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Dear Friends,
We hope you are looking forward to springing ahead and leaping into March by reading all the news Disability:IN Minnesota has to offer.
Last month, we co-hosted a well-attended and thought provoking Member Meeting on topics of identity, oppression, and self-expression. Thank you to presenters Shelly Rohe and Charlotte Hayes for sharing their personal stories and insights with us. Watch the recording of “Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable.”
We are hosting another Member Meeting, “Access for All: Empowering Inclusive Workplaces through Accommodations” on Wednesday, March 13 at 12:00 PM (CT). This session will cover the State of Minnesota's Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) for small and midsize businesses. Don’t wait to register!
As we approach the 4 year mark of the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, we mourn the millions of lives being lost to COVID, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Earlier this month, the CDC officially dropped isolation guidelines for COVID-19, sparking controversy amongst medical experts and the disability community, who are disproportionately impacted by the virus. Check out this video resource by disability advocates on how to keep yourself and your community safe from communicable diseases.
Looking ahead, we are excited for our 2024 Virtual INclusive Career Fair on Friday, April, 26 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM CT. We hope to see you there! To view disability awareness dates and observances, check out Disability:IN’s 2024 Calendar. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date with resources, upcoming events, and ways to build awareness of disability inclusion.
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ID: Disability: IN Minnesota and NEWS IS: IN in dark blue and green text in front of a light green and blue gradient background. There is a white envelope illustration in the center of the graphic and an outline of a megaphone at the bottom left-hand corner. March 2024 appears in dark blue text at the bottom right-hand corner. | |
Register Now: March Member Meeting | |
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Join us virtually for our March Member Meeting: "Access for All: Empowering Inclusive Workplaces through Accommodations."
Wednesday, March 13, 2024
12:00 – 1:00 PM (CT)
Did you know small and mid-sized Minnesota employers can request reimbursement for expenses related to providing workplace accommodations?
This session will explore the State of Minnesota's Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) with Ray McCoy of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Learn more and register today!
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Small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations who are interested in becoming a member of Disability:IN Minnesota are welcome to attend this meeting for free using promo code "ACCOMMODATIONS2024" with a Non-Member ticket.
ID: Disability:IN Minnesota March Member Meeting, Access for All, Empowering Inclusive Workplaces through Accommodations. March 13, 12:00 - 1:00 PM CT in white text in front of a dark blue background with green decorative borders. Above the text is a photo of a disabled professional with light skin in a wheelchair completing paperwork at a desk.
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Registration is Open! 2024 INclusive Career Fair | | |
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Join us for Disability:IN Minnesota's 2024 Virtual INclusive Career Fair!
Friday, April 26, 2024
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (CT)
Who should attend?
Employers committed to creating a more diverse and disability-inclusive workforce
Job Seekers with disabilities
- College students
- Recent graduates
- Veterans
- People actively seeking employment
The 2024 INclusive Virtual Career Fair will be held via Zoom and is open to the public. Space is limited, register today!
Learn more and share with your networks!
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ID: Disability:IN Minnesota 2024 Inclusive Career Fair, April 26, 2024, 1:00 - 4:00 PM CT in green and blue text against a white background. To the right is a photo of a disabled professional with hearing aids drinking a cup of coffee and working at a laptop. Green and dark blue angular shapes surround the image. | |
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Featuring....
Shannon Perry, Disability:IN Minnesota Board Member, Culinary Product Specialist, and Disability Awareness ERG Lead at Land O' Lakes, Inc.
What is one disability topic or trend you think employers should be thinking about to make their companies more inclusive and accessible to disabled employees?
My current favorite workplace topic to address is safety. Here at Land O Lakes we promote a culture of safety, and this year our employee resource group (ERG) made it the theme of our yearly request to leadership. We are advocating for physical and mental safety, while representing the disabled community on our return to the workplace initiative. Safety for me encompasses many topics including, 1) spaces where our neurodiverse employees can find quiet on campus, 2) continuing to operate in a hybrid environment so people with compromised immune systems can still participate, and 3) ensuring all employees know about the accommodations in our campus safety plan. Safety is not the most glamorous of topics, but it is one that I am most often asked about.
In your own words, what is intersectionality and why does it matter when cultivating a work culture of inclusion?
I have heard that words like intersectionality are divisive, but if anything, I see our intersections as opportunities for learning and growing. People with disabilities may come from any race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religious background; disability knows no boundaries. We try to be cognizant of the multiple ways people can be marginalized and how we can show allyship and advocate for all our fellow employees. For example, this June during Pride month, we are co-hosting an event with our Pride Alliance here at Land O' Lakes, in the past our ERG has partnered with Asian Affinity, African Ancestry, Veterans, and Aging Successfully among others. Our shared disabled existence give us a chance to learn more about other aspects of people's lives and how they may experience disability differently than ourselves.
ID: Headshot of Shannon Perry, a white woman with short brunette hair. Shannon is smiling and is wearing a navy blue blouse.
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Do you work for a Disability:IN Minnesota member company and want to be featured in our monthly member column? Contact us today!
Are you interested in becoming a member of Disability:IN Minnesota? We would love to connect with you! Please contact us at info@di-mn.org to learn more.
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Thank you to our Renewing Members! | |
ID: Business logos for Disability:IN Minnesota renewing members Land O' Lakes, Inc. and Jemini, Inc. | |
Creating Communications that Work for Everyone | |
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Join Disability:IN Chicagoland in collaboration with Disability:IN national, for a training on Wednesday, April 3 from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM (CT), on" Creating Communications that Work for Everyone." Paul Ciaccia, Content Coordinator at Disability:IN, will offer practical information on accessibility
tools for various communication formats to ensure inclusive and accessible
messaging. He will also share specific guidance to create accessible
documents, emails and presentations.
Learn best practices to ensure your corporate and personal communications are both inclusive and accessible. Disability:IN Chicagoland affiliate partners (including Disability:IN Minnesota Members) can register for free promo code "AffiliatePartner."
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Contact Laura Wilhelm to request an accommodation at 312-480-6623 or Laura@di-chi.org. | |
ID: Two disabled professionals working together at a desk with a laptop. | |
Updates from Disability:IN National | |
On the Verge: Disability & Sustainability Reporting | | |
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65% of Fortune 500 companies now include workforce disability inclusion in their annual sustainability reports. However, only 10% provide quantitative workforce disclosures for employees with disabilities.
Check out Disability:IN's latest report, "On the Verge: Disability & Sustainability Reporting," which analyzes voluntary sustainability reporting practices among U.S. Fortune 500 companies and showcases how leading companies have integrated disability into their corporate materiality matrices.
ID: On the Verge, Disability and Sustainability Reporting, an analysis of voluntary sustainability reporting practices in the US Fortune 500, 2021-2023. Disability:IN in white text against a dark blue background. There are decorative light-blue gradient waves at the bottom of the graphic.
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Disability:IN recognizes that accessibility intersects with every aspect of inclusion. Stay up to date on the latest accessibility news and resources with the March A11y Roundup. | |
ID: Digital accessibility illustration featuring various green and blue icons including a person on a computer screen, a globe, internet icons, speech bubbles, brief cases, graduation cap, a clipboard and checklist, an arrow, a box, and magnifying glasses against a grey-ish blue background | |
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March
April
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April 3, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Creating Communications that Work for Everyone
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April 19, INclusive Career Fair registration deadline for employers
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April 19, 12:00 - 1:00 PM: INclusive Career Fair Employer Prep Session (for registered employers)
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April 23, 12:00 - 1:00 PM: INclusive Career Fair Job Seeker Prep Session (for registered job seekers)
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April 24, INclusive Career Fair registration deadline for job seekers
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April 26, 1:00 – 4:00 PM, Virtual INclusive Career Fair
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Partner calendar events can be accessed using the links below:
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Planning a disability inclusion event? | |
Expanding your event to include Disability:IN Minnesota members can increase visibility of your company's disability inclusion efforts and offer learning opportunities to members at varying points in their journey. Contact us today to add your disability inclusion event to our calendar! |
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Disability:IN Minnesota is an employer-led endeavor that promotes best practices that enhance employment and career opportunities for skilled individuals who have a disability.
Our members are committed to disability-inclusive hiring practices and love to share best practices and ideas for recruiting, hiring, on-boarding and supporting candidates and employees with disabilities.
Learn more about our organization and benefits or contact us today.
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