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DC Metro Live Events Calendar
First Quarter 2022
Blue Sky eLearn
HOW IT WORKS
Accessibility is key


To take part in our 2022 webinars using our new Blue Sky eLearn portal, please sign up here. Then simply register for the Live Events (Under Courses) you wish to attend. These Live Events will be captioned and ASL provided by iYellow Access. Once you have signed up you can use the direct webinar to register and attend.

These webinars are free to Members, Non Members pay $50.

General Dynamics Mission Systems
Co-host


Annual Federal Updates
February 15, 2022
Noon - 2:00pm
Andrea Lucas
Commissioner Andrea Lucas
EEOC
Taryn Williams
Assistant Secretary Taryn Williams
ODEP
Jenny Yang
Director Jenny Yang
OFCCP


Remember to Sign Up Or Sign In Then Select Courses or use this link to register.

The Disability:IN DC Metro Program Calendar kicks off 2022 with our Annual Program highlighting our federal leaders sharing their organizations’ priorities for business and individuals with disabilities. We are excited to welcome the new ODEP Assistant Secretary Taryn Williams and hear from OFCCP Director Jenny Yang and EEOC Commissioner Andrea Lucas.
 
After a brief welcome by our Former Board Chair, Andrea Hall, Senior Manager, Diversity and Inclusion, General Dynamics Mission Systems, the webinar will include key presentations from our speakers.
 
The session will be recorded and captioned. ASL is provided by iYellowAccess
 
Presenters:

EEOC: Commissioner Andrea Lucas

ODEP: Assistant Secretary Taryn Williams
        Lou Orslene, Director, Employer and Workforce Policy Team
        Renee Tajudeen, Director, Policy Communications and Outreach,

 OFCCP: Director Jenny Yang

iYellow Access
Harris Rosensweig

Supporting Employees with Disabilities Who Use Assistive Technology in the Enterprise
March 2, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
Various disability legislation exists to ensure employees with disabilities (EWD) have equal access to perform core job functions, from the hiring process to the use of all internal systems and communication within an enterprise, which include requests for accommodation, training and Helpdesk support. While there have been great advances in Assistive Technology (AT) for persons with disabilities providing greater access to IT systems and electronic documents, providing seamless support to the employee with a disability to ensure equal access, can be daunting for enterprises. Ensuring equal access requires extensive planning, support, and continual monitoring. Based on its decades-long experience working in enterprise environments with EWD, management and Helpdesk support, iYellow Access is presenting a series of webinars to help enterprises understand the expertise and processes needed to fully support their employees with disabilities.
In this webinar, iYellow Access' Director of Training, Jeff Ermold and Harris Rosensweig, Director of Accessibility will address best practices in supporting employees with existing disabilities and those who obtain disabilities while on the job who need or use AT.
The following topics will be discussed:
  • Overview of legislation applying to public and private enterprises concerning employees with disabilities. A high-level overview of the ADA and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation act will be provided and what specific provisions apply.
  • Key processes, teams and expertise needed to properly assess employees with disabilities' needs around AT and training.
  • What skill sets an AT Specialist should possess to assist your organization.
  • Best practices around implementing successful AT training (in person or remote).
The Importance of the Assistive Technology Assessment in Supporting Employees with Disabilities in the Enterprise
March 23, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
This webinar will focus exclusively on the AT assessment and its importance in the accommodation process. A properly performed AT assessment is one of the cornerstones of the accommodation process and sets the stage for the employee to receive appropriate and timely accommodations. On the other hand, an under-resourced or checklist approach to AT assessment can lead to poor accommodation recommendations, over expenditure on equipment and services and demoralized employees. The webinar will draw on TCS Access’ decades of experience providing AT assessments for persons with disabilities in the enterprise and its findings. The webinar will focus on the following six areas:

  • Why the AT assessment is a critical part of a culture of equal access for all employees
  • Why AT assessment is the cornerstone of effective reasonable accommodation services
  • The role of the AT assessment and where it fits within the accommodation process
  • Types of AT assessments performed by TCS Access to highlight the process and resources required
  • Skill sets needed to perform a thorough AT assessment

We encourage participants to share their experiences regarding AT assessments and to see how their experience compares to iYellow Access.

  • Key processes, teams and expertise needed to properly assess employees with disabilities' needs around AT and training.
  • What skill sets an AT Specialist should possess to assist your organization.
  • Best practices around implementing successful AT training (in person or remote).
Remote Training Strategies for Employees with Disabilities in the Enterprise Environment
March 30, 2022 – 1:30PM – 2:30PM
Everyday work has shifted to a remote setting and employees with disabilities face unique challenges in receiving training, participating in meetings, communicating with colleagues and collaborating on team projects. This session will provide best practices and real-world examples of how to maximize equal access to employees with disabilities who are now working remotely. This webinar is ideal for those who deliver reasonable accommodations or assistive technology services to employees with disabilities, as well as assistive technology users.
Webinar highlights include:
  • Why implementing accessible remote training is an essential part of reasonable accommodation solutions
  • Assistive Technology users' need for specific training on remote conferencing and collaboration tools
  • Organizational communication needed prior to conducting remote Assistive Technology training
  • Examining remote meeting and collaboration tools regarding their accessibility for employees with disabilities
  • Benefits and challenges of screen sharing and remote-control features with Assistive Technology
  • Common scenarios and challenges when using remote training tools with Assistive Technology
K and L Gates

Sponsored By




Autism Acceptance Month:
Perspectives on Neurodiversity and DEIA
Disability Equality Inclusion & Accessibility

April 5, 2022
Noon - 1:00 PM
Registration Opens Soon!
Craig Leen
Craig Leen
K&L Gates
Tom Downs
Tom Downs
Booz Allen Hamilton
Lori Golden
Lori Golden
EY
Scott Michael Robertson
Scott Michael Robertson, PhD
U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy
The webinar will focus on how different companies should be developing autism and Neurodiversity At Work programs as a part of their DEIA programming.and how to set it up in a legal and effective way under the ADA and Section 503. Craig Leen will lead a panel of employers and Autistic leaders to discuss how Neurodiversity is an important part of diversity inclusion.
Cornell University Founded AD 1865
K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability
Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion Advancing Workforce Diversity

Cornell Research: Online Recruitment of and Outreach
to People with Disabilities

April 13, 2022 Noon -1:00 PM

The webinar will focus on the results of Cornell University research into employer practices related to online recruitment and outreach efforts. The implications of those results for employer practices will be discussed, and participants will learn about related tools and resources from the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN).

Ellice Switzer
Ellice Switzer,
K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability
Bill Erickson
Bill Erickson,
K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability
EY Building a better working world
The Power Of Storytelling To Create Change 
May 11, 2022
Noon - 1 PM
Natalie Benjamin

EY Presenters Pending




Article by Natalie Benjamin, Senior Manager, EY Lane4, EY Professional Services Limited, July 2021

Storytelling is one of the most powerful and valuable skills a leader can have.

In brief
  • People are wired to respond emotionally to change, therefore stories can help coherently communicate the narrative for change.
  • When listening to stories, our brains release oxytocin which makes audiences more compassionate.
  • Leaders who deliver compelling stories make them catchy, impactful, authentic and simple. 

In times of great organisational transformation, storytelling can be a leader’s most powerful communication tool. This article explores the psychology of stories and how you can harness their power for leading transformational change in your organisation.

Tom Babinszki
Tom Babinszki, VP Accessibility at eSSENTIAL Accessibility
Craig Leen
Craig Leen
K&L Gates
Jeff Wissel
Jeff Wissel
CAO, Disability:IN
Invited
eSSENTIAL Accessibility

10th Annual Accommodation and Assistive Technology Forum
The Importance of Chief Accessibility Officers in Public and Private Sectors
June 9, 2022
Noon - 2:00
Registration Opening Soon!
Corporate America has begun to truly value inclusion and accessibility, especially as it relates to people with disabilities. As such, there’s great interest in hiring a Chief Accessibility Officer, someone who provides guidance, manages, and/or oversees all things disability.
About Us
Our focus is on Culture Change!
Our organization, formerly the DC Metro Business Leadership Network, is the largest regional member network of a variety of industry employers advocating for inclusion of individuals with disabilities in today's workforce, marketplace and supply chain. A non-profit business-led network established in 2006, our purpose is to bring the business community together in a dialog through education, training and resources with a focus on removing attitudinal and organizational barriers by exchanging best practices to ensure that the inclusion of individuals with disabilities as smart business.

Our Members and Guests have access to resources, programs and partners to strengthen the disability inclusion efforts and outcomes.
  • Thought leadership
  • Business to business networking
  • Introductions to community partners
  • Access to talent
  • Hot topic programming led by Subject Matter Experts
  • Webinars

Join our

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Our Board
Board Members:
  • John Annand, Marriott International
  • Jennifer Bassett, Secretary, JBG SMITH Companies
  • Michelle Crabtree, Town of Vienna
  • Ellen de Bremond, Treasurer
  • Anjali Desai-Margolin, Gallaudet University
  • Tom Downs, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • Andrea Hall, Past Chair, General Dynamics Mission Systems
  • Sophie Howard, Chair, General Dynamics IT
  • Eduardo Meza-Etienne, eSSENTIAL Accessibility
  • Chrisonna Palmer, Vice Chair, EY
  • Sylvia Henri-Wonasue, Lockheed Martin
  • Carrie Martin, MAXAR Technologies
  • Ryan Walters, Deloitte
  • Myra Wilder, BAE Systems

Advisory Board Members:
  • Orly Barbosa, Sandy Spring Bank
  • Meghan Cadigan, KPMG
  • Crosby Cromwell, The Valuable 500
  • Lori Daly, Diversifi Consulting Group
  • Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC
  • Rikki Epstein, The Arc of Northern V
  • Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
  • Craig Leen, K&L Gates, Former OFCCP Director
  • Jessica Lee Aiello, IYellow Group
  • Rick Rodgers, The Resource Network


Our Staff

The Hon. Katherine McCary, President, C5 Consulting, LLC serves as CEO and Executive Director. Katherine served as founding chair of the USBLN (now Disability:IN) for nine years, the founding chair of the VA BLN (Now Virginia Ability) for 13 years and has launched more than 11 chapters. She received the USBLN Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
C5 is a global disability inclusion strategy consultancy comprised exclusively of private sector disability leaders, experienced disability from a variety of areas; as individuals, as caregivers, and as parents of individuals with disabilities. With more than 50 years combined expertise and a deep knowledge of culture change developed through customized business strategies. C5 is the pioneer of disability inclusion "for business by business" with just in time training Disability Inclusion IQ designed for enterprise wide learning, now a DC Metro chapter member benefit!