October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month in the US. As an employer, WeCo’s Certified Test Consultant team includes individuals living with one or more type of disability recognized by the US Department of Human services: sight, hearing, motor skill and cognitive. Our internal staff is also made up almost entirely of people living with disabilities. (Currently, only one internal staff member does not.)
Because WeCo’s mission includes raising public awareness regarding the abilities of this often overlooked portion of the workforce, our celebration focuses on ways we can educate and inspire other small businesses and organizations to employ individuals who experience an unemployment rate that is ten times that of the national average*.
In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month,WeCo’s free public accessibility resources (this blog, webinars, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages) will be centered on disability employment topics. You can look forward to some of the following items to be discussed in our forums:
- The Great Employment Divide: Case studies and stories regarding the vast employment and underemployment rate among people living with disabilities and how it impacts real people and families.
- Government or Doing Business With Government? Hiring Talented People Living With Disabilities: Special focus on meeting the new 7% hiring requirements under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Reasonable Accommodation Without Fear: Tips for employers and managers regarding including people living with disabilities into your workforce. It’s more about listening and less about cost!
- Putting Success to Work: Real life stories of employers and employees who have successfully used reasonable accommodation in the workplace and how they did it.
If there are topics you’d like to see WeCo cover this month, please feel free to reach out to me directly via email. Our fast and flexible staff and Certified Test Team is here is assist you in learning more about accessibility and just how possible it is for all organizations, larger and small, government and private, to participate in providing employment for people based upon their talents and abilities!
Lynn Wehrman
WeCo President and Test Management Team Director
[email protected]
*Source:http://www.disabilityfunders.org/disability-stats-and-facts
Come visit our community on LinkedIn: Disability Employment Connection (DEC)!
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