Disability:IN DC Metro
Welcoming 2025!
January News and Events
Become a Member of DC Metro
Support your organization's disability inclusion commitment in 2025!
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Message from Our Chair Ryan Walters, Deloitte
Reflecting on our work in 2024, I am heartened by our accomplishments and see them as a blueprint for our year ahead. As I share often, my focus is on delivering value to you, our members. The actions we took in 2024 position us to accomplish this. From expanded learning & development to inspired social impact, 2025 will bring new and exciting expressions of our mission. Each of you will be critical to our success in the year ahead; I encourage you to share creative ideas for how we can leverage your expertise to strengthen Disability:IN DC Metro. I look forward to a successful year ahead with you!
Thank you,
Ryan
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Make
DisabilityIQ Professional Development
Your Organization's
2025 New Year's Resolution!
Contact Katherine to Learn More!
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Members!
Start your New Year out by scheduling your Professional Development Courses and get your workforce engaged and trained! Add additonal courses for a minimal investment.
Not a Member?
For the first time ever, these courses are available on a quarterly subscription basis for small group training!
Prefer In person or webinar to elearning?
Disability:IN DC Metro's Professional Trainers are available and ready to help your organization with customized sessions!
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Course Categories
Inclusion Courses
Talent Acquisition Courses
Accessibility and Accommodations Courses
Compliance Courses
Understanding Disabilities
Want more details? Contact us to schedule a demo and review the material.
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2025 Omnium Circus & Disability:IN DC Metro
February 22nd
Group Ticket Sales End January 15th!
Buy Tickets Now
Bring your friends, family and join us for this amazing event.
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Disability:IN DC Metro has reserved 50 center orchestra seats for the Omnium Circus at the Warner Theatre on Sunday February 22 at 2 pm.
Warner Theatre is a theatre located at 513 13th Street, N.W. in downtown Washington, D.C. The theatre is part of an office building called the Warner Building located on 1299 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The seats are the center orchestra, the first 2 rows of the green section (plus a few on the third.)
10% of the ticket price will be donated back to Disability:IN DC Metro.
Contact us with any questions concerning the event, seating requests or accessibility.
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Training, Events and Opportunities to Participate
in the Capital Area Region
and Beyond
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SECTION 188 WEBINAR SERIES
Effective Outreach and Recruitment of Underserved Populations
This webinar will provide information and technical assistance that can help American Job Centers and their partners in the workforce development system meet the nondiscrimination and equal opportunity requirements for individuals with disabilities in Section 188 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, Civil Rights Center, and the Employment and Training Administration, have updated the “Promising Practices In Achieving Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity: A Section 188 Disability Reference Guide” to provide the workforce system with additional practices, ideas, and resources that address the systemic barriers individuals with disabilities may face because of intersecting identities and increase cultural competence of service providers who serve them.
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Join us for Disability:IN Minnesota’s January Meeting
“Disability Equality Index: Get Informed and Getting Engaged”
Register for the DEI webinar
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
1:00 – 2:00 PM (EST)
The Disability Equality Index (DEI) remains the premier global benchmark for disability inclusion policies, trusted by over 70% of Fortune 100 companies and nearly half of Fortune 500 companies. The benchmark now spans eight countries, "providing comprehensive insights into workplace disability inclusion practices worldwide. "
To learn more about the comprehensive benchmark and registration details, please join us for this online event. Hear from Russell Shaffer, Executive Vice President, Strategy & Programs for Disability:IN, on the process, value, and impact of participating in the DEI, followed by
Q & A.
Discussion topics:
- What is the Disability Equality Index?
- Data points for the methodology and reporting
- 5 Actions of the Report
- The value of participating in the Disability Equality Index
Register today and share with your networks!
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U.S. Access Board Meeting and Webcast
January 29 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)
All are welcome to attend the next meeting of the U.S. Access Board, which will be open to the public and take place virtually on January 29 from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. (ET). The agenda for the meeting includes brief reports from standing and ad hoc Board committees, federal agency updates, and a report by Executive Director Sachin Pavithran. All are welcome to attend the next meeting of the U.S. Access Board, which will be open to the public.
The agenda for the meeting includes brief reports from standing and ad hoc Board committees, federal agency updates, and a report by Executive Director Sachin Pavithran.
Agenda
- Introductory Remarks and Roll Call
- Board vote on approval of draft October 2024 meeting minutes
- Executive Director’s Report
- Standing Committee Reports
- Election Assistance Commission
- Ad Hoc Committee Reports
- Federal Agency Updates
- New Business
- Adjourn
Members of the public may attend the meeting through the Zoom.gov platform or by phone (listen-only mode). Please note that participation over Zoom will require the use of the passcode provided below. For further information, contact Rose Marie Bunales at events@access-board.gov.
Meeting of the U.S. Access Board
Zoom: https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1616597065
Meeting ID: 161 659 7065
Passcode: 141719
Dial in: (646) 828-7666
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Making AI Hiring Tools More Inclusive: National Online Dialogue Summary
You know about our award-winning AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework. Now you can learn more about the thinking behind its development. Earlier this year, ODEP and our initiative Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) hosted a national online dialogue to gather insights, ideas and experiences from the public about how best to help employers use artificial intelligence (AI) in hiring inclusively and equitably. Results from the online dialogue, “Making AI Hiring Tools More Inclusive,” contributed to PEAT’s AI framework, and you can now access a summary—key themes, takeaways and metrics—of the findings below.
Access the dialogue summary
Explore PEAT’s AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework
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After a thorough and inclusive process, a year in the making, RespectAbility is now known as Disability Belongs™.
Our mission, focus, and priorities remain unchanged. By incorporating “disability” into our name, we emphasize that being disabled is part of the human experience. We will continue to push for systemic change for people with disabilities and their intersecting identities. We are proud of RespectAbility’s past work and accomplishments, and we are invigorated by the opportunities yet to come as Disability Belongs™!
Learn More about Disability Belongs.
Making a Difference
Disability Belongs™ is a diverse, disability-led nonprofit that works to create systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities, and that advances policies and practices that empower people with disabilities to have a better future. Our mission is to fight stigmas and advance opportunities so people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Along with our new name Disability Belongs™ comes a clarified theory of change, the components of which are represented in the new tagline: “Redefining Narratives. Developing Leaders. Driving Opportunity.”
- Redefining Narratives: We challenge stigma and amplify authentic narratives on disability – nothing about us, without us!
- Developing Leaders: We model training and empowering the next generation of leaders in disability advocacy across our pillars.
- Driving Opportunity: We take down barriers to education, employment, and civic life to enable disabled individuals to lead lives of their choosing.
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G7 Ministerial Meeting on Inclusion and Disability
This post from the U.S. Department of Labor highlights the first-ever G7 Ministerial Meeting on Inclusion and Disability, recently held in Italy. Taryn M. Williams, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy and a member of the U.S. delegation, noted that “disability inclusion is not just an individual issue” but is “vital to collective progress.” Read the DOL Blog
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The DOL Publishes Best Practices That Employers Can Follow to Decrease the Legal Risks Associated With Using AI in Employment Decisions
US Labor, Employment, and Workplace Safety Alert
On 16 October 2024, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a comprehensive guidance regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in employment. The guidance, entitled “Artificial Intelligence and Worker Well-being: Principles and Best Practices for Developers and Employers” builds on the DOL’s May 2024 AI guidance and fulfills the agency’s obligations under President Biden’s October 2023 executive order on AI.
READ FULL ALERT
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2024 was a year of transformative progress in our journey to accelerate disability inclusion and accessibility through the power of business. As we reflect on this year’s achievements, one thing is clear: none of it is possible without you.
Earlier this year, we identified five key actions that companies and individuals can take to advance disability inclusion in business. Learn how we’re creating change in our 2024 Global Impact Report.
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EEOC Highlights How Wearable Technologies May Implicate Employment Discrimination Laws
WASHINGTON – A new fact sheet titled “Wearables in the Workplace: The Use of Wearables and Other Monitoring Technology Under Federal Employment Discrimination Laws,” released today by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) addresses use of wearable technologies in the nation’s workplaces. These technologies can be used to track various physical factors, such as an employee’s location, heart rate, electrical brain activity, or fatigue.
The new fact sheet reminds employers that employment discrimination laws apply to the collection and use of information from wearables. It also addresses the need for employers to provide reasonable accommodations related to wearables.
Employer-mandated wearables, such as watches, rings, glasses, or helmets which collect information about a worker’s health and biometric data may be conducting a “medical examination” as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If the wearables require employees to provide health information (including in the setting up of the device), the employer may be making “disability-related inquiries.” The ADA limits the use of medical examinations or disability-related inquiries by employers and also requires employers to safeguard medical records.
“With the increasing availability of wearable technologies, some employers may be considering implementing them in their workplaces. It’s important that employer keep in mind that some uses of wearables can violate federal antidiscrimination laws,” said EEOC Chair Charlotte A. Burrows. “If they do choose to bring this technology into the workplace, employers must be vigilant in following the law to ensure that they do not create a new form of discrimination. There is no high-tech exemption to the nation’s civil rights laws.”
In addition, an employer’s improper use of information that wearables collect may raise concerns under other federal anti-discrimination laws. Employers should be careful about using data collected by wearable devices to determine sex, age, genetic information, disability, or race to take an adverse action against an employee. The new resource provides a number of examples to avoid.
Lastly the new document reminds readers that employers using wearables may need to provide reasonable accommodations for workers under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, or as a religious or disability accommodation.
For more information on the EEOC’s initiative on artificial intelligence and algorithmic fairness visit the EEOC’s website .
The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information is available at www.eeoc.gov. Stay connected with the latest EEOC news by subscribing to our email updates.
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New Protections for Airline Passengers with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a final rule raising the standards for airlines in accommodating passengers with disabilities, especially passengers who use wheelchairs. The new rule sets more rigorous standards for assistance, mandates hands-on training for certain airline employees and specifies actions airlines must take to protect passengers when a wheelchair is damaged in transport. These new protections are intended to ensure that people with disabilities, like all other passengers traveling for work or for leisure, can fly safely and with dignity. Learn more in the DOT’s press release.
Read the DOT press release
Access the final rule
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) published a final rule that will increase accessibility for transit users by providing technical accessibility standards for new construction and alterations of public transit stops in the public right-of-way.
The Final Rule on Transportation for Individuals with Disabilities: Adoption of Accessibility Standards for Pedestrian Facilities in the Public Right-of-Way will become effective on January 17, 2025.
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Thank You to Our Sponsor Partners! | |
Save the Date for these Signature Events! | |
Technology and the Disability Experience
Fall 2025 | New York, New York
Learn More
An exploration of artificial intelligence, extended reality, smart devices, and their impact on accessibility, disability inclusion, and the future of workforce innovation.
The National Organization on Disability proudly welcomes a diverse group of advocates and professionals to an exploration of the advantages and limitations of advancing technology in the workforce. Disability advocates, human resource and technology professionals, DEI leaders and others are invited to join us in examining how technological innovations are impacting individuals with disabilities.
Guests will enjoy...
- A showcase demonstrating cutting-edge, tech-driven products for people with disabilities from trailblazing brands
- An engaging panel discussion with industry experts exploring their emerging tech products and strategies for driving advancement for marginalized identities
- Networking opportunities with passionate, like-minded individuals
- An award ceremony recognizing leading disability employers
- Captivating entertainment
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MEET OUR COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS | |
Learn More About DC Metro
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Disability:IN DC Metro
“Think Globally, Act Locally”
Patrick Geedes
Join Today!
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Promoting Inclusion
Expanding Disability Education and Awareness
Our focus is on Culture Change!
Founded in 2006
Twice honored as Disability:IN Affiliate of the Year
Led by The Hon. Katherine McCary
Founding Chair of Disability:IN National and
CEO, Executive Director of Disability:IN DC Metro
Disability:IN DC Metro (DC Metro) is an employer-led membership-based business association that creates business to business connections, dialogue, and learning within our geographic region of Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland, an area known as the National Capital Region. Our offerings, however, are not limited to geographic location. All DC Metro corporate member employees enjoy member benefits regardless of their physical geography. You don't have to live in the National Capital Region to engage and enjoy DC Metro's Professional Development Courses and topical Hybrid Programming!
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Our Members and Guests have access to resources, programs and partners to strengthen the disability inclusion efforts and outcomes.
- Thought leadership
- Professional Development courses
- Business to business networking
- Introductions to community partners
- Access to talent
- Hot topic programming led by Subject Matter Experts
- Webinars
Join our
LinkedIn Page
Follow us on
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Our Board
Board Members:
- Jessica Lee Aiello, TCS Teams
- Jennifer Bassett, Immediate Past Chair, JBG SMITH Companies
- Meghan Cadigan, Vice Chair, KPMG
- Tashi Carper, Leidos
- Tom Downs, Booz Allen Hamilton
- Jenn Gauvreau, Secretary, CGI Federal
- Andrea Hall, General Dynamics Mission Systems and DC Metro Chief Strategy Officer
- Susan Morgan, General Dynamics IT
- Eduardo Meza-Etienne, Level Access and DC Metro Chief Accessibility Officer
- Kelly Cutlip, Northrop Grumman
- Ryan Walters, Chair, Deloitte
- Myra Wilder, BAE Systems
Strategy Advisors Board Members:
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Josh Basile, Jack H. Olender & Associates
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Michelle Crabtree, Town of Vienna
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Crosby Cromwell, Cephable
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Lori Daly, Diversifi Consulting Group and Chair, Community Outreach PRG
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Ron Drach, Drach Consulting, LLC and Chair, Veteran PRG
- Diane Monnig, The Arc of Northern VA
- Melody Goodspeed, The American Foundation for the Blind
- Karen Herson, Concepts, Inc.
- Carolyn Jeppsen, BroadFutures
- Craig Leen, K&L Gates, Former OFCCP Director
- Carrie Martin
- Rick Rodgers, The Resource Network and Chair, Disability Supplier Diversity PRG
The Hon. Katherine McCary, CEO, Disability:IN DC Metro
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Our Vision
“Cultivate workforces and workplaces where talent with disabilities are recruited, included, promoted, retained and valued as both internal talent and innovative vendors.”
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