|
Dear Friends,
This month, we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month, a campaign started by autistic advocates in 2011, dedicated to embracing neurodiversity and fostering social acceptance. I am grateful to all the self-advocates, through groups like Autistic Self Advocacy Network and the Autism Society of Minnesota, who have taught me about life with autism, while I advocate for my autistic son. I am grateful that Disability:IN Minnesota has neurodiversity represented on our board and throughout our membership. Representation matters in creating a more inclusive future.
The workplace of today is more open to accommodating and celebrating people with autism, but we still have work to do. People on the autism spectrum are an underemployed group who experience more challenges attaining competitive, integrated employment. Simple steps can be taken to reduce employment barriers, including using plain language and ensuring accessibility in the interview process. Normalizing accommodations allows more people to succeed in attaining employment. Creating workplace cultures of inclusion, where people don’t feel the need to hide themselves, allows all employees to do more and go further. If you are interested in learning more about how we might work together on disability inclusion, through membership or training, please reach out to myself or any of our board members.
In April, we are also excited to host our annual Disability:IN Minnesota’s 2026 Virtual INclusive Career Fair. We are still accepting new employers for virtual tables and more job seekers. If you are interested, please follow the link and register. Additionally, we have resume review rooms available if you are seeking to improve your current resume. We look forward to this event all year and really enjoy matching job seekers up with our wonderful employers.
Regards,
Shannon Perry, Board Chair
| | ID: Two women representing Disability:IN Minnesota smile from behind a promotional table covered in a navy blue and white branded tablecloth. The table is stocked with various snacks, candies, and informational brochures for event attendees. Set against a light stone wall, the scene captures a professional yet welcoming outreach booth at the Special Olympics Minnesota event. | | Thank you for your participation! | | |
Your responses to our community survey gave us valuable insights to shape 2026 and 2027 programming at Disability:IN Minnesota.
We heard that you find gaining new insights into disability inclusion of highest importance, and yet you are still seeking more content around:
- Inclusive Leadership and Culture
- Workplace Accommodations
- Recruitment and Outreach Strategies.
We are listening! Keep your eye out for future programming informed by your voices to meet the continually evolving disability landscape.
| | ID: Graphic banner for Hennepin County features the headline "Inclusive Employment Connections" alongside a "Join Us" invitation on a light blue background. To the right, a flat-style illustration depicts two men—one using a wheelchair—collaborating at a desk with a laptop. The top right corner includes the official Hennepin County logo, emphasizing a theme of workplace diversity and partnership. | | |
Inclusive Employment Connections
Join us for Hennepin County's in-person event to help people with disabilities build employment connections. Event highlights include professional photos, opportunities to connect with employment service providers and local businesses, presentations on employment-related topics, and more.
Monday, April 13,
3:00 to 7:00 p.m. (CDT)
Embassy Suites by Hilton Minneapolis Airport
7901 34th Ave S, Bloomington, MN 55425
Schedule
3:15 - 7:00 p.m. Visit vendor resource tables
3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Panel of young adults sharing their employment experiences
3:30 - 6:30 p.m. Get your professional photo taken
4:30 - 5:00 p.m. Resume building presentation by Kaposia
5:00 - 5:30 p.m. Navigating the transition from school to work
Registration
Register online -or-
Email CommunityInfoSessions@hennepin.us with the name of the event and the attendee’s email address and phone number.
Hosted by Hennepin County’s Long Term Supports and Services
| | ID: Graphic with a bright blue background and an illustrated man wearing business casual, holding an oversized magnifying glass. The graphic reads: INclusive Career Fair, April 24th 2026, virtual event, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm CT. The Disability:IN Minnesota logo appears in the lower right corner. |
| |
2026 INclusive Career Fair
Are you looking for a new job, or are you an employer looking to connect with skilled candidates to join your team? Join us for Disability:IN Minnesota's virtual 2026 INclusive Career Fair!
Friday, April 24, 2026
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM CT
Virtual Event
| | |
Join us for:
- Employer presentations
- Career networking
- 1:1 informational interviews
- Resume reviews
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
Why attend?
Employers: Connect with qualified and talented job candidates. (Member and nonmember rates available)
Job Seekers: It's free! Explore a wide variety of positions and connect with employers who are committed to growing a disability-inclusive workforce.
Accessibility: Live captioning will be provided for this event. If you need accommodations to participate, please request them via the registration form. Contact info@DI-MN.org with questions.
| |
Thank You
2026 INclusive Career Fair Sponsors
| | ID: Logos for Disability:IN Minnesota INclusive Career Fair Sponsors. Inclusive Champion Sponsor Lifeworks. Inclusive Partners are Element, U.S. Bank and Mayo Clinic | | |
Want to sponsor an event?
Invest in disability inclusion today! There are a variety of benefits to sponsoring the next Disability:IN Minnesota event, including recognition during the event, on Disability:IN Minnesota's webpage, on social media, and more. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for an event, please contact us at info@di-mn.org.
| | Thank you, renewing members! | | ID: Logos for Disability:IN Minnesota renewing members: Allianz and Medtronic. | | Updates from Disability:IN National | | Autism Awareness Month Resources | | |
Autism at Work Playbook
The essential "foundational guide" for organizations starting their inclusive hiring journey. This resource focuses specifically on the recruitment and onboarding to help employers create success for autistic talent.
-
Sourcing and Recruiting: Strategies for finding talent and implementing skills-based assessments that remove traditional interview barriers.
-
Organizational Readiness: Training modules to prepare managers and teams to become an "autism-ready" workplace.
-
Program Infrastructure: Step-by-step guidance on making the business case and scaling an initial pilot program.
| ID: Graphic reads "Autism @ Work Playbook" in white serif text against a dark green background. Above the text is a collage of abstract geometric shapes in light green. |
| |
Neurodiversity at Work Playbook
Developed by Disability:IN and the University of Washington, the Employee Engagement & Growth Series offers actionable strategies to help organizations move beyond hiring and focus on the long-term success of neurodivergent talent. This toolkit includes:
-
Five Key Focus Areas: Guidance on culture, change management, manager transitions, career advancement, and psychological safety.
-
Strategic & Tactical Toolkits: Deep-dive "Playbooks" for long-term organizational planning paired with "Manager Quick Guides" for immediate, everyday support.
-
Proven Best Practices: Research-backed insights from over 20 leading employers, including Microsoft, Google, and SAP.
| | ID: Graphic reads "Neurodiversity @ Work Playbook" in white serif text against a dark navy background. Above the text is a collage of abstract geometric shapes in light green. | | Disability:IN Global Conference - Register Now | | |
2026 Disability:IN Global Conference
Dallas, TX, July 27-30.
Attending the 2026 Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo offers a unique opportunity to join a network of over 990 companies from 40+ countries to drive business innovation through disability inclusion. Participants gain access to cutting-edge insights on topics like Human-Centered AI, Neuroinclusion, and Supply Chain Strategy, while the Expo Hall provides a premier showroom for the latest in accessibility technology. Beyond the educational sessions, the event facilitates high-level networking and curated matchmaking designed to help leaders across product, marketing, and operations build authentic, data-driven solutions that work better for more people.
| | ID: Graphic has a dark blue background with gradient bars (green to lighter blue) coming up from the bottom of the image. Above the bars, it reads, "Are You IN? 2026 Global Conference." | | 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! | | |
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.
| | ID: Graphic reads "Are you IN?" in dark blue and green text against a white background. | | | | |
