News  Strength in Support: A networking and resource-sharing event with employed youth & young adults with disabilities, personal care assistants, job coaches, and inclusive workplaces

Room 428, 4th Floor, Massachusetts State House and on Zoom — Hosted by our Disability Employment and Workforce Supports subcommittees, this event will bring together employed youth and young adults with disabilities, personal care assistants (PCAs), and job coaches to share success stories, reflect on challenges in the workplace, and explore actionable strategies to advance disability-inclusive employment. The event aims to foster connection, elevate lived experience, and highlight opportunities for building a more inclusive workforce across Massachusetts. Event recording here. 

We are pleased to be joined by community partners and state agencies committed to advancing inclusive employment who will be sharing resources, including:

• MA Department of Developmental Services
• Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Division of Apprentice Standards
• MA Office on Disability
• Partners for Youth with Disabilities
• MassAbility
• Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council
• JVS Boston
• Institute for Community Inclusion
• Federation for Children with Special Needs
• PCA Council
• Boston Center for Independent Living
• Employment Collaboratives (Riverside Community Care)
• The Arc of Massachusetts
• Commonwealth Corporation
• Run The Gamut
• Work Without Limits, ForHealth Consulting at UMass Chan Medical School 
  …and others who continue to build opportunities across sectors.

Meet our Moderator!

Commissioner Gyasi Burks-Abbott – Moderator
Gyasi Burks-Abbott, MS, is on the faculty of the LEND (Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) Program at Boston Children’s Hospital and UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion. He serves on the boards, committees, and commissions of many autism and disability organizations; and he’s written for several autism and disability-related publications. Gyasi graduated from Macalester College in St. Paul, MN with a BA in English and psychology, and he has an M.S. in Library and Information Science from Simmons University in Boston. Gyasi tells the story of how he became an autism self-advocate in his autobiography/memoir titled My Mother’s Apprentice: An Autistic’s Rites of Passage.

Meet our featured speakers!

Matty Tricca – Podcast Host and Representative Arciero Intern
Matty Tricca is a 21 year old advocate, aspiring public speaker, college student and (award winning) podcast host. He worked for a year training in Sterile Processing which was both a positive and negative work experience. Prior to that and currently, Matty is a volunteer at Tufts Medical in Lowell with an amazingly supportive team. One way or another, Matty hopes to work in the medical field. For now, he’s working on college classes and trying to find meaningful work to gain experience in a medical-related position. This summer, you may see him at the State House as he’ll be an intern on Representative Jim Arciero’s team.

Liam Glavin – Busser, Legal Sea Foods
My name is Liam Glavin and I am a member of the Career and Community Access Program (CCAP). I have been attending this program since August of 2021. CCAP has helped me develop my independence skills, and has also helped me find my first jobs. The first job that I found after joining CCAP was at the Henderson Inclusion School which I have maintained to this day. I am a lunch monitor at Henderson where I am responsible for making sure that all of the students are safe during their lunch and recess breaks. Recently, I have been more interested in seeking a career in food service. I spoke with my career coach about this, and he was able to help me find a job at Legal Sea Foods in Downtown Boston. I started working as a busser there this month, and I am really enjoying the job so far. For fun, I like to make my own country music; recently, I created my own album which is called "Possibility".

Ewidji Vincent – Young Adult Leaders Fellow, Massachusetts Advocates for Children
Ewidji Vincent is a recent graduate of the MAICEI program at UMass Boston and a current Young Adult Leaders Fellow at Massachusetts Advocates for Children. He is a member of the Youth Advisory Board at FCSN and is a frequent panelist and public speaker as a part of the board. He enjoys doing service work through EPIC and will be a Peer Leader in the upcoming 2025-2026 season. Ewidji has been spoken about by MA Representative Christopher Worrell for his advocacy and is interested in studying politics and communication in the future.  

Sophie Korpics – Community Advocate, Northeast Independent Living Program
Sophie Korpics is a Community Advocate for The Northeast Independent Living Program. She currently holds a master’s degree in Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from The University Of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to working at NILP, she was the 2023-2024 Gopen Fellow. For the fellowship, she completed a project about the lack of access to quality computer-based assistive technology and support within public schools. In addition to advocacy work around special education, Sophie is also passionate about ensuring transportation access for individuals with disabilities, as well as accurate disability representation in the arts. She lives in Newburyport, Massachusetts where she currently serves as cochair for the local disability commission.

Sarah Malone – Communication and Social Media Intern, MassAbility
Sarah Malone is a local disability advocate, content creator, and a participant in the NextGen Careers Program with MassAbility since 2023, eventually becoming an integral team member in the communications department. Sarah brings a unique lens to her advocacy work through her lived experience with a disability and as a caregiver supporting two disabled family members. Through her work she hopes to change perspectives and increase access and opportunities for the disability community in Massachusetts.

Jack Tzianobo – Barista, BosseCafe, Options Clubhouse
My name is Jack. I have been a member of the Options Clubhouse for about two years. Through the Options Clubhouse, I participated in a free culinary training program called Cooking up a Career. This opportunity helped me acquire the skills and confidence to enter the workforce. I work as a barista at BosseCafe at the Pickle Dome in Natick, where I obtained my position in December 2024. Having employment has given me financial independence and confidence.

Lynn Fanale – Director of Employment, Options Clubhouse 
My name is Lynn Fanale, and I am proud to serve as the Director of Employment Options Clubhouse. I began my journey with the organization working with young adults in the Employment and Marketing Unit. Nearly seven years later, in 2023, I stepped into my current role as Director—an opportunity that has allowed me to bring my full experience and passion to the forefront. My background includes a diverse range of experience across mental health and special needs services, including community-based, educational, and residential settings. This kaleidoscope of experiences has equipped me with the knowledge and skills needed to take on the multifaceted responsibilities of a Clubhouse Director. The Clubhouse model places strong emphasis on employment as a foundation for mental health recovery—a value I have fully embraced and incorporated into my own personal and professional philosophy. I am committed to supporting members in achieving their educational and employment goals, and I am proud to be a dedicated partner of CommCorp.

Vanessa Stewart – Family Support Coordinator, WORK INC. 
Vanessa Stewart is a dedicated Family Support Coordinator at WORK Inc. with over 10 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities. With a strong background as an Employment Specialist for five years, she has been a passionate advocate for disability rights and inclusion throughout her career. In recognition of her commitment and impact, Vanessa was honored with the 2023 Employment Support Champion Award. Vanessa is family-oriented and a proud believer in Christ, values that guide both her personal and her professional life, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, reading, and relaxing with her favorite TV shows.

Kadin Ali – Lead Career Coach, JVS Boston
My name is Kadin Ali and I am a lead career coach in the disability department at JVS Boston. After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, I began working at JVS in September of 2023. I work primarily in our Career and Community Access Program, which is a day program for young adults with disabilities who are interested in seeking employment. One fun fact about me is that I am obsessed with pugs!

ASL and CART requested. Lunch will be provided by Community Work Services.

Links to resources:

Institute for Community Inclusion

• The employment section: https://www.communityinclusion.org/about/areas-of-emphasis/employment/
• ThinkWork hub for an array of research, training, and technical assistance efforts focused on advancing employment of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) https://www.thinkwork.org/
• ExploreVR hub for efforts focused on supporting public vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities https://www.explorevr.org/
• Employment Services team based in Boston, MA: https://employmentservices.communityinclusion.org/
• Online learning resources, including the College of Employment Services, the certificate from the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE), Explore Community Life Engagement courses, IT'S Employment courses, and more: https://www.communityinclusion.org/onlinelearning/

Employment Collaboratives (Riverside Community Care)

• The Central MA Employment Collaborative CMEC@riversidecc.org
• The Greater Boston Employment Collaborative GBEC@riversidecc.org
• The MetroWest Employment Collaborative mwec@riversidecc.org
• The NorthEast Employment Collaborative neec@riversidecc.org
• The South Coast Employment Collaborative SCEC@riversidecc.org
• The South Shore Collaborative on Employment Terry.holmgren@umb.edu
• The Western MA Employment Collaborative WMEC@riversidecc.org

Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council

•  Policy Spotlight: Employment

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commission's Executive Director Imene Bouziane Saidi at imene.bouzianesaidi@mass.gov