EARN Newsletter for February 20, 2014

This month, EARN spotlights the many facets of diversity. In addition to ethnic, racial, cultural, age, gender, sexual orientation, education, and socioeconomic classifications, diversity also includes people with disabilities. In fact, people with disabilities comprise the largest minority group in the U.S.

From the Seattle Seahawks’ Derrick Coleman, the NFL’s first deaf offensive player, to Danielle Sheypuk, psychologist and first fashion model to grace the catwalk in a wheelchair, we are reminded that disability can touch all of us.

Spotlight

TACKLING DISABILITY IN DIVERSITY PLANS

This year, diversity found an unlikely ally during the Super Bowl. As Assistant Secretary Kathleen Martinez notes in her blog, a commercial featuring the Seattle Seahawks’ Derrick Coleman, the first deaf offensive player in the NFL, illustrates how disability reaches into all aspects of work and play.

Diversity was ultra-chic recently when Danielle Sheypuk, a 35-year old clinical psychologist who specializes on issues related to love and sex for individuals with disabilities, became the first model in a wheelchair to work the runway at New York Fashion Week. Sheypuk, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at the age of 2, became interested in fashion after college and noticed that she never saw models with disabilities. “This wasn’t about getting a token model in a wheelchair—Danielle is a gorgeous role model who happens to be in a wheelchair,” said fashion designer Carrie Hammer. “Hopefully the industry will begin moving away from gaunt models and excessive airbrushing to real, powerful, diverse women.”

Incorporating disability into a company’s diversity policy is an important business strategy that employers can utilize to promote competitive advantage, provide high return on investment, and engage the largest minority group in the U.S.

Click here to read EARN’s resources on Incorporating Disability into Diversity Plans.

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY TO HIRE MORE THAN 100K VETERANS IN NEXT 5 YEARS

A broad coalition of over 100 construction employers and associations has collectively pledged to hire 100,000 veterans over the next five years. According to First Lady Michelle Obama, “They made this commitment not just because it’s the patriotic thing to do, and not just because they want to repay our veterans for their service to our country, but because they know that it’s the smart thing to do for their business.” Read more here.

CORPORATE JOBS INITIATIVE MEETS VET HIRING GOAL

A group of companies that vowed in 2011 to hire 100,000 veterans within a decade has met its goal seven years early, announcing that 117,439 former service members have been provided jobs. The group, calling itself the 100,000 Jobs Mission, has now promised to double its target and employ 200,000 veterans by 2020, according to the announcement.  Click here to read more.

TEMPORARY IMPAIRMENT MAY CONSTITUTE DISABILITY

The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit recently handed down the first appellate decision interpreting the definition of “disability” under the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA). In Summers v. Altarum Institute, Corporation, the Fourth Circuit concluded that a temporary impairment, if severe, can constitute a disability, thereby signaling the Court’s willingness to expand the scope of coverage and create a new class of individuals with disabilities under the ADAAA. The Fourth Circuit’s decision may be the start of a growing body of case law outlining the expanded definition of disability under the ADA following its amendment. Click here to read more.

WEBINARS PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON RECENT FEDERAL POLICY

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, in collaboration with the Disability & Elderly Public Health Group within the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, invite you to upcoming educational webinars for state policy-makers and disability policy stakeholders to discuss recent Federal policy guidance issued by CMS. The webinars will include a brief presentation by CMS followed by a highly interactive dialogue to address questions on the impact of these developments on state systems-change efforts related to improving integrated employment and community-based engagement of citizens with significant disabilities. Click here to read more.

CRPD PROGRESS REPORT DEMONSTRATES NEED FOR ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY, PARTNERSHIPS

The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and Disabled People’s International (DPI) announce the release of a new report on benchmarking progress in making Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) accessible in compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). The report offers disability advocates, governments, civil society and international organizations monitoring the progress of the implementation of the CRPD by States Parties, unique benchmarks for country laws, policies, and programs pertaining to accessible and assistive ICTs. While noting progress, the report also documents significant deficits in promoting policies and programs to make essential services accessible to persons with disabilities around the world. Click here to read more.

Disability Employment Statistics