Employing Floridians with Disabilities, Local Resources & Answering Your Questions

January 2023

EMPLOYER SPOTLIGHT

VyStar Credit Union

As we work with employers around Florida, we appreciate the opportunity to share their story about local partnerships In a recent webinar, Brian Wolfburg, President and CEO of VyStar Credit Union in Jacksonville, discussed their partnership with Arc Jacksonville and gave a few tips on how employers can successfully employ persons with disabilities.

Work with your local service provider and build a strong relationship.
Keep communications open with the service provider to ensure they understand your needs and can help you find the right person.
Start slow and make sure your organization is ready, but stay on track and continue to build your program.

Click below to watch the recorded webinar, and let us know if we can help connect you to employment service resources in your area.

Watch Here

PROJECT VENTURE JUDGING BEGINS

First round judging for the 2023 Project Venture competition begins this week. Thank you to our panel of judges!

Whitney Doyle, Executive Director, Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology, Inc.
Charles Hokanson, Senior Vice President, Florida Community Engagement · Helios Education Foundation
Philip Quick, Staffing Coordinator, Amazon
Dr. Janice Seabrooks-Blackmore, Executive Director of the Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities, UCF

Follow along with the High School High Tech teams from across Florida who are in the running to compete in March for the top prize for the best new business or service idea.

Learn More

LET US SPOTLIGHT YOUR EFFORTS

Many companies across Florida are employing persons with disabilities and we want to highlight their efforts. Check out how businesses - large and small - are succeeding by employing persons with disabilities. And if your company has a success story, let us know so employers can learn from your experience.

Asking the

Hard Questions

As we begin 2023, the team at The Able Trust would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year!

I would also like to take a moment to reflect on 2022, particularly the opportunities to meet with employers around Florida and hear their questions about disability employment.

During one of these meetings, we sat down with members of the Southwest Regional Manufacturers Association and the Sarasota-Manatee Manufacturers Association. We appreciate the time they took to meet with us and there were a number of participants who were interested in hiring Floridians with disabilities but were not sure where to start, and they had questions they weren't sure about asking.

Creating room for an open and frank conversation is an important first step to employing job seekers with disabilities. We understand that if an employer is unfamiliar with hiring people with disabilities, they will have questions.

Our goal is to provide that opportunity where employers can be open about their concerns. If you are interested in hiring persons with disabilities and you have questions, we would be glad to have that first phone call. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at [email protected] to start the conversation.

Allison Chase

President

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What We're Reading

Are Employers Required to Accommodate Employees

with Disabilities?

In a recent online interview with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), Zac Bradley, a disability rights advocate who serves as a vocational specialist with The Shepherd Center in Atlanta, discusses the Americans with Disabilities Act, the importance of remote work for employees with disabilities and simple ways companies can support these workers.

Your support ensures Floridians with disabilities have opportunities to gain meaningful employment.

To make your tax-deductible donation to The Able Trust,

CLICK HERE.

Forward this newsletter to other colleagues, and business and community leaders who are interested in disability employment.

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our mailing list.

We welcome the opportunity to answer your questions about disability employment. Invite us to speak at your upcoming board meeting, conference or webinar.

CLICK HERE to fill out our

Speaker Request form.

The Able Trust, also known as the Florida Endowment Foundation for Vocational Rehabilitation, is a 501(c)(3) public charity established by the Florida Legislature in 1990 as a direct support organization for the

Florida Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. Its mission is to be a key leader in providing

Floridians with disabilities opportunities for successful employment.

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