About Us
Who we are. What we do.
Skills Academy Enrichment Center (SAEC) was formed in 2019 to support and empower the adult developmentally disabled community to live and work independently through self-advocacy, independent life skills, and social integration.
SAEC operates from Colorado Springs and the surrounding areas of Castle Rock and Pueblo. We work with school districts in El Paso, Elbert, and Douglas counties to support High I/DD, transition-aged young adults with finding purpose-driven services that will address the direct need for employment and/or apprenticeships
Who We Serve
High functioning I/DD adults, ages be 18-40 who are looking for careers, not jobs.
Employers to support high functioning I/DD employees with continued training and job coaching as needed
What's the
Problem?
Many people with disabilities experience challenges to individualized community supports. These issues create barriers for people with significant disabilities to live and work in the community. Our areas of focus:
Advocacy
People with disabilities have the right to live independently in the community in the most integrated setting of their choice.
AAPD, 2022
Homelessness
30 to 40 percent of homeless people have a cognitive impairment, including traumatic brain injury, learning difficulties, intellectual disabilities,
autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Psychology Today, 2020
Employment
Only 21.3% of Americans age 16 and over with disabilities were working or actively looking for work, far below the 67.1% rate for Americans without disabilities.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021
How We Help
We partner with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, RYRA, and the Colorado Restaurant Association. We have adapted the Restaurant Ready and ProStart programs to an inclusive program aimed at preparing the high functioning I/DD community to work in the Restaurant and hospitality industry.
Through hands on training and apprenticeships, our students are ready to work in a restaurant on day one. This lessens the training they will need from the restaurants and employers receive a trained employee from day one.
We are changing the Narrative!