Stand Among Friends is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to helping people with disabilities live life without limits.
Stand Among Friends was formed in 1997 to build awareness, educate the community and provide resources for individuals with disabilities. In 2006, we formed a partnership with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and opened The Center for the Study of Neurological Disabilities (The Disability Center) on the Boca Raton campus. Initially, the Disability Center housed a computer lab of Assistive Technology for people with all types of disabilities to utilize computers and learn new software applications. In 2008 we expanded our services and launched our Employment Program which evolved into a diverse portfolio of programs to assist people with disabilities find and maintain employment commensurate with their education and skill levels.
While many of our programs and services transitioned to FAUs Student Accessibility Services program and COVID caused us to limit many of our other local programs and services, we continue to provide vocational evaluations for people with disabilities (teenagers transitioning from high school, college students matriculating into the workforce, and adults seeking new employment) through the State of Florida Vocational Rehabilitation program. Our vocational evaluations (comprehensive and situational worksite evaluations) are conducted by licensed evaluators and performed to determine skills, interests, and aptitudes of individuals with disabilities and recommend career matches.
Since 2008, SAF has placed over 500 individuals in employment and over 1,200 people have sought services; over 50% of clients serviced have college degrees.
