Spotlight on Success: Yoonis Warsame

Yoonis Warsame is from Somalia. He became partially deaf when he was a child and his deafness worsened at age 15. From the age of seven, Warsame was raised by his grandmother as his birth parents - who had no jobs and no money - left Somalia in order to make a better life. Warsame didn't see his birth parents again for nine years.

In Africa, Warsame was never taught sign language, and when he tried to go to school the teachers didn't want him in their class because he was deaf. 

Other students teased him; he got into fights and was kicked out of school. His grandmother wanted to take him to America where she knew deaf people are taught to sign, even though she never learned to sign herself. 

Warsame used spoken language to communicate with her. At age 16, Warsame came to the United States. In 2001, he went to Chicago where his father was living and working as a taxi driver.

That same year, Warsame moved to his mother's home in Burnsville, Minnesota and for one year attended school at the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf. The next year he switched to Lakeville High School which has classes for deaf students.

Warsame didn't have any formal education until he came to America. A teacher at Lakeville High School felt Warsame could benefit from some job experience, and contacted staff from the Minnesota Employment Center (MEC) who helped him get a job at McDonalds, where he worked for almost three years.

Seeking better pay, Warsame reconnected with staff from MEC, and through them he found a job opportunity through the Deaf2Work program at Home Depot.

Based on a model program from Georgia, the Deaf2Work program facilitates the adaptation of hiring procedures to enable people who are deaf or hard of hearing to apply for jobs at Home Depot.

Warsame took the test for Home Depot and passed it. He was hired and began training there, which included computer training, with the help of an interpreter, and using a simulator to learn how to operate a cash register and scanner.

"Life is good. I have friends, I like working here. The manager and employees are wonderful; they have work incentives for good performance," reports Warsame.

At first his co-workers were curious about working with a person with a disability. With help from the Deaf2Work staff, who did some training with the Home Depot staff, things turned around. Now his co-workers use gestures and write notes to communicate, and he feels his deafness isn't an issue anymore. Warsame has improved his communication skills by learning to memorize key words that come up in transactions, and through experience, he has learned to anticipate customer's needs.

Warsame plans to continue to work at Home Depot and at some point go to school to learn auto repair. He would also like to learn about welding, but before he moves on to any further education he needs to work on his English and math skills. Warsame is interested in working in other departments at Home Depot. He would like to take the test for millwork, but there's a lot to learn before he can move forward.

When asked what advice he would give other people with disabilities who are looking for work, Warsame says, "I would tell them to visit a Rehabilitation Services office and be hooked up with MEC."