WISE delivers information, continuing education, & technical assistance in areas that affect the employment and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
04/17/2026
With summer on the horizon, we’re hard at work preparing for another exciting season of our Transition Summer Programs! ☀️
Designed to empower young adults with disabilities for life after high school, these programs provide hands-on experiences in career exploration, post-secondary pathways, and exciting STEM opportunities.
Whether students are building job skills, gaining confidence, or discovering new passions, our goal is to help each participant take meaningful steps toward their future.
We’re excited to be hosting these programs again and can’t wait to see our students thrive! 🚀
During this Student Employee Appreciation Week, we want to recognize and celebrate the amazing student employees at UNT WISE who received nominations for this year’s awards! Our team was thrilled to join the Student Employee of the Year Award Luncheon hosted by the UNT Career Center. It was a wonderful event honoring the dedication and impact of student workers!
✨ Nominations included:
- Captain Customer Service: Landry Sokolosky
- Impressively Improved Individual Award: Vivian (Wei) Lin
- Student Employee of the Year: Dhyana Banderas
- Outstanding Student Employee Team: UNT WISE
Congratulations to all the nominees, and a special shout-out to every one of our student employees, not just those nominated! Your hard work and daily contributions are what keep UNT WISE running strong. We appreciate everything you do, and this week is all about celebrating you! Your efforts truly make a difference, and we’re excited to see all that you’ll accomplish in the future. 💚
04/09/2026
Come join our team! The Access Coordinator position is a crucial position for our office.
Acceptance starts with understanding, listening, and showing up in ways that truly support autistic individuals. Here are a few meaningful ways we can all do better:
✨ Ask about sensory needs
Everyone experiences the world differently. Take the time to ask about environmental preferences and do your best to accommodate them.
✨ Get to know the person, not your assumptions
Every individual is unique. Let go of stereotypes and make space to learn who they really are.
✨ Offer different ways to communicate
Not everyone communicates the same way—and that’s okay. Be open to verbal, written, visual, or alternative forms of expression.
✨ Be clear and check for understanding
What seems “obvious” may not be for everyone. Clear, specific communication and gentle check-ins go a long way.
Acceptance is about respect, flexibility, and genuine connection. Let’s create spaces where everyone feels seen, heard, and valued.
03/27/2026
No tricks here—just real talk. Join Imagine Enterprises for “Real Talk with Ricky,” a free, interactive Zoom series where self-advocates and families come together to connect, share, and learn from one another.
🗓️ Session 2: Support
📅 Wednesday, April 1st | 🕧 12:30 PM CT
💬 Topic: Learn from Ricky Broussard about self-determination—because taking charge of your life is no joke (even on April Fools’ 😉).
Presented by Ricky Broussard and Norine Jaloway Gill
Collaboration is at the heart of the Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE) project. By bringing together providers, researchers, and partners across the state, we’re working to identify and elevate best practices that strengthen services and expand opportunities.
We recently asked one of our partners, Garza & Carrillo Consulting, what inspired them to participate in the TBE initiative.
💬 “I was inspired to participate in the TBE initiative because I wanted to contribute to research on best practices within our field. As a provider, I saw value in offering insight into the day-to-day service delivery process and sharing feedback that could inform continuous improvement. I also hoped that my participation would support data-driven decisions related to state policy and funding that ultimately benefit individuals receiving services.”
We’re grateful for partners who are willing to share their expertise and experiences to help move the field forward. When providers, researchers, and community partners work together, we can create stronger systems that better support individuals with disabilities.
We’re proud to spotlight Au'Jonae Counts, Administrative Coordinator at UNT WISE!
In her role, Au'Jonae provides administrative support across multiple programs. Her work behind the scenes helps keep our team organized and ensures our programs run smoothly so we can stay focused on delivering meaningful services to the community. 💚
Team members like Au'Jonae play an essential role in helping our programs create real impact for individuals, families, and communities. She especially values seeing firsthand how these efforts positively change lives, finding it incredibly rewarding to hear feedback and witness the impact our programs have on those we serve.
03/17/2026
Our team got into the St. Patrick’s Day spirit today! 🍀
Staff showed up wearing their best green for a little office fun, and we even had a “Most Green” competition to see who went all out. Congratulations to our winner, Karina, for bringing the most festive spirit to the office! 👏
Moments like this remind us how important it is to create workplaces where people feel connected, valued, and part of a community. That sense of belonging is at the heart of the work we do every day.
Thanks to everyone who joined in — it’s always great to take a moment to celebrate together and share some team spirit.
03/16/2026
Awareness must lead to action—especially when it comes to expanding meaningful employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities.
At UNT WISE, our mission is to improve quality of life for people with disabilities through research, professional training, and direct community support. One of the most powerful ways to advance that mission is by expanding inclusive employment.
When workplaces remove barriers and prioritize belonging, individuals, organizations, and communities all benefit.
Employment is more than a job—it represents dignity, independence, connection, and the opportunity to contribute unique strengths.
Want to hear directly from individuals with disabilities about their experiences and successes in the workplace?
Together, we can move beyond awareness to build workplaces and communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
03/13/2026
Our Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE) team member, Risa Mack, recently had the opportunity to exhibit at the Region 16 Transition Fair hosted by the Education Service Center in Amarillo.
The event brings together students with disabilities, families, colleges, employers, adult service agencies, and community partners to help students explore pathways to employment, postsecondary education, and independent living after high school.
It was a strong turnout, with juniors and seniors from Amarillo High, Caprock, Tascosa, and Palo Duro High Schools in attendance. Risa connected with more than 100 students and began conversations with several potential business partners interested in expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
We’re grateful to be part of efforts that help students envision their futures and build meaningful pathways to success.
03/05/2026
It's important for students to feel prepared to succeed as they transition to college and beyond – this is what our Transition Program is here to do! We love to hear these testimonials where parents can see the change in their students ✨
That’s exactly why our Transition Program exists — to help students build real-world skills, confidence, and independence as they prepare for life beyond high school.
We’re grateful for families who trust us to support their students during this important transition. 💚
March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, a time to celebrate disability inclusion, expand accessibility, and champion opportunity for people with developmental disabilities.
Individuals with developmental disabilities are valued members of our communities and our workforce. When everyone has access to meaningful employment and opportunity, we are stronger together.
At UNT WISE, we believe disability inclusive workplaces and communities benefit everyone. Let’s continue building pathways to sustainable employment and full participation for all — not just this month, but every day.
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Located at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, UNT WISE is the premier training and consultancy group for programs seeking to enhance employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. UNT WISE conducts training, hosts conferences, and provides technical assistance to community rehabilitation programs (CRP) and organizations serving individuals with disabilities. UNT WISE provides over 100 training events, serving more than 2,300 individuals, annually.
UNT WISE holds the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators approval for its Supported Employment Basic Certificate courses. Its online certificate program was hailed as "model for online training" by ACRE panel reviewers. ACRE approved training is required by many states as a prerequisite for employment services providers.
UNT WISE partners with universities, vocational rehabilitation agencies and other stakeholders to develop new training and service programs based on the needs of specific communities. Some recent collaborations include:
In an effort to increase the quality of employment services provided by Employment Services Providers in Texas, the Texas Workforce Solutions-Vocational Rehabilitation Services legacy agency partnered with UNT WISE in 2010 to develop and maintain a credential process. The credential requirement applies to all employment services providers such as Job Coaches, Job Skills Trainers, Job Placement Specialists, Supported Employment Specialists and CRP Directors. UNT WISE developed the credentialing process, including the training and testing. UNT WISE manages the maintenance of the credential. Over 2,000 individuals hold one or more employment services credentials.
In 2016, UNT WISE introduced a new credential for Vocational Adjustment Training (VAT). This credential is designed to build the skills and knowledge for credentialed Job Placement Specialists to effectively assist a person with a disability to learn skills needed to become work and job ready. The course includes the instruction on universal design for learning and accommodation as well as eight VAT content areas related to vocational exploration, soft skills, disclosure, financial education, and public transportation training.
UNT WISE introduced the Autism Endorsement in the Spring of 2016. This endorsement provides credentialed Supported Employment Specialists tools to support individuals with autism. The endorsement also includes training on the Environmental Work Assessment, which assist persons with autism to identify a work environment consistent with their unique support needs.
Live and Learn program designed for transitioning youth with disabilities to explore career pathways, envision a job they liked in their future, and practice independent living skills. Not only does the program provide a platform for participants to explore career pathways and visit workers doing these jobs, but also serves as a venue for UNT's Rehabilitation Studies undergraduates and Rehabilitation Counseling graduate students to put into practice what they have learned. To date, the Live and Learn Program has hosted 100 participants.
College WISE summer program is designed for transitioning youth with disabilities to explore higher education opportunities, expectations of college life, and practice independent living skills. This program also provides an opportunity for UNT's Rehabilitation Studies undergraduates and Rehabilitation Counseling graduate students to put into practice what they have learned. In 2017, College WISE hosted 25 participants.
