ADA Live! is a free monthly online program broadcast nationally by the Southeast ADA Center, a member of the ADA National Network and a project of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University. Learn about your rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Leaders in the field will share their knowledge, experience and successful strategies that increase the participation of persons with disabilities in communities and businesses.
New Episode – April 1, 2026
Episode 152: New Opportunities for Job Success for Workers who are Blind: The Monarch Rise Project
DESCRIPTION
The employment rate of adults with low vision or blindness (52%) is significantly less than the general population of working-age adults (76%). This data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision reveals an overall 24 percent gap in employment. (Data Source: bit.ly/4rFq2cB)
One group trying to close this employment gap is the American Printing House for the Blind, or APH, located in Louisville, Kentucky. In this episode we talk with Erin Sigmund, the Director of an APH project called Monarch RISE. We will discuss the ways Monarch RISE empowers project participants to achieve and sustain competitive integrated employment (CIE). Later in this episode, we will hear from two of the project’s participants, Tim Emmons and Bill Adams, about their experiences.
LISTEN
Audio: Episode 152: New Opportunities for Job Success for Workers who are Blind: The Monarch Rise Project
Web: soundcloud.com/adalive/episode-152
READ
- Interactive Transcript for Episode 152: New Opportunities for Job Success for workers who are blind: The Monarch Rise Project
Web: bit.ly/adalive152-caption - Transcript Episode 152: New Opportunities for Job Success for Workers who are Blind: The Monarch Rise Project
(PDF file)
EXPLORE
Featured Organization
American Printing House for the Blind Commercial
American Printing House for the Blind is a worldwide leader in designing innovative lifelong learning solutions for children and adults who are blind or low vision. In this fast-changing world, we believe in the power and necessity of learning to open the doors to educational success, satisfying employment, active citizenship, and personal well-being. We level the learning playing field by providing specialized technology, materials, products, and services that are essential for education and life. For more information, please visit the APH website. aph.org
Project Director at American Printing House for the Blind
Orientation and Mobility expertise at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Braille collection and technical support at the Alabama Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Disabled
ADA Live! is produced by the Southeast ADA Center, a member of the ADA National Network and a project of the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University funded by NIDILRR Grant #90DPAD0005-01-00. This program is also a cross-collaboration with the NIDILRR Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) grant – Disability Employment Policy