EVOLVE Business and Professional Magazine May 2018 | Page 34

Florida’s Agency for Persons with Disabilities and Division of Vocational Rehabilitation advocates for people with disabilities by providing vocational assessments, job coaches and talent scouts to find meaningful careers. Providers like The Arc of Volusia, WORC and Conklin Center for the Blind offer similar services as Duvall. Managed by CEO Shawn Abbatessa, a disabled USAF Veteran, staff at The Arc research jobs in the community with their clients to determine individual interests prior to applying for a position. “Our Supported Employment Department will then assist with filling out applications, the interview process and with on-the-job training,” said Julie Bluel, Director of Programs at The Arc. “Employers that hire individuals we serve consistently tell us how dedicated they are to their jobs and the workplace,” said Brevard Achievement Center President & CEO, Amar Patel. “People with disabilities want to work because, like all of us, they want to be independent and self-sufficient.” Developing a Team Culture of Inclusion Employers can learn from the Anne Sullivans (Helen Keller’s teacher) and Eustacia Cutlers (Temple Grandin’s mother) of the world, who persevered to teach, correct, train and empower their loved one living with a disability so they could flourish in life to become competitive, happy citizens. It was not by luck that Keller became the first deaf-blind person to earn a BA or Grandin, who is Autistic, a PhD. Support specialists, teachers and job coaches are similar to these maternal cheerleaders. They collaborate with business leaders from all sectors, providing insight on how to better understand and utilize the talents of people living with a developmental disability. One can learn from leaders who advocate employment inclusion. Leaders like Publix Super Markets, who have hired people with disabilities for decades. DaVita Labs, the diagnostic laboratory servicing kidney dialysis organizations and physician practices, serves people with special needs on a daily basis. This is one reason why DaVita is an expert voice on serving people with disabilities living in our community. “At DaVita Labs, we’re a community first and a company second,” said Jason Cline, DaVita’s Vice President and General Manager. Moving group home furniture, landscaping, and even providing a respite space and entertainment in its new facility in DeLand for Duvall | 34 | EVOLVE BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL MAGAZINE residents following Hurricane Irma, are some examples of how DaVita Labs engages its employees with the developmentally disabled community. “In addition to participating in various service projects at Duvall Homes during the past four years, our teammates and leaders derive great fulfillment and a unique camaraderie from supporting and interacting with our Duvall neighbors. I am encouraged by the endless possibilities of our partnership in 2018 and beyond.” So how can you create an environment to employ, contract or engage people living with a disability? The Office of Disability Employment (dol.gov); the What Can You Do Campaign? (whatcanyoudocampaign.org); Florida’s Agency for People with Developmental Disabilities Abilities Work Help Desk (APD. myflorida.com) and EARN, the Employer Assistance Resource Network (askearn.org) are just a few informative resources for businesses interested in diversifying their employee culture and the way they do business. Assess your organization’s culture of inclusion by taking the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Survey (DisabilityEqualityIndex.org). “The more the community gets involved with the people we serve, the sooner we’ll be able to remove the misconceptions about people with developmental disabilities,” said Steven DeVane, Duvall Homes’ Chief Executive Officer. Be a divergent leader. Attract new talents that enrich your company’s diversity by tapping into a market segment that most definitely will do much more than just stimulate your bottom line. The more the community gets involved with the people we serve, the sooner we’ll be able to remove the mi