Work Opportunities Unlimited (WOU) provides person-centered support services to help individuals with disabilities achieve success in the workplace. Finding the right employment opportunity can take a long time, as was the case for Sofia, but Sofia and the team at WOU were tenacious. After searching for a job for years, Sofia is now happily employed!
Career Resource Specialist Laura Teckman currently supports Sofia. She states, “Sofia was one of my first clients here at WOU, and we’ve been working together for over two years. Sofia is Deaf and communicates primarily with ASL, and uses a cane, presenting additional challenges in a conventional workplace.” Laura is primarily based in WOU’s Merrimack Valley location, but she assists Deaf clients in other areas such as Lowell, MA, where Sofia lives. “I am hard of hearing, and I’ve been signing for over 20 years, so Sofia and I have open communication between the two of us,” says Laura. “Sofia was referred to WOU by MassAbility, which is able to provide us with interpreters for things like interviews and onboarding. It’s an amazing resource.”
Sofia is an extremely talented artist studying art in college, so Laura and Sofia first began looking for graphic design-related jobs. However, these jobs tend to require completed degrees and years of experience, both of which Sofia was working on. “This created one of the many barriers we faced,” says Laura. Laura partnered with Jill Fogg on WOU’s Business Development team for assistance in the job search. Jill explored various resources to find unique opportunities for Sofia to gain experience in the art world. Laura and Jill were excited to secure Sofia a three-month summer internship in Boston at Unbound Visual Arts, a non-profit art organization. “Sofia is savvy on public transportation so we were able to search outside of the immediate area,” explains Laura. “At Unbound, Sofia was able to work on images for their social media, and set up artwork for different events. Sofia really enjoyed it and was appreciated there.” In addition, Sofia participated in the annual Lowell Window Art event, where local artists apply for the chance to decorate windows of businesses in the downtown area. Sofia received a spot and a stipend for supplies, and was thrilled to display their artwork.
Both the internship and art event allowed Sofia short-term opportunities to showcase their artistic talent, but as Laura says, “These did not open up more options as we had hoped.” Employment of any type became Sofia’s main goal, but it was still a struggle to find placement. Sofia, Laura, and Jill continued forging ahead anyway. “Sofia is unstoppable. Over the years, Sofia expanded their search and even when growing frustrated, never lost their positive outlook and personality. Jill and I were continually encouraged by Sofia’s determination.”
Then Laura and Jill helped Sofia land an interview for an associate role at a local home improvement store. The person who interviewed Sofia picked up on their creativity and artistic skills and thought that the window treatment and home décor department would be a good match. “Everything seemed like it was finally coming together, but then Sofia did not get a response as promised,” says Laura. She and Jill followed up on Sofia’s behalf. They found out that the store had experienced some staff changes and Sofia’s application had been misfiled. “We also learned that Sofia was supposed to receive a job offer, and I got to share the good news with a delighted Sofia,” recalls Laura. “Sofia and I worked with the store, submitted a new application, and Sofia got their acceptance!”
Sofia joined the team as an associate at the store’s Lowell, MA location in early 2025. Each shift, Sofia assists customers with finding home décor and window treatment items, cuts blinds to size, and organizes stock in the drapery and shelving unit areas, among other tasks. “Sofia is picking things up really fast. The entire staff has been welcoming. Everybody there is so thrilled and impressed with Sofia, and they are making friends with other staff,” says Laura. In addition, management has been very supportive of identifying and implementing accommodations to help Sofia easily interact with hearing customers. Laura explains, “We have run into issues where Sofia is willing to communicate, but people are afraid of communicating with someone who is Deaf.” Laura brought Sofia a reusable writing tablet to facilitate communication. In addition, Sofia’s vest has a badge that reads, “I speak ASL.” With these simple accommodations, says Laura, “Sofia has more easily been able to work with customers and help them out. Now, Sofia is getting recognized and sought out by regular customers.”
Sofia is doing so well and is so independent at work that Laura’s level of onsite support quickly decreased to occasional check-ins. In addition, Sofia also plans to possibly increase their hours. “Right now, Sofia’s goals are to maintain employment, finish school, and continue to work on the things that they love,” says Laura, like maintaining their website featuring various works of art and completing pieces on a commission basis. “The sky’s the limit for Sofia, and I’m really excited to see what’s next for them.” Congratulations and good luck in all of your endeavors, Sofia!
