What Does It Take to See Someone’s Potential?

What does it take to really see someone's potential?

It might start with noticing a strength that doesn't appear on a résumé. Asking about interests before talking about job openings. Helping someone explore where a job could lead, not just whether they can do it today.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy has designated “Celebrating Value and Talent” as the 2026 theme, recognizing the skills and contributions people with disabilities bring to America's workplaces, communities, and economy.

For vocational rehabilitation professionals, that theme is closely connected to the work they do every day.

Turning Potential into Opportunity

Recognizing someone's strengths and interests is only part of the work. VR professionals also help people explore possibilities, make informed choices, build skills, navigate barriers, and connect their talents with employment opportunities.

That can mean:

• asking questions that uncover interests and strengths that aren't immediately obvious
• exploring career paths rather than focusing only on the next available job
• using labor market information to connect interests and skills with opportunities
• helping employers recognize the skills and contributions a person can bring

Seeing potential isn't about deciding what someone is capable of. It's about having the skills to help people explore possibilities, identify their own goals, and make informed choices about what comes next.

Strengthening the People Who Do This Work

Doing this well takes knowledge, curiosity, good questions, and continued learning.

That's where the work of StaffUp ASAP connects with NDEAM. StaffUp is designed to strengthen the knowledge and skills VR professionals use everyday, from counseling and career development to understanding the labor market and working with employers.

The goal isn't simply to build professional knowledge. It's to help VR professionals put that knowledge to work in ways that support the employment goals of people with disabilities.

NDEAM gives us a chance to celebrate the value and talent people with disabilities bring to America's workplaces. It also gives us a question worth carrying beyond October:

What approaches are working in your agency? What skills or resources would help you better support the people you serve? Share your ideas with the StaffUp ASAP team. Your experiences and suggestions can help inform the resources and learning opportunities we develop for the VR workforce.

Meet the StaffUp ASAP Team

Want to learn more about the people behind StaffUp ASAP? Meet some of the leaders and trainers who develop and support the training and hear what motivates their work.