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Work in Progress: A special report

Michael Rudin

Work in Progress: A special report

A casino-based community work program is part of a promising new wave in job training — and civil rights — for adults with intellectual disabilities.

In this package of stories, Desert Companion's Heidi Kyser writes about the workers at Boulder Station whose lives have been changed by the Opportunity Village Pathway to Work program, and considers the trend of community employment for the disabled.

Rachel Christiansen of KNPR's State of Nevada focuses on the experience of two program graduates, Pamela Stevens and Sam Sedgwick, who today find fulfilling full-time employment at Boulder Station. 

KNPR's State of Nevada host Carrie Kaufman leads a conversation with Pathway to Work administrators and participants, and discusses society's changing perceptions of people with intellectual disabilities.

And a slideshow by photographer Michael Rudin, with text by Heidi Kyser, captures a day in the life of these workers who've found through the program not just stable employment, but a sense of purpose.