During the first TIP Lunch and Learn session, guest speaker Matthew Chaussee told the story of Romin, an employee with Vanna Adventure Vans.
Vanna Adventure Vans is a company that builds custom camper vans and mobile medical units while also working to hire a strongly neurodivergent workforce. Romin, who has bipolar disorder, was one such employee.
“He was originally working on the production line and found that there were a number of scenarios and environments that would trigger an episode,” Chaussee said. “That’s the sort of thing that might end employment at a lot of employers, but he was committed to staying.”
That’s when they turned to Chaussee for help. Chaussee is the cofounder and CEO of CareerView XR, a company that uses immersive technology such as 3D models and virtual reality to promote workplace accessibility and help people explore what assistive technology is available to them. With CareerView XR’s help, Vanna found a place where they could utilize Romin’s strengths while minimizing risks of encountering triggers.
Chaussee told this story as the first guest invited to speak at the Learn at Lunch Series hosted by the Training Innovation Project (TIP) and the Kentucky Employment First Council. The TIP seeks to provide training with advanced technology to Vocational Rehabilitation personnel, giving them the chance to learn about the latest and greatest options in accessibility tech and how they can use that technology to promote accessibility and help their clients build their careers.
“TIP will offer a variety of ways for learners to receive training and resources, because everyone has different needs and ways they learn best. We will also launch a Professional Learning Series which is a series of self-paced and instructor led courses. Learners can earn micro-credentials and continuing education units,” Dr. Kathy Sheppard-Jones, who is leading the project, said in a prior interview. “We will also develop a Community of Practice where members share ideas, solve problems, build skills and create tools that support competitive integrated employment.”
With Chaussee’s presentation, the project is off to a strong start.
Sheppard-Jones said, “Matt Chaussee provided a great introduction to immersive technologies, assistive technology and the world of work. We had 70 attendees, many of whom stayed for robust discussions after the event. We’ll use the feedback we get to develop future offerings.”
Though Sheppard-Jones is already extremely pleased with Chaussee’s presentation, it’s only the beginning.
“Here’s to growing this national audience and to more important conversations in the days ahead,” she said.
To find this webinar, and all future TIP sessions, visit https://tiptrain.com/webinars/.
