Page 25 - ABILITY Magazine - Best Practices Employment

The most recent Gift of Opportunity Symposium, again sponsored by Aetna Foundation, featured keynote addresses by John Lancaster, executive direc- tor of the National Council on Independent Living, and Kyle Maynard, champion wrestler and recipient of the 2004 ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Dis- ability. Maynard, who was born with a condition called congenital amputation (giving him arms that end at the elbows and legs that end near his knees), was once described by a coach as “one of the most amazing athletes who has ever lived,” and is author of the book No Excuses.
This year’s symposium highlighted recent successes in expanding employment opportunities in Connecticut for people with disabilities. For example, Jeannie Hamilton, director of organizational development for Walgreens, discussed the company’s plans to build new distribution centers in South Carolina and Connecticut and to recruit workers with severe cognitive disabilities—with an emphasis on autism—to fill one third of the positions at each facility. Both distribution centers will be fitted with custom-made high-tech equipment that will enable workers with severe cognitive disabilities to perform critical jobs.
Lana Smart, from the National Business Disability Council, talked to employers about the Emerging Leaders program, a paid summer internship program for high-performing college students with disabilities. This program gives employers who may not have an extensive track record in hiring people with disabilities the opportunity to work with talented college students, helping expose the students to the business world while also helping the companies increase the diversity in their workplaces.
The attendees at the Gift of Opportunity Symposium learned about the positive impact of recruiting workers with disabilities
Qualities that make the Gift of Opportunity Sympo- sium unique include the strong public-private partner- ship created by Aetna Foundation’s financial sponsor- ship of the event, as well as the creative collaboration between government and the business community in planning its contents. The support the symposium has received from numerous chambers of commerce throughout Connecticut provides strong evidence for the success of this collaboration.
But the most impressive thing about the symposium is the results. Employers are showing up in large numbers to be part of the conversation about employing people with disabilities, and that has helped create a momen- tum for change within Connecticut.
Dave Ritz, assistant vice president and employment manager at Liberty Bank in Middletown, Connecticut, has attended the past two Gift of Opportunity sympo- siums and notes, “Each was a very moving experience for me, and I’m sure for the many Connecticut employers and employees who attended. It will always remain with us that hiring people with disabilities can only bring increased productivity to any organization. The bank I work for highly recommends that these symposiums continue until every employer in this state has gotten the word regarding employees with disabili- ties. There is no greater cause we could be fighting for in today’s employment market.”
Connecticut Labor Department officials feel that the success of the Gift of Opportunity symposium could be easily duplicated in other states. The key is to tap into the business relationships that a state already has and use those relationships to build momentum. The event doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to get started—it just requires creative planning. The first Connecticut symposium cost only about $4,000 total to implement.
Finding a corporate sponsor in the state helps lend credibility to the event by showing that the business community buys into the goal of promoting the employment of people with disabilities. Labor Depart- ment officials hope that this increased awareness in the employer community will lead to greater opportu- nities for other talented job seekers with disabilities— like the opportunities afforded Joe Stromondo.
Stromondo notes, “You never know what you’re getting into, whether you are the job applicant or the employer. Fear is the biggest barrier to anything in your life. My best advice to prospective employers is to release yourself from your fears.”
by Mike Bartley
For questions about the Gift of Opportunity Symposium, contact Mike Bartley at 800.263.6513