*Please note: keynote session dates are subject to change. All updates will be made on the agenda and registration page.*
Tuesday, September 29, 2020 – IT TAKES A VILLAGE
(Increasing employment opportunities within the federal government for people with disabilities.)
Join Melwood for this kick-off session to our Virtual Conference Series and hear about the government’s current and future initiatives towards inclusive employment, as well as how the private sector, federal agencies/departments, and nonprofit agencies can be a part of the solution!
Panelists:
Jose Velasco, Vice President, Product Development, SAP & Ambassador for Autism at Work
Leah Querimit Nash, Assistant Director, Strategic Issues, U.S. Government Accountability Office
Teresa Thomas, Program Lead, Neurodiverse Talent Enablement, MITRE
Mike Rogers, Consultant, American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
Moderator: Larysa Kautz, Interim President and CEO, Melwood
Thursday, October 8, 2020 – AWARD-WINNING INCLUSIVE WORKFORCE PIPELINE MODELS IN IT AND MANUFACTURING
(Federal government incentivizing the private sector to create an Inclusive Workforce Pipeline)
Diversity in the workplace is good for business – so why are individuals of differing abilities employed at a much lower rate than those of “typical” abilities? And more importantly, how can businesses reach, recruit and retain this talent? This is the prize competition challenge posed by the US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Administration for Community Living (ACL) to the private sector. KPMG teamed up with Melwood to connect employers to neurodiverse talent based on Melwood’s successful pilot program, abilIT. DHHS made five awards in the phase one of the prize competition including the KPMG/Melwood proposal. Hear from two prize competition winners covering the IT and manufacturing sectors and a third prize winner focusing on recruitment of candidates.
Panelists:
Scott Gibson, Senior Vice President for People and Programs, Melwood
Stan Keepes, Executive Director, The Arc of Southwest Indiana
Jhillika Kumar, Founder, Mentra
Jennifer Johnson, Ed.D., Deputy Commissioner, Administration on Disabilities and Director, Office of Disability Service Innovations, Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Moderator: Sean Hoffman, National Risk Management Partner, KPMG
Introductions – Larysa Kautz, Interim President and CEO, Melwood and Jimmie Jones, Vice President, Community Development Manager, Truist
Thursday, October 15, 2020 – GENDER DISPARITY IN AUTISM DIAGNOSIS: IMPLICATIONS FOR LEARNING AND TRAINING
(Research on the differences in development and structure of brains of male and female children with autism)
Autism is more commonly diagnosed in boys than girls – does this mean girls are less likely to have autism? Or do they just demonstrate different traits? Research has shown that women and girls often go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed and that there is a need to understand how sex and gender impact the diagnosis and treatment of autism. Dr. Kevin Pelphrey, Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Professor of Neurology at the University of Virginia, is researching this exact challenge. Supported by the National Institute of Health, Dr. Pelphrey and his colleagues are studying the difference in development and structure of the brain of males and females with autism to further the field of diagnosis, treatment, and overall understanding of autism. Research informs the way we train, employ and retain employees on the autism spectrum.
Keynote speaker:
Dr. Kevin Pelphrey, Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor of Neurology, University of Virginia
Introduction: Morgan Delk, Director, Melwood Board of Directors
Thursday, October 22, 2020 – Redefining and Redesigning for Inclusion: Workplace Design for Neurodiverse Talent
(How universities and workplace design leaders are changing the field)
Whether you live with a disability or not, most people require accommodations and most shape their personal workspace to their needs. So how can businesses ensure they are creating an inclusive workplace? From the design of your buildings to the environment of the space – actively making an inclusive workplace should be a priority for organizations. The new challenge is to create a universal space for neurodiverse employees, such as people who have autism or mild traumatic brain injuries. Hear from universities and designers who are on the frontlines trying to solve this problem for businesses, helping to redefine and redesign what it means and what it looks like to have an inclusive and accessible workplace.
Panelists:
Jessica Bonness, Assistant Professor, Interior Design, Marymount University
Kay Sargent, Senior Principal, Director of WorkPlace, HOK
Moderator: Scott Gibson, Senior Vice President, People & Programs, Melwood
Thursday, November 5, 2020 – EMPLOYMENT & ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS
(Creating and exploring employment and business ownership opportunities for veterans)
Nearly 25% of veterans express interest in starting a business. The U.S. Census estimates that nearly 10% of small businesses are veteran-owned and one out of every seven franchise businesses are owned by veterans. This session will explore the opportunities and challenges that veterans face to own and manage their own businesses as well as find employment. Hear from the organizations and individuals who are working to help veterans discover their inner entrepreneur and available employment opportunities.
Panelists:
Antonio Taguba, MG, U.S. Army (Retired)
Laura K. Wages, LTC, U.S. Army Retired, Programs Director for Boots to Business, Office of Veterans Business Development, U.S. Small Business Administration
De’andre Wells, Sergeant, U.S. Army Retired, Founder and CEO, AGX GROUP (Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB))
Lisa N. Wolford, USMC Veteran, Founder and CEO, Constellation West (SDVOSB)
Thursday, November 12, 2020 – The Bottom Line: Best Practices and the Business Imperative for Inclusion and Diversity
(Creating an inclusive workforce pipeline and changing corporate culture)
A 2018 report by Accenture, AAPD and Disability:IN found companies that embrace best practices for employing and supporting more persons with disabilities in their workforce have outperformed their peers. So how can YOU create a pipeline of executives and managers who have a heightened awareness of the value of an inclusive workforce? What does it take to change corporate culture?
Panelists:
Lori Golden, Abilities Strategy Leader, EY (Moderator)
Liesl Riddle, Associate Dean of Graduate Programs; Associate Professor of International Business and International Affairs, The George Washington School of Business
John Samuel, Co-Founder & CEO, Ablr
Thursday, November 19th -- Hiring Trends, Accommodations and Legal Implications in the Time of COVID
(How COVID-19 has changed minds on accessibility)
Are accommodations too expensive? Is accessibility unrealistic? Before COVID-19, individuals of differing abilities were often told exactly that – they often had to fight for “reasonable” accommodations and changes to corporate culture. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the workplace. Corporations pivoted to virtual work rapidly- telework and virtual interviews have become the new normal. This session will address the hiring trends, accommodation needs and legal implications for recruiting hiring, accommodating and retaining a neurodiverse workforce.
Panelists:
Dr. Scott Robertson, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), Employment-Related Supports Policy Team
Janet Fiore, President, The Sierra Group (Moderator)
Rick Grimaldi, Partner and COVID-19 Taskforce Member, Fisher and Phillips
Thursday, December 3, 2020 -- Fireside Chat on Increasing Disability Employment with Chairman Neil Romano
(Barriers to competitive integrated employment)
A new year, a new Congress and a new presidential administration are almost upon us. What does this mean for the disability community? For competitive integrated employment? As many of us celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, there is a strong feeling of needing to accomplish much more within the disability community – especially with regard to competitive integrated employment. The National Council on Disability (NCD) released two significant reports impacting the disability community this year. The first, 2020 Progress Report on National Disability Policy published in July, acknowledged the achievements of the ADA over the past three decades but focused attention on the persistent barriers that must be addressed in order to ensure the economic inclusion of people with disabilities into mainstream society in the future. The second report published in October, Policies from the Past in a Modern Era: The Unintended Consequences of the AbilityOne Program & Section 14(c), is a comprehensive review of the AbilityOne Program and ultimately calls for Congress to phase out the program. The discussion will focus on the findings and recommendations of the two reports.
Friday, December 11, 2020 – A NEW VISION FOR A NEW YEAR: DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT POLICY
(Advocates’ top priorities for 2021)
As, the Biden Administration and the 117th Congress start their tenure in January 2021, what are the highest priorities for the disability community? Hear from influential organizations such as the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), the Association of People Supporting Employment (APSE), and the Center for American Progress (CAP) about changes they hope to see in laws, policies and regulations which will have a significant impact on the lives of people with disabilities. Panelists:
Julie Christensen, MSW, PhD, Director of Policy & Advocacy, Interim Executive Director, APSE
Rebecca Cokley, Director, Disability Justice Initiative, CAP
Maria Town, President & CEO, AAPD
Moderator: Larysa Kautz, President & CEO, Melwood