so I have to find someone else to take him as I
think we have some time apart.”
 “Finding someone I can trust to take him is a major
problem.”
 “I feel my biggest challenge is all the paperwork!”

4. Say -
 “I am a micromanager – I call, ask if they have my
documents, wait a few days and call again.”
 “How angry can you get with (social services) when
you know the person on the other end of the line is
overwhelmed?”
 “The cumulative affect of all the forms wear you out.
It’s like having a government job.”
 “(My son) loves the work and doesn’t even want to take
a break.”

5. Say -
 “(This work) is the only activity he participates in
willingly that isn’t sedentary.”
 “If we can convince him to take a lunch or a break he
could work more hours.”
 “Maybe working on a different station would allow him
to sit to work.”
 “Graduation took a huge weight off as constant school
meetings and paperwork let up.”

6. Say -
 “A lot of people can’t handle the challenge of a disabled
child. Getting the best response from him (in a work
situation) as he is non-verbal involves a lot of
guesswork. It is very frustrating when he can’t
communicate and we can’t understand what he wants
to say.”

7. Do -
 She didn’t send her son to the work training program
offered by his school at the time as it didn’t have any
benefit for disabled children.
 Instead she pursued a separate program found by
visiting adult disabled services in another county.
 She tracked down former mentors/coordinators
familiar with the program and convinced her son’s
school to send him and other disabled high-school
students.

8. Do -
 She prepares weekly, monthly, and yearly paperwork
for various agencies to track her son’s
health/welfare/work.
 She is his legal guardian (by court order) which also
requires a documented yearly follow-up.
 Keeps a daily diary (filed every two weeks online) as
her son’s ‘residential habilitation provider’.

9. Think -
 There are not enough options for severely disabled
adults and the options available are hard to find.
 There is a lack of reliable help – it is a low wage, low
skill position to be one-to-one helper.
 There is too much paperwork for too many groups.
 There is no guide, no roadmap for the severely
disabled child aging out of the school system.

10. Feel -
 Frustration: everything for her son (and herself on his
behalf) is a struggle.
 Anger: the available help is swamped and
underfunded.
 Self-empowered: to make anything happen you have to
advocate for your child yourself.
 Exhaustion: It rarely gets easier.