WAGES Program Serves State

Visitors to the Capitol this summer have enjoyed tours provided by Anna Matveyeva.  Anna is a high school student from Norfolk, Nebraska participating in the WAGES Program. WAGES stands for Work and Gain Experience in the Summer.  Currently only 30% of blind individuals are employed nationwide.  Of those, only 5% are fully employed. WAGES is one of the best ways Nebraskans can change this statistic.  The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired improves employment opportunities for Nebraska’s blind and visually impaired students through the WAGES Program. Two years ago, the Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired approached the Office of the Capitol Commission about a WAGES student coming to work in the tour office.  This is the third year of OCC’s involvement. OCC provides the employment opportunity and WAGES provides the wages. 
    The state funded program is designed to assist blind and visually impaired teenagers throughout Nebraska gain work experience. WAGES participants gain confidence in their skills and ability to get and maintain a job.  Besides employment, the WAGES participants also experience independent living. The students get to and from work by walking or taking the bus.  The students are responsible for doing their own laundry, managing their own money, and participating in seminars and activities during the evening and weekends.  The six week long program has the power to transform students; the WAGES staff and Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired are extremely grateful to all the employers willing to participate in the program.
    The WAGES student workers at the Capitol have provided visitors with an opportunity to interact with a blind or visually impaired person in a positive way and increased awareness of their abilities in a work setting. Anna has provided informative guided tours and assisted the public as they visit the Capitol. She has received many compliments for her work. The Office of the Capitol Commission is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the WAGES program. Anyone interested in supporting the WAGES program by providing an employment opportunity should contact the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.  Inquiries may be addressed to Carlos Servan, Deputy Director of Vocational Rehabilitation, (402)471-8104, or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).