My Story: Steven Ikehara

I worked in the printing industry for 19 years and then I had a stroke. My doctors told me they did not believe I would be able to work again. The transition was tough, but I was determined to be a part of the work force again.

I had to look for an alternative career and thought, what company would want to hire someone with disabilities? But Goodwill was there. I was hired by Goodwill Industries of Hawaii (Honolulu) in 2010 and became part of their AbilityOne Program contract with Army Hawaii Soldier Housing as a general clerk. Since then, I’ve accepted a role with Goodwill’s new AbilityOne contract, working at the Corrosion Repair Facility on the Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii, a first of its kind AbilityOne contract.

After my stroke I lost a lot of confidence because you lose the ability to do a lot of things you were able to do before.  Everyone at Goodwill has been so nice and they appreciate the work you do. Working at Goodwill has also been good for my recovery. I have improved my physical abilities like walking and using my right hand. I hope to continue my recover and look forward to one day being able to work without my disability being a factor.