How Employees with Disabilities Can Help Solve the Labor Shortage
Session seating is first come, first served. Thank you for your cooperation.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has eased a bit, the US is experiencing a strong labor demand and low unemployment, leading to a worker shortage. The disability community is an important resource in addressing this increased demand for talent, yet it is greatly underutilized. This session will present how organizations can attain leadership buy-in through a clear business case for disability inclusion in the workplace, as well as highlighting the voice of employees with disabilities during the session.
Learning Objectives:
- Provide an overview of effective ways to engage with leadership and secure their buy-in for disability employment initiatives.
- Highlight the business case for disability-inclusive employment.
- Recognize how the current labor market can help to advance opportunities for disability employment.
Jessica Tuman
Jed Seifert
Jed Seifert is the Co-founder of Stakes Manufacturing, a print-on-demand apparel company out of Cleveland, OH where they are passionate about inclusion and currently employ a number of individuals with different disabilities. Stakes was recently awarded the APSE 2022 National Employer of the Year recognizing their hard work building an inclusive workforce employing people with disabilities.
Jed is the proud younger brother of Darren, who was diagnosed with Fragile X when he was 12 years old and has always been his inspiration. Jed has been working with the disabled community since he started coaching Special Olympics as a teenager.
Jed is on the Board of Directors and Business Advisory Council for SEEC, an organization dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities attain meaningful employment opportunities and independent living in the DC metropolitan area, who supports his brother’s employment. He is also a Board Member for the National Fragile X Foundation, an organization dedicated to serving all those living with Fragile X with a focus on community, awareness, and research in the pursuit of treatments and a cure. Jed serves on the CEO Commission for Disability Employment founded by Voya Financial, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS), to be a source of research and information, actionable steps, and advocacy opportunities for member companies to recruit and onboard individuals with disabilities into their organizations.
Zac Bradley
Zac is a former college basketball player for Clayton State University, who only played his freshman year due to a tree falling on his car resulting in a spinal cord injury in the summer of 2011. In a moment, Zac went from being a college basketball player to a C6/C7 quadriplegic. This ultimately shifted the trajectory of his life and career. Zac has been a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) since 2017 and has extensive knowledge in assisting people with disabilities enter the workforce. Additionally, Zac has been playing wheelchair rugby since 2012 and had the opportunity to compete in The World Games 2022 for the USA Low Point Team.
Zac began his career as an intern at the Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency (GVRA) where he learned how to assist clients in finding employment through the various services available through community providers. While interning at GVRA, Zac also worked for the Shepherd Center part-time as a Peer Liaison, where he assisted inpatients and outpatients adjust to spinal cord injury.
Upon earning his CRC, Zac became a part-time Vocational Specialist at the Shepherd Center, in addition to his Peer Liaison position. In this role, Zac learned the process of returning people to work. Zac transitioned to work for the Georgia Advocacy Office (GAO), the state’s designated protection and advocacy agency for people with disabilities, as an Employment Advocate. At the GAO, he had
robust training in Social Role Valorization and Customized Employment. With this knowledge, he worked to encourage and increase meaningful employment for people with disabilities. He was responsible for monitoring state and private facilities for compliance with federal and state laws, ensuring that people with disabilities had access to competitive-integrated employment.
After the GAO, he worked for Amy Price of the Price Support Network doing customized employment, where he practiced discovery and saw firsthand the beauty of uncovering individuals’ strengths and gifts. Zac earned an Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators credential in Employment Services with an Emphasis on Customized Employment certification in 2021.
Zac now works at Shepherd Center as an ABI-post acute vocational specialist. He has worked across the continuum of brain injury post-acute services: SHARE Military Initiative, the Complex Concussion Clinic, and Shepherd Pathways, returning people to work with the help of an interdisciplinary team.
Of note, from 2019-2022, Zac served on the board of directors for Citizen Advocacy of Atlanta & Dekalb. This experience allowed him to expand his knowledge of Social Role Valorization and dream big for individuals with disabilities. Zac firmly believes that with proper placement and accommodation, we can truly increase employment outcomes for people with disabilities.
Ryan Rotundo
Ryan Rotundo is the Manager of Employment Programs at the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) where he develops resources, programs, and partnerships to advance employment opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome. Ryan brings more than a decade of experience as a high school special education teacher, with a focus on preparing young adults for positive post-secondary transitions. He also has experience developing curriculum to support siblings of individuals with Down syndrome, has worked as a Direct Service Provider, and continues to share his experience as a guest lecturer and speaker. In 2018 Ryan was appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to the North Caroline Council on Developmental Disabilities, and in 2019 he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by Buncombe County Schools, in partnership with Arc of Buncombe County. Ryan holds an undergraduate degree in special education from UNC – Greensboro and a master’s degree in public administration from UNC – Chapel Hill.
Kandi Pickard
Kandi Pickard is the President & CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) where she provides vision and leadership, working collaboratively with individuals and organizations to support the entire Down syndrome community. Kandi holds a degree in business administration and brings two decades of experience in operations and effective administration management to her role at NDSS. Kandi’s involvement in the Down syndrome community first began as a local volunteer and advocate after her youngest son, Mason was born with Down syndrome. Nine years later, she leads NDSS with a focus on building community and keeping people with Down syndrome at the center of everything the organization does. Kandi’s vision for the future of NDSS includes resources, programs and support for individuals with Down syndrome and their families from birth to adulthood, with a special focus on caregiving, public health and supporting aging adults.