DISABILITY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW
CELEBRATING THE ADA
MID JULY 2022
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Listen in as one of our DC Metro Board Members engages one on one with one of the top disability leaders! |
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TODAY
Noon to 1 PM
FREE
July 19, 2022
Featuring
Carol Glazer, NOD and Meghan Cadigan, KPMG
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Janet Fiore, The SIERRA Group |
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Eduardo Meza-Etienne, eSSENTIAL Accessibility |
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Check out the Lineup of Speakers at our July 28th
Deloitte event below!
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The Future of Work:
Returning to The Office Post COVID
Professional Development
Event
JULY 28 3:30-5:30 PM
HYBRID
This summer Deloitte’s People with Disabilities and Allies (PwD&A) Community will co host an event with Disability:IN DC Metro. The event will be focused on corporate strategy for return to office post-COVID and considerations for people with disabilities.
It will be a hybrid event with an in-person footprint in Deloitte’s Rosslyn, Virginia office and an online footprint through Zoom.
Address: 1919 N Lynn St Suite 1500, Arlington, VA 22209
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White House Hosts Disabled Stakeholder Calls
In celebration of Disability Pride Month, the White House Office of Public Engagement will host Disabled Stakeholder Calls every Thursday in July at 2pm ET.
This call provides an opportunity for all to hear directly from Administration officials on initiatives and announcements that directly impact Americans with disabilities. ASL and CART will be provided.
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Professional Development Course: Disability 101 |
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Looking for a cost-effective professional development course for your entire workforce?
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Wealth of Webinars
Check out our 2022 offerings by signing up at
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Disability Pride: Celebrating 32 Years of the ADA
Thursday, July 28, 2022
Time: 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. ET
Please join us for a virtual U.S. Department of Labor celebration of Disability Pride Month and the 32nd anniversary of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Featuring Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams and other department leaders, the event will explore the Department of Labor’s efforts to deliver on the promise of the ADA through policies and programs for workers and job seekers with disabilities.
Date: Thursday, July 28, 2022
Time: 10:00 – 10:45 a.m. ET
Location: Streaming online (CART captioning and ASL interpreter will be available)
A link to the live stream will be provided one day prior to the event. If you have questions or need to request an accommodation, please contact ODEP-Event@dol.gov.
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IN THE NEWS - ARTICLES OF INTEREST |
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Why inclusive marketing means accessible marketing
KR Liu, Head of Brand Accessibility
Google
June 2022
The disability community continues to be underrepresented and undervalued in advertising. Here, KR Liu, Google’s head of brand accessibility, shares her personal story and why accessible marketing is critical for every brand.
I am female, queer, and disabled. For much of my life, these parts of my identity were rarely, if ever, authentically represented in media and advertising. This made me feel different, unvalued, and alone. As a result, I spent more than a decade hiding who I was in my personal life and at work.
Then, a few years ago, I began to recognize that each part of my identity was essential and that no one part could exist without the other. It was the first time I felt as though people cared about all of me, rather than only my disability. That feeling was transformative.
Sadly, many others can relate to my experience of not feeling fully seen and represented in society, or in brand advertising. Great ads should reflect everyone, including the 1 billion people worldwide who identify as disabled and control 8 trillion dollars in spending. They should also acknowledge intersectionality, because like me, every disabled person has many dimensions to their identity that make them, them.
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In First, Feds Issue ‘Bill Of Rights’ For Airline Passengers With Disabilities
The Biden administration is introducing a first-ever “bill of rights” aimed at helping ensure people with disabilities have a smoother experience when flying.
The 16-page document issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation this month is described as an “easy-to-use summary of the fundamental rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act.”
It is designed to “empower air travelers with disabilities to understand and assert their rights, and help ensure that U.S. and foreign air carriers and their contractors uphold those rights,” the Transportation Department said.
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Airport Adds Mock Aircraft To Aid Passengers With Disabilities
by Janet Moore, Star Tribune/TNS | June 22, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS
Now boarding at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport’s main terminal: a commercial “aircraft cabin” where passengers can practice putting luggage in overhead bins and inserting the buckle and pulling the strap tight.
The mock aircraft, now permanently stationed near Gate C16 in Terminal 1, will host airport and public safety training exercises, and support MSP programs that help passengers, including those with disabilities, feel more comfortable flying.
“Individuals can learn about the aircraft without the stress of the moment,” said Thomas Panek, CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a New York-based nonprofit organization that trains guide dogs. “We travel for fun and excitement, and to connect with loved ones, but you can feel anxious when you hear the final boarding call.”
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Registration NOW OPEN
Mid-Atlantic ADA Conference 2022
Tuesday, October 11, Wednesday, October 12, and Thursday, October 13, 2022
The 29th Annual Mid-Atlantic ADA Conference (ADAcon), is a comprehensive conference on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Multiple sessions cover a variety of disability topics, including the intersectionality between disability and other marginalized identities, see below!
Save $50 during early bird registration!
Conference registration fee is $600 through August 8.
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Preview: Disability Through an Intersectional Lens
Every person with a disability has other identities, too. Intersections of disability with other marginalized identities create unique experiences that influence a person’s daily life.
This interactive session with LaWanda Cook, PhD, CRC, Senior Extension Associate with Cornell University’s Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, will introduce the concept of intersectionality, describe the difference between disability rights and disability justice, and demonstrate ways to design services and resources that acknowledge the lived experiences of diverse stakeholders. LaWanda is also part of the Northeast ADA Center.
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Pre-Conference: Tuesday, October 11!
Find Your Fun!
Join us for the full-day pre-conference on Tuesday, October 11 focused on inclusive access to recreation. This unique event will be held at The St. James Sports, Wellness, and Entertainment Complex in Springfield, Virginia. Experts in the field and members of the disability community will spotlight the ADA, accessible design, and adaptive sport as a means to achieve active, healthy living!
Pre-Conference registration is limited!
The fee to attend is $100.
You can register for the pre-conference only, the pre-conference and the main conference or just the main conference.
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Conference Host Hotel
Located at 5000 Seminary Rd. in Alexandria, Virginia, the Hilton Alexandria Mark Center is convenient to Old Town Alexandria and Reagan National Airport. It's under10 miles from the National Mall, Arlington Cemetery, and other points of interest in the Washington, DC area.
The Group Room Rate for the conference is $185.00 per night plus tax.
Call the hotel directly to reserve a room in the conference room block at 703-845-1010 or 800-774-1500. Mention that you are attending the TransCen Mid-Atlantic ADA Conference.
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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 Board
Board Members:
- John Annand, Marriott International
- Jennifer Bassett, Chair, JBG SMITH Companies
- Tashi Carper, Leidos
- Michelle Crabtree, Town of Vienna
- Ellen de Bremond, Treasurer
- Anjali Desai-Margolin, Gallaudet University
- Tom Downs, Booz Allen Hamilton
- Andrea Hall, Past Chair, General Dynamics Mission Systems
- Sylvia Henri-Wonasue, Secretary, Lockheed Martin
- Sophie Howard, Immediate Past Chair, General Dynamics IT
- Eduardo Meza-Etienne, eSSENTIAL Accessibility
- Mary Sauder, Northrop Grumman
- Ryan Walters, Vice-Chair, Deloitte
- Myra Wilder, BAE Systems
Advisory Board Members:
- Jessica Lee Aiello, iYellow Group
- Meghan Cadigan, KPMG
- Crosby Cromwell, The Valuable 500
- Lori Daly, Diversifi Consulting Group and Chair, Community Outreach
- Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC
- Rikki Epstein, The Arc of Northern VA
- Melody Goodspeed, The American Foundation for the Blind
- Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
- Carolyn Jeppsen, BroadFutures
- Craig Leen, K&L Gates, Former OFCCP Director
- Carrie Martin, MAXAR Technologies
- Rick Rodgers, The Resource Network and Chair, Disability Supplier Diversity
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.
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, now a DC Metro chapter member benefit!
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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.”
"In This Together" Campaign Continues
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!
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