SOMERSET, N.J., May 13, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Staffing leader Rangam has partnered with Islands of Brilliance (IOB) to offer individuals on the autism spectrum a hands-on learning experience in UX design while helping improve the lives of other neurodivergent talent. In the most recent session of IOB's Digital Academy, participants took a deep dive look at the user experience of Rangam's SourceAbled platform to improve its UX for neurodivergent job seekers with the goal of increasing the likelihood they're able to secure lasting and rewarding employment.
SourceAbled, a proprietary workforce solution powered by Rangam, goes beyond a traditional job placement program to provide a collaborative, holistic solution implemented to develop an inclusionary program and a culture of belonging by matching Fortune 500-type companies with neurodivergent talent seeking to build and sustain successful and fulfilling careers.
Recently, 18 students in IOB's Digital Academy explored SourceAbled's current user interface and applied their own experience as neurodiverse job seekers to help offer feedback and improvements to the design and functionality of SourceAbled's website and job seeking tools. The partnership not only gave IOB students real-world experience while aiding other neurodiverse talent in jumpstarting their careers, but it helps elevate the conversation around neurodiverse creativity and how creative employees on the spectrum can offer completely original ideas that differ from their neurotypical counterparts.
"It has been a privilege to work with the students at Islands of Brilliance. Their perspectives have become an asset for Rangam and our SourceAbled program," said Nish Parikh, CEO of Rangam. "The teams from IOB have provided us with insightful actionable suggestions that we can implement to make the site more user-friendly for our job seekers and streamline the registration process. We are also proud to be able to provide these students the opportunity to build their own design portfolios and help showcase the importance of neurodiverse creativity."
SourceAbled facilitates the coordination and management of diverse hiring programs, with a consultative approach, including training, and brings them to life through digitizing the experience of attracting, onboarding, supporting and retaining qualified employees with autism and disabilities. The program uses an end-to-end, tech-enable hiring program to build a connected inclusive community in the workplace for neurodivergent talent. It is designed to attract and place qualified job seekers as businesses look to establish, build, and maintain their disability inclusion practices and establish and nurture a culture of inclusion.
"I am so proud of Rangam and our partnership with IOB and the Academy. Partnering with IOB has been a goal of ours, and I am super excited we are able to provide opportunities and gain insight from such bright and creative talent," said Tracey Andrus, EVP Strategy and Partnerships.
"We'd like to thank the Rangam team for giving our students this opportunity. These partnerships help spark an interest in many of our students and help them understand who they are, what they're good at, and how they could use those skills in their lives moving forward," said Amy Mason, Direct of Integrated Learning at Islands of Brilliance. "The SourceAbled project in particular let them research and analyze a site that's built for them and gave them the opportunity to reimagine it's functionality to work better for other neurodiverse people. Neurodiverse people think different. They have completely original ideas, and we're glad companies like Rangam recognize they are huge assets to their workforce."
Islands of Brilliance provides ongoing project-based experiential learning workshops for youth and young adults on the autism spectrum using a person-centered approach that allows individual interests and capabilities to flourish. These workshops—rooted in art, design and STEM-based curriculum—target critical social/emotional and vocational skill-based learning, helping students elevate their perception of self, and increasing the likelihood for independence and employment as an adult. The organization's Digital Academy utilizes evidence-based practices in the areas of learning, social emotional learning, and transition to equip candidates with the skills necessary to access post-secondary education and/or employment in design and tech-related fields.
"We are thankful for the Islands of Brilliance team's expert input and advice," said Hetal Parikh, President of Rangam. "Their feedback is invaluable as we look to make user-friendly changes to our SourceAbled platform. And we're thrilled that Rangam has been able to give them to opportunity to improve their skills and become UX design professionals themselves."
For more information about SourceAbled, visit www.sourceabled.com. To learn more about Islands of Brilliance, visit www.islandsofbrilliance.org.
About Rangam
Established in 1995, Rangam is a high-performing diverse supplier of enterprise-wide staffing services in IT, Clinical, Scientific, Healthcare, Engineering, Government, Finance, and Administrative sectors. Rangam is a certified WMBE that has consistently grown year over year while establishing a history of providing exceptional service to clients. We pride ourselves on developing a culture of inclusion and collaboration through innovation in special education, disability hiring, and reemployment of veterans. Visit https://rangam.com for more information.
About SourceAbled
SourceAbled uses a consultative approach of best practices, effective training, and an end-to-end, tech-enabled hiring platform, powered by Rangam, to attract, hire, onboard, support and retain neurodivergent talent. As businesses look to provide a culture of inclusion and a community of acceptance, SourceAbled is a trusted guide through the design, implementation, and sustainability of their disability inclusion practices. Working together in that effort, businesses create an environment where high quality neurodivergent talent are well supported, and all employees are valued and comfortable bringing their authentic self to work. For more information about SourceAbled, visit www.sourceabled.com.
About Islands of Brilliance
Islands of Brilliance (IOB) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides ongoing project-based experiential learning workshops for youth and young adults on the autism spectrum using a person-centered approach that allows individual interests and capabilities to flourish. These workshops—rooted in art, design and STEM-based curriculum—target critical social/emotional and vocational skill-based learning, helping students elevate their perception of self, and increasing the likelihood for independence and employment as an adult. Our unique 1:1 mentorship model and community and corporate-based partnerships allow us to deliver on our mission of promoting broader community views of those on the autism spectrum from people with disabilities to people with capabilities.
Media Contact:
Tracey Benjamini
R&J Strategic Communication
908-963-7770
tracey@rangam.com
