Leading the Charge: Al Heggins and abilIT Across America
When Alvena “Al” Heggins joined Melwood Community Services nearly two years ago, she was drawn to an organization that embodied innovation in action. Today, as Senior Professional Development Trainer for abilIT, she’s helping scale that innovation nationwide through the launch of abilIT Across America. The national expansion brings Melwood’s proven 14-week tech training program—which prepares […]
Leadership Profile: Emily Homer
For nearly four decades, Emily Homer has worked alongside people with disabilities, bearing witness to a profound transformation in how society sees—and values—these individuals. Now Executive Director of Melwood Community Services, Emily brings unmatched perspective, experience, and compassion to her role, shaped by a career that mirrors the evolution of disability rights in America. Her […]
Tech success: abilIT grads earn certifications, pathway to job opportunities
Melwood Community Services celebrated the graduation of 17 participants from its signature abilIT program in February, which connects adults with disabilities and injured veterans to careers in the tech industry. In partnership with Cybrary, creator of the most extensive online course in the cybersecurity arena, abilIT is a unique 14-week program that helps participants sit […]
Melwood and Enabled Intelligence offer geospatial data labeling boot camps for people with disabilities
It’s a scene you may have seen in movies – enlarged bird’s eye view of blurry images of the same location taken over a period of time. Many times the difference could be just the angles of shadows. But sometimes, there are miniscule changes that escape the eyes of a casual observer. It’s those changes […]
Melwood & Enabled Intelligence lead on employment for people with disabilities in tech
Melwood, a leading employer, advocate and preferred provider for people with disabilities, is partnering with individuals, companies and communities to empower people with disabilities to pursue the careers – and lives – of their choosing. Melwood’s abilIT Program prepares people with disabilities for jobs in technology through soft skills training and technical certification. Here’s how […]
How Melwood’s abilIT program is changing the game for disability-inclusive employment – and why you should care
Montel Medley spent several months applying for jobs after graduating from Towson University with a dual degree in mathematics and computer science in 2019. But despite being qualified – and the high volume of entry-level IT jobs available – he struggled to find success in interviews and secure employment. It wasn’t until he completed Melwood’s […]
Melwood’s free IT and life skills training program for people of differing abilities is looking for candidates
Melwood’s abilIT IT certification training program prepares people of differing abilities, especially those on the autism spectrum and injured veterans, for jobs in technology and the success rate speaks for itself. Seventy percent of the program’s graduates are either employed or interning at places like KPMG, GDIT and DARPA or they have gone on to […]
The Cybrary Podcast: Melwood and the abilIT Program
In this episode of The Cybrary Podcast we hear from Scott Gibson, the Senior Vice President of People and Programs at Melwood. Speaking with Ryan Corey, the CEO of Cybrary, Scott goes into the amazing work that Melwood is doing for people of differing abilities and highlights their abilIT Program that they have partnered with […]
Local non-profit provides training for people with autism for jobs in the cybersecurity field
Most of us know Melwood as the non-profit that provides people with differing abilities the resources needed to live a full and productive life. But thanks to a pilot program called, ‘abilIT,’ Melwood is expanding that training to include preparing people with special needs for cybersecurity jobs as well. Watch the full report on FOX […]
Melwood’s “abilIT” program trains people of differing abilities for entry-level cybersecurity jobs
Melwood, one of the largest employers of people of differing abilities in the country, is embarking on an innovative project to provide cybersecurity and IT training to people on the autism spectrum. The “abilIT” pilot program launches later this month in Arlington, Va., and is actively recruiting people of differing abilities for the program which […]