Employment Webinars

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Target Audience: individuals with disabilities and their family members, benefits navigators, direct service providers, provider agencies, self-advocates, advocacy agency staff, workforce development board members, and state agencies leaders

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In the 8 years since the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) was passed into law, the American economy has profoundly changed. Major structural changes among industries, companies, and contractors have accelerated thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and new economic policies from the Biden Administration. Throughout these tumultuous years, American Job Centers (AJCs) / America’s Job Centers of California (AJCCs) have been crucial for the delivery of workforce services to thousands of workers. As the labor force participation rate for workers with disabilities rapidly increases to historical highs, jobseekers with disabilities need supports and services that will meet their needs and help them earn an income. However, the working professionals at AJCs/AJCCs may not have received any formal training on disability etiquette, accessibility, assistive technology, or best practices.

This webinar offered a high-level overview of proven practices and lessons learned for serving jobseekers with disabilities through the workforce development system. Attendees learned from a subject matter expert who has collected simple, practical, and cost-effective solutions to help advance opportunities for jobseekers with disabilities. [continue reading…]

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The federal government is actively working to capitalize on the accessibility gains made by remote work and striving to implement policies to promote the safety of workers in diverse sectors of the economy. This webinar featured three key high-level federal leaders reflecting on their work, their priorities and their hopes for the months ahead. [continue reading…]

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Neurodiversity, system collaborations and transition services for youth with disabilities are some of the most cutting-edge topics in the wider world of disability employment. Fostering cooperation between different programs is critical for achieving transformative results for people with significant barriers to employment.

The Neurodiversity at Work programs at the Kennedy Krieger Institute is built on a foundation of interdisciplinary and interagency collaboration. It offers critical lessons and emerging practices for other youth serving agencies, organizations, and programs. This webinar discussed in detail what makes Kennedy Krieger’s work successful. [continue reading…]

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The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic crisis have necessitated the shift to virtual services for many key educational, occupational and transitional service programs. As a part of the constellation of programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) support youth with disabilities during a critical time of their lives. Many states have been scrambling to manage the shift to virtual services and struggling to develop best practices to support client success.

Leaders in Tennessee’s vocational rehabilitation system have published a thorough best practice guide reflecting critical lessons and valuable insights gained about providing effective virtual Pre-Employment Transition Services. This free online learning opportunity directly enabled engaged workforce leaders and self-advocates to understand what works, what is changing and how to plan for an exciting virtual future. [continue reading…]

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As more people get vaccinated and companies begin reopening their offices, it is critical to reflect on key lessons from the past year of Zoom calls and remote work. Watch a special conversation with disability employment expert, business leader, and inclusion innovator Jim Sinocchi. Jim talked about how JPMorgan Chase has reshaped their accessibility efforts, how they deliver accommodations both in the office and remotely, and what opportunities lay ahead for future leaders with disabilities. This fireside chat gave audience members unprecedented access to ask their most burning questions about disability employment and the post-COVID world. [continue reading…]

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Best practices in diversity and inclusion have been hot topics in discussion around corporate recruitment, hiring and retention. However, disability inclusion often gets lost in discussions about talent management strategies. Global Disability Inclusion and Mercer have recently published an in-depth report detailing critical insights about the employment experiences of people with disabilities and how to prioritize the needs of employees with disabilities.

Featuring over 12 million data sets, the Global Disability Inclusion & Mercer report on The State of Disability Employee Engagement is an unprecedented opportunity for C-Suite leaders, Diversity Leaders and HR Professionals to better understand what is likely 15-20% of your employee population. We gathered the report’s lead investigators for a critical discussion on what works, what does not, and how to improve efforts to empower talented employees with disabilities.

Also part of this conversation was RespectAbility’s own Director of Inclusive Philanthropy and Development, Franklin Anderson. Franklin helped facilitate the discussion of how the Mercer report reflects critical lessons learned in the field of non-profit management and how organizations can better operationalize disability inclusion best practices.

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Lessons from the 2020 Election for approximately 38 million Voters with Disabilities.

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Amid a global pandemic, fierce civil strife and a major economic crisis, millions of Americans safely and securely cast their ballots in 2020. More than in any previous election, the disability community was engaged, active, and made their voices heard. What lessons need to be learned from this election? How did expanded mail and absentee voting options help people with disabilities? What barriers still keep members of America’s largest minority community from casting their ballots? How did COVID-19 change the electoral landscape?

These are some of the critical questions answered by the groundbreaking work of Professors Lisa Schur and Douglas Kruse of the Rutgers Program for Disability Research. Professors Schur and Kruse joined RespectAbility for a special webinar reflecting on what their research shows and how future elections can be more inclusive. This webinar reflected on research recently published by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and identified key topics for future disability advocacy. [continue reading…]

A Resource Guide to Achieving Economic Independence and Inclusion Through Employment and Entrepreneurship

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Developed by Ollie Cantos, People with Disabilities at Work is a brand-new resource to support the aspirations and accomplishments of students with disabilities, jobseekers, entrepreneurs with disabilities, and their families.

People with Disabilities at Work is a step-by-step guide covering critical topics around employment best practices, civil rights in the workplace, accessing services, closing the gap in education outcomes, and expanding career options for jobseekers with disabilities. This guide also explores how to drive greater inclusion in the non-profit sector, success in the private sector, and even how to become an entrepreneur with disabilities.

The audience for this guide is as wide and diverse as the disability community itself. Maybe you are a jobseeker with disabilities who wants to better understand work incentives and benefits planning. You might be a parent or a teacher who is helping your student with disabilities become a better self-advocate. Or maybe you are an employer who wants to embrace disability as part of your pursuit of a talented workforce and a more equitable workplace. Whoever you are, you will find something useful in this incredible new ebook. [continue reading…]