WISE delivers information, continuing education, & technical assistance in areas that affect the employment and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
01/13/2026
Seeing students embrace their future with confidence and excitement is what our Transition Program is all about. 🎓
Check out our UNT faculty and Staff at the 2026 DADD Conference!
Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities
01/08/2026
Your Growth Journey Continues! 🚀
Explore our 2026 online course offerings and plan ahead to strengthen your skills, expand your knowledge, and enhance your impact as a VR professional supporting people with disabilities.
UNT WISE Course Catalog: https://prolearning.unt.edu/unt/course/course.aspx?catId=7
01/06/2026
Are You College Ready is back!
We’re bringing this series back because we want to help students and families feel confident and prepared for what’s ahead.
Winter is the perfect time to take small steps that make a big difference. Swipe through for simple, grade-by-grade steps to stay on track this season.❄️✔️
12/19/2025
This year was full of meaningful moments! From milestones to everyday wins, 2025 was about showing up, learning together, and building confidence. These photos capture just a glimpse of the energy, relationships, and the shared experiences of ENGAGE this year! ✨
12/17/2025
🎓✨ Graduation time!
Last week, our Transition Program wrapped up its Virtual Transition Program with Santa Fe ISD and celebrated its amazing students with a graduation ceremony!
Through the UNT WISE Virtual Transition Program, these young adults with disabilities developed vocational, independent living, and social & recreation skills through an intensive, engaging virtual experience. A huge shoutout to our incredible project coordinator, Ellie, whose hard work and dedication helped make this graduation such a special and meaningful celebration. We’re so proud of the students’ hard work and growth and can’t wait to see what’s next for each of them! 🎉👏
12/15/2025
Every family has a story, and we love hearing what it means to them to watch their student thrive with ENGAGE. This parent’s words say it all. We’re proud to walk alongside students as they grow, discover, and exceed expectations!
12/11/2025
When a student takes a big leap in independence and maturity, we celebrate right alongside them. Our Transition Program is built for moments just like this—empowering every step forward. 🙌🏽💚
12/09/2025
Shining a light on Eralda Shyle, our Administrative Program Coordinator, whose passion for building bridges and fostering belonging makes a lasting impact at UNT WISE. We appreciate you!
11/27/2025
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! 🍂🦃
This season, we’re especially thankful for our partners, colleagues, and community who make our mission possible every day.
At UNT WISE, we’re proud to serve the disability community across Texas and beyond, empowering inclusion, expanding opportunities, and building pathways to meaningful employment through our many innovative projects and partnerships.
May your day be filled with gratitude, connection, and joy!
11/25/2025
Mark your calendars, some exciting conferences are coming up!
These events are great opportunities for rehabilitation professionals to connect, learn, and advocate for best practices in employment, transition, and disability inclusion.
📅 December 3–5, 2025
• 28th Annual Texas Workforce Conference – Corpus Christi, TX
• TAVAC Annual Conference – College Station, TX
📅 January 14–17, 2026
• 27th International DADD Conference on Autism, Intellectual Disability & Developmental Disabilities – Long Beach, CA
📅 February 18–20, 2026
• Texas Transition Conference – San Marcos, TX
Find the registration links in the comments below!
11/20/2025
A look at what the Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE) team has been up to this quarter!
In July, TBE partnered with the San Antonio SSLC to host a Job Skills Training workshop focused on career discovery, job analysis, and hands-on learning through role-play and accommodation planning.
In August, they joined Klein ISD’s Family Orientation Night, connecting with families and helping new participants take the first steps toward supported employment.
By September, they were in Amarillo at the Greater Amarillo Foster Parent Association event—sharing resources, answering questions, and learning more about community needs.
The TBE team continues to make an impact across Texas, opening doors to new opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
Check out the latest TBE newsletter:https://disabilityinnovation.unt.edu/files/july_aug_sep_2025_tbe_newsletter.pdf
Texas Workforce Commission | University of North Texas | UNT College of Health and Public Service | UNT - Department of Rehabilitation & Health Services
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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.
