The Special Olympics Inclusive Workforce Town hall

I spent the past few days in Washington, DC because I was invited to speak at The Special Olympics Inclusive Workforce Town Hall. This event was the first of its kind with the emphasis on job creation, career development and the understanding that there needs to be a hard look at what needs to be done on this issue. It was quite interesting that in much of the State of the Union the President discussed the need for jobs and why it is vital to put Americans to work. For people with disabilities nothing can be further from the truth. As we enter the second decade of the 21st Century and the second decade of the Americans with Disabilities Act the disability community must take action to see that they are part of the economic recovery of the American economy. It goes beyond just job creation but really looking towards both an entreprenurial spirit and the see people with disabilities as a vital part of the future of American business. American business needs to rethink the value proposition of potential employers and see that diversity will be a key to future growth.

The Knowledge Worker and The Future of Employment for Persons with Disabilities

Management guru Peter Drucker understood years before the proliferation of the digital age that knowledge workers would be an integral part of the global economy. Everyone from private industry, government and the non for profit world are beginning to understand the inherent value of the knowledge worker. Traditional 9 to 5 work enviornments are retooling to meet the demands and creative needs of this 21st century concept.One of the most important aspects of this concept is to find the individuals strentgth and match that to where they would find the most success. For people with disabilities there talents have often been masked by the fact that some have seen there disability first rather than there ability. In the new economy of the knowledge worker I think we will hopefully see a seismic shift in this thinking and open up new opportunties for people with disabilities to be employed and find success in this new enviornment. I am attending a Workforce Town Hall Conference in Washington, DC sponsored by The Special Olympics and Best Buddies International. I believe this is a push in the right direction as we enter the second decade of the American with Disabilities Act and first new decade of the 21st century.

A New Year, A New Decade

It is a new year, a new decade and renewed purpose. The American with Disabilities act is entering its second decade and we must revaluate the impact of this piece of lesligation not only from a legal standpoint but really take a long hard look at how such a law has made an impact on areas of employment, education, transporatation and general quality of life. As I state to both my clients and students " The Disability Community is the only minority anyone can join at anytime!" In my estimation disability is part of the human expierence and must be seen through this lens. If we as a society are going to make forward progress tehn we must be truly inclusive to all its members. The Disability Community is certainly a shining example of what diversity means in the 21st Century.

This year I want to focus further on employment issues but see how this issue plays into the larger corporate strategy of an organization and as Peter Drucker said plsy to peoples strengths.