June 2006                                                                            www.floridabln.org
Florida BLN Steering Committee
  
CHAIR
Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR
ITM Group, Inc.
VICE CHAIR
Sue Moore
Walt Disney World Co.
  
PAST CHAIR
Rita Barreto Craig
The Craig Group
  
VR LIAISON
Eladio Amores
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
  
BIG BEND BLN CHAIR
Sarah Butters
Holland & Knight
  
BREVARD BLN CHAIR
Douglas Barclay
Mercedes Homes, Inc.
BROWARD BLN CHAIR
Steven McCarty
Enterprise Rent-A-Car 
  
EMERALD COAST BLN CHAIR
Kari Beckwith
Target
 
FIRST COAST BLN CHAIR
Ira Wittenstein
Merrill Lynch

MIAMI-DADE BLN CHAIR
Bob Bromberg
Bromberg & Associates
  
PANHANDLE BLN CO-CHAIRS
Lara Burnside
The Studer Group

Jennifer Grove 
Gulf Power 

POLK COUNTY BLN CO-CHAIRS
Julie Hansen
Holland & Knight
  
Vivian Campbell-Williams
Polk Works
  
AT-LARGE MEMBERS
Cassandra Black
NASA
  
Steve Eisenhardt
Walt Disney World Co.
  
Christi Sutherland
Walt Disney World Co.

About the Florida BLN
The Florida Business Leadership Network is a peer-to-peer membership group of employers seeking resources to recruit, hire and market to persons with disabilities. Members include small and large businesses who recognize that success in the 21st century hinges on a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities.
For more information about the Florida BLN, visit www.floridabln.org.
To suggest an article or upcoming event to be included in this newsletter, e-mail the editor at kristen@abletrust.org.

 
Message from the Chair

    This month's issue of Connections is filled with exciting event announcements, informative web resources and a great way to recognize employers and individuals that make a difference. Read more about several upcoming events, including the Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium, the national USBLN conference, or the annual Federal Disability Conference. Also in this issue, we provide you with a list of the local BLN chapter meeting dates. This offers you a great opportunity to network with fellow employers in your community so we hope you will get involved. If you want more information about a local chapter in your area, please email kristen@abletrust.org.

   Nominations are currently being accepted for The Able Trust's Ability Awards. These awards recognize individuals and organizations who go above and beyond what is required of them to advocate for the employment of Floridians with disablities. The article in this month's issue gives you more details about how to nominate a deserving organization or individual.
    Thank you again for your continued support of the Florida BLN and the employment of people with disabilities. Please remember to check our website for  more helpful resources and information about these upcoming events at http://www.floridabln.org/.

 

 
Now Accepting Nominations for the 2006 Ability Awards 
    The Able Trust is now accepting nominations for the 2006 Ability Awards. These awards annually recognize exceptional individuals and organizations from across the state for their contribution to the employment and advocacy of Florida citizens with disabilities. Award recipients will receive a commendation from Governor Jeb Bush for going beyond satisfying ADA laws and making a genuine effort to support the employment of people with disabilities. Award winners will be recognized at the 10th annual Able Trust's Ability Awards at the Renaissance Hotel in Tampa, Florida, on Friday, August 18, 2006. The Ability Awards will be hosted in conjunction with the Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium.
    Nominations are currently being accepted for the following awards:
  • The Beverly Chapman Award for Outstanding Employment Placement Program, which seeks to recognize a nonprofit organization with an excellent job placement program;
  • The Employer of the Year Award, which recognizes small, medium and large size businesses for their hiring practices and accommodation efforts that go above and beyond ADA laws;
  • The Able Trust Award for Outstanding Entrepreneur, which honors a business owner with a disability for his or her leadership and contribution to the community;
  • The Media Representative Award, which honors a member of the media who reinforces the value of people with disabilities through his or her reporting practices; and
  • The Youth Leader Award, which recognizes a young adult with a disability who has demonstrated leadership, advocacy, and community service.

    Please visit http://www.abletrust.org/ or call toll-free 888-838-2253 for a nomination packet. Nominations are due by 5:00p.m. on Friday, July 14, 2006 to The Able Trust headquarters, located at 106 East College Avenue, Suite 820, Tallahassee, Florida 32301.


Theme for 2006 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Announced

     Since 1998, Congress has designated each October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) and every year, a theme is chosen to coordinate national  efforts. The US Department of Labor Secretary, Elaine L. Chao, recently announced that "Americans with Disabilities: Ready for the Global Workforce" will be the official theme for October's National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
     "This 2006 theme highlights the fact that workers with disabilities are an underutilized and ambitious group of Americans eager to pursue their career dreams", said Secretary Chao. "This theme echoes the President's New Freedom Initiative which has been out in front, in recognizing the need to promote greater job opportunities for workers with disabilities."
     Every year, the theme is used to plan events and programs that showcase the abilities and skills of employees and job candidates who have disabilities. For more information about NDEAM, visit www.dol.gov/odep/.
                                                   
Fact Sheet on Accommodations for Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities
    The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) recently released a fact sheet for employers that addresses reasonable accommodations for employees with psychiatric disabilities. The fact sheet, Maximizing Productivity: Accommodations for Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities, addresses modifications to the workspace, job duties and supervision of employees with disabilities such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or major depression.  
     The sheet also contains links to additional resources to help employers identify the need for accommodation, address employees, and even determine what accommodations are considered reasonable. The fact sheet is available online at http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/psychiatric.htm.
                                                              
Reasonable Accommodation for Attorneys with Disabilities
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently issued a new fact sheet addressing the application of the reasonable accommodation obligation under the ADA to attorneys with disabilities and their employers. It is availiable online at http://www.eeoc.gove/fact/accommodations-attorneys.html 
 
Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium  
    The Florida BLN Employability Symposium will be held on Friday, August 18, 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel in Tampa. Speakers from Walt Disney World Co., SunTrust Bank, and Hyatt Corporation will share the success that their companies have found in hiring people with disabilities. Presentations and seminars will also address topics such as marketing to consumers with disabilities, successful accommodation tactics, funding options, and employee relations.
   The Employabilitiy Symposium is being held in conjunction with the The Able Trust's 10th annual Ability Awards luncheon. These awards annually recognize exceptional individuals and organizations from across the state for their contribution to the employment and advocacy of Florida citizens with disabilities. 
    Thanks to the support of HR Florida, the event has been submitted for approval of re-certification credits for PHR and SPHR through the Human Resource Certificate Institute. Registration information for the symposium is now available on the News and Events section of the Florida BLN website at www.abletrust.org/bln. For more information about the Ability Awards luncheon or the nomination process, see the article in this issue, or visit www.abletrust.org/events.
  
Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center Online
    The Southeast Disability Business and Technical Assistance Center (SEDBATC) has established a website full of resources for businesses and employers in the Southeast region. The site contains news articles, links to networking opportunities, case studies, web courses, and training tools, all designed to help employers better understand the ADA and disability issues in the workplace. The website is maintained by the Georgia Tech Research corporation and can be accessed at http://www.sedbtac.org.
     
BLN Chapter News
Broward BLN Kickoff Event
The Broward BLN will host a Kickoff Breakfast on Tuesday, June 13, 2006 from 8:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Nova Southeastern University's Alvin Sherman Library Research Information Technology Center. The Broward BLN will provide employers with information on networking with companies and connections to community resources available to help with recruiting and hiring people with disabilities. For more information, contact Delores Gilmore at dgilmore@wf1broward.com. 
                                                         
Miami Dade BLN Chapter Meeting
The next meeting of the Miami Dade BLN is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13, 2006. The meeting is sponsored by Holland and Knight LLP and will be held at the Holland and Knight office at 701 Brickell Avenue, Suite 3000, from 8:30 to 10:00am. For more information contact Debbie Courtney by email debbiec@wilres.com . 
                                        
Orange County BLN Chapter Meeting 
The first meeting of the Orange County BLN will be held at Disney on Friday, June 16, 2006 from 8:30 to 10:00 am. For more information on this meeting, email Leslie Wilson at lesliew@wilres.com.  
                                                         
Polk County BLN Chapter Meeting 
The next meeting of the Polk County BLN will be held on June 21, 2006 at 8:30 a.m. It will be hosted by Michael Holley Chevrolet. For more information contact Debbie Courtney by email at debbiec@wilres.com.
                                            
First Coast BLN Chapter Meeting 
The next meeting of the First Coast BLN is scheduled for June 23, 2006 from 8:30am to 10:00am. The meeting is hosted by the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of the meeting is to organize the First Coast BLN Kick-off. For more information please contact Debbie Courtney by email at debbiec@wilres.com.
                                                    
Big Bend BLN Chapter Meeting 
The Big Bend BLN meeting for July will be held on Thursday, July 13th, 2006 from 7:30-9:00 AM. This meeting will be held at Mainline Information Systems, 1700 Summit Lake Drive. The 2006 Strategic Plan and its implementation will be discussed so be sure to attend. For more information, please email debbiec@wilres.com. 

Tampa BLN Chapter Meeting
The Tampa chapter of the BLN will meet on July 28, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m.. The Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, 615 Channelside Drive, will host the July meeting. For more information, please email Debbie Courtney at debbiec@wilres.com.

 
Upcoming Events
Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series
The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) has created an Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series. This series provides a convenient opportunity for professionals to discover ways to enhance an organization's ability to accommodate and employ people with disabilities.
Currently scheduled events include:
Strategies for Recruiting and Accommodating in the Health Care Industry. An audio conference featuring Corey Turner, Employee Engagement Service Manager, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, on Tuesday, August 8, 2006
CAP and JAN: Successful Accommodation Strategies. A Web cast featuring Dinah Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronics Accommodation Program (CAP). Tuesday, November 14, 2006.
For more information on the Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series, visit training@jan.wvu.edu or call 800-526-7234 (V/TTY).

J.A.N. Conference 2006
Register today for the Job Accommodation Network's September 18 -19, 2006 conference at Hilton Boston Logan Airport. The conference provides information for employers on how to build an inclusive workforce. It provides employers a chance to acquire knowledge and skills to accommodate employees with disabilities, comply with the ADA, and develop innovative employment practices.
For more information email conference@jan.wvu.edu or visit http://conference.jan.wvu.edu/

 
USBLN Conference Scheduled for October
The Minnesota Business Leadership Network has been selected by the USBLN to host the 2006 USBLN annual conference. The conference will be held October 4-6, 2006 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center in Minneapolis. Information is available at the USBLN's website at http://www.usbln.com/.

Annual Federal Disability Conference
The annual Perspective on Employment of Persons with Disabilities Conference is scheduled for December 6-8, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. The conference is designed for federal HR specialists, disability program managers and all federal managers involved in recruiting, interviewing, hiring, supervising, and promoting federal employees with disabilities. Program and registration information will be available in September at www.grad.usda.gove/perspectives.