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Dear Friend,
We hope your spring is off to an easeful start. At Disability:IN Minnesota, we have been busy celebrating program achievements and gearing up for an exciting month ahead!
Last month, Disability:IN Minnesota hosted an interactive Member Meeting on the State of Minnesota's Employer Reasonable Accommodation Fund (ERAF) for small and midsize businesses. Thanks to Ray McCoy of Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for a great presentation! In case you missed it, watch the recording.
On March 29, we celebrated the conclusion of the 2024 Career Connections Mentoring Program. Congratulations and thank you to all of the dedicated mentees, mentors, and Disability:IN Minnesota board volunteers made this cohort possible. It was another successful year of new connections, great ideas, and a diversity of skills and passions. Continue reading to get to know some of our 2024 mentees!
This month, Disability:IN Minnesota will partner with Disability:IN North Texas to host “Impact of Mentoring on Employment & Career Success” on Thursday, April 18, from 2:00 - 3:00 PM (CT). The following week, we’ll have the pleasure of hosting the 2024 Virtual INclusive Career Fair on Friday, April 26 from 1:00 - 4:00 PM (CT). Whether you’re looking for a new job or looking for skilled candidates to join your team, you won’t want to miss this event. Register today!
In April, we also observe Autism Awareness Month, Limb Loss Awareness Month, World Primary Immunodeficiency Week (April 20-27), and National MS Awareness Week (April 24-30). Join us in observing these important dates by learning more about intersectionality and Autism and the newly disabled children who lost limbs in Gaza.
To view all 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 learning resources, upcoming events, and opportunities to support 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. April 2024 appears in dark blue text at the bottom right-hand corner. | |
April Member Meeting: Impact of Mentoring on Employment & Career Success | |
ID: Impact of Mentoring on Employment & Career Success in white text against a dark blue background. Virtual Event hosted by Disability:IN North Texas. Thursday, April 18 at 2:00 PM CT. Featuring headshots of Moderator Mary Leone and panelists Ethan Ochs, Aaron Weikum, and Lauren Hunter. | |
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Join us for a virtual conversation on the "Impact of Mentoring on Employment & Career Success," hosted in partnership with Disability:IN North Texas.
Thursday, April 18, 2024
2:00 – 3:00 PM (CT)
This collaborative event will explore the importance of mentoring programs and the positive impact of mentors, mentees, and allies in fostering inclusive and productive workplaces.
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Register Now! 2024 INclusive Career Fair | | |
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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Have you registered 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 who are 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!
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2024 Career Connections Mentee Spotlight! | |
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Job or opportunity of interest: Research Scientist, Quality Control, Assistant in a lab…food, pharmaceutical, medical devices or genetics.
Education: North Hennepin Community College and Bemidji State University
Field of Study: Biology
Top Strength: Resilience
Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn.
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ID: Headshot of Melissa Sawyer, a white woman with long blonde hair. Melissa is wearing a white blouse and is standing in a laboratory. | |
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Job or opportunity of interest: Digital Marketing
Education: Graduated from St. Cloud State in 2023
Field of Study: Business
Top Strength: Leadership
Connect with Lauren on LinkedIn.
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ID: Headshot of Lauren Schaenzer who has short blonde hair and glasses. Lauren is wearing a pink top and smiling at the camera. | |
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Featuring....
Ann Macheledt, Disability:IN Minnesota Board Member and Staff Development Specialist at Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Vocational Rehabilitation Services
What does cultivating a culture of inclusion mean to you?
Cultivating a culture of inclusion can involve and mean many things to me. I love what the recent Accenture Disability Inclusion Imperative report (a research report produced by Accenture jointly with Disability:IN and AAPD) identified as the "A list framework” to foster and facilitate disability inclusion. This A list includes: Broaden Access, Raise Awareness, Foster Advocacy, Integrate Action, and Ensure Accountability. I encourage everyone to read this fantastic report to obtain further insights and best practice ideas for creating a more inclusive environment. Remember too that Disability:IN Minnesota is here to support you wherever you are at on your journey in striving for and/or achieving inclusion success.
What is one best practice you hope to see more employers implement to improve disability inclusion?
One best practice that I would really like to see more employers implement is diversifying their supply chain with disability-owned businesses. Many Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs) not only provide great services or products to meet the needs of employers, they also often have a model of hiring people with disabilities within their business as well. So, you are multiplying the impact you have on disability hiring in the workplace. Learn more about the Economic Impact of Certified Disability-Owned Business Enterprises.
ID: Headshot of Ann Macheledt, a white woman with short brunette hair. Ann is smiling and is wearing a pink 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? Are you interested in becoming a member of Disability:IN Minnesota? Contact us today! | |
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The Importance of Document Accessibility
Virtual Lunch & Learn
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Join Disability:IN DC Metro on April 18 at 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM (CT) for "The Importance of Document Accessibility," an informative 75-minute webinar as Chad Chelius delves into the critical topic of document accessibility.
Disability:IN Minnesota members may register as a Collaborative Member for $10 using discount code "COLLAB."
Accessibility: ASL interpretation and captioning will be provided. The session will be provided.
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ID: A photo of a home office featuring a desk with pencils, paper, glasses, and a laptop. Various digital and disability icons overlay and surround the laptop screen. | |
Updates from Disability:IN National | |
Join IN to Celebrate Autism Acceptance Month | |
ID: Graphic banner reads Awareness Drives Acceptance in yellow and white text against a dark blue background. A red infinity sign and decorative white sparkles surround the text. | | |
April is Autism Acceptance Month! This year, we’re exploring the theme, “Awareness Drives Acceptance,” While progress has been made, there is still work to be done to increase understanding and acceptance of the Autistic Community. | |
2024 Global Conference & Expo | |
ID: Graphic reads Are You IN? 2024 Disability:IN Conference. July 15-18, Las Vegas in bold white text against a bright blue and green gradient background. | |
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The countdown to the 2024 Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo has begun! This year's Conference will be held July 15-18, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. View the 2024 Conference Agenda. We’re thrilled to open our waitlist for general attendees. To join our waitlist, please visit the Conference registration page, select 'General Attendee,' and follow the prompted instructions. Joining our waitlist will allow us to notify you when spaces become available.
If you are a Disability:IN Affiliate, please reach out to us at Conference@DisabilityIN.org. A member of our team will provide you with the necessary registration code.
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Virtual Conference Information | |
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April
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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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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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