[Missouri-l] Going Above and Beyond; Doing More; and What You Can Do...

[Denny Huff]

Disabilities At Work Newsletter - March 2012

_______________________________________________________
The Disabilities At Work newsletter is provided four times per year to Human
Resource professionals and others as a source of information regarding the
issues surrounding employment of qualified people with disabilities.

Disabilities At Work also focuses on identifying companies that either go
above and "beyond compliance" in their employment recruitment practices of
people with disabilities or provide strong philanthropic support for
disability issues. Disabilities At Work encourages the members of the
disabled community, their friends and families to patronize these
businesses.

This newsletter is made possible by a generous grant from the Kessler
Foundation: www.kesslerfoundation.org

DAW Radio is made available to individuals with hearing loss by: 
Karasch & Associates www.karasch.com (800-621-5689) and by ASL Interpreter
Referral Service: www.aslirs.com (800-275-7551)

Post jobs or look for qualified individuals with disabilities at
http://www.AccessibleEmployment.org


To see the full newsletter, go to 
http://www.disabilitiesatwork.org/daw-newsletter.html

This issue features:

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GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
=======================================================

A new campaign created by Disabilities at Work (DAW) will give 
the American consumer a chance to show their support for 
companies that go above and beyond in their support of people 
with disabilities. 

Launched in the fourth quarter of 2011, this new campaign 
identifies companies that either go above and "beyond compliance" 
in their employment recruitment practices of people with 
disabilities or provide strong philanthropic support for 
disability issues. DAW encourages friends and families of people 
with disabilities to patronize these companies. To promote that 
effort, these companies receive a unique Disabilities At Work 
logo electronically and on window decals they can display on 
their websites and their offices. 

Companies earn the right to display the logo after being 
nominated and endorsed by agencies dedicated to helping people 
with disabilities.

Read more at: 
http://www.disabilitiesatwork.org/daw-newsletter.html#Article1 

=======================================================
TIME TO DO MORE THAN SAY THANKS  
=======================================================

As more and more of our service men and women return from duty in 
Iraq and Afghanistan, programs to help them find jobs and get 
re-acclimated to everyday life become critically important. 

One such program is "Be a Hero - Hire a Hero" which is sponsoring 
a Veterans' Career Expo in Newark, New Jersey on April 23, 2012, 
at the Hilton Gateway Hotel in Newark. The expo links qualified 
Veterans, Wounded Warriors, their spouses and their families to 
employers seeking to hire them. Employers participating include 
nonprofit organizations and government agencies. For more 
information contact Noritza Perito at 845-624-3278 or 
nperito at hireds.com. To view sponsorship details, visit 
http://www.beahero-hireahero.com/.

Read more at: 
http://www.disabilitiesatwork.org/daw-newsletter.html#Article2  

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HARD LESSONS IN SOFT SKILLS
=======================================================

In February, the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability 
Employment Policy released "Skills to Pay the Bills: Mastering 
Soft Skills for Workplace Success," a collection of career 
development exercises and activities designed to help sharpen the 
communication and other "soft" skills of young workers, 
including those with disabilities. 

The curriculum for this program was developed in response to 
multiple surveys in which business executives identify "soft 
skills" as crucial in evaluating and hiring prospective job 
candidates.   

Read more at: 
http://www.disabilitiesatwork.org/daw-newsletter.html#Article3 

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ACHIEVING SUPPLIER DIVERSITY GOALS
=======================================================

Is your company seeking diversification of its suppliers? The 
Disability Supplier Diversity Program (DSDP) can help your 
organization achieve that goal. The DSDP helps corporations 
fulfill their supplier diversity goals.

The DSDP offers a rigorous credentialing process through which 
companies that are 51% owned/operated by people with disabilities 
are certified as disabled-owned. This allows them to fairly 
compete with minority- and female-owned businesses and 
effectively positions them with corporations looking to diversify 
their supply chains. 

For more information, contact Patty Cullinane at 
patty.cullinane at njchamber.com or 908-975-3211. 

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CURRENT NUMBERS  
=======================================================

In January, the Bureau of Labor statistics reported the 
following: 

Labor Force Participation 
People with disabilities: 20.0% 
People without disabilities: 68.9% 

Unemployment Rate 
People with disabilities: 12.9% People 
without disabilities: 8.7% 

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"WHAT CAN YOU DO?"
=======================================================

The Campaign for Disability Employment (CDE) recently introduced 
"What Can You Do?" - a contest to promote the talent and skills 
that people with disabilities bring to the workplace. 

The CDE wants contestants to create short videos that inspire, 
inform and surprise - ones that challenge common perceptions - or 
misperceptions - about people with disabilities and employment. 
The videos can be serious or funny. 

There are three categories in which to enter videos - General 
Public, Youth and Employer. 

Read more at: 
http://www.disabilitiesatwork.org/daw-newsletter.html#Article6

=======================================================

Contact Information

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info at DisabilitiesAtWork.org

  216 West State Street
  Trenton, NJ 08608
  908-975-3211
  www.DisabilitiesAtWork.org

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