January Newsletter
Greetings!
1st Annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities Celebration event graphic with 4 diverse characters and reference to Celebrate, Learn and Share--December 8 2021 event 8 - 10 am
Happy 2022! There is a lot to be thankful for in 2021 and many things to look forward to in 2022.

One big event was our 1st Annual International Day of Persons with Disabilities Celebration in December. It was a huge success and we wanted to thank our sponsors and everyone who participated. What a great way to close out 2021!

As we begin 2022, there is a lot to look forward to! We will continue to host our 4 pillar events:
  • Career Connections Mentoring Program (1st Quarter, January - April)
  • INclusive Career Fair (2nd Quarter, April)
  • DOBE Summit/Event (3rd Quarter)
  • International Day of Person's with Disabilities Celebration (4th Quarter, December)

In addition, we have a monthly member meeting schedule with incredible opportunities to hear about disability inclusion best practices, models and resources for your needs. These meetings provide attendees a chance to network, get support, and receive some innovative and practical ideas to implement; whether you are just starting your journey or have been in this disability inclusion space for some time! So look for continued communications each month about what is yet to come.
Welcome our newest Board Members
We have brought on 5 new board members to help us in our mission and work. We are thrilled to have each of these individuals and companies represented.
Picture of Adam Krook from Caribou Coffee
Adam Krook
Caribou Coffee
Picture of Tia Schweiss from 3M
Tia Schweiss
3M
Picture of Todd Schuler from TALENT Software Services
Todd Schuler
TALENT Software Services
Picture of Anthony Lawlor from Accessible 360
Anthony Lawler
Accessible 360
Picture of David Schreiber from State of Minnesota Vocational Rehabilitation Services
David Schreiber
State of Minnesota
To find out more about our board members, go to the Board of Directors page on our website.
2022 Career Connections Mentoring Program
2022 Career Connections Mentoring Program image with picture of mentor and mentees at a meeting and a connector graphic to show connection
Disability:IN Minnesota kicked off our Career Connections Mentoring program on January 10, 2022. We have 17 pairs of mentor/mentees. If you haven't participated in the program before, you can find out a little more about it below.

Disability:IN Minnesota's Career Connections Mentoring Program is a 3-month mentoring experience connecting employers/professionals from Disability:IN Minnesota member companies to:

  • College/university students with disabilities
  • Recent graduates with disabilities or
  • Individuals with disabilities who have completed a specialized training/certification program

The mentoring program offers one-on-one relationships that will allow both mentors and mentees to share their insights, perspectives and experiences related to disability inclusion in the workplace. This results in a supportive mutually-beneficial relationship that provides the mentor with an enhanced knowledge of disability inclusion while driving career development and employment opportunities for the mentee.

See below the schools and the companies that are represented in this year's program.
North Hennepin Community College
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis Community & Technical College 
Augsburg University logo
Minnesota State University Mankato
Macalester
Metropolitan State University
Drake University
Hennepin Technical College
Target
Minnesota Council on Disability
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
US Bank
BARR
MSS
Digi-Key Electronics
Options for Employment LLC
Siteimprove
3M
Element
State of Minnesota
Touchstone Mental Health
Mayo Clinic
TALENT Sofrware Services
Wells Fargo
Welcome all mentees and mentors!
Thank you for giving your time and talent to this program.
Membership Updates
Thank you, renewing members!
Best Buy logo with price tag
Dorsey & Whitney LLP logo
Parsons Electric logo
Upcoming Events
February Member Meeting
This month's member meeting will focus on resources for employers that will help increase your disability inclusion initiatives.
February Member Meeting  information with Disabillity Inclusion Bite Sized Learning Reasonable Accommodation Module for Employers image and Project Search logo and reference to February 9 2022 8 - 930 am
Hosted by: Mayo Clinic, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Agenda:
8:00 – 8:10 am Welcome and Announcements
8:10 – 8:45 am Disability Inclusion Bite Sized Learning Modules for
Employers – Recognizing and Implementing a Request for
Reasonable Accommodations
8:45 – 9:15 am Project SEARCH Journey to Work
9:15 – 9:25 am Q & A
9:25 – 9:30 am Wrap Up
RSVP is required to attend.
RSVP deadline: February 7, 2022 (5 p.m.)
Picture of Ashley Harris Whaley

Cultivating an Anti-Ableist Workplace

Join Ashley Harris Whaley to discuss Cultivating An Anti-Ableist Workplace. In this one hour session, Disability Reframed will combine self-learning with open dialogue and conversation to create a space where decades-old attitudes towards disability, disabled lives, and disabled people are dismantled, examined, and then thoughtfully rebuilt. Ashley Harris Whaley is a writer, speaker, speech-language pathologist, and disability educator.

Date: Tuesday, January 25, 2022
Time: 12:00 -1:00 PM (CST)
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Please contact us at [email protected] with any questions.
2022 Programming
Become a Member Event Co-Host in 2022
One of the great benefits of business membership with Disability:IN Minnesota is the ability to co-host one of our member events.

Benefits of co-hosting a member event:

  • Accessibility is key. Disability:IN Minnesota will provide an accessible platform for the event, ASL interpreting and captioning
  • Brand recognition as a disability inclusive company
  • Leading a discussion while sharing best practices with a wide network of disability inclusive businesses

Program co-hosts often include Executive Sponsors and their Business/Employee Resource Group Members. 

The following months are currently available for event hosting in 2022:

  • June
  • August
  • November
Disability:IN National Updates
Disability Equality Index logo with Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion tagline
Registration is now open for the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI), the comprehensive benchmarking tool from Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities.

Fortune 1000 companies use the DEI to build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions towards disability inclusion and equality.

Contact Becky Kekula at [email protected] for more information.
Registration Closes Friday, January 28th, 2022
2022 Calendar
February
  • February 9th, 8 am - 9:30 am, Disability:IN Minnesota Member Meeting, Disability Inclusion Bite Sized Learning Modules for Employers & Project Search, hosted by Mayo Clinic, DEED and MDE
  • February 17th, 11:30 am - 12:30 pm, Center for Disability Inclusion Event, DE&I Trends in the Workplace: Holistic Perspectives. Must register to attend.
March
  • March 9th, 8 am - 9:30 am, Disability:IN Minnesota Member Meeting
April
  • April 5th - 7th, The Forum on Workplace Inclusion, Solving for X: Tackling Inequalities for a World of Unknowns
  • April 28th, 1 pm - 4 pm, Disability:IN Minnesota's Virtual INclusive Career Fair
Make sure to put those important disability inclusion dates into your calendar. You can find the 2022 Disability:IN Calendar of Disability-Related Dates below.
Find Great Candidates with Jobs Ability
Jobs Ability logo
Reach more candidates with disabilities on Jobs Ability

One great benefit at the Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels is access to the job board on our website that's uniquely for candidates with disabilities. 

This national system connects your local job openings with talented people with disabilities who are seeking employment by scraping your career site on a daily basis and posting your openings.
About Us
Are You IN? logo for Disability:IN
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.