Disability Business News
You Need to Know
January 2022
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2022 DC Metro Member Benefits |
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Support Our Mission
Be Recognized for your Leadership Brand
Receive Business-focused Disability Inclusion eLearning
Maximize your Disability-focused ERG
C5 Consulting, LLC has partnered with Disability:IN DC METRO to
offer its state-of-the-art e-learning modules as an annual member benefit to Silver, Gold, Diamond and Platinum Members
C5 Consulting Disability Inclusion IQ e-learning modules!
**Current Members must select modules based on their membership level and notify Katherine by February 15, 2022, to gain access.
Annual Membership
Silver - $2,000
Gold - $3,000
Diamond - $5,000
Platinum - $10,000
For every $1,000 in membership, your organization has access to one of the modules for your entire workforce for one year.
Want additional modules? Increase your membership to a new level!
Inclusion Modules
Disability 101
- Appropriate language
- Disability etiquette
Audience: All Employees
The Business Case for Disability Inclusion
- Expanding Diversity & Inclusion to include disability
- Importance to Workforce, Marketplace and Supply Chain
- Employer Best Practices
Audience: Human Resources, Diversity and Inclusion Professionals, Disability ERG
Building an Inclusive Culture
- What is Diversity
- Understanding a “Culture of Inclusion”
- Changing Corporate Culture to become more Inclusive
- Dispelling disability myths
Audience: Human Resources, Compliance, Recruiters and Diversity and Inclusion Professionals, Disability ERG
Talent Acquisition Modules
Building the Talent Pipeline
- How and where to find business-savvy pipelines for talent with a
- disability
- Build your future bench of talent with internships
- Employer Best Practices
Audience: Human Resources, Recruiters and Diversity and Inclusion Professionals, Disability ERG
Hiring Managers: What You Need to Know
- Hiring Manager priorities
- Partnering with HR
- Tips for interviewing a candidate with a disability
- How to handle an accommodation request
Audience: Hiring Managers, Supervisors
Building Your Brand: Attracting, Retaining and Engaging Talent
- The Role of Accessibility and Accommodations
- Your Disability Inclusion Philosophy
- Communications and Partnerships
Audience: Talent Acquisition, Compliance, D&I, Corporate Social Responsibility, Disability ERG
Employee Resource Groups: Advancing the Culture of Disability Inclusion
- Definitions
- Benefits of a Disability ERG
- Sustainability Best Practices
Audience: Employee Resource Groups, Disability ERG, Senior Leadership, Compliance, D&I, All Employees
Accessibility and Accommodations Modules
Making Reasonable Accommodations Successful
- The Reasonable Accommodation and Interactive Process
- High-Tech and Low-Tech Considerations
- Employer Best Practices
Audience: Human Resources, Compliance, Recruiters and Diversity and Inclusion Professionals
The Importance of Accessibility in Talent Acquisition, Engagement and Retention
- The Business Case for Accessibility
- Physical and Digital Accessibility
- Universal Design
Audience: Talent Acquisition, IT, Accommodations Team, Disability ERG
Compliance Modules
The Legal Landscape for Disability Inclusion
- ADA, ADAAA, and OFCCP Changes to Section 503
- 2010 Standards
- How these laws and regulations affect you
Audience: Human Resources, Compliance, Recruiters and Diversity and Inclusion Professionals
Self -Identification and Self Disclosure: What’s in it for You and Your Organization
- Defining Self ID and Self Disclosure
- Benefits for the Employee
- Benefits for the Organization
Audience: Disability ERG, Compliance, All Employees
C5 Consulting, LLC is a disability-owned and woman-owned disability strategy consulting firm created 11 years ago after more than 20 years of specialized corporate expertise in global disability, inclusion and culture change strategy. Katherine McCary, President, a long-recognized, nationally respected leader in disability inclusion has led strategic, corporate-wide disability initiatives and offers these e-learning modules to DC Metro members crafted from her unique perspective as a business leader, a person with a disability and a parent of adult children with disabilities. She serves as the CEO for Disability:IN DC Metro, was founding chair of USBLN (DISABILITY:IN) and was appointed to serve on the National Council on Disability by President Bush.
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DC METRO 2022 WEBINARS
Co-Host Schedules are Still Available But Going Fast!
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One of the outstanding benefits of Corporate Business Membership in the D:IN DC Metro is the ability to co-host one of our programs. The annual calendar fills quickly with employers wishing to select a topic of specific interest to their employees. As co-host, the employer has the opportunity to showcase its leadership in disability inclusion within the program to all attendees including its own employees and guests, who may not often get the opportunity to hear from its senior leaders about this topic. Program co-hosts often include Executive Sponsors and their Business/Employee Resource Group Members.
We are currently seeking Co-hosts for the following topics/months:
April: Autism
May: Mental Health Conditions
August: Partnerships and Collaboration with Community Partners
December: Understanding Non-Apparent Disabilities
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Register Now for these MARCH Webinars
Co-Hosted by
iYellow Group!
$25.00 Register
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Supporting Employees with Disabilities Who Use Assistive Technology in the Enterprise
March 2, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
Various disability legislation exists to ensure employees with disabilities (EWD) have equal access to perform core job functions, from the hiring process to the use of all internal systems and communication within an enterprise, which include requests for accommodation, training and Helpdesk support. While there have been great advances in Assistive Technology (AT) for persons with disabilities providing greater access to IT systems and electronic documents, providing seamless support to the employee with a disability to ensure equal access, can be daunting for enterprises. Ensuring equal access requires extensive planning, support, and continual monitoring. Based on its decades-long experience working in enterprise environments with EWD, management and Helpdesk support, iYellow Access is presenting a series of webinars to help enterprises understand the expertise and processes needed to fully support their employees with disabilities.
In this webinar, iYellow Access' Director of Training, Jeff Ermold and Harris Rosensweig, Director of Accessibility will address best practices in supporting employees with existing disabilities and those who obtain disabilities while on the job who need or use AT.
The following topics will be discussed:
- Overview of legislation applying to public and private enterprises concerning employees with disabilities. A high-level overview of the ADA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation act will be provided and what specific provisions apply.
- Key processes, teams and expertise needed to properly assess employees with disabilities' needs around AT and training.
- What skill sets an AT Specialist should possess to assist your organization.
- Best practices around implementing successful AT training (in person or remote).
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The Importance of the Assistive Technology Assessment in Supporting Employees with Disabilities in the Enterprise
March 23, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
This webinar will focus exclusively on the AT assessment and its importance in the accommodation process. A properly performed AT assessment is one of the cornerstones of the accommodation process and sets the stage for the employee to receive appropriate and timely accommodations. On the other hand, an under-resourced or checklist approach to AT assessment can lead to poor accommodation recommendations, over expenditure on equipment and services and demoralized employees. The webinar will draw on TCS Access’ decades of experience providing AT assessments for persons with disabilities in the enterprise and its findings. The webinar will focus on the following six areas:
- Why the AT assessment is a critical part of a culture of equal access for all employees
- Why AT assessment is the cornerstone of effective reasonable accommodation services
- The role of the AT assessment and where it fits within the accommodation process
- Types of AT assessments performed by TCS Access to highlight the process and resources required
- Skill sets needed to perform a thorough AT assessment
We encourage participants to share their experiences regarding AT assessments and to see how their experience compares to iYellow Access.
- Key processes, teams and expertise needed to properly assess employees with disabilities' needs around AT and training.
- What skill sets an AT Specialist should possess to assist your organization.
- Best practices around implementing successful AT training (in person or remote).
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Remote Training Strategies for Employees with Disabilities in the Enterprise Environment
March 30, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
Everyday work has shifted to a remote setting and employees with disabilities face unique challenges in receiving training, participating in meetings, communicating with colleagues and collaborating on team projects. This session will provide best practices and real-world examples of how to maximize equal access to employees with disabilities who are now working remotely. This webinar is ideal for those who deliver reasonable accommodations or assistive technology services to employees with disabilities, as well as assistive technology users.
Webinar highlights include:
- Why implementing accessible remote training is an essential part of reasonable accommodation solutions
- Assistive Technology users' need for specific training on remote conferencing and collaboration tools
- Organizational communication needed prior to conducting remote Assistive Technology training
- Examining remote meeting and collaboration tools regarding their accessibility for employees with disabilities
- Benefits and challenges of screen sharing and remote-control features with Assistive Technology
- Common scenarios and challenges when using remote training tools with Assistive Technology
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2022 Disability:IN Annual Conference & Expo
July 18-21 in Dallas
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Reflecting on 2021
The time is right to reflect on all that we have accomplished together even as we continue to navigate through a global pandemic and an ever-changing workforce. Above it all, it has brought to light the importance of connecting with, supporting, and building up others for the collective advancement of society.
Our ability to build an inclusive global economy where people with disabilities participate fully and meaningfully is not possible without you and the thousands of other leaders who have joined IN.
Together, we are elevating that disability inclusion has been ‘the missing piece’ and the ultimate lever for innovation and sustainability. We’re grateful to be on this mission with you and we look forward to working together in 2022 to expand our impact.
Very warmly,
Jill & the Disability:IN team
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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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RespectAbility is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, and that advances policies and practices that empower people with disabilities to have a better future. Our mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
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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!
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IN THE NEWS - ARTICLES OF INTEREST |
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Welcome
Dr. Chris Rosa
President & CEO, The Viscardi Center
Dr. Chris Rosa became President & CEO of The Viscardi Center, a network of non-profits that educate, employ and empower children and adults with disabilities, in January 2022. He also serves as President of the internationally renowned Henry Viscardi School. Dr. Rosa is a staunch advocate for equity and economic justice for people with disabilities, being a wheelchair-user since age 12 who has Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy. A published disability studies scholar, he serves in national leadership roles for organizations that promote access and wellness for Americans with disabilities. He is also a sought-after orator and speaks frequently on higher education and social mobility for people with disabilities; disability as a key dimension of diversity, equity, & inclusion; disability and intersectionality; and American disability culture.
Before joining Viscardi, he served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Inclusion Initiatives at the City University of New York (CUNY), the nation’s largest urban public university system. In this role, Dr. Rosa designed and led programs that promote access, equity, and inclusion for students who have historically under-participated in higher education, including CUNY’s more than 11,000 students with disabilities, 3,200 student veterans, 17,000 LGBTQI students, and over 6,000 undocumented students. Dr. Rosa’s higher education governance includes serving as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and the University’s Assistant Dean for Student Affairs for CUNY’s 25 campus system. He joined the CUNY Office of Student Affairs in July 2004 after 11 years of student affairs experience at his alma mater, Queens College. While at Queens College, he served as its Director of Services for Students with Disabilities, as Director of its Student Support Services Program, as its 504/ADA Compliance Officer, as its Chief Diversity Officer, and as a Student Disciplinary Officer. At Queens College, he collaborated with the New York City Department of Education’s District 75 to create its Inclusive Higher Education Program.
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UN Disability Rights Treaty Was Dole’s Unfulfilled Wish. Will His Death Spur Action?
by Bryan Lowry and Daniel Desrochers, McClatchy Washington Bureau/TNS | December 14, 2021
Disability rights advocates say if lawmakers want to honor U.S. Sen. Bob Dole’s legacy, they should finally ratify a United Nations treaty on disability rights the Kansas Republican icon championed in his later years.
But advocates acknowledge that passing the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the evenly divided Senate will be difficult even with President Joe Biden’s backing.
The international agreement commits nations to ensuring equality of opportunity for people with disabilities, but Republicans have largely opposed the measure on grounds that it encroaches on U.S. sovereignty despite Dole’s advocacy.
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American Sign Language and Captioning Requests
The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology Hosting published “How to Handle Captioning & ASL Requests for Virtual Meetings.” This resource provides tips on responding to American Sign Language and captioning requests for virtual meetings.
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Job Accommodation Network Solution Showcase Videos
The Job Accommodation Network released new Solution Showcase videos. These videos highlight examples of products and services that can be used as effective job accommodations. Recent topics include “Compact Material Handling,” “Video Remote Interpreting and Video Relay Services,” “Simulated Skylights,” “Supine Workstations,” “Dual Channel Headsets” and “Timers.”
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Justice Department Updates “Common Questions About COVID and the ADA” to Address the Americans with Disabilities Act’s Application to COVID-Era Medical Visitation Policies and “Streateries”
The Justice Department has updated its “Common Questions About COVID and the ADA” to address two COVID-era issues affecting people with disabilities: first, ensuring that medical facilities’ visitor policies take into the account the rights of people with disabilities to receive equal access to care; and second, ensuring that outdoor retail or dining spaces (sometimes called “streateries”) are accessible to people with disabilities and do not prevent individuals from using sidewalks and accessible parking. To find out more about the ADA, visit ada.gov or call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA information line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY).
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EEOC ADDS NEW SECTION CLARIFYING WHEN COVID-19 MAY BE A DISABILITY, UPDATING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its COVID-19 technical assistance today adding a new section to clarify under what circumstances COVID-19 may be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Rehabilitation Act.
EEOC’s new questions and answers focus broadly on COVID-19 and the definition of disability under Title I of the ADA and Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, which both address employment discrimination. The updates also provide examples illustrating how an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 or a post-COVID condition could be considered to have a disability under the laws the EEOC enforces.
“This update to our COVID-19 information provides an additional resource for employees and employers facing the varied manifestations of COVID-19,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “Like effects from other diseases, effects from COVID-19 can lead to a disability protected under the laws the EEOC enforces. Workers with disabilities stemming from COVID-19 are protected from employment discrimination and may be eligible for reasonable accommodations.”
Key information includes:
- In some cases, an applicant’s or employee’s COVID-19 may cause impairments that are themselves disabilities under the ADA, regardless of whether the initial case of COVID-19 itself constituted an actual disability.
- An applicant or employee whose COVID-19 results in mild symptoms that resolve in a few weeks—with no other consequences—will not have an ADA disability that could make someone eligible to receive a reasonable accommodation.
- Applicants or employees with disabilities are not automatically entitled to reasonable accommodations under the ADA. They are entitled to a reasonable accommodation when their disability requires it, and the accommodation is not an undue hardship for the employer. But, employers can choose to do more than the ADA requires.
- An employer risks violating the ADA if it relies on myths, fears, or stereotypes about a condition and prevents an employee’s return to work once the employee is no longer infectious and, therefore, medically able to return without posing a direct threat to others.
On July 26, 2021, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued Guidance on ‘Long COVID’ as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557. The DOJ/HHS Guidance focuses solely on long COVID. This new EEOC technical assistance focuses more broadly on COVID-19 and does so in the context of Title I of the ADA and section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act, which cover employment.
To assist the public, the EEOC has updated its guidance on employment and COVID-19 approximately 20 times throughout the pandemic.
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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Disability-Inclusive Workforce Development
As part of its collaboration with the Western Governors’ Association, the State Exchange on Employment and Disability participated in WGA’s 2021 Winter Meeting to educate governors and staff members on the importance of disability-inclusive policymaking and share resources that promote an equitable economic recovery. During the meeting, the Governors voted to adopt a disability-inclusive workforce development policy resolution that recognizes economic equity as a continued issue across states. It acknowledges that workplaces that welcome the talents of all people, including people with disabilities, are critical to building an inclusive and robust economy.
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Inclusive Apprenticeships with PIA
Employers who create inclusive apprenticeship programs for people with disabilities can save time and money throughout all stages of the employment process. Learn more about the return on investment of inclusive apprenticeships from the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA).
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2022 New Years Resolutions For The Disability Community
By Andrew Pulrang, Contributor, Forbes December 31, 2021
As 2021 draws to a rather messy close, especially for people with disabilities, it’s time for another round of disability-themed New Year’s Resolutions.
Last year’s resolutions here were focused on disabled people’ s individual habits. This year, let’s look at resolutions for the disability community as a whole. There are scores of worthwhile goals. Here are a few that have the potential to make the most impact:
1. Covid-19
Make sure any normalization of Covid doesn’t leave disabled and chronically ill people unacceptably vulnerable.
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American Foundation for the Blind Llura Gund Workforce Inclusion Fund
New fund will devote resources to career pathways, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for jobseekers who are blind or have low vision
In honor of the American Foundation for the Blind’s (AFB) bold centennial goal to ensure greater equity in the workplace for people who are blind, AFB has established the Llura Gund Workforce Inclusion Fund through a generous challenge grant from philanthropist Gordon Gund in honor of his beloved wife, the late Llura “Lulie” Gund. This new fund will support AFB programs that expand pathways to leadership, inclusive technology, and well-paying career opportunities for people who are blind.
“As our society focuses on driving greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, AFB is working hard to ensure the millions of Americans with visual impairments have equal access to technology, career-development programs, and leadership training,” said Kirk Adams, Ph.D., AFB president and CEO. “We are immensely grateful to Mr. Gund for his contribution, and honored to name this new fund after his dear wife, affectionately known as Lulie, who leaves a legacy of leadership, optimism, and commitment to creating a better world.”
As AFB celebrates its 100th year, a primary initiative for the organization is to improve the dismal employment rates for working-age individuals who are blind or have low vision: Only 34% of this population is employed, compared to 67% of those without disabilities. The Llura Gund Workforce Inclusion Fund will expand opportunities for AFB to meet these challenges by accelerating its investment in several innovative employment-focused programs.
• The Blind Leaders Development Program, launched in 2020, is designed to increase upward mobility and create meaningful leadership experiences for individuals who are blind or low vision and in the beginning stages of their careers. While in the program, the BLDP fellows receive extensive training in leadership, networking, communication, and other key skills as they achieve higher levels of authority and influence in their careers. Other facets of the program include following the Leadership Challenge curriculum, attending a series of webinars, and being paired with a successful blind or low vision mentor who offers advice and feedback about what it takes to succeed in the workforce.
• A forthcoming program focusing on apprenticeships will enhance the equity and inclusion of these proven workforce development initiatives. The program will identify, apply, and share the most effective practices that enhance the accessibility and inclusiveness of apprenticeship programs across a variety of in-demand occupations, so that everyone — including and especially jobseekers with visual impairments — can benefit from these pathways to careers.
• A groundbreaking new curriculum for both future software engineers and people who use assistive technology will develop their understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design through immersive, hands-on, and authentic experiences. Inclusive technology, systems, and software are integral to successful personal and professional outcomes for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Unfortunately, digital accessibility knowledge is fundamentally lacking in today’s workforce. Too often software developers, designers, and program managers lack formal and experiential knowledge of accessibility best practices. This program seeks to course-correct these shortcomings in current computer science work-study opportunities.
Gordon Gund, himself visually impaired, supported the creation of the fund by personally donating $2 million. Additionally, in the form of a challenge grant via The Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation, he made an additional $1 million pledge, subject to AFB raising another $2 million for the organization’s employment programs. AFB supporters can contribute by visiting AFB.org/InclusionFund.
“It is paramount that we create new solutions to the longstanding problems of inequity and injustice for those with disabilities, including visual impairments,” Gund said. “With AFB’s suite of employment-focused initiatives, AFB is on the right path to leveling the playing field for blind or visually impaired jobseekers.”
AFB is also creating the Llura Gund Leadership Award, which will recognize annually an outstanding leader who has benefitted from one of AFB’s employment initiatives. This individual will be given $5,000 to support their leadership development beyond AFB’s training programs; the award will be presented at AFB’s annual Leadership Conference.
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Events In The DC Metro Area and Beyond |
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Lunch & Learn Episode 1 Season 7 of 2022 nTIDE Webinar Series
Friday, January 7, 2022
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm (ET) | Online | Free
Agenda
• 12:00 pm: Overview of National Trends in Disability Employment (nTIDE) Jobs Report Release – Andrew Houtenville, UNH-IOD & John O'Neill, Kessler Foundation
• 12:15 pm: News from the field of Disability Employment – Denise Rozell, AUCD
• 12:30 pm: Guest Panelist - Steve Allen, PolicyWorks
• 12:45 pm: Open Question & Answer period for attendees
We're trying something new in 2022! When you register for one webinar, you'll register for all 12 so you can use the same link every month!
The mid-month COVID Update webinars will have their own link so be sure to register!
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ForHumanity Conference on Disability Inclusion & Bias Mitigation
January 12th, 2022 - 1 to 4 pm ET
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2022 Annual Disability Statistics Conference & State of the Science on Disability Statistics Conference
Date: Thursday and Friday, March 10-11, 2022
Time: 11:00 am – 4:30 pm (ET)
Location: Streaming online via Zoom and in-person at the Holiday Inn, 550 C St SW, Washington, DC
Cost: Free
Day One: State-of-the-Science Conference on Disability Statistics
Gain insights to new research and methods in disability data collection, analytical techniques, and advanced statistical analyses of key topics.
Day Two: 2020 Annual Disability Statistics Conference
Featuring the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium and related documents, discover the latest disability statistics, including demographic, intersectional, economic, social, and health statistics for people with disabilities with comparisons to people without disabilities.
This in-person and online event is hosted by the University of New Hampshire, Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC). StatsRRTC strives to be inclusive, accessible, and enables everyone to fully engage. Live captioning, CART, and ASL interpretation are available for all attendees. Contact Karen.Volle@unh.edu to request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility.
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2022 Events: Call For Presenters |
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Harkin International Disability Summit
Belfast International Conference Centre,
Belfast, Northern Ireland
7-8, June 2022
Following the success of the Harkin International Disability Employment Summit in Iowa in 2021, we can’t wait to bring the Summit to Belfast, Northern Ireland, working in partnership with the Northern Ireland Executive’s Department for Communities.
Harkin Belfast 2022 will provide a platform for individuals and organisations to challenge for change, celebrate and share success, and positively reframe the narrative on how we approach, support and enable persons with disabilities to achieve their career goals and aspirations.
Call for Expressions of Interest
For the first time, we invite leaders and activists at all levels globally, to develop and submit expressions of interest for items they want to deliver as part of this exciting two-day Summit. You bring the content, we will provide the platform.
Under a headline theme of ‘Disability: Shaping, Growing and Driving Economic Change’, we invite creative minds to come forward with content applications in the form of Key Note Speakers, Presentations & Showcases, Panel Discussions, and Workshops under a range of sub-themes:
- Nurturing the next generation of disabled innovators
- Say THE word!: Mainstreaming disability in the diversity and inclusion agenda
- How can the government get it right?
- Innovating through a pandemic: New opportunities
- Still Taboo: Disability in media, communications and corporate Imagery
- Data that drives change.
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RespectAbility Summit 2022
Sunday, July 31 – Tuesday, August 2 on Capitol Hill
You are invited to join RespectAbility for three days of fantastic sessions that prepare people with disabilities and the disability community for a better future.
This event will be fully accessible, with an ASL interpreter and live captions. We currently expect the event to be in-person. We will require that all attendees be vaccinated, unless they have a medical exemption. This event will also be recorded and shared with open captions.
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Save the Dates!
Mid-Atlantic ADA Conference 2022
TransCen and the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, in collaboration with the Great Plains ADA Center, will host ADAcon, the 29th Annual Mid-Atlantic Conference on the Americans with Disabilities Act!
Tuesday, October 11, Wednesday, October 12, and Thursday, October 13, 2022
- Call for presentation proposals will be issued in early 2022.
- Registration will open late spring, 2022.
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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, Secretary, JBG SMITH Companies
- 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
- Sophie Howard, Chair, General Dynamics IT
- Eduardo Meza-Etienne, eSSENTIAL Accessibility
- Chrisonna Palmer, Vice Chair, EY
- Carrie Martin, MAXAR Technologies
- Jamel Walker, Leidos
- 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 Consulting Group
- Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC
- Rikki Epstein, The Arc of Northern VA
- Sylvia Henri-Wonasue, Lockheed Martin
- Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
- Craig Leen, K&L Gates, 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
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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