EARN Partners

The K. Lisa Yang Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment & Disability at Cornell University works collaboratively with the following partners to manage the activities of EARN.

Collaborative Partners

Concepts Communications

Concepts Communications is a disability and woman-owned communications firm that supports disability employment and veteran advocacy.

For more information, please visit ConceptsCommunications.com.

Rutgers University

The John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development is based at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. The university-based research and policy center is dedicated to raising the effectiveness of the American workplace by strengthening workforce education, placement and training programs, and policies.

For more information, please visit Heldrich.Rutgers.edu.

Other ODEP-funded Technical Assistance and Research Centers

In addition to EARN, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) funds several other policy and technical assistance centers. EARN collaborates frequently with these entities in order to bring you the latest in disability diversity and inclusion.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

The leading source of free, expert and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

For more information, please visit AskJAN.org.

Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT)

An online portal that shows you why it pays to build and buy accessible workplace technology and how to go about doing so.

For more information, please visit peatworks.org.

LEAD Center

A collaborative dedicated to advancing sustainable individual and systems-level change to improve competitive, integrated employment and economic self-sufficiency for adults across the spectrum of disabilities.

For more information, please visit leadcenter.org.

State Exchange on Employment & Disability (SEED)

SEED is an initiative that assists states and localities in developing effective and inclusive workforce policies that promote disability employment. 

For more information, please visit dol.gov/agencies/odep/state-policy.

Input from industry groups and professional organizations will systematically guide EARN’s research and resource development through a Rapid Cycle Research (RCR) process. The RCR process encompasses asset development, testing, and dissemination and is portable to any topic. It is an ideal approach to engage with U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) partners to identify, develop, test and disseminate information on effective policies and practices to help employers recruit, hire, retain, advance and fully include individuals with disabilities in the workplace. These partners will provide critical input to our work as well as receive technical support from EARN’s subject matter experts. The organizations listed here will serve on EARN’s Inclusion@Work Network Leadership Council and facilitate engagement with their members to guide EARN’s work.

The American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity (AAAED) was founded in 1974 as the American Association for Affirmative Action (AAAA). A nonprofit organization, AAAED is the longest-standing national civil rights organization of professionals who engage in leading, directing and managing affirmative action, equal opportunity, diversity and other human resource programs. AAAED provides expert opinion, guidance, commentary and influence on the national stage in response to new and existing federal legislation, agency regulations and guidance, judicial reviews and court case outcomes, and current events that challenge the advances made in the access, inclusion and equal opportunity of all people in the economic, educational, employment, political and related arenas of U.S. society.

The Black Veterans Empowerment Council (BVEC) is a non-partisan coalition of national, state, and local veterans’ organizations seeking to bridge the gap between the various Black veteran communities, government, philanthropy, and the private sector and serves as a unified voice to inform stakeholders of the needs of Black Veterans.

The Board of Latino Legislative Leaders (BLLL) is a national bi-partisan nonprofit organization comprised of Latino state legislative leaders. The BLLL, formerly Board of Hispanic of Caucus Chairs (BHCC), was formed in recognition of the importance that cultivating legislative leadership roles has in furthering the cause of serving our communities. The BLLL remains steadfastly committed to supporting the work of Latino state legislative caucuses, to the professional and leadership development of Latino legislative leaders and serving as a catalyst for effective and coordinated policy decisions.

The Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies (CAHRS), situated in the Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School at Cornell University, is the world’s leading partnership between industry and academia, representing more than 55 of the nation’s premier companies. CAHRS and the HR Studies faculty at Cornell’s ILR School investigate issues relevant to HR practitioners and add to the HR management body of knowledge.

DirectEmployers Association (DE) is a nonprofit, member-owned and managed consortium founded in 2001 by 14 leading Fortune 500 companies. Members include talent acquisition and federal contract compliance professionals from more than 900 Fortune 1500 companies supporting talent acquisition and workforce diversity. The focus of DE’s work includes compliance with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act and Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) requirements.

The Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) is an association dedicated to providing focused education, knowledge, and networking for absence and disability professionals. DMEC has more than 800 employer and supplier member organizations, representing more than 12,000 absence and disability management professionals in the U.S. and Canada.

The International Employee Assistance Professionals Association (EAPA) is the world’s largest and oldest membership organization for employee assistance professionals. With members in more than 40 countries, EAPA provides information and support for and about the employee assistance profession. EAPA has 57 chapters throughout the U.S. working to enhance professional development, certification, resources, networking, and public policy efforts.

The HR Policy Association (HRPA) is the leading public policy organization of chief human resource officers representing the largest employers in the U.S. and internationally. HRPA brings membership executives together to discuss how human resource practices and policies should be improved to create a vision for successful HR strategies and pursues initiatives that promote job growth, employment security and competitiveness.

Cornell University’s Institute for Compensation Studies™ (ICS), situated across the ILR School and the SC Johnson School of Business at Cornell University, is an interdisciplinary center that researches, teaches and communicates about monetary and non-monetary rewards from work, and how these rewards influence outcomes for individuals, companies, industries and economies. ICS has an executive board of compensation executives representing a variety of businesses that can help inform EARN’s work on compensation-related issues.

The ILO Global Business and Disability Network (ILO GBDN) is a global employer-led initiative of the United Nations (UN) International Labor Organization that works to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in workplaces around the world. ILO GBDN members include 28 multinational enterprises, national business and disability networks and international not-for-profit and disabled persons’ organizations. Through their work, members demonstrate the clear business benefits of employing people with disabilities and highlight the valuable contributions they bring to all types of workplaces.

MRA is a nonprofit employer association that serves more than 4,000 employers, covering more than one million employees worldwide. As one of the largest employer associations in the U.S., MRA offers HR services, talent management, learning and organization development opportunities and planning to help members build a successful workplace and powerful workforce.

National Asian Pacific American Caucus of State Legislators (NAPACSL) is comprised of 218 state legislators from 37 states across the country. Their goal is a collective effort to bring Asian American and Pacific Islander perspectives on policies that affect their communities, including economic development, educational equity, and healthcare.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a professional association established in 1956 that connects more than 13,000 college career services professionals, university relations and recruiting professionals, and the business solution providers that serve this community. NACE is the leading source of information on the employment of the college educated and forecasts hiring trends in the job market; identifies best practices and benchmarks; and tracks starting salaries, recruiting practices, and student outcomes.

The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) founded in 1977, has more than 700 members from 48 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands representing more than 60 million Americans. The organization serves as a national network, advocate and catalyst for public policy innovation, information exchange, and joint action on critical issues affecting African Americans and other marginalized communities. Through research, education, and advocacy, NBCSL strengthens its members and helps ensure they have a strong, effective, and influential voice on Capitol Hill.

National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL), situated within the National Conference of State Legislatures, is comprised of 89 members from 21 states. Their work promotes a better understanding of state-tribal issues among policymakers and the public at large. They work to provide a forum for discussion among Native American legislatures, increase awareness of diverse Native American cultures, support state-tribal communications, and provide research training and educational services.

National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) is committed to leading, empowering, and advocating for women of African descent, their families, and communities. Comprised of 330 campus and community-based sections and 37 national women’s organizations, NCNW currently connects over 2,000,000 men and women nationwide. Additionally, the civil rights organization promotes education, healthcare access and civic engagement; encourages entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and economic stability; educates women about health issues; and advocates for sound public policy and social justice.

National Disability Rights Network (NRDN) headquartered in Washington, D.C. on behalf of the national network of Protection and Advocacy Systems (P&As) and Client Assistance Programs (CAPs), is the nation’s largest providers of legal advocacy services for people with disabilities. NDRN promotes the network’s capacity, ensures that P&As/CAPs remain strong and effective by providing training and technical assistance, and advocates for laws protecting the civil and human rights of all people with disabilities.

The National Industry Liaison Group™ (NILG) is the premier employer association on affirmative action and equal employment opportunity (EEO) in the U.S. NILG is a nonprofit organization formed in 1992 to improve communications between the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) and Industry Liaison Groups (ILGs). The NILG Board supports approximately 61 Industry Liaison Groups (ILGs), which are comprised of small, mid-size and large federal contractors and employers across the country. NILG’s mission is to promote affirmative action and EEO by working closely with the OFCCP, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, related administrative agencies and local and regional ILGs to educate constituents on developments on these issues and related regulatory changes.

Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution, ILR School, Cornell University, is the world’s preeminent institute focused on workplace conflict resolution. The Scheinman Institute addresses the critical workplace conflict resolution challenges of our time through its research, teaching, training, and outreach.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), founded in 1948, is the world’s largest association devoted to serving the needs of human resource (HR) professionals and advancing the interests of the HR profession to identify relevant workplace disability inclusion policies and practices. SHRM represents more than 300,000 members in over 165 countries, impacting the lives of more than 115 million workers and families globally. SHRM has been a thought leader on policies and practices affecting the world of work for more than 70 years.

The Conference Board (TCB), founded in 1916, is a nonprofit, member-driven research think tank that helps business leaders navigate critical issues and better serve society. TCB connects senior executives across industries to share ideas and creates fact-based research and consensus-driven policy statements to help leaders address their most important business issues. It also operates peer-learning councils to solicit input from its members around key issues related to improving employment outcomes for people with disabilities.

The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) is the national voice of Black Businesses in the United States. Through visionary leadership, advocacy, and economic empowerment, USBC supports and provides resources and information to a network of African American chambers of commerce and business organizations in their work of growing and developing Black enterprises.

The Worker Institute, ILR School, Cornell University, engages in research and education on contemporary labor issues, to generate innovative thinking and solutions to problems related to work, economy, and society. The institute brings together researchers, educators, and students with practitioners in labor, business, and policymaking to confront growing economic and social inequalities, in the interests of working people and their families.