Disability Business News
You Need to Know
December 2020
|
|
It’s Been a Year!
None of us could have imagined a global pandemic that would affect all of us personally and professionally. Layered on that, social unrest that is causing us to reflect on our own behavior and bias, and a country divided politically. We’ve seen and experienced tragedy, fear, stress, and uncertainty at unprecedented levels. However, through this, we’ve also witnessed opportunity, resilience and innovation. We are learning to leverage technology to drive our messaging virtually, we are learning how to work remotely, and we are interacting with our work colleagues and family members in new ways. Our resolve remains the same – to continue to work with the business community to educate, leverage best practices, and remove attitudinal and organizational barriers to ensure the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of society.
--Sophie Howard, Chair DI DC Metro
|
|
International Day of People with Disabilities
December 3, 2020
The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3. The observance of the Day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
The main programme of the observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at the UN Headquarters in New York will include the Opening, panel discussions and cultural events. Member States, civil society organizations and the private sector are welcome to organize their own events to celebrate the International Day to raise awareness and promote the rights and perspectives of persons with disabilities around the world.
|
|
Plan to Hire 2021 Interns
Informational Webinar
December 14,15 or 16
2020
Dear Friends,
As you know, Disability:IN DC Metro has enjoyed a long and collaborative relationship with Carolyn Jeppsen and her team at BroadFutures.
Carolyn and I recently discussed how best to support their 2021 internship program that serves young people with learning and related disabilities.
We will hold three informational meetings for employers. You are encouraged to invite others in your teams who are involved in your internship/summer hiring functions. Please invite others you may know who are not yet engaged with our chapter. The meetings are open to all employers- board, general members and non-members.
Some of the interns are already in the pipeline, others are sourced based on employer needs. In these zoom meetings, BF will be discussing how they source for talent, the skill sets of their interns, as well as their support model that ensures mutual success for the employers and the interns.
We have scheduled the following dates, time for these one-hour sessions. Please let me know if you require an accommodation to attend.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/broadfutures-2021-internships-tickets-130822749365
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/broadfutures-2021-internships-tickets-130823262901
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/broadfutures-2021-internships-tickets-130823485567
Use Eventbrite to confirm your attendance, a zoom link will be sent to you directly
Questions for Carolyn?
Carolyn K. Jeppsen
she/her/hers
CEO/President/Co-Founder
2013 H Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
|
|
|
|
Join us for our 4th Quarter
"In This Together" Campaign
Please Donate!
Shop Amazon Smile!
In these ongoing unprecedented times, non-profits face the situation of limited funding. The DC Metro Chapter is no different. As we continue to provide education and resources with the newsletters and free virtual programming, your support is needed now more than ever. Please consider a donation to support our mission in support of our monthly efforts! As most of us are shopping virtually these, days, please shop on Amazon Smile!
|
|
Our Mission
“Building the Business Network for Disability Inclusion.”
Our Vision
“Cultivate workforces and workplaces where talent with disabilities are recruited, included, promoted, retained and valued as both internal talent and innovative vendors.”
|
|
2021 DC Metro Webinar Schedule |
|
We will be posting our first quarter 2021 Webinar Schedule in the January newsletter.
As we do each year, we are looking for host companies and suggested topics.
Please email Katherine to discuss becoming a webinar host!
|
|
IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE PAST DC METRO SESSIONS
Our YouTube Channel will have these available by mid-December 2020
Thanks to our hosts, presenters and attendees!
"Annual Veteran Symposium: Apprenticeships"
"Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Your Employees"
"Focus on Disability:
What All Employers Can Learn From OFCCP’s Section 503"
|
|
WELCOME NEW COMMUNITY PROVIDER MEMBERS!
Check out their resources and services-
Is your 2020 budget looking for ways to be utilized?
Renew Early!
Support Our Mission through your Membership
Be Recognized for your Leadership Brand
Annual Membership
Corporate - $2,000
Gold - $3,000
Diamond - $5,000
Platinum - $10,000
Non-Profit - $750
Small Business - $800
Government - $2,300
Individual - $200
Introductory Corporate Friends - $600
|
|
|
|
The Hon. Katherine McCary, CEO |
|
Board Members:
- John Annand, Marriott International
-
Jennifer Bassett, Secretary, JBG SMITH Companies
-
Michelle Crabtree, Hyatt
- Ellen de Bremond, Treasurer
-
Anjali Desai-Margolin, Gallaudet University
-
Tom Downs, Gartner
- Dan Ellerman
-
Andrea Hall, Past Chair, General Dynamics Mission Systems
-
Sophie Howard, Chair, General Dynamics IT
-
Eduardo Meza-Etienne, eSSENTIAL Accessibility
-
Chrisonna Palmer, Vice Chair, EY
-
Carrie Schroeder, PwC
-
Jamel Walker, Northrop Grumman
-
Ryan Walters, Deloitte
-
Myra Wilder, BAE Systems
Advisory Board Members:
-
Orly Barbosa, Sandy Spring Bank
-
Meghan Cadigan, KPMG
- Crosby Cromwell
-
Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC
-
Rikki Epstein, The Arc of Northern VA
-
Sylvia Henri-Wonasue, Lockheed Martin
-
Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
-
Bryan Moseley, TCS Associates
-
Cynthia Richardson-Crooks, DC BLN Founding Chair
-
Rick Rodgers, The Resource Network
-
Kia Silver-Hodge, C5 Consulting, LLC
-
Bob Vetere, C5 Consulting, LLC
-
Sue Werber, C5 Consulting, LLC
|
|
Get Involved with our "Sister Organization"
in the Greater Richmond Area
Virginia Ability is a business-to-business association focused on building inclusive communities and cultures through disability diversity in the workplace
We provide straightforward solutions to help businesses build distinctively inclusive cultures that are accessible for all employees.
Together we have the Ability to make the workplace work for everyone.
|
|
COVID-19 Resources
NOW ON OUR WEBSITE!
As the leading regional business on disability inclusion, it seems critical to provide our employers with important information on COVID 19. Check out the listings on our website. Contact us if you have others to add!
|
|
IN THE NEWS - Articles of Interest |
|
Stuck at home this holiday season? Looking for a way to keep your child entertained? Melwood has the perfect solution for you!
“Miracle on 23rd St. in a Box” brings the family fun and activities of our annual Miracle on 23rd St. event to your home.
“Miracle on 23rd St. in a box” contains all the supplies your child will need to make their own reindeer food, create their own holiday wreath, and decorate festive cookies! And to make these activities even more festive, your child can follow along with some special holiday guests as they walk thru each activity on Melwood’s Facebook page.
Each box is $10 and we recommend one box per child. The purchase of each box will go towards funding Melwood’s mission to advocate for and empower individuals of differing abilities to transform their own lives through unique opportunities to work and play in the community.
“Miracle on 23rd St. in a Box” can be purchased HERE! We only have a limited number of boxes, so don’t wait to get yours!
Pick up times are:
Wednesday, December 2nd from 10am - 1pm and 3pm - 6pm
Friday, December 4th from 10am - 1pm
|
|
NOD Corporate Leadership Council Members Significantly Outpace Peers
in Disability Self-ID Rates
Results from the NOD’s benchmarking assessment, the 2020 Disability Employment Tracker, show Council members routinely scoring high marks in all six inclusion categories, including climate & culture, talent sourcing, people practices, workplace & technology and veterans employment. In addition, Council members are showing they improved self-ID rates by 21% since 2018 versus compared to non-Council members who showed an increase of just 0.26% in the same period. Overall, members of NOD’s Corporate Leadership Council have 6% higher self-ID rates than their peers who are not members.
|
|
OP Ed
Tom Ridge, NOD Chairman
The unexpected shift to the remote workplace and classroom brought on by COVID-19 has left many families across the country with inequitable access to devices and technology infrastructure, a problem known as the digital divide. For students with disabilities, the digital divide is not only an issue of access to broadband and technological devices, but also about ensuring that the technology is inclusive for their needs.
NOD is a disabled woman-led organization whose staff and board include corporate executives, HR professionals, technologists, thought leaders, and advocates. The Chairman of the board is former Pennsylvania Governor and America’s first Secretary of Homeland Security, Tom Ridge.
|
|
Accessible Meeting Platforms
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology released "4 Elements of an Accessible Meeting Platform."
This resource helps employers evaluate the accessibility of the platforms they use to host virtual meetings and events. It includes information on assessing a platform's usability with assistive technology, the quality of captioning, and how to be an inclusive meeting host and presenter.
|
|
JAN Low Cost High Impact Annual Report
Even in uncertain times, there’s one business cost holding steady—the typically low cost of providing workplace accommodations.
Accommodations are modifications or adjustments to a job or work environment that enable a qualified person with a disability to apply for or perform a job. Although employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, many employers prefer to think of them simply as “productivity enhancements” since they help employees work to their fullest potential. The Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) ongoing study on the topic underscores the high return on investment for these valuable workplace tools.
The JAN survey is called Accommodations and Compliance: Low Cost, High Impact, and since it began in 2004, it has consistently shown that the benefits employers receive from making workplace accommodations far outweigh the cost, which is typically low. This year’s results again indicate that most (56%) of accommodations for employees with disabilities cost nothing to implement, while the rest have a median cost of $500.
Other highlights from the latest survey include the following:
Employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees. Eighty-two percent of respondents were seeking accommodation information and solutions to retain or promote a current employee.
Employers report accommodations are effective. The majority of respondents (75%) said that the accommodations they implemented were either very effective or extremely effective.
Employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations. The most frequently mentioned direct benefits were allowing the company to retain a valued employee, increasing the employee’s productivity, and eliminating training a new employee. The most widely mentioned indirect benefits employers received were improved interactions with co-workers and increased overall company morale and productivity.
Employers find JAN helpful during the accommodation process. Ninety-eight percent reported that JAN understood their needs, 94% stated the information JAN sent them met their needs, and 100% of employers said they would use JAN again.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, JAN is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. JAN provides assistance via phone at 1-800-526-7234 (voice) or 1-877-781-9403 (TTY) or online at AskJAN.org.
|
|
Events In The DC Metro Area and Beyond |
|
THIS EVENT
IS TODAY! DEC 2
Wednesday, December 2nd at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET, the World Institute on Disability is collaborating with the San Francisco Tech Council to present a 60-minute webinar entitled TECH ACCELERATES DISABILITY RESOURCES IN DISASTERS. The webinar will include the Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration (GADRA) Founders Circle members, and introduced by Nicole Bohn, Director of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office on Disability.
Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration is more than an Alliance - it is a social justice movement to remedy the systemic exclusion of people with disabilities during disasters like pandemics and earthquakes and extreme climate crises like wild fires, hurricanes and typhoons. Traditional humanitarian efforts fail to include local disability led organizations, so GADRA members have joined forces to accelerate and match corporate and foundation resources to meet the greatest disability need in the United States and around the world on a “glocal” level.
Technology, including assistive technology and effective communication access is a critical aspect of GADRA and all successful disability inclusion efforts. True Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) must include disability — and that can only be achieved with accessibility, including technology access. Hope you will join us for this important panel on the eve of the annual UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities. ASL sign language interpreters and open captioning will be provided upon request.
Graphic Description:
Under the SF Tech Council logo (purple, yellow and blue intersecting circles) and Global Alliance for Disaster Resource Acceleration (GADRA) logo (six colorful arrows pointing upward for the shape of a sphere) the word WEBINAR appears above the words “Tech Accelerates Disability Resources in Disasters. December 2 at 4:00 pm Pacific Time. Next to that two rows of headsets and logos indicate the panel. Top row - Tinamarie Duff and Letitia Ferri/Bristol Myers Squibb; KP Naidu/Benetech; Bottom row - Marcie Roth/WID; Susan Mazrui/AT&T; Shaylin Sluzalis & Germán Parodi/The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies. https://bit.ly/AccelerateDisabilityResources
|
|
Webinar: Hiring Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Employees
Thursday, December 3, 2020
1pm-2pm EST
Join the NTID Center on Employment with CSD Works, Gallaudet University, and the National Association for the Deaf to learn more about hiring deaf and hard-of-hearing employees—now and in the future.
Moderated by Kristy Ramos of CSD Works, our panel of experts will share their experiences of hiring and onboarding deaf and hard-of-hearing employees during these unusual times. Employers are welcome to join us to learn about inclusive and accessible hiring practices that can be used now and going forward.
Panelists:
Samantha Moreno
Recruiter at HEB's Disability Bridges
Regina Kiperman-Kiselgof
Assistant Director at NTID’s Center on Employment
Anjali Desai-Margolin
Career Center Consultant at Gallaudet University
(DC Metro Board Member)
Angel Enriquez
Senior Manager at Amazon's
Global Diversity Equity and Inclusion Organization
Real-time captioning and sign language services will be provided.
|
|
(Please note the above link is to the registration page.
Please select the event and register.)
A new year, a new Congress and a new presidential administration are almost upon us. What does this mean for the disability community? For competitive integrated employment? As many of us celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, there is a strong feeling of needing to accomplish much more within the disability community – especially with regard to competitive integrated employment.
The National Council on Disability (NCD) released two significant reports impacting the disability community this year. The first, 2020 Progress Report on National Disability Policy published in July, acknowledged the achievements of the ADA over the past three decades but focused attention on the persistent barriers that must be addressed in order to ensure the economic inclusion of people with disabilities into mainstream society in the future. The second report published in October, Policies from the Past in a Modern Era: The Unintended Consequences of the AbilityOne Program & Section 14(c), is a comprehensive review of the AbilityOne Program and ultimately calls for Congress to phase out the program.
The discussion will focus on the findings and recommendations of the two reports. This free event is part of the 2020 Neurodiverse Employment Summit as part of our larger, virtual conference series, the 2020 Neurodiverse Employment Conference: Breaking Workforce Barriers, which has two areas of focus:
3rd Annual JWOD Legal & Policy Symposium which addresses the AbilityOne contracting world, and
2020 Neurodiverse Employment Summit which covers employment in all sectors—public, private and AbilityOne.
Thanks to the generosity of our Title Sponsor, Truist, and other sponsors, ASL and CART accommodations will be provided. SHRM credits are available.
|
|
Friday, December 4, 2020
1:00 - 2:00 PM EST
Please join us for the NDMC networking meeting! You'll meet Kristin the new NDMC Manager, have time to share, learn about member benefits and hear exciting updates on our national inclusive mentoring initiative. We hope to see you there!
To join this meeting by phone, dial:
1-863-208-0022
Then enter 175 598 031 as the conference pin number.
CART will be provided during this event. Please RSVP to Kristin, khumphrey@pyd.org and please note if you require additional accomodations.
|
|
TREE LIGHTING
December 4, 2020
6:45 p.m.
We hope you’ll virtually join Melwood as we light our historic Christmas tree! At 6:45pm on Friday, December 4, Melwood will end our Miracle on 23rd St. event with the traditional tree lighting.
In compliance with Arlington County COVID-19 guidelines, Melwood is actively discouraging our neighbors from gathering near the campus for the tree lighting. We look forward to next year when we will be able to come together to continue this holiday tradition. However, we do hope you’ll join us virtually for this event!
|
|
Accommodations for Teleworkers
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
2:00-3:00 PM EST
The Job Accommodation Network will host a webinar on accommodations for teleworkers on December 8 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET. The webinar will discuss the principles of universal design and practical strategies to make work areas more productive and safer. Topics include environmental aspects, controls and tools, workstations, and computers.
·
|
|
Friday, December 9, 2020
12:00pm - 1:00 pm
Please register by Dec 7.
Please join the National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) and Disability:IN for a webinar on Disability:IN’s NextGen Initiatives.
This webinar will feature an overview of the NextGen Initiatives, the value it offers employers and an interactive panel discussion with current Disability:IN Corporate Partners who are actively participating in this program. The panelists will share insights into the NextGen Initiatives Mentoring Program, how they have utilized the NextGen talent pool to recruit student and early career talent with disabilities, and the engagement opportunities they have participated in the network with the program’s NextGen Leaders.
Learning Objectives:
- To gain an understanding of the NextGen Initiatives and its value to employers.
- Learn how to pay it forward by mentoring a NextGen Leader through Disability:IN’s NextGen Initiatives.
- Explore opportunities to engage with NextGen Leaders through Disability:IN’s NextGen networking and recruiting events.
Sponsored by:
|
|
Best Practices for Inclusive Hiring
Dec 9, 2020 2:00 PM EST
Inclusive hiring can provide you with the opportunity to make fewer mistakes or mis-hires and will provide you with the opportunity to focus more on the qualified candidates.
Join Roselle Rogers, Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Circa and Alison Akant, Founder and Director of Content at DiversityEdu as they focus on the best practices for inclusive hiring. Roselle and Alison will focus on biases and myths in decision making and guidelines to help create a more inclusive hiring process.
Discussion Topics:
- Recognize unconscious bias
- Underlying myths about diverse hires including Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities
- Staying compliant in the hiring process
- The ground rules of inclusive hiring
- Guidelines for recruitment and hiring
|
|
Roselle Rogers
Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Circa
es to supporting resources.
|
|
Alison Akant
Founder and Director of Content at DiversityEdu
|
|
Harkin International Disability Employment Summit
Thursday, December 10, 2020
10:00 AM – 4:30 PM EST
The 2020 Harkin Summit will explore the value of disability inclusion, particularly for businesses and employers. The challenges and opportunities before us today are clear. We must immediately build back the jobs that were lost or put at risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we look to the future, we must permanently fix the system so that disability inclusion moves from an aspirational goal to one that is an accepted and valued component of the business strategy.
This year, The Harkin Institute is proud to partner in offering this Summit with Caroline Casey and her organization, The Valuable 500, a business-to-business initiative catalyzing the influence of large private sector corporations in national and international markets.
The 2020 Harkin Summit is free and open to the public and will take place entirely online.
“The unemployment rate among adult Americans with disabilities who want to work and can work is over 60 percent. That is a blot on our national character.” – Senator Tom Harkin in his farewell speech to the U.S. Senate.
|
|
Caroline Casey
Founder #valuable & The Valuable 500
|
|
|
Tuesday-Friday February 9-12, 2021
12:00 pm - 1:15 pm (Eastern)
We hope you will join us for our four-part virtual release of the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium on February 9-12, 2021, 12:00-1:15 pm. During this webinar series, experts will present three web-based tools (Compendium, Supplement, and State Report) that make finding and using disability statistics easier for individuals working on legislative and other matters relating to persons with disabilities.
Agenda
Day 1 – Release of the Annual Report, Compendium and State Reports
Day 2 – Updates on Federal Data Collection Efforts
Day 3 – Implications of COVID-19 for the Population with Disabilities
Day 4 – Intersectionality – Disability and Black/African Americans
(subject to change)
|
|
Disability:IN Annual Conference & Engagement Expo 2021
JULY 12 - JULY 15, 2021
Las Vegas
|
|
NILG 2021 National Conference!
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
|
|
Our focus is on Culture Change!
Our organization, formerly the DC Metro Business Leadership Network, is the largest regional member network of a variety of industry employers advocating for inclusion of individuals with disabilities in today's workforce, marketplace and supply chain. A non-profit business-led network established in 2006, our purpose is to bring the business community together in a dialog through education, training and resources with a focus on removing attitudinal and organizational barriers by exchanging best practices to ensure that the inclusion of individuals with disabilities as smart business.
Our Members and Guests have access to resources, programs and partners to strengthen the disability inclusion efforts and outcomes.
- Thought leadership
- Business to business networking
- Introductions to community partners
- Access to talent
- Hot topic programming led by Subject Matter Experts
- Webinars
Join our
Follow us on
Our Staff
The Hon. Katherine McCary, President, C5 Consulting, LLC serves as CEO and Executive Director. Katherine served as founding chair of the USBLN (now Disability:IN) for nine years, the founding chair of the VA BLN (Now Virginia Ability) for 13 years and has launched more than 11 chapters. She received the USBLN Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009. She recently joined GRACE Global Response and Collaborative Environment as Director of Inclusion.
C5 is a global disability inclusion strategy consultancy comprised exclusively of private sector disability leaders, experienced disability from a variety of areas; as individuals, as caregivers, and as parents of individuals with disabilities. With more than 50 years combined expertise and a deep knowledge of culture change developed through customized business strategies. C5 is the pioneer of disability inclusion "for business by business" with just in time training Disability Inclusion IQ designed for enterprise wide learning.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
