Episode 351: Creating a Truly Inclusive Workplace With PIA and PEAT

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Episode 351: Creating a Truly Inclusive Workplace With PIA and PEAT

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Table of Contents

For employers, I think a really important thing is they can’t just sit back and put the onus of disclosure on their employees. I think they need to be actively communicating the value they place in all their employees, including employees with disabilities.

Episode 351: Creating a Truly Inclusive Workplace With PIA and PEAT

Welcome to the Workology Podcast, a podcast for the disruptive workplace leader. Join host Jessica Miller-Merrell, founder of Workology.com, as she sits down and gets to the bottom of trends, tools, and case studies for the business leader, HR, and recruiting professional who is tired of the status quo. Now, here’s Jessica with this episode of Workology.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:00:41.07] This episode of the Workology podcast is a special one, and it is powered by the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology, or PEAT, and the  Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, or PIA. PEAT’s mission is to foster collaborations in the technology space that build inclusive workspaces for people with disabilities. And PIA collaborates with employers and apprenticeship programs to help meet employer talent needs and enable people with disabilities to benefit from apprenticeships that increase their access to high-growth and high-demand jobs. I am so excited for this particular interview. Workplace inclusion is not just about diversity, equity, and inclusion, it is also about accessibility. And we’re going to be talking about making your workplaces more accessible, disclosure and hearing directly from an amazing team who is honest, open, and vulnerable about their disabilities and how they work together. So today I’m joined by Devin Boyle, Alexa Huth, Ashley Coffey, and Josh Christianson. Each of our guests on today’s podcast openly identifies as a person with a physical or invisible disability, or multiple disabilities. Devin is PIA’s Director of Communications. Alexa is PEAT’s Director of Communications. Ashley is the Emerging Technologies Lead at PEAT, and Josh is the Project Director at PIA. You got all that? Well, PEAT and PIA team members, I’m so excited to have you on the Workology podcast. Welcome, welcome. First things first, I wanted to ask if you could each tell us how you began working in the accessibility and inclusion space and why you’re passionate about this work.

Alexa Huth: [00:02:29.10] Sure, I’ll go first. This is Alexa. I actually started working in accessibility because I have two disabilities. So as you introduced, some of us identify as people with multiple disabilities. So I started losing my eyesight when I was about 22, and that was due to a condition called lattice degeneration that left me visually impaired. And on top of that, I also have OCD. So I really wanted to work in a space where I could communicate with other people like myself and help them discover accessible technology and how it can really help them thrive in their careers and help them discover new ways of interacting.

Ashley Coffey: [00:03:11.31] So this is Ashley Coffey, and I’m passionate about accessibility because, for many reasons, but in, early in my young adulthood, I got diagnosed with an invisible disability of depression and ADHD, PTSD and OCD. And it has been quite the journey. And I’m hopeful that we can reduce the stigma of talking about mental health in the workplace, especially as we recover from the pandemic. But really, back to your question and how I got started and accessibility. I used to be an emerging technologies librarian at the University of Oklahoma, and when I was there, I focused on research, innovation and instruction on emerging technologies that are implemented across campus. And that’s where I had my first interaction on non-inclusive VR design. I interacted with a class who was looking at anthropology, schools and virtual reality, and I was verbalizing instructions to a student and she turned out to be deaf. And I realized in that moment that inclusive design in virtual reality and other XR tools was imperative. So ever since then, I’ve been advocating for accessibility, and in all realms, and advocating for visible and invisible disabilities. Really exciting.

Devin Boyle: [00:04:33.00] Hi, everyone. Devin here. I started my career working in the education sector, advocating for improvements to our education system because I always wanted to work in the advocacy space. And I actually am a person with mental health disabilities. And as you’ll, I think here in this podcast, a large population of people with mental health disabilities have what are called co-morbidities, meaning they have more than one. So I have bipolar, PTSD, but I’m also a person that is willing to, I’m willing to share that I have substance use disorder and I think more people should actually share. Actually, recently, the, Secretary Walsh, who’s the Secretary of the Department of Labor, talked about his experience with substance use disorder. So anyway, I digress. I always wanted to work in the disability space because of my personal experience, and I was lucky enough to have an old colleague put me in the direction of PEAT, which is where I started before moving to PIA, where I am now, the Director of Communications.

Josh Christianson: [00:05:30.30] And this is Josh. You know, I got lucky and was doing an assessment, a new job that was on the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology. And the more work we did with the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the more they pulled us in and eventually was Co-Director of PEAT. And that’s how I came about the work, I think, eight years ago and was, you know, it’s been an incredible experience since then. I think why I’m passionate about it now is really because I see the value of it as a lens when just thinking about diversity and inclusion, which was the world I came from before, just not related to disability. And I think the lens of disability is so helpful in unlearning things and being creative about solutions. And just as a person who is very empathetic to humanity and wants folks to be open, inclusive, supportive of each other, I think this work has been pivotal in helping me kind of be better at that and be smarter about it.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:06:42.45] Well, thank you so much, all of you. All four of you for, for sharing. And I really think it’s crucial that our listeners understand that disability disclosure isn’t always easy. So I wanted to ask if you could share your experience with disclosure and give us some insights into what can help a person feel comfortable and safe disclosing at work.

Alexa Huth: [00:07:07.23] This is Alexa. I’ll start. I have a lot of different experiences disclosing my disability, mostly with my visual impairment. I did not disclose that I had OCD until this job. And I have to say a big thank you to Devin, who’s also on the podcast, for inspiring me to be open and be candid about it. I think a lot of the reason that I felt comfortable was seeing her really own it and be so welcoming and so forthcoming and so helpful. Thank you to Devin for that, for making it a smooth transition. That isn’t always the case as I’m sure a lot of people with disabilities know, and people without disabilities may not know how scary it can be because you’re not sure how people are going to react. And so I’ve gone through situations where I’ve hidden it. I’ve tried being visually impaired and hiding it can be very stressful. I remember once I was at work and a fish jumped out in the water in front of our offices and a member of leadership said, Oh my gosh, look, look at the fish jumping. And I had to pretend to see it because I hadn’t disclosed. That is awkward. It’s uncomfortable, but I didn’t feel comfortable and I never ended up disclosing at that job. So it really comes down to what leadership is, is setting the tone for. And so I think this current situation has been really ideal for me.

Devin Boyle: [00:08:34.47] So thanks. Thanks, Alexa. I appreciate you saying that. I think one of the reasons I have been so forthcoming is because I think it’s important that people share it because it results in more people feeling like it’s okay and that it’s normal. And a lot of people have experienced this. A lot of people who are incredibly successful in their careers, I think there’s a lot of stigma that surrounds disabilities. So I think that’s important to share when disclosing my, I’ve had much like Alexa, I’ve had a lot of different reactions throughout my career. I think when disclosing my mental health disabilities in particular, I didn’t always receive support. I think because there was a lack of understanding of, of the severity of mental health disabilities and also just generally what they mean, what they look like, what types of accommodations might be helpful. I had one boss say to me after I had talked about my bipolar is that I just kind of needed to get over it, which was one of the worst ones I had heard. And also I had at one point asked for accommodations to do telework a few times a week. And even though other people in the office did work full time from their homes, I, it was not an accommodation they were willing to give me, so. When I came to PEAT and Wheelhouse, it was the first time I really felt supported enough that I could be fully open with my experiences and start talking about my substance use disorder. And the reason for that is, it’s just something I think a lot of people have dealt with. I think it’s 50% of people that have mental health disabilities also have issues with substance use disorder, which is a big percentage. I think with Secretary Walsh from the Department of Labor coming out to talk about his own substance use disorder made me feel more comfortable to speak about it as well. And I think what PEAT and PIA have done is really create a culture of openness and understanding where we all feel like we are valued as employees and also that we are humans and have our own personal experience and that they care about who we are, not just what we do in an employee-employer sense.

Ashley Coffey: [00:10:52.19] This is Ashley Coffey. To complement some of this, I can also align with how coming to PEAT and Wheelhouse has really helped me embrace disclosure in the workplace rather than being afraid of it. Coming to PEAT really has just changed my outlook and I’m such a positive way and I do contribute a lot of that to the culture of inclusion that Devin was just mentioning and that culture of non-judgment. When I, I think it was my first or second day, I found myself openly disclosing and it felt natural, it felt comfortable because of that safe and open environment. In previous positions I’ve either not disclosed or disclosed and been met with very negative comments similar to, to what Devin mentioned, which is very unfortunate. So what I’d like to share here are some, some just tips for employees and employers who are trying to feel comfortable and safe disclosing at work. I think, one, from the employee perspective, practicing disclosure in a safe environment can be a good practice, whether that’s with friends or trusted family members, because when you actually do it, it can be a very profound moment. And then from an employer perspective, providing a safe and open environment for employees to disclose is paramount. And that comes from an inclusive culture that must already be established. And also for employers, it’s so important to listen. If an employee discloses, thank them for being open and ask how to best support them in their roles and don’t put the onus on the employee to figure it out themselves. So consider, do you have a list of various accommodations you could provide to an employee? Has your organization leveraged ERGs, employee resource groups, to provide an inclusive onboarding experience? These are small actions that can really make a huge difference when it comes to providing a safe space to disclose. And I feel like because of that ease in disclosure, that has helped me be a more intentional advocate for, for mental health and an intentional advocate for people with disabilities.

Josh Christianson: [00:13:13.86] So this is Josh. I think, it’s, there’s a bit of irony in my own story around disclosure in that I only recently self-disclosed and I’ve spent years, you know, consulting and advising companies how to get people to disclose, encouraging folks, looking at numbers and data behind self ID and disclosure, but still wasn’t comfortable myself doing it. And I think it, you know, is probably an individual journey for everyone. For myself, you know, I did have support from leadership of my company that already knew. Even though I hadn’t officially disclosed. I knew it would even benefit some of my work, right? Working with the Office of Disability Employment Policy, it’s probably a benefit to my professional path to disclose, but I think I had my own personal hang ups. I had maybe guilt or shame associated with it. Every other category of power and privilege, every other box I can check and in this space, I’m very mindful of that. And so it just took a really long time to feel okay in claiming my mental health disability and it was a journey of process. So I think echoing what other people said, being supportive, being open is really a big part of it and definitely others around you disclosing. I mean really Devin and her blog and her being open and sharing about her disability was the kind of proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, that gave me the courage and the bravery to do it, not just for myself, but I felt like if she was brave enough to do that, then I should be too. It was kind of a reciprocal, supporting relationship.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:15:06.21] Excellent. Well, thank you all for, for sharing your experiences and perspectives here, kind of along the lines of the direction that Ashley was going. I wanted to ask, how can disclosure and transparency help reduce the stigma associated with both visible and invisible disabilities? And I’d like for us to think about maybe what the role employers play or need to play in creating a stigma-free workplace. Because it sounds like to me that everyone here on this podcast has had a negative experience. So how do we reduce that stigma?

Ashley Coffey: [00:15:44.28] This is Ashley. I think it’s important to reduce that stigma by openly discussing it if you are comfortable, and that’s largely due to my personal experience being open on publicly. I think my first public mention of having depression was June or July of 2020. And after that I got a lot of private messages from other people who said that they were also, you know, diagnosed and didn’t know how to talk about it. Or, it was really interesting because it’s important for people to see that this ability doesn’t have a face. It can be anyone, anywhere, visible or not. And people with disabilities are high performers, creative thinkers, innovators, and so much more than what the societal norms perceive. And when one person advocates to reduce the stigma, that creates an endless ripple and an ocean of potential positive change.

Devin Boyle: [00:16:42.06] This is Devin. I couldn’t agree more with what you said, Ashley, and kind of, as I mentioned before, and to Ashley’s point being open about who we are, makes others feel comfortable to do the same. I think what people thought they think that they know about people with substance use disorder, for instance, is turned on its head, its head when we speak publicly about it. We can work just as well as the next person. For employers, I think a really important thing is they can’t just sit back and put the onus of disclosure on their employees. I think they need to be actively communicating the value they place in all their employees, including employees with disabilities. They can do things like make sure they communicate the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month, which is actually in May, and they should go out of their way to educate their employees about stigmas that exist, I think, to help break those stigmas. And as a result, I think more people will be open about their personal experience.

Break: [00:17:44.94] Let’s take a reset. This is Jessica Miller-Merrell, and you are listening to the Workology Podcast. Today, we’re talking with four lead staff members for PEAT and PIA, and we’re talking about inclusivity and accessibility at work and with teams. This podcast is part of a podcast series powered by the Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeships, or PIA, and the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology, also known as PEAT.

Break: [00:18:12.84] The Workology Podcast Future of Work series is supported by PEAT, the Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology. PEAT’s initiative is to foster collaboration and action around accessible technology in the workplace. PEAT is funded by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, ODEP. Learn more about PEAT at  PEATWorks.org. That’s PEATWorks.org.

How To Make Your Employees With Disabilities Feel Supported

 

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:18:41.36] What has made you feel most supported as an employee with a disability in your organization? And how has joining a workplace that is so inclusive helped you thrive as individuals as well as as a team?

Alexa Huth: [00:18:56.06] This is Alexa. That’s a great question, and I think it goes to a lot of flexibility and understanding and also giving me the choice. So I didn’t feel pressured to disclose that I had OCD. I felt welcomed to. And that can give a lot of brain space back to the work that I need to be doing. If I’m not constantly thinking, Oh, everyone’s thinking, well, she can’t see or things like that, it, it really opens you up to be more comfortable. And that comfort has led me to all sorts of new avenues of work that I didn’t necessarily have the brain space to deal with because I was continually thinking about what accommodations I might need, how to ask for them. Making it a natural flow has been a changemaker for me and then just the individuals that I’m working with and I know that’s unique to each situation. And so that can be difficult because it depends on the team and the teams at PEAT and Wheelhouse have been so outstanding that it gives me the ability to say, Oh, I’m having a bad eye day and not have it change how anyone perceives me or how anything really happens beyond people think about it more, and people say, Okay, can I read this to you? Or Let’s, let’s give you a different format or give you more time to review a document and all of those things without it negatively impacting me have, have been transformative. Honestly.

Devin Boyle: [00:20:27.17] This is Devin. I echo, I agree with everything Alexa said. I think because of the openness of the team and how they’ve responded to disclosure, I feel more connected and comfortable with my team sharing both personal things as a human, but also being able to come to them with professional things that I have come up. I remember how excited and comfortable I felt when I first came to Wheelhouse. I was not feeling great. I had a lot of life changes at the time and so I felt a little pressure and anxiety. And I called Josh, I think it was within my first week and told them what was going on. And I, the way he responded was just lovely and made me feel okay and excited about the team I was working with.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:21:20.51] My next question for you all is how does your own experience and your experience working on a diverse and inclusive team help you to better understand the mission of your organizations?

Alexa Huth: [00:21:35.24] This is Alexa again, and I think with the work that PEAT and PIA do, it’s so important to really understand why people with disabilities need these spaces to talk and share and connect with each other. I was starting to feel very siloed in my own experience, especially with vision loss. There are, every person with a disability is unique and there are so many different types of vision loss in my experience. So I felt like joining this group and learning from each other. It helped me understand how to be a more proactive person with a disability and how to learn more about the people that we’re reaching. And not just my community, but other communities and other ways that my own disability presents in other people. And so the depth of the work that I can do is much more, well, I would like to credit the people that I work with. They have given me the ability to add layers of depth to the work that I do that I wouldn’t have been able to before joining such a diverse team. It’s also very important for us to understand where we aren’t as diverse, and I think that this team is very aware of that and really making strides in our DEIA and Inclusion Council, which Ashley and I are on and in other places throughout leadership, to really highlight that and understand where we are now and where we want to be and be more inclusive and more diverse in those ways as well.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:23:11.13] I love the transparency, I love the honesty and I love the openness. And you are actively the team and the organization is actively working towards become, becoming more diverse on a variety or all fronts. I think that’s really important. My next question is really focused on what we call DEIA. That’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. We can’t forget the A, which is for accessibility. In a lot of HR leaders’ minds. This A is relatively new. The Biden administration is also prioritizing accessibility in DEIA efforts, and they issued an executive order last June. What is your best advice for how these HR leaders can create a DEIA driven culture in their organization? What’s the start?

Ashley Coffey: [00:24:10.86] This is Ashley Coffey. I’d love to get this conversation rolling. I would like to firmly say that I agree that it’s important that organizations thoughtfully consider adding the A for accessibility. It’s really not enough just to add A to DEI and call it good. It’s about going beyond the acronym and into actual practice. So it’s important for your organization to consider, are you hiring people with disabilities? Does your organization have employee resource groups? What kind of values does your company have that align with inclusivity and accessibility? And ask yourself, what is your organization doing to create a more inclusive culture? So my advice here is think about this in more specific ways, because it’s easy to spot lip service.

Josh Christianson: [00:24:58.65] This is Josh and I totally agree with what Ashley just said, but also harkening back to what Alexa said previously in our organization, we’ve been looking hard at, you know, these efforts to be more inclusive across the board, and I firmly believe that our openness around disability has helped us make good progress and gains and stay focused on the goals we have around DEIA across the board, specifically in hiring more black and brown folks and bringing those people to our team because we as a organization have a long way to go there, I’m very glad that the leadership takes it seriously, is making progress, but I really believe that focusing on disability is helping us keep our eye on the ball in other areas. And if you would allow me just I’ll give you my, my pitch for how this best works. I mentioned previously, I think earlier in my life, I did a lot on diversity and inclusion, and it mostly focused on, you know, race, sexuality, and gender. And so I have those lenses, but I firmly believe that focusing on disability really helps you make your organization more inclusive. And to illustrate that, there’s a great kind of analogy, I don’t know, visualization around what’s called the curb cuts effect that people in the disability community speak of. So curb cuts, those are the little ramps cut out on the sidewalks you see on the corners. Those were put in because of the Americans with Disabilities Act mandated that for wheelchairs. But as you know, anyone knows, lots of people benefit from those, right? Delivery folks, people with strollers, people with bikes, etc., etc.. There is a universal design aspect to physical curb cuts that benefits lots of other people, and I think you can play that out. And so if I call that curb cuts 1.0, curb cut 2.0 is kind of what we talk about accessible technology. If you program and design for usability and accessibility, you’re going to have a better product that more people can enjoy.

Josh Christianson: [00:27:15.21] So a prime example would be closed captioning on the television or on all these Zoom calls we’ve been on forever. Other people can benefit from that, not just because they have, are deaf or have a hearing impairment, or, you know, cognitive disability. Anyone can use that and benefit from and there are lots of other examples within technology that that is true as well. And then so my new pitch is curb cuts 3.0, you know, with this focus and push on a lot of the DEI without the A that is long overdue, and I hope it’s sustained and real, that came in the aftermath, really, of George Floyd’s murder, I really and truly believe that, that all those efforts need to go forward and get the leadership’s attention and and resources and support, but that focusing on accessibility makes those more likely to happen. So if you want to bring more women into your IT project, if you’re trying to hire veterans, if you want to bring in black Americans, if you want to bring in returning citizens, the people who are formerly incarcerated, indigenous folks, etc., etc., all of those categories have a higher rate of disability within them than the average American. So just mathematically, it behooves you to focus on accessibility and inclusion of people with disabilities to have a better chance to recruit and retain any specific demographic or underrepresented worker you’re going for. So on a practical, mathematical basis, I think inclusion of people with disabilities is super helpful to employers. And then just, I think, hope, as you’re hearing we discussed, I think if you deal with inclusion of people with disabilities, you’re going to be a more open organization. You’re going to be more receptive to what any group might need to feel like they can do their best job, that they can bring their best self, their full self and be authentic. And so, yeah, that’s my pitch, Jessica. Curb cuts 3.0 will help all of your DEIA efforts.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:29:24.04] Thanks, Josh. I really appreciate your insight. This podcast is airing in May and one of the reasons that we have organized the podcast release for this month is because May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And also, May 19th is Global Accessibility Awareness Day or GAAD. I wanted to ask if you could tell us about both and why they are important for organizations to recognize the month and then Global Accessibility Awareness Day, or GAAD.

Alexa Huth: [00:29:58.97] This is Alexa. I’ll talk a little bit about GAAD. GAAD. So it’s really to get people thinking and talking about digital access and inclusion. It’s a wonderful day for anybody who wants to learn more about digital accessibility, to use that as a springboard and really celebrate the day. There are global events that you can go to and just learn how to start making a difference in digital accessibility. So if you go to Accessibility.day and hopefully we can share that in the show notes, they have a countdown calendar, you can submit your event, you can find events, but it’s a really great way to get excited about digital inclusion.

Ashley Coffey: [00:30:40.76] This is Ashley. I’m so glad that you bring up that May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Global Accessibility Awareness Day is happening on May 19th. And as you mentioned earlier, Jessica, the admin priority is really aligned to mental health. The executive order that was issued last June that you mentioned has really highlighted the fact that the pandemic has really shone a light on the need for more mental health support that extends beyond traditional offerings. So as listeners are thinking of ways to help reduce that stigma of talking about mental health and being open, I encourage everyone to consider what they can do personally to help reduce that stigma and personal and professional lives.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:31:29.72] Thank you so much for, for taking the time to share your personal experiences, be vulnerable and open. I think it’s incredibly important that we have these conversations and we have more of them and we are very open. So thank you to all four of you for being on the Workology Podcast today from the PEAT and the PIA teams. I wanted to ask where people can go to connect with PIA and PEAT. For those who are listening to this that says, Wow, I want to work for this team or I want to learn more about the work that you all are doing.

Alexa Huth: [00:32:04.58] Thank you so much for having us, Jessica. It’s been wonderful to talk with you today. If anybody wants to learn more about PEAT, you can visit our website at PEATWorks.org. It’s PEATWorks.org. And also we have a Twitter and LinkedIn. The Twitter is also @PEATWorks. Thank you.

Devin Boyle: [00:32:28.10] Thanks, Jessica, for having us on. You can find more about PIA on InclusiveApprenticeship.org. And I believe in the show notes, Jessica is going to post a couple of resources. We have a guide on disclosing your disability and requesting an accommodation, a podcast on disability inclusion training for employers, and we also have a podcast on invisible disabilities and the workplace.

Josh Christianson: [00:32:52.34] This is Josh. I just wanted to chime in to thank everyone on this podcast. Obviously my colleagues for whom I’m grateful to work with and really have been part of the reason for my ability to feel comfortable to self disclose my ID. But also, Jessica, to you, I think, you know, I think for me, you’re part of that journey to sharing, you bringing the accessibility and disability lens to the HR audience and the importance of it. You know we’ve been partnering for a while and I feel like, you know, you jumped into that space, not, not knowing a lot of it a long time ago and feeling more comfortable bringing it. And I just appreciate you doing that. So I want to thank you, and also for sticking with us on this awkward five-people on a podcast, but I think we’re all very grateful to have had the opportunity to share this.

Jessica Miller-Merrell: [00:33:41.54] Well, thank you, Devin, Alexa, Josh, Ashley. I am so lucky to be connected to you all and I’m so thankful for the day, you know, Josh, when I met you and Joiwind, and I’ve enjoyed our, our partnership and sharing and learning too, because there’s so much to learn in the DEIA space and there’s so much more that we, can be done. And HR is an important piece of that puzzle. So appreciate yall’s time. Thank you for those of you who are listening to the podcast and we have lots of great resources in the resources section. You can check that out at WorkologyPodcast.com or Workology.com. Take a look and you’ll be able to access all the great resources that we have in the show notes from this podcast interview.

Closing: [00:34:19.14] This episode of the Workology Podcast is part of a new podcast series powered by the  Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship, or PIA. PIA is funded by the US Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, ODEP. ODEP launched PIA to ensure all apprenticeship programs are inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities. PIA collaborates with employers and apprenticeship programs to help meet employer talent needs, and enable people with disabilities to benefit from apprenticeships that increase their opportunities for lifelong access to high-growth, high-demand jobs.

Closing: [00:34:55.65] I appreciate candid conversations, vulnerability, and resources and information hearing the stories directly from individuals who are maybe likely employees like yours in your own organization. So Devin Boyle, Alexa Huth, Ashley Coffey, and Josh Christianson, thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your experiences and the resources. We have a whole host of resources available in this particular episode, resources section in the transcription. So thank you for being vulnerable. Thank you for sharing. I know you’re helping to change the workplace with these conversations that started here today.

Closing: [00:35:40.00] As was mentioned earlier, the Office of Disability Employment Policy funds PEAT and PIA. ODEP is committed to furthering inclusion and accessibility in the workplace and, in alignment with the priorities of the White House, prioritizes DEIA in its efforts to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. You can visit USAJOBS.gov to search for job opportunities at ODEP.

Closing: [00:36:09.00] Wheelhouse Group is a women-owned business supporting multiple government agencies and nonprofits to increase the employment of people with disabilities, youth, veterans and those returning to work. You can find out about job opportunities at Wheelhouse by visiting Wheelhousegroup.com and clicking “Join our growing team” at the top of the page.

Closing: [00:36:31.00] Thank you again for listening to the Workology Podcast sponsored by Upskill HR and Ace The HR Exam. This podcast is for the disruptive workplace leader who is tired of the status quo. My name is Jessica Miller-Merrell and until next time you can visit Workology.com to listen to all our previous Workology Podcast episodes.

Closing: [00:36:52.00] Personal and professional development is essential for successful HR leaders. Join Upskill HR to access life training, community, and over a hundred on-demand courses for the dynamic leader. HR recert credits available. Visit UpskillHR.com for more.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

 

– Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology

Podcast: “Neurodiversity & Intersectionality: A Disclosure Challenge

Podcast: “How Employers Can Create Jobs for People with Disabilities

– Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship

Disclosing Your Disability and Requesting an Accommodation

Podcast: “Disability Inclusion Training for Employers

Podcast: “Invisible Disabilities and the Workplace

– Global Accessibility Awareness Day

– Mental Health Awareness Month

– Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

– Episode 344: Neurodiversity and Accessibility With Wesley Faulkner, Head of Community at SingleStore

– Episode 343: The Benefits of Creating Opportunities for People With Disabilities With Pat Romzek

– Episode 340: Making Technology and Content Accessible for People With Disabilities With Lainey Feingold

– Episode 339: What Perfect Looks Like for Accessibility With Dave Dame, Director of Accessibility at Microsoft

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