Agenda

This meeting's exact start time is TBA.

 The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) and the Employer Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) are teaming-up to deliver the 2021 JAN Academy. The JAN Academy will offer disability inclusion, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and job accommodation lessons learned during the pandemic and beyond that will inform the future of work. This training will enable participants to stay ahead of the curve by learning trends in inclusive policy and process integration and the interactive job accommodation process that will give workers with disabilities the opportunity to contribute, excel, and feel included as return to work plans are deployed. Are you ready to master the next level of accommodation, ADA, and inclusion challenges?

 EARN will present The Future of Work is Now: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic. As more workplaces reopen, some employees return to site-based work, and workplace innovation accelerates, what disability inclusionary practices will have staying power beyond the pandemic? Are flexible work arrangements, extended core hours, and telework here to stay? EARN will offer guidance on how to capitalize on the changes spurred by the pandemic to ensure a productive and inclusive workforce where workers with disabilities have full access and opportunity.

 JAN will present Next Level Accommodation and ADA Challenges. The job accommodation and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance bar has risen to expert level, requiring a higher level of competence, ADA analysis, and engagement in the interactive accommodation process. JAN will offer expert guidance on the many accommodation, ADA, and interactive process lessons learned over time, especially during the pandemic. Attend this training to learn practical ways to master complex accommodation and ADA situations involving engaging in the interactive process, addressing performance issues, modifying workplace policies, managing leave and attendance, and providing reasonable accommodations in a COVID-19 pandemic world.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the impact of the pandemic on the economy, workplace, and employment of people with disabilities
2. Examine internal inclusionary policies and practices to resolve workplace challenges that may occur in pandemic recovery
3. Identify and master complex accommodation and ADA interactive process challenges
4. Apply guidance provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to inform accommodation practices and comply with relevant laws
5. Recognize JAN and EARN as partners in the interactive accommodation process and disability inclusion efforts

We all have a role to play in building an inclusive global economy. Now, more than ever corporations, CEOs, investors and the community have a responsibility to advance disability inclusion and equality around the globe. Join the Disability:IN global movement and demonstrate your commitment to advancing disability inclusion and equality for all. Are You In?

Disability:IN will announce the winners of the 2021 Inclusion Awards and unveil the Disability Equality Index (DEI) 2021 top-scoring companies.

Over the last decade, supplier diversity and inclusion has become more intrinsically connected to organizations’ business sustainability practices in the broader sense of the term, creating long-term competitiveness and stakeholder value. Recognized as “responsible procurement”, learn how companies are evolving their supplier diversity and inclusion programs into leading global models of sustainable business practices positively impacting communities in the United States and around the world.    

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how businesses think about sustainability and how this has helped to affect a new era of supplier diversity and inclusion 
2. Gain insights into leading supplier diversity and inclusion programs which have adopted a sustainability approach
3. Learn how to be more effective with your internal strategies to align with global attitudes toward supplier inclusion

Mental health conditions are more common now than ever, but they are also treatable. The effects of COVID-19 are triggering mental health conditions or exacerbating existing ones. So why don’t we talk about them as openly as physical conditions? Treatment for the most common conditions is effective 80 percent of the time, yet only 33 percent of the people who need help will get it. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs), commonly available through employers, offer free, confidential services but generally have extremely low use in the 3-5% range. More needs to be done to break the stigma and foster workplaces that encourage people to reach out for help when they need it. This session will explore promising practices on how employers are educating and providing resources to their employees.

Learning Objectives:

1. Define the connection between stress management, high performance, and mental health
2. Explore specific strategies on how to identify the signs, break the silence and encourage employees to get help
3. Describe wellbeing and EAP utilization rates since the COVID-19 outbreak.
4. Identify innovative ways for company benefits to achieve a more holistic approach that values wellbeing

A panel of corporate partners will discuss global accommodations models that ensure individuals with disabilities have access to accommodations no matter where they live. The companies will discuss global vs. regional models and address challenges in navigating differences in languages and appropriate technology.  This session will also feature the benefits and challenges of the different models and highlight workplace low-cost accommodations that are easy to implement.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the benefits and drawbacks of global vs. regional accommodations models.
2. Evaluate which accommodations model is compatible with their company’s global strategy.
3. Learn about low-cost, easy to implement accommodations.

In the early digital accessibility journey? Looking for sage advice and best practices from seasoned professionals? Join our panel of leaders as they explore the early stages of building a digital accessibility program. Topics include obtaining a budget, determining where accessibility “lives” in the organization, policies and checklists, prioritizing digital accessibility for disability inclusion and your D&I commitment, training needs, celebrating small wins, roles impacted by accessibility, involving your ERG, understanding accessibility as a human right, the role of standards and inclusive design principles, gaining buy-in across the organization.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn best practices and resources for digital accessibility policies
2. Understand how digital accessibility impacts roles across the organization.
3. Learn why digital accessibility is crucial to an organizational commitment to diversity and inclusion.
4. Discover ways to involve employees with disabilities in digital accessibility efforts  

Disability Equality Index (DEI) top scoring companies will share how they used the DEI as a roadmap to become more inclusive. Participating brands will discuss why they chose to take the DEI, their initial expectations and key findings. They will also share their top five DEI generated workplace initiatives and their successful outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Review how top scoring DEI companies are using DEI data as a roadmap to full workplace inclusion.

2. Discover best and evolving practices to launch your disability inclusion efforts.

3. Explore key DEI findings and learn how to turn them into initiatives to advance disability inclusion across your enterprise.

Increasingly, companies are realizing the importance of a customer-centric approach as they prioritize shared values and social responsibility. When it comes to disability inclusion, corporations often analyze various ‘business cases’, all with the goal to measure themselves. However, it’s time businesses look beyond the business case to be truly a customer-serving corporation. With more than one billion people with disabilities around the world, they are already an integral part of today’s workforce, market, and supply chain. Attend this session to learn how to mainstream disability inclusion to become a business of choice for people with disabilities. After all, disability inclusion is not the right thing to do, it is THE thing to do.

Learning Objectives

1. Explore foundational business case examples for embracing disability inclusive practices & products. 
2. Discuss how to integrate disability inclusion into the operations plan as companies interact with employees, consumers, businesses, and other stakeholders. 
3. Go beyond the numbers to humanize the case using authentic storytelling.
4. Practical lessons on what to do and what to avoid

You chose to attend this conference because you want to hear what your industry peers are doing to be more disability inclusive.  Participation in this session is the first step. You will hear directly from individuals who experience a wide range of apparent and non-apparent disabilities. They will share what actions, words and interactions they consider good disability etiquette and what are the disability faux pas. This session will also offer a safe environment to ask those questions that seemed too awkward to ask.

Learning Objectives:

1. An understanding of how certain words or actions may be considered micro-aggressions
2. How respectful communication and interactions can help you successfully include employees, clients and customers in your business
3. Why authentic disability etiquette can positively impact your business

While companies are under compliance requirements depending on the country in which they operate, some companies have launched global corporate disability inclusion standards. A panel of corporate partners will discuss how they developed their disability inclusion corporate standard taking into consideration various countries’ legal obligations. The panelists will also explain the corporate standard’s impact on reducing stigma and promoting inclusion.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify successful elements of a global disability inclusion standard. 
2. Learn how-to develop a global disability inclusion standard that incorporates countries’ legal obligations.
3. Learn how a global disability inclusion standard reduces stigma and promotes inclusion.

Identifying, engaging and on-boarding small, diverse suppliers can often be challenging considering business factors involved in the supplier relationship management process such as performance capabilities, compliance, and risk mitigation. Barriers to working with disability-owned business enterprises can be even more pronounced. Hear directly from DOBEs and supplier diversity leaders on strategies that can help companies break down those barriers to ensure every potential supplier has a positive experience and companies continue to build sustainable, inclusive supply chains.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand some of the existing barriers which limit the successful identification, engagement, and on-boarding of small, diverse suppliers
2. Learn of the unique barriers associated with the DOBE community
3. Take away practical solutions you can implement to improve supplier on-boarding policies and practices

Disability touches all dimensions of diversity. When we fail to incorporate intersectionality into our practices and policies, we leave parts of our community behind. This session will explore how companies can be intersectional in their approaches to inclusion, equity, and belonging. Cross-collaboration between employee resource groups is one way that some businesses are building a more inclusive environment and addressing the intersectionality many of their employees represent. When harnessed strategically, intersectionality can be leveraged to improve access, opportunity, and equity in the workforce.


Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to meet employees needs in a cross-culturally competent and inclusive manner
2. Describe techniques to design and launch allies training and programming to expand inclusion work including organic collaboration across employee resource groups
3. Understand how cross-cultural disability strategies and practices can enhance employee resource groups.

Hear from leading tech companies about innovations in accessibility.

By leveraging agility and innovation, disability-owned business enterprises are re-inventing how business is done and seizing on new and changing opportunities. Join us for this exciting plenary session featuring our DOBE Pitch Tank Competition and stories from disability-owned businesses.

Business Resource Groups are critical to business performance because the most valuable resource any company has are its people. So, what can businesses do to foster an environment where employees belong? Hear from executive sponsors of Disability Business Resource Groups about how they champion these efforts and what it means to be IN at work.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn strategies that ERGs use to positively impact the business. 
2. Understand how to support the disability community as an executive.
3. Gain insight into practical ways to be IN at work.  

The past year has provided new challenges, as well as tremendous opportunities for E/BRGs to support their members while still providing maximum value for their businesses. Learn how E/BRGs have continued to thrive in a virtual-only environment and the strategies they have used to grow membership, as well as keep current members engaged. Companies will also share how their E/BRGs operate when they have both in-person and virtual employees.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to leverage past in-person activities to run dynamic virtual events.
2. Strategies to grow your ERG and engage members in a virtual or mixed (in-person/virtual) environment.
3. Find new ways to connect and unite E/BRG members, share best practices among internal E/BRGs, and further your disability focused E/BRG goals regardless of where members physically work around the globe.

Small, diverse-owned businesses are often encouraged to form partnerships or alliances with other suppliers to expand capacity and better serve larger corporate clients. But there are many considerations that should be made in advance of forming these business relationships.  In the first of a 2-part business development series, DOBEs won’t want to miss this panel of experts addressing the benefits, the challenges, and the keys to forming successful business partnerships and alliances. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the different types of collaborative business relationships available to DOBEs and their potential benefits
2. Learn the steps to forming successful partnerships and alliances
3. Gain insights into the potential pitfalls of collaborative business relationships

Prior to the pandemic, research showed 66% of individuals personally experienced mental health challenges. Additional studies have shown an increase in individuals experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and mental wellness challenges since the pandemic began. E/BRGs play a critical role in supporting employee mental health within their organizations. Hear from companies who have implemented new ways to raise mental health awareness and promote total body wellness through their E/BRGs.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how storytelling can open the dialogue and reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions.
2. Learn to engage mental health allies/ambassadors.
3. Discover methods E/BRGs use to communicate mental health resources to employees.

A panel of companies with operations outside of the U.S. will discuss their unique models to successfully recruit candidates with disabilities and overcome recruiters’ bias.

Learning objectives:

1. Identify similarities between successful global recruitment strategies across multiple countries.
2. Align current TA strategies with global TA strategies.
3. Learn recruitment techniques based on successful case studies.

It’s been said that Diversity is a fact. Inclusion is a choice. Equity is an action. Belonging is an outcome—it’s that sense of safety that employees can be their authentic selves without fear of judgment. Now more than ever, business leaders are drawing their attention to belonging, and seeking advice on creative approaches that position diversity at the heart of executing business strategy, not as a side project. This session will examine holistic approaches to self-identification, including how ERG/BRGs can play a role, and its connection to fostering an environment of belonging.


Learning Objectives:

1. Learn self ID approaches and how to gain traction even in a risk averse company
2. Explore the intersection of culture and compliance
3. Review how companies are using data and storytelling to build more inclusive culture after a self ID campaign

Your organization’s Disability Employee Resource Group (ERG) can help grow and bring value to your digital accessibility program. And a digital accessibility program supports members of all ERGs. Our panel of ERG and accessibility leaders will help you strengthen this vital partnership. Topics include finding accessibility champions in your ERG; role of ERG members in procurement, testing, and prioritizing accessibility remediation of workplace tools; ERG involvement in internal and external communications around digital accessibility; ERG role in establishing an office of digital accessibility; ERG and accessibility support; ERG intersectionality to advance accessibility.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how your ERG can help grow your digital accessibility program and how your accessibility work supports your ERG
2. Learn best practices for involving ERG members with disabilities in the process of purchasing workplace tools.
3. Explore ERG intersectionality as a tool to advance digital accessibility

The military has its own culture. It has a language, a style, and unique code of conduct. As a result, the transition that occurs when veterans and their families leave the military world and re-enter civilian life can be difficult. The social and workplace norms of the military do not always align with those in civilian life. The employer plays a crucial role in the transition and can be helpful by creating a veteran-informed culture in the workplace. By creating a veteran-informed culture, employers will help veterans make a positive connection to their new work environment, leading to increased engagement and ultimately higher retention rates, which benefits both the veteran and the company.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand military culture and disability to leverage recruiting
2. Learn how you can support the veteran transition process and help them understand and take pride in their new disability status
3. Gain information on practices and programs that lead to successful retention

A panel of multi-national companies will discuss their global self-id strategies, how the self-id strategies were organized, how to engage your ERG/BRG, and external hurdles overcome, and the resulting outcomes.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify self-id strategies, potential challenges and how these were overcome.
2. Learn how to organize a successful global self-id program at their companies.
3. Provide business cases for successful global self-id campaigns.

Hear from our NextGen Leaders about their experiences and as they pitch their Innovation Lab projects to a panel of judges.

Now more than ever, the effects of COVID-19 are having a dramatic impact on the mental health of employees and their families. Corporate leaders are the drivers of change in creating workplaces that support their employees’ mental and physical well-being. Please join this panel of corporate leaders as they discuss how their mental wellness programs have benefitted their employees, their families, and their workplaces, during this very challenging time for people around the globe.

As businesses of all sizes and across all industries continue to adjust and recover from the global pandemic of 2020, the opportunity to re-imagine the next iteration of how business is conducted could not be greater.

So much has been spoken about operational agility and the art of pivoting for good reason. Join us for an interactive discussion on how to survive, thrive and avoid pivot pitfalls.   

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain insights into how businesses faced up to the challenges of 2020
2. Learn how businesses are recovering, rebuilding, and accelerating transformation
3. Learn how to coach DOBEs to add value by becoming your innovators and leveraging the opportunities of the future

From identifying talent sourcing partners to accessing the disability community, to providing training to recruiters and hiring managers, to ensuring an accessible experience for all participants, recruiting strategies are complex and require a comprehensive approach.  This session will review different models, including marketing and outreach campaigns, that diversified pipelines and delivered a more seamless onboarding experience for talent at all levels.  Time will also be allocated to discuss strategies on how to increase your actual numbers of applicants and hires.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn about accessible entry points for applicant with disabilities
2. Identify intersectional approaches for intentionally recruiting talent with disabilities at various career stages
3. Understand how lifecycle storytelling, from recruitment to retention, is critical to successful hiring
4. Enhance training for recruiters and other talent acquisition professionals

Now it’s time to scale across the global organization. Join global accessibility leaders as they explore best practices for scaling accessibility policies, programs, and processes across your organization’s footprint. Topics include navigating cultural differences that impact accessibility; global training; best practices for working with global teams; developing global policies; understanding global compliance requirements; establishing global employee networks and champion programs to advance digital accessibility; advantages and pitfalls of AI for global accessibility scaling.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding how culture and country practices around disability impact accessibility.
2. Learn best practices for international accessibility training, certification and credentialing.
3. Discover strategies for improving global connections among employees with disabilities and cross-functional teams, and accessing global expertise to advance digital accessibility.

This session is specifically designed for DOBEs who want to increase their sales in any market environment. During a challenging business climate or one that is currently warm and sunny, the ability to embrace innovation to differentiate your product or service is the key to a sustainable competitive advantage. 

As a DOBE wanting to stand out among all the rest, you won’t want to miss this second of our 2-part business development series as corporate leaders share their perspectives as potential customers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand why differentiation is the key to success when working with potential corporate clients
2. Gain insights into developing an out-of-the box thinking mindset – practicing the art of listening and developing creative solutions to your customer’s needs
3. Learn key differentiation and innovation strategies that can help you grow your business and provide greater job security for your staff

Employee Resource groups play an important role in helping talent develop professionally and in keeping them move through the leadership pipeline. This may include initiatives such as having their members lead a strategic E/BRG initiative or take on a leadership role within the E/BRG, developing a mentoring program, or ensuring disability inclusion is part of succession planning discussions. Companies will share what their disability-focused E/BRGs have done to further leadership development of employees with disabilities within their organizations.

Learning Objectives:                   

1. Learn how to identify employees for E/BRG leadership roles.
2. Find new ways to develop, recognize, and reward E/BRG leaders.
3. Discover strategies E/BRGs have implemented to positively impact the inclusion of employees with disabilities into their organization’s leadership pipeline.

Join global accessibility leaders for a fast-paced glimpse into accessibility topics of tomorrow. Designed for those with developed accessibility programs – and those who want a taste of what their burgeoning accessibility commitment can become. Topics include global accessibility innovation and trends; accessible procurement successes; growing accessibility teams and building on successes; leveraging accessibility for brand awareness; expanding the role of people with disabilities in accessibility and Artificial Intelligence (AI) research; ethical AI and the future of accessibility.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how global organizations are leveraging digital accessibility efforts to build brand awareness and loyalty
2. Discover how AI can shape the future of accessibility and what can global leaders do to ensure that the future is ethical
3. Learn what global leaders think are the cutting edge digital accessibility issues to today… and tomorrow.

Storytelling is a memorable way to transform information, create deep emotional connections, and connect an abstract concept to our daily lives. In this session, you will hear from companies who are using storytelling to help advance their company’s disability inclusion journey and connect their company’s brand to purpose in actionable ways.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to find compelling stories from within your company
2. Learn how to tell stories in a meaningful and authentic way.
3. Hear examples from companies about how they have leveraged storytelling.

As advocates say, ‘Nothing about us, without us,’ businesses too must include people with disabilities in the conception, development and execution of products and services, rather than just serving people with disabilities as a target market at the end of the operational cycle. Attend this session to learn from companies who have done this well and the faux pas they've observed along the way. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the intersection between marketing & accessibility.  
2. Create ‘feedback loops’ to receive and use feedback from people with disabilities to ensure product/service is experienced as intended.
3. Learn how to work cross functionally within a company to make sure the internal team is ready and aligned before the product and/or service goes to market in order to prevent bad intentions.