Aerial View of Washington DC
Disability Business News
You Need to Know
October 2021
America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion
National Disability Employment Awareness Month
N D E A M 2021
Image Description: This year's NDEAM poster is rectangular in shape with a deep rust color background. A cream-colored depiction of the United States and its territories spreads across the poster and is covered with illustrations of people of diverse races, sizes and disabilities wearing colorful outfits. Written in bold letters in the center of the map is the 2021 NDEAM theme, America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion. Under the theme in smaller letters are the words National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Along the bottom (left to right) is the DOL logo, followed by ODEP’s logo, followed by the words Office of Disability Employment Policy United States Department of Labor. In the right lower corner is ODEP’s website, dol.gov/ODEP, with hashtag NDEAM underneath.
Availability
Versions of the poster are available in English and Español for both download and mail order.
Order the Poster
Download the Poster
Welcome to Our New Advisory Board Members
Diversify Consulting Group
Leidos
Lori Daly
Diversity, Disability and Inclusion Strategist at Diversifi
Kelly Harris
Manager Inclusion and Diversity at Leidos
Kathy Martinez.
ODEP at 20: Leading Voices – Kathy Martinez

In celebration of the Office of Disability Employment Policy’s 20th anniversary, ODEP Deputy Assistant Secretary Jennifer Sheehy posted a blog on “ODEP at 20: Leading Voices – Kathy Martinez.” In the blog, Sheehy interviewed Kathy Martinez, who was ODEP’s assistant secretary from 2009-2015. “We need to get more qualified people into the private sector because that’s how we change corporate attitudes,” said Martinez. “When people with disabilities are part of the team, disability becomes not so big of a deal. The stigma goes away.”
News From Disability:IN
DisabilityIN Your business partner for disability inclusion
2022 Inclusion Awards Nominations Now Open!


Disability:IN Inclusion Award winners are recognized as visionary brands and individuals that are advancing disability inclusion.

Disability:IN is pleased to recognize these award winners during the 2022 Disability:IN Annual Conference & Expo, taking place July 18-21 in Dallas.

There are eleven Inclusion Award categories, including Employer of the Year, Top Corporation for Disability-Owned Businesses, and ERG/BRG of the Year.

Application Deadline: Friday, November 19th, 2021
DC Metro Fall Webinars

Kris Rivenburgh
OCTOBER 27, 2021

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 (12 – 1:30 pm)



Hear from Kris Rivenburgh, eSSENTIAL Accessibility Chief Legal and Accessibility Officer, as he discusses industry's best practices.


NOVEMBER 2021

Mental Health in the Veteran Community
Tuesday, November 16, 2021 (11am – 1pm)


Disability:IN DC and Deloitte are cohosting an event to focus on Veterans and their mental health in the workplace. This virtual discussion will integrate a panel of subject matter experts from Deloitte, the Veterans Affair (VA), DC Metro and more. The intended objective is to provide attendees with an overview of the importance of Veteran mental health in the workplace as well as key considerations and best practices for inclusion. We look forward to seeing you there!
 
Veteran Transition Event
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 (11am – 1pm)


Deloitte and Disability:IN DC are cohosting an event to discuss the often difficult process veterans face when transitioning to the civilian workforce.This virtual event brings together a panel of Veterans and subject matter experts from Deloitte, DC Metro, Wounded Warrior Project and the Department of Labor to share key insights related to the Veteran transition. The intent of this event is to build awareness of the challenges Veterans face when transitioning into the civilian workforce and the resources available to empower and support them.
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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Membership

Support Our Mission through your Membership
Be Recognized for your Leadership Brand


Annual Membership

Silver - $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

For any questions, please contact Katherine McCary
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
VETS
US Department of Labor Announces New Partners to Support Initiative to Deliver Employment Services to Transitioning Service Members and Spouses
The U.S. Department of Labor announced its Veterans’ Employment and Training Service has signed a memorandum of understanding with nine organizations that have agreed to serve as partners to support VETS’ Employment Navigator and Partnership Pilot.
The Employment Navigator and Partnership Pilot provides one-on-one career assistance to transitioning service members, and their spouses, at select military installations worldwide. The support complements the department’s Transition Assistance Program’s classroom instruction.
Partner organizations’ support will include apprenticeship opportunities, hiring events, digital matching of skills and experiences, employment mentorship and networking with organizations committed to employing veterans, employment referrals and placement, workforce training, and wrap around services within communities for additional support services. VETS selected organizations experienced in providing employment and training services to transitioning service members and their spouses.
The approved partners are American Corporate Partners in New York City; Combined Arms in Houston; Helmets to Hardhats in Washington, DC; Hire Heroes USA in Alpharetta, Georgia; zero8hundred in San Diego; LinkedIn in Sunnyvale, California; RecruitMilitary in Loveland, Ohio; VeteransASCEND in Simpsonville, South Carolina; and VetJobs in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.
Employment Navigators are located at U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force installations in the U.S. and overseas to provide one-on-one employment assistance to transitioning service members, and their spouses. Based on an individual’s needs, Employment Navigators connect them with partner organizations for additional employment services to aid their transition.
If your organization is interested in becoming an Employment Navigator partner, send an email to TAPPartnerships@dol.gov.
Agency Veterans' Employment and Training Service
Date September 22, 2021
Release Number 21-1680-NAT
Contact: Bennett Gamble
Phone Number 202-693-6587
Ability Jobs Fair Online Platform
ABILITY Job Fair Expands Disability/Diversity Virtual Accessible Recruitment with Accessibility Features for All

Launched in 2018, ABILITY Job Fair established itself as a system for accessible recruitment and communication needs. Since that time, it has grown as a proven resource for businesses, government agencies and higher education that supports Section 503, Section 508 and EEOC requirements.
 
As a direct result of COVID-19, telework has become the norm and workflow has been disrupted. Distance has become the new expectation. ABILITY Job Fair provides solutions for companies leveraging recruitment at a distance, allowing companies to continue to build their talent pipeline even if travel restrictions are being issued around the world.
 
Using the ABILITY Job Fair system, recruiters conduct consecutive, face-to-face meetings with potential candidates, maximizing their time and reducing the need for in-person job fairs. During this online event, recruiters receive a steady stream of candidates in queues waiting to meet with them from desktop, tablet or smartphone devices. Built with accessibility and ADA in mind, this technology breaks down communication barriers.

ABILITY Job Fair’s accessible video-based technology includes real-time speech (live captioning), screen reader compatibility for people who are blind, SMS messaging, document transfer capability, and sign language interpreter video connections for people who are deaABILITY Job Fair has been pleased to have worked with some of the largest companies and government departments such as Google, Wells Fargo, Facebook, Aetna, Waste Management, FBI, NIH, and the IRS all choosing to lean into this advanced technology.

ABILITY Job Fair now offers SCORE (Scalable Compliant Online Recruitment Events). Companies can private label fully interactive and accessible job fairs for individual employer recruiting needs. Since the system is accessible, it mitigates potential compliance and ADA concerns during career fairs. 

SCORE provides all the accessibility and job fair features of ABILITY Job Fair for a broader talent base of job seekers with and without disabilities. As typical with accessibility advancements, the SCORE job fair system has broader benefits and is accessible for all.

About:
ABILITYJobFair.org is an accessible online job fair platform bringing recruiters and job seekers together. AJF uses face-to-face video, chat, speech-to-text and American Sign Language to allow for the most in-person human experience possible without the need to travel — AJF is a division of ABILITYCorps.org a 501C3 nonprofit.
abilityJOBS, established in 1995, as the first job board dedicated to job seekers with disabilities. abilityJOBS.com has been disrupting the norm and connected hundreds of thousands of candidates with thousands of employers — abilityJOBS is a division of ABILITYMagazine.com.
Lori Daly
Scott Michael Robertson
Inclusive Apprenticeships: Increasing Access to Clean Energy Careers for People with Disabilities




In a recent post on the U.S. Department of Labor’s blog, ODEP Senior Policy Advisor Scott Michael Robertson explored the important role registered apprenticeship programs can play in meeting the current and anticipated workforce needs in the clean energy sector. He also shared how the ODEP-funded Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship is working to promote programs designed with inclusion in mind, which benefit both employers through increased workforce diversity, and workers with disabilities, by offering career pathways with high potential for advancement and growth.
Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship
Podcast: Building Workforce Talent for the Clean Energy Sector Through Apprenticeship

Employers in the clean energy sector struggle to find talent, yet more than 3 million jobs in the sector are unfilled. The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) recently produced a new podcast, “Building Workforce Talent for the Clean Energy Sector Through Apprenticeship.” In this podcast, part of PIA’s “Apprenticeship for All” series, Richard Lawrence and Megan Howes of the Interstate Renewable Energy Council discuss how the development of inclusive apprenticeship programs will help the rapidly growing clean energy sector meet its demand for skilled talent.

Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion Advancing Workforce Diversity
Leveraging Remote Work to Increase Inclusion

If you ask people how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the world of work, many are likely to cite the widespread move toward remote work arrangements. It’s a shift that has altered the workplace in ways that will be felt long after the pandemic subsides, with a high percentage of companies — large and small and everything in between — offering increased flexible work arrangements for their employees.
As today’s employers reassess their employee practices through the lens of COVID-19, now is a fitting time to prioritize disability inclusion within their organizations. To that end, the ODEP-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) has issued a new practice brief, titled Leveraging the Shift to Remote Work to Increase Employment of People with Disabilities [PDF].
The brief explains how “the sudden and massive shift in the way business is performed has revealed a path forward to the future of work, and could create new opportunities for people with disabilities.” It features background on the increased popularity of remote work as well as strategies for inclusion of workers with disabilities in the remote workforce. For example, companies can take steps to create remote cultures of inclusion that consider the needs of workers with disabilities; review their reasonable accommodation policies to ensure they properly extend to home workspaces; and adopt integrated telework policies for workers with and without disabilities.
To learn more, read the practice brief [PDF].
Braille Holiday Cards
Presenting the Hadley Woman's Board 
2021 Braille Holiday Card
ORDER CARDS HERE
In the Hadley tradition the 2021 Braille Holiday Card carries the interior greeting “Wishing you peace, happiness and the spirit of the season” in both print and embossed braille.
This year's artwork features a delightful winter village beneath a snowy sky. Colorful houses and evergreen trees surround a frozen pond, where children skate while a woman and her dog walk nearby. For tactile effect some of the village buildings and a tree have been embossed.
About the artist
Artist Sarah Sheridan grew up in Winnetka, IL, where Hadley is headquartered. Sarah’s large family inspired her creation, “Some of my favorite times are spent with my family. We all live close to each other, and this snowy town reminds me of the joy I get from being so close to them.”

Card and envelope imprinting available. Please allow 10 business days after the date your order is processed for delivery.

Curbside pickup at Hadley begins October 18. By appointment only.

Questions? Call (800) 323-4238 or email holidaycard@hadley.edu.
Job Accommodation Network 2021-2022 Webcast Series


Registration is now open for the Job Accommodation Network’s 2021-2022 webcast series. The webcasts are free, fully accessible and provide practical information and expert guidance on job accommodation and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance issues. The training series will include “Ask JAN! Expert Q&A,” “Return to Work After COVID-19 – Focus on Mental Health and Cognitive Limitations,” “Accommodation Solutions for Autoimmune Disorders,” “Next Level Accommodation and ADA Challenges,” “ADA and Accommodation Lessons Learned: Stay at Work/Return to Work Edition,” and “Accommodation Solutions for Executive Functioning Deficits.”
Kathy Martinez.
Podcast –
Access and Inclusion in the Workplace

On a recent episode of the “Down to the Struts” podcast, Kathy Martinez, President and CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, spoke with series host Qudsiya Naqui about accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. She discussed strategies that help foster an inclusive, welcoming workplace culture, including disability-related employee resource groups and effective accommodation policies. In addition, she addressed the importance of understanding disability’s intersectionality with race, culture and other identify factors. Listen to the podcast
HIRE Vets Medallions
Supporting Veterans in the Workforce
The HIRE Vets Medallion Award program is proud to recognize businesses committed to recruiting, employing, and retaining our nation’s veterans.
One way the program highlights medallion awardees is by featuring them at HIREVets.gov/Awardees. Recipients can add a hyperlink to the map — one of many advantages of having earned an award — and take visitors directly to their business' website.
You can also find program graphics and widgets on HIREVets.gov to add to your business’ website. These let visitors know of your dedication to veteran employment and help spread the word on the HIRE Vets Medallion Program.

Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
ACCESS
Practical Employer Videos
“The Practical Employer and the ADA: Successful Hiring.”
Two new videos from the Mid-Atlantic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center offer guidance on how to increase accessibility and inclusion during the recruiting process. The first addresses how to write job descriptions that clearly identify essential job functions and qualification standards, so that applicants with disabilities are not excluded from applying for jobs they can perform. The second focuses on accessible outreach activities and application processes. Both videos are part of a series titled, Access the job descriptions or accessible recruiting videos.
Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology
Long COVID-19 and Workplace Accessibility
The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology released “Long COVID-19 and Workplace Accessibility.” The article provides links to guidance on long COVID-19 in the workplace, including determining disability status and using the accommodation process.
Mental Health Conversation Corner
Agenda

Employee Benefit News
Could the cure for working too much be to work a little less? It may seem obvious to your employees, but employers are a tougher sell when it comes to implementing a four-day workweek. But beyond boosts to productivity, there are psychological benefits to a condensed work schedule that could help your employees manage their work-life balance and mental well-being.

Mark Babbit

by Mark S. Babbitt an opinion columnist for the CEOWORLD Magazine.

For decades, senior leaders have treated the classic symptoms of a less-than-optimal business operation—low employee engagement, less-than-stellar customer service, poor retention rates, and barely acceptable productivity levels—rather than the problem: An unhealthy company culture.

The Conference Board




As part of The Conference Board’s on-going research on workers and the workplace, we seek to determine the impact of well-being and mental health in particular and the ways in which organizations are supporting workers through these challenging times. To help us continue our mission of understanding how employees are navigating these challenges, please complete this 8 minute survey. 
 
Follow this link to the Survey:

Your responses will be kept strictly confidential; findings will be reported only in their aggregate form, without any information that would identify you or your organization. As a thank you for your time and response, we will send you a summary of the findings.
Thank you,
Rebecca L Ray, Ph.D.
Executive Vice President, Human Capital
The Conference Board
Global Business and Disability Network
Workplace Mental Health as a Global Issue
The latest issue of the International Labour Organization’s Global Business and Disability Network (GBDN) newsletter features an article about EARN’s resources and tools to help employers navigate the post-pandemic workplace. GBDN—a member of EARN’s Inclusion@Work Network Leadership Council—is an employer-led initiative that promotes disability inclusion in workplaces around the globe by demonstrating the valuable contributions people with disabilities offer organizations of all kinds. Read the GBDN article or access EARN’s COVID-19 resources and tools.
Events In The DC Metro Area and Beyond
Respectability NDEAM October Events
respect ability
NDEAM Entertainment Media Summit

Throughout the month of October 2021, join RespectAbility for a series of virtual celebrations, panel conversations and networking opportunities as we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Through a combination of forward-facing panels and breakout networking rooms, participants will learn about writing, directing, producing, self-advocacy and more. Please note that some sessions are open only to entertainment industry creatives who identify as deaf or disabled, as we seek to continue to build community.

M-Enabling Summit 2021
October 4-6, Washington, DC
The M-Enabling Summit Conference and Showcase is dedicated to promoting digital environments and assistive technologies for senior citizens and users of all abilities. It is an annual meeting place for all who implement digital inclusion strategies or develop assistive solutions and accessible digital contents and services for workplaces, learning environments or consumer markets. With its theme of “Strategies for Inclusive Digital Transformations,” the 2021 M-Enabling Summit will highlight the major shifts in business, government and education driven by the pandemic that will affect anyone involved in inclusion, accessibility, services to Persons with Disabilities or compliance matters. A rich sharing of experience and interactions among advocates, business leaders and technology providers will provide insights on how to best meet the imperative to ensure that Persons with Disabilities have full access to critical digital content and services.

DBVI Centennial



 “Celebrating Ability in the Workplace”
October 6 from 10:00-11:30 AM EST

In Honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month
Keynote - Edna E. Johnson, Ph.D.
Disability and Reasonable Accommodation Manager,
Human Resources Directorate
Washington Headquarters Services
DBVI Awards Ceremony will follow.


2021 Melwood Ability Awards






Melwood Ability Awards
Register to Join us virtually
Thursday, October 7, 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM EST
OR for an additional viewing on 
Tuesday, October 12, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST

Fireside chat with Tony Coehlo
-- author of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Mistress of Ceremonies -- Andrea Roane Skehan
-- retired television journalist.

Honoring the recipients of the 2021 Melwood Ability Awards:
Advocacy Award: Scott Robertson, PhD
Impact Award: CAI's Austim2Work (A2W) – A Neurodiversity Program
Resiliency Award: The Arc of Northern Virginia

COMING SOON!
Inclusion through Policy Innovation Conference series
Save the Dates:
Every Thursday at Noon EST*
October 14: The Power of Inclusion
October 21: Federal Contracting: Section 503 – Take a Chance on Me
October 28: Purchasing Power: Using Set-Aside Programs in Federal Procurement
November 4: Beyond Procurement Power: Federal Hiring Policies to Advance Employment
November 9: How Can We Reimagine a Modern AbilityOne: Pipeline for the Future
November 18: Closing Plenary Session 
RIT Center for Employment Webinar Panel
"Reasonable Accommodation
Models in the Workplace".
Thursday, October
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET. 

Hiring deaf and hard of hearing employees involves planning for communication access. What are the optimal reasonable accommodation models that corporations and government agencies have used to provide effective communication with deaf and hard of hearing employees? Attend this workshop and learn from experts who have created or operated such models for their employers!
Our panelists include:
  • Tracy Schramm - IBM
  • Bill Harkness - Boeing
  • Alison Levy - U.S. Department of Transportation
  • Opeoluwa Sotonwa - Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing.
To learn more about the webinar, and to register for the Zoom session, visit our information page here.
2021 Digital Accessibility Legal Summit

The Third Annual Digital Accessibility Legal Summit - Online Event

October 7 and 8, 2021


  • the premier annual event for digital accessibility legal practitioners
  • in-depth talks and panels
  • featuring leaders from the digital accessibility and legal fields
  • tackling big practice issues

Disability Rights Advocates a non profit organization


DRA’s Virtual Gala: An Inspiring Celebration of DRA’s 2021 High-Impact Disability Justice Work.


Thursday, October 7th at 4pm PT/7pm ET
Disability IN Chicagoland
IN Chicagoland
The Future of Work Amid the COVID 19 Pandemic
October 12 @ 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
$45.00

Disability:IN Chicagoland continues its second annual Virtual Disability Inclusion Opportunity Summit program series on Tuesday, October 12th with a discussion on The Future of Work Amid the COVID 19 Pandemic. Over the last 18 months, businesses have done their best to create and update their return to work plans, and understanding how best to accommodate employees with disabilities in this planning can be a challenge. This includes things like re-creating in-person work spaces and resetting virtual work expectations. Questions continue to arise around topics like: vaccination; masks; flexible work schedules; telework; leave; and accommodations. Join Tracie DeFreitas, Principal Consultant at the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), for a conversation on best practices and legal requirements for companies working to support their employees with disabilities as they develop, implement and update return to work plans across their organizations.
business people participating on a seminar.
A Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Disability Inclusion Virtual Summit
October 13, 2021: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM BST



Organized by Disability:IN in Collaboration with Companies Participating on the Disability:IN Global Roundtable’s EMEA Subcommittee
This 4-hour Disability Inclusion Summit is available at no cost to the businesses and their employees based in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
During the Summit, speakers from multi-national corporations, governments and non-governmental organizations will discuss their actions to advance disability inclusion in EMEA. More information on the agenda will be provided in the upcoming months.

There is no fee to participate. Registration Deadline: October 6, 2021
DisabilityIN Your business partner for disability inclusion
Inclusion Works Webinar:
Mental Health in the Latin American Workplace
October 19 @ 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Be sure to register by Tuesday, October 15

You are invited to the Mental Health in the Latin American Workplace webinar organized by Disability:IN in Collaboration with Companies Participating on the Global Roundtable’s LATAM Council. This webinar will provide statistics & information on the causes and prevalence of mental illnesses in Latin America, describe the most common workplace mental health conditions, and provide tips on how-to: Notice, Act and Refer.
BroadFutures 2021 Embrace Change Celebrate Resilience Fall Gala Event
2021 Virginia Ability Forum Opening Doors
Comcast
The Valuable Five Hundred
Billion Strong a global disability Movement
Virginia Ability. Building inclusive workplaces





2021 Virginia Ability Forum
OPENING DOORS

TO OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESSIBILITY
Tuesday, October 26 - Webinar
Is your businesses strategic and innovative when it comes to ensuring access for applicants with disabilities? Are you investing in accessibility and inclusion for all employees?

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” which reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 Virginia Ability Forum will focus on opening doors to employment opportunities and offering innovative solutions to help businesses build inclusive cultures that are accessible for all employees.
Hear from business leaders who are working to change attitudes about disability and employment!
Thomas Wlodkowski
Thomas Wlodkowski
Vice President, Comcast
Accessibility and Multicultural, Technology and Product
Crosby Cromwell
Crosby Cromwell
Chief Partnerships Officer
The Valuable 500
LaMondre Pough
Dr. LaMondre Pough
CEO
Billion Strong
2022 Events: Save These Dates!
NILG 2022 National Conference Be the Beacon of Change

The NILG 2022 National Conference planning is well underway, and we are looking forward to producing another exceptional conference. We are excited to share that the Conference will take place in in Boston, Massachusetts July 25 - 28, 2022 and our theme is, “Be the Beacon of Change”! .

2022 Disability:IN Annual Conference & Expo
July 18-21 in Dallas.
DisabilityIN Your business partner for disability inclusion
PARTNER LINKS
About Us
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, Secretary, JBG SMITH Companies
  • Michelle Crabtree, Town of Vienna
  • Ellen de Bremond, Treasurer
  • Anjali Desai-Margolin, Gallaudet University
  • Tom Downs, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Dan Ellerman, Mars
  • 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 Martin, MAXAR Technologies
  • Jamel Walker, Northrop Grumman
  • Ryan Walters, Deloitte
  • Myra Wilder, BAE Systems

Advisory Board Members:
  • Orly Barbosa, Sandy Spring Bank
  • Meghan Cadigan, KPMG
  • Crosby Cromwell, The Valuable 500
  • Lori Daly, Diversifi
  • Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC
  • Rikki Epstein, The Arc of Northern VA
  • Kelly Harris, Leidos
  • Sylvia Henri-Wonasue, Lockheed Martin
  • Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
  • Craig Leen, GMU Scalia Law, Former OFCCP Director
  • Jessica Lee Aiello, IYellow Group
  • Cynthia Richardson-Crooks, DC BLN Founding Chair
  • Rick Rodgers, The Resource Network
  • Kia Silver-Hodge, Enterprise Community Partners
  • Bob Vetere, C5 Consulting, LLC
  • Sue Werber, C5 Consulting, LLC


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.