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
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
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.
To suggest an article or upcoming event to be included in this newsletter, e-mail
the editor at kristen@abletrust.org.
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Message from the Chair
This month's Connections features great news about three
Florida BLN members, Walt Disney World, CVS Pharmacy and Comcast Cablevision, being honored for their disability hiring policies. The BLN focuses on providing opportunities for employers to share best
practices, so we hope you enjoy learning more about what these companies are doing to ensure people with disabilities are included in their
workforce.
Currently the Florida BLN is undergoing a branding campaign, which includes developing a new logo
and redesigning its website and promotional materials. We are also exploring new technologies to expand our speaker bureau in 2007 and bring our
members more training and education on disability employment issues than ever before.
We will be taking a hiatus in December so have jam packed this month’s newsletter with lots of helpful information for you. Look
for your January edition of Connections just after the new year. In the meantime, please visit our website at http://www.floridabln.org/ for more information about Florida BLN events and activities. Have a safe and happy holiday
season! |
Walt Disney World Co. Honored
Walt Disney World was recently named as
one of the Top-Ten Employers of the Year for the state of Florida by the Florida Division of Vocational
Rehabilitation. Executives from Disney who attended the event included Florida BLN Vice Chair Sue Moore. Walt Disney World Co. received the
award for their company’s commitment to a diverse workforce. The event was held at the Tallahassee City Hall in celebration of October -
National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
Comcast Cablevision Honored by
USBLN
Comcast Cablevision in
Tallahassee, a member of the Big Bend BLN, received the national “Employer of the Year” Award from the United States Business
Leadership Network (USBLN). The award was given last month at the USBLN national conference in Minnesota.
Comcast’s efforts
include training its supervisors and staff on diversifying their workforce to include qualified workers with disabilities, establishing an
internship program for graduating seniors with disabilities through the Leon County Schools’ transition program, and hiring students and
adults with disabilities in various corporate departments. The company also aired Florida’s local BLN video as a public service announcement
throughout the state, an in-kind contribution of nearly $1 million.
“The local BLNs make
employers aware of an untapped source of qualified workers, people with disabilities,” said Shelly Brantley, director of the Agency for
Persons with Disabilities. “Employers benefit from hiring qualified and hard-working employees with disabilities who have higher than average
retention rates. Companies that hire people with disabilities frequently earn the loyal and lucrative patronage of their families and friends."
For more information about USBLN
award recipients, visit www.usbln.com.
Department of Justice
offers online Course on Reaching the Disability Market
The U.S. DOJ’s Disability Rights Section has an online course for businesses entitled “Reaching Out to
Customers with Disabilities.” The course explains how the ADA applies to businesses in ten short lessons. Putting these lessons into practice
enables businesses to both comply with the ADA and attract the disability market. More information about the course is available here.
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CVS Pharmacy Receives 2006 New Freedom Initiative
Award
CVS was
recognized in October with the US Department of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award. In addition to outstanding employment practices for
persons with disabilities, CVS created a national pilot project to offer internships to students with disabilities. Five sites were chosen across the
country, including the Ocala CVS Pharmacy. Through a partnership with The Able Trust’s Florida High School/High Tech (HS/HT) Program, CVS
offered six-week paid internships to three students with disabilities to help them gain hands-on experience in various departments throughout the
store.
EEOC Seeks
Nominations
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is
currently accepting nominations for the 2007 Freedom to Compete Award, which showcases, recognizes and rewards activities and practices that advance
equal access and inclusion in the workplace. This annual program is open to any public or private sector employer, association, agency, organization
or other entity. Both self-nominations and nominations made by another organization or individual are acceptable. E-mail nominations (in a Microsoft Word
format) to Freedom.Award@eeoc.gov.
For further details about the program and submission process visit the EEOC's
web site. The deadline for nominations is December 13, 2006.
EEOC Takes Action on Federal Disabilitiy Employment
The Equal Employment Opportunity Council (EEOC),
has launched a new initiative and website, entitled LEAD, to address the apparent decline in the number of individuals with targeted
disabilities in the workplace. Activities will include educational events and seminars. For more information, please visit the LEAD website at
http://www.eeoc.gov/initiatives/lead.
The Department of Transportation Adopts a Modifie ADAAG
Modified Guidelines on Accessibility
The Department of
Transportation amended its ADA regulations to adopt the new ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for transportation facilities. The Department did
make several modifications, including maintaining requirements for warnings on curb ramps, and providing additional guidance. The rule becomes
effective November 29, 2006.For more information, visit the Department of
Transportation website.
Presentations available in the JAN Online Library
Posted in the JAN Presentation Library are several employment-related videos including "SunTrust Bank: Creating an Inclusive
Culture," “ADA and Substance Abuse in the Workplace,” and “Personal Assistance Services in the Workplace.” To view these
presentations and others, check out the JAN library.
BLN Local Chapter News
Miami Dade
Chapter
The next meeting of
the Miami Dade BLN will be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2006 from 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida. For more information email Debbie Courtney at
debbiec@wilres.com.
Big Bend
Chapter
The next Big Bend Business Leadership Network meeting will be held on Thursday, November 16, 2006 from 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM at The
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. For more information email Debbie Courtney
at debbiec@wilres.com.
First Coast BLN Chapter
The next meeting of the First Coast BLN Chapter will be held
on Friday, November 17, from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM. The meeting, which is hosted by Holland & Knight, will feature a presentation
on ADA law. Also, Holland and Knight Law Firm will provide training to First
Coast BLN members and guests on the legal concerns related to the hiring, employment and termination of employees with disabilities.For more information email Debbie Courtney at debbiec@wilres.com.
Upcoming Events
Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series
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).
Annual Federal Disability Conference
December 6-8,
2006 at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland. Program registration and information are available here.
ATIA Leadership Forum
Orlando, Florida on January 25-26, 2007 at the Caribe Royale
All-Suites Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, FL.The forum will focus on the business case for providing accessible solutions
for employees and customers, including case studies from business who have implemented successful strategies for accomodating. For more information
click here or contact leadershipforum@atia.org.
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