MARCH 18, 2015
WHAT'S NEW
EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT
Viscardi Center CEO Shares Strategies for Making the
Corporate Ladder More Accessible
In a recent Disability.gov guest blog post, John Kemp, President and CEO
of the The Viscardi Center, posed the question of why, 25 years after the
passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are not more people
with disabilities in C-suite positions and shared resources employers can
use to help more climb the corporate ladder, or “ramp.” “There is more
untapped, educated talent out there than ever before. Embrace it,” Kemp
said.
Read the blog post.
New Disability Awareness Employee Education Materials
Available
The Campaign for Disability Employment recently released a new suite of
materials that employers can use to express a commitment to disability
inclusion. The materials, which include a discussion guide and posters, all
center around the “Who I Am” public service announcement, which features
nine diverse people with disabilities, among them actor RJ Mitte, best
known for his roles in the hit television series “Breaking Bad” and “Switched
at Birth.”
Download or order “Who I Am” materials.
Monthly Report Shows Positive Trajectory in Employment
of People with Disabilities
Starbucks
Through a partnership with the
Starbucks Inclusion Academy,
Starbucks has launched an on-thejob training program for people with
cognitive and physical disabilities at
its Carson Valley Roasting Plant
and Distribution Center in Nevada.
"The program has opened a lot of
eyes,” said Todd McCullough,
senior operations manager at the
facility. “Supervisors and partners
look past disabilities and realize we
all have different abilities in the
workplace."
Read about the Starbucks Inclusion
Academy.
ASKEARN.ORG SPOTLIGHT
The March National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) report
showed that, as the overall economy grew for the fifth consecutive month,
so did the number of Americans with disabilities contributing to it. Issued
since March 2013, the monthly nTIDE report is coordinated by the Kessler
Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability
and based on the monthly Bureau of Labor Statistics’ jobs report.
Learn more about the March nTIDE report.
Conference Highlights Accessible Workplace Technology
Small Business Disability
Inclusion Fact Sheet
Earlier this month, thousands of employers, technology providers and
When it comes to ensuring a
people with disabilities converged at the International Technology and
Persons with Disabilities Conference sponsored annually by California
State University, Northridge—the nation’s premier event focused on
accessible technology. This year’s conference featured an Employment
disability-inclusive workplace, not
all businesses, especially small
businesses, may know where to
start. Reading EARN’s Small
Business Disability Inclusion Fact
Sheet is a great first step. It
and Workplace track as well as an exhibit hall brimming with innovative
products for use at both work and play.
in not only finding qualified people
with disabilities but also ensuring
their success once on board. It
also provides information about
Learn more about the conference.
Brain Injury Awareness Month
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and an opportune time to learn
about workplace accommodation ideas for employees who may have brain
injuries, including veterans who may have traumatic brain injuries sustained
in combat. The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) offers a wealth of
information on the topic. Like the Employer TA Center, JAN is funded by
the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.
Learn more about workplace accommodations for people with brain
injuries.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Employment After Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
MARCH 25, 3:00 – 4:20 PM EST
WEBCAST
Hosted by the Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and
Rehabilitation Research and the American Institutes for Research, this
webcast will explore research and policy related to return to work following
TBI. Speakers include Dr. Jeffrey S. Kreutzer from Virginia Commonwealth
University, Medical College of Virginia; Alyssa Bonser, a Vocational
Rehabilitation Specialist in Maryland; and Maria Crowley, State Head Injury
Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services.
Register for the webcast.
Cultivating Talent for Tomorrow: The Value of Interns with
Disabilities!
MARCH 26, 2:00 – 3:30 PM EST
WEBINAR
Internships offer an easy and effective way to evaluate potential employees
and cultivate a pipeline of talent for the future. Moreover, by targeting
specific populations—such as people with disabilities—they can advance
workforce diversity goals, including those related to Section 503 of the
Rehabilitation Act. This Employer TA Center webinar will address these
benefits and how employers can use the Workforce Recruitment Program
to source qualified interns with disabilities.
Register for the webinar.
Accommodating Employees with Mental Health Disabilities
in Higher Education
APRIL 23, 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
outlines a range of free resources
available to assist small businesses
WEBINAR
This webinar will address accommodations for employees with mental
health disabilities in the higher education setting. It is being coordinated by
the Employer TA Center in collaboration with the Higher Education
Recruitment Consortium as part of its alliance with the U.S. Department of
various tax incentives for which
businesses that hire people with
disabilities may be eligible.
Read the publication.
Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. Speakers include John
Kemp, Esq., President and CEO of The Viscardi Center, and Dr. Beth Loy,
Principal Consultant at the Job Accommodation Network.
Register for the webinar.
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and advance qualified
employees with disabilities. It is a service of the National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the
Employment of People with Disabilities (Employer TA Center), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability
Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center. For more information, visit AskEARN.org
Preparation of this material was funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Grant No. [OD-26451-1475-4-36]. This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of
Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.