WISE delivers information, continuing education, & technical assistance in areas that affect the employment and inclusion of individuals with disabilities.
11/07/2025
📣 You're Invited: RCT Quarterly Meeting 📣
The Rehabilitation Council of Texas is hosting a Hybrid Environment Meeting to gather feedback from VR customers about their experiences with services.
Who should attend: VR customers and anyone interested in improving vocational rehabilitation services. Field staff are encouraged to share this event with their customers.
Need accommodations? Contact RCT Coordinator Lisa Godwin at (979) 480-2826 or lisa.godwin@twc.texas.gov at least five (5) working days prior to the meeting.
Questions about the agenda?
Please reach out to Lisa Godwin for more information.
Make your voice count—join the conversation.
11/05/2025
Today is National Stress Awareness Day, and as we move into a busy season, stress can sneak up in small ways — tension in your shoulders, trouble focusing, or feeling drained even after rest. The good news? Small changes can make a big difference.
Here are a few ways to manage stress:
⏰ Take short breaks throughout your day
💧 Drink water and stretch when you can
💚 Practice gratitude daily
🤝 Talk to someone you trust if things start to feel heavy
Managing stress isn’t about avoiding challenges — it’s about caring for yourself while you meet them.✨
11/03/2025
Join Imagine Enterprises for “Real Talk with Ricky”!
This free, interactive Zoom series brings together self-advocates and families to talk, share, and learn from one another.
🗓️ Session 1: Authority
📅 Wednesday, November 5 | 🕧 12:30 PM CT
💬 Topic: Making your own choices and getting the support you need to live your best life.
Presented by Ricky Broussard and Norine Jaloway Gill.
Our first chat is about Authority—making your own choices and having the help you need to live your own life.
10/31/2025
🎃 Happy Halloween from UNT WISE!
Wishing everyone a day full of treats, laughter, and just the right amount of spooky fun! Stay safe and have a terror-ific time! 👻
10/28/2025
📢 Registration is open for the remaining 2025 courses! 📢
Courses begin within the next two weeks, so now’s the time to sign up.
If you still need to complete a credential course and haven’t registered yet, email us at untwise@unt.edu, and we’ll do our best to help you get enrolled and finish by December 18th. You can visit our catalog in the comments below!
Please note: Our office will be closed November 27 -28 and December 24 – January 5.
10/27/2025
A few of our UNT WISE and Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE) team members hit the road this past week to host Job Skills Training Workshops at our partner sites!
We always enjoy connecting in person and supporting professionals who make a difference in disability employment services. 💼✨
10/23/2025
Meet April McDowell, one of our dedicated ENGAGE Graduate Assistants who is passionate about helping students reach their full potential! ✨
She has been part of the program for two years and continues to bring exceptional value to the ENGAGE team and every student she supports.
Here’s what she shared about the most rewarding part of helping students achieve their goals.💚
10/22/2025
Shoutout to our amazing partner site for the great work they’re doing to create competitive integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities! Your commitment to inclusion is making a real difference in the community.💚
10/20/2025
The Texas Beacons of Excellence (TBE) Project was honored to attend “The Lunch,” hosted by Goodwill Industries of Dallas, featuring inspiring guest speakers Joe Buck and John O’Leary. Their powerful stories of hope, positivity, and resilience left a lasting impression on everyone in the room.
We also enjoyed the opportunity to connect with our incredible community partners and TBE participants—always a highlight for our team.
A heartfelt thank-you to Goodwill Industries of Dallas for their continued collaboration on the TBE Project and for their unwavering commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities and other barriers through job training, education, and employment services. Together, we’re helping people build independence and break the cycle of poverty through the transformative power of work.
University of North Texas | UNT College of Health and Public Service | UNT - Department of Rehabilitation & Health Services | Texas Workforce Commission
10/14/2025
Tomorrow, October 15, is White Cane Awareness Day!
Did you know the white cane is not just a mobility tool, but a powerful symbol of independence, freedom, and equal access for people who are blind or have low vision?
The National Research & Training Center on Blindness & Low Vision has created a free resource to help you celebrate!
📘 The Community Outreach Guide: How to Host a White Cane Awareness Day Celebration introduces you to the history of White Cane Awareness Day and offers ideas for planning meaningful community events.
✨ Learn, share, and join in honoring the empowerment and inclusion this day represents.
10/13/2025
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month!
This year’s theme, “Celebrating Value and Talent,” highlights the importance of recognizing the skills, perspectives, and contributions that people with disabilities bring to the workplace.
At UNT WISE, we believe that hiring people with disabilities isn’t just the right thing to do; it’s a smart business practice. There is incredible, often untapped potential that can strengthen teams, boost innovation, and enrich workplace culture when given the opportunity to thrive.
Through our programs, we see this value in action every day, and we’re proud to continue our mission of advancing competitive, integrated employment for all. 💙
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UNT WISE posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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.
