KENTUCKY — The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law in the year 1990 by then-President George H.W. Bush with hopes to eliminate discrimination towards individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including transportation, schools, and in the workforce.
Charles Catherine is the Associate Director of Special Projects at the National Organization on Disability, and earlier this year, Catherine wrote an op-ed piece titled: Social distance, blindness, and coronavirus: How people with disabilities like me are adjusting.”
During this In Focus Kentucky segment, Catherine discusses the NOD’s mission and explains how the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has personally impacted his life.
New York (DECEMBER 3, 2020) – To commemorate International Day of People with Disabilities, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) today hosted an exclusive webcast for its Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) to learn about and discuss the disability policy landscape in the coming Biden-Harris Administration, and how the next four years will present disability advocates with new opportunities and challenges, especially as COVID-19 rates continue to rise across the country.
“There is still so much work to be done to support and advocate for individuals with disabilities in our country, especially in light of the ongoing pandemic,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “Disability inclusion is a bipartisan issue that impacts millions of Americans, and we applaud the new Administration for finally bringing issues that are affecting the disability community to the forefront. These types of exclusive priority briefings are only available to our Corporate Leadership Council members.”
The briefing was led by RespectAbility and the Ridge Policy Group. RespectAbility President Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi and RespectAbility Policy and Practices Director Phillip Kahn-Pauli talked about America’s diverse disability community which includes 61 million individuals with disabilities, and the reality check that only 1 in 3 people with a disability have a job, despite research from Accenture that shows companies that recruited and supported employees with disabilities have a 30% greater profit margin. In addition, research shows that disability-inclusive companies have higher productivity levels and lower staff turnover rates, and are twice as likely to outperform their peers in shareholder returns and create larger returns on investment.
The Biden Plan for Full Participation and Equality for People with Disabilities
Ensure full inclusion of people with disabilities in policy development.
Guarantee access to high-quality, affordable health care, including mental health care.
Expand access to home and community-based services and long-term services and supports.
Expand competitive, integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Protect and strengthen economic security for people with disabilities.
Ensure that students with disabilities have access to educational programs.
Expand access to accessible, integrated, and affordable housing, transportation, and assistive technologies and protect people with disabilities in emergencies.
CLC members were then provided an encouraging overview of the Biden-Harris plan for the disability community which includes full inclusion of people with disabilities in policy development, advancements in access to high-quality, affordable health care including mental health care, expanded access to home and community-based services, affordable housing, transportation and assistive technologies, as well as ensuring students with disabilities have access to educational programs. In addition, the speakers addressed the legislative priorities of the new administration and the 117th Congress, such as The Transformation to Competitive Employment Act, The Paycheck Fairness Act, The Equality Act, as well as strengthen and expand Violence Against Women Act.
Mizrahi and Kahn-Pauli said one priority needs to be increased federal employment opportunities for people with disabilities. These are positions working directly for the federal government and through federal contracts, they said.
Glazer added, “NOD is hopeful that with the new Administration’s focused attention on our community that people with disabilities will have the same opportunities as everyone else, and we can start to rebuild to make workforces more diverse and inclusive than ever before.”
About National Organization on Disability (NOD)
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to increase employment opportunities for the 80-percent of working age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. To achieve this goal, NOD offers a suite of employment solutions, tailored to meet leading companies’ workforce needs. NOD has helped some of the world’s most recognized brands to be more competitive in today’s global economy by building or enriching their disability inclusion programs. For more information about NOD and how its professional services, Corporate Leadership Council and Disability Employment Tracker™ can help your business, visit www.NOD.org.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most comprehensive and sweeping pieces of civil rights legislation in our nation’s history. For more information about the ADA 30 and how NOD is celebrating this milestone event, please visit www.nod/ada30.org.
About RespectAbility
RespectAbility is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that enables people with disabilities to get the education, skills, and opportunities they need to achieve competitive, integrated employment and independence. https://www.respectability.org/
NOD President Encourages All Companies to Join the Winning Team
NEW YORK (NOVEMBER 23, 2020) – Members of the National Organization on Disability Corporate Leadership Council are routinely outperforming their non-Council peers, according to Talmetrix, a national employee feedback, research and insights’ company. Results from the NOD’s benchmarking assessment, the 2020 Disability Employment Tracker, show Council members routinely scoring high marks in all six inclusion categories, including climate & culture, talent sourcing, people practices, workplace & technology and veterans employment. In addition, Council members are showing they improved self-ID rates by 21% since 2018 versus compared to non-Council members who showed an increase of just 0.26% in the same period. Overall, members of NOD’s Corporate Leadership Council have 6% higher self-ID rates than their peers who are not members.
In its eighth year – and with companies who together employ more than 10 million Americans already taking the annual survey – the NOD Tracker assists companies to make disability inclusion part of their overall business strategy and to find the right talent while removing inclusion barriers.
“For nearly 40 years, we have worked alongside leading Fortune 1,000 companies, who proudly make up our Corporate Leadership Council, to help build or enhance their disability inclusion practices,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “Our Council members are some of the best performing companies because they are adopting key practices to yield higher disability rates, including having a plan to ensure recruiters, managers and supervisors are well-trained in the accommodations process and to provide easy access to accommodations at the post-offer/pre-employment stage and throughout the employees’ tenure.”
Glazer added, “As our country continues to grapple with civil unrest and a global pandemic, I can’t say this strongly enough – the time is now for all companies to advance their disability inclusion practices and build a stronger more inclusive workforce. Take the first step by completing the 2021 Tracker and join NOD’s winning Corporate Leadership Council.”
More about the NOD Corporate Leadership Council
Membership in the Corporate Leadership Council provides an opportunity for national and global business leaders to learn from peers about common challenges and leading practices in disability employment – and to be recognized for their commitment to disability employment. In supporting our mission, our corporate partners distinguish themselves as leaders in diversity and employers of choice for people with disabilities.
More about the NOD Tracker Survey
Start Today! Take the free NOD Disability Employment Tracker here.
The National Organization on Disability’ s(NOD) Disability Employment Tracker is the only assessment tool available that focuses on the workforce, to help companies better evaluate the effectiveness of their disability inclusion policies and practices.
Companies who complete the Tracker by March 23, 2021 receive a free Scorecard report, benchmarking their performance against all other participants in key workforce inclusion areas: (Strategy, Metrics, Climate & Culture, Talent Sourcing, People Practices, Workplace Tools & Accessibility, and Veterans (optional).
In addition to receiving this powerful benchmarking tool, top performing companies are eligible to compete for NOD’s Annual Leading Disability Employer Seal. A list of the 2020 Leading Disability Employers can be found here.
About National Organization on Disability
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to increase employment opportunities for the 80-percent of working age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. To achieve this goal, NOD offers a suite of employment solutions, tailored to meet leading companies’ workforce needs. NOD has helped some of the world’s most recognized brands to be more competitive in today’s global economy by building or enriching their disability inclusion programs. For more information about NOD and how its professional services, Corporate Leadership Council and Disability Employment Tracker™ can help your business, visit www.NOD.org.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most comprehensive and sweeping pieces of civil rights legislation in our nation’s history. For more information about the ADA 30 and how NOD is celebrating this milestone event, please visit www.nod/ada30.org.
BY FORMER GOV. TOM RIDGE, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 11/10/20 11:30 AM EST
The unexpected shift to the remote workplace and classroom brought on by COVID-19 has left many families across the country with inequitable access to devices and technology infrastructure, a problem known as the digital divide. For students with disabilities, the digital divide is not only an issue of access to broadband and technological devices, but also about ensuring that the technology is inclusive for their needs.
Remote learning is especially challenging for students with disabilities who require specialized instruction and accommodations to access high-quality education, and the digital divide exacerbates this challenge.
If students with disabilities are not given the supports they need to learn with technology, then we will effectively be locking them out of the workforce and perpetuating a cycle of unequal treatment.
Throughout my career, I have worked to ensure that people with disabilities are served by our institutions and have the same opportunities as others to participate in education, the workforce, and our society. As governor of Pennsylvania, I invested millions in educational technology and led work to create model digital schools that would advance districts’ abilities to innovate and provide cutting-edge technologies in our schools. I have continued to advocate for equal treatment of people with disabilities, especially in the workforce, as the chair of the National Organization on Disability. Leaders cannot forget the importance of providing special education services to students, especially in the virtual or hybrid learning environments so many students are facing this tumultuous school year.
The digital divide continues to result in inequitable device and internet access — especially for people with disabilities. According to data from the Pew Research Center, Americans with disabilities are less likely to go online, less likely to have access to high-speed internet, less likely to have devices such as a smartphone, laptop computer, or tablet, and less likely to have a high degree of confidence in their use of technology. These barriers prevent students with disabilities from learning, honing their talents, and gaining the skills they need to enter an increasingly technology-focused economy. Another challenge is that frequently used technologies, like Zoom, are not made to be inclusive for people with disabilities. Studies have found that some disabilities make it difficult for users to orient themselves to online tasks like navigating websites and selecting results. With schools moving to digital learning during the pandemic, policymakers and leaders must understand and address the challenges facing students with disabilities as they navigate this mode of instruction.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that special education services are provided to public school students across the country. Despite this, the pandemic has disrupted student access to the specialized instruction, interventions, and accommodations provided through their Individualized Education Plans. Parents are stressed about the loss of learning and skills, with 53 percent of parents of students with disabilities feeling very concerned versus 40 percent of all parents.
Schools need to consider the unique needs of students with disabilities and prepare to serve them while also supporting parents to be better equipped as remote learning continues. Many companies have stepped upto make their technology more inclusive to workers with disabilities. Our schools must do the same and work towards a more inclusive design in hybrid or remote classrooms.
We must address the digital divide for students with disabilities, and make sure they are receiving the services they require and deserve. Congress has allocated $13.23 billion in CARES Act funding to help school districts manage challenges brought on by the pandemic, and more federal stimulus dollars must come. Schools and policymakers can start by evaluating their current practices for working remotely with students with disabilities. They must also ensure that families have access to the resources and services they need to help their child be successful and pursue their passions.
Barriers must be removed to ensure that students with disabilities have access to high-quality instruction that meets their unique learning needs. There is no time to waste.
Tom Ridge was the 43rd governor of Pennsylvania and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; he serves as board chairman of the National Organization on Disability.
Enhanced Disability Employment Tracker Helps Large and Small Companies Make a More Inclusive Workforce a Reality
NEW YORK (October 27, 2020) – In celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the National Organization on Disability (NOD) is proud to launch its redesigned Disability Employment Tracker assessment, the only assessment tool available that focuses on the workforce, to help companies better evaluate the effectiveness of their disability inclusion policies and practices. In its eighth year – and with companies who together employ more than 10 million Americans already taking the annual survey – the NOD Tracker assists companies to make disability inclusion part of their overall business strategy and to find the right talent while removing inclusion barriers.
Aiming at making the Tracker an even more effective resource for companies in 2021, NOD partnered with Talmetrix, a national employee feedback, research and insights’ company. By utilizing recent market research, the two organizations created a dynamic benchmarking disability assessment tool that provides companies with the cutting-edge, outcome-based data metrics they need to build a more inclusive workforce which is proven to enhance innovation and increase engagement with employees and customers.
“Individuals with disabilities make up 20 percent of the U.S. population, the largest diversity group, and including them in hiring decisions increases a company’s talent pool exponentially,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “The 2021 Tracker is the only tool in the field that can provide a company with the data they need to better understand how to improve their self-ID rates and workforce inclusion practices, as well as have a deeper correlation of key practices with outcomes related to hiring, tenure, promotions and engagement. I want to challenge all companies to take the 2021 Tracker and join our winning Corporate Leadership Council team to advance their disability inclusion practices.”
Previous Tracker data shows that NOD’s Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) member companies performed better and were more effective at implementing best practices, programs, and policies. Specifically, CLC companies have 3% higher self ID rates and are 21% better than non-members at adopting the most effective disability inclusion practices.
Companies who complete the Tracker by March 5, 2021 receive a free Scorecard report, benchmarking their performance against all other participants in key workforce inclusion areas: (Strategy, Metrics, Climate & Culture, Talent Sourcing, People Practices, Workplace Tools & Accessibility, and Veterans (optional). The 2021 Scorecard reports will be available for participating companies in the spring of 2021. In addition to receiving this powerful benchmarking tool, top performing companies are eligible to compete for NOD’s annual Leading Disability Employer Seal. A list of the 2020 Leading Disability Employers can be found here.
Companies can access the free NOD Disability Employment Tracker here.
About National Organization on Disability (NOD) and Talmetrix Partnership
The partnership between NOD and Talmetrix, Inc. blends advocacy with the current demands of the business community. NOD has decades of years of experience partnering with companies, large and small, to develop and grow hiring initiatives which provides a unique perspective on developing workforces based on employers’ needs. Talmetrix has more than a decade of experience in capturing employee feedback and data on culture, inclusion, engagement and organizational effectiveness and brings extensive expertise to the survey design, analysis, and insights. Talmetrix administers the online survey platform and ensures confidentiality and data security.
About National Organization on Disability
The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to increase employment opportunities for the 80-percent of working age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. To achieve this goal, NOD offers a suite of employment solutions, tailored to meet leading companies’ workforce needs. NOD has helped some of the world’s most recognized brands to be more competitive in today’s global economy by building or enriching their disability inclusion programs. For more information about NOD and how its professional services, Corporate Leadership Council and Disability Employment Tracker™ can help your business, visit www.NOD.org.
This year marks the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, one of the most comprehensive and sweeping pieces of civil rights legislation in our nation’s history. For more information about the ADA 30 and how NOD is celebrating this milestone event, please visit www.nod/ada30.org.
About Talmetrix
Talmetrix, an employee feedback, research and insights’ company powers multiple human capital benchmarks. Talmetrix humanizes employee and organizational data to elevate performance and productivity. Through its technology, solutions and services, Talmetrix enables organizations to listen for and respond to the factors influencing employee experience, culture and organizational performance.
Talmetrix administers the online survey platform and ensures confidentiality and data security. For more information about Talmetrix, please visit http://www.talmetrix.com/.
NEW YORK (October 26, 2020) – Fourteen of the nation’s largest disability organizations have joined together to urge all Americans who care about issues related to disability to vote on November 3rd. These organizations today released the following collective statement:
“COVID-19 is a unique burden for people with disabilities. Lives have been lost. Isolation exacerbated. Unemployment skyrocketing. The policy issues on the ballot this November impacts every aspect of life for the disability community. We must vote in record numbers to have our voices heard and needs met in the ongoing public health emergency.
“These issues include funding for Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) to support health care needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. HCBS helps individuals with disabilities receive services at home as appropriate. HCBS is also important to help individuals with disabilities work, by hiring direct support staff, including job coaches, so that those who can work at this time have the supports they need to do so safely and effectively. And when individuals with disabilities work, we hope to see that they are paid fair wages with a phasing-out of section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act, which allows individuals with disabilities to be paid subminimum wages. These, among other issues, are essential to the future success of individuals with disabilities.
“Fourteen of the nation’s largest disability organizations are unified in message and purpose. We encourage all of our members to vote!”
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, members of the NOD Corporate Leadership Council and sponsors of our Look Closer awareness campaign are sharing messages from their chief executive officers discussing why disability inclusion matters. To mark this historic milestone, hear from Ralph Izzo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG).
Mr. Izzo shares how PSEG is proud to support the goals of the ADA. That’s why PSEG is working to promote an accessible and inclusive workplace and creating opportunities for employees with disabilities to thrive.
NOD is grateful to PSEG for being a sponsor of the 2020 Annual Forum Webcast: “ADA at 30: What’s Next”.
The president of the National Organization on Disability helped her child overcome a lifetime of challenges.
By Carol Glazer | Sep 25, 2020
The conference floor was buzzing last May in Minneapolis, where I was speaking as president of the National Organization on Disability, a private nonprofit that focuses on increasing employment opportunities for Americans with disabilities.
I wasn’t alone at the conference: My 27-year-old son, Jacob, who himself has disabilities, had traveled with me from our home in New York City. “It’s ability, not disability, that counts,” Jacob proudly told the attendees, despite complaining of feeling sick to his stomach earlier.
By the time we landed back in New York the next day, Jacob was in a lot of pain. So as we had more than 40 times before, we rushed to the emergency room at New York University Medical Center, the same hospital where Jacob had been born with hydrocephalus—a rare, potentially fatal fluid blockage surrounding the brain—and had his first surgery to install a shunt to drain the fluid. Was the shunt malfunctioning again?
Yes, but this time it wasn’t the part implanted in his brain. Instead, it was the end of the shunt that emptied fluid out through the peritoneal cavity in his abdomen. The hospital pumped Jacob’s stomach twice, but his bowel was still obstructed. He would need another risky surgery—Surgery Number 31, to be exact. Every time, my own stomach churned knowing there was a chance Jacob wouldn’t survive or would come out of the operation with additional challenges.
Uncertainty had dogged us every step of the way with Jacob. It wasn’t the hydrocephalus itself that had caused his physical and cognitive disabilities. A hospital-acquired bacterial infection had inflicted considerable brain damage, leaving my then-husband and me with nothing but questions and confusion: Would our son ever be able to walk? How much would he be able to see? What would his level of cognitive functioning be?
The answers came, though slowly: Jacob walks with a slight limp; he is severely visually impaired; he reads at a third-grade level.
Through early intervention treatments and multiple therapies, and with New York’s unparalleled special education system, he has thrived—a happy, clever, busy and loving young man.
As he approached puberty, Jacob wanted to be bar mitzvahed to celebrate becoming a man with his faith community. When I inquired, our rabbi said our temple didn’t have the capability to do that for Jacob. I was devastated. “Every Shabbat, we pray for the Jews in Russia, in Argentina, but here you have a member of your own congregation who needs you,” I said. “Where is the inclusivity?”
The next day, the rabbi called and said she hadn’t slept the night before, thinking about Jacob, and that she would help put together a program for him to learn the Hebrew he needed to read his passage from the Torah. Jacob spent more than two years learning the Hebrew phonetically and was bar mitzvahed on time at age 13. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when he finished reading the sacred text, and the program we developed is still used citywide.
At NYU Medical Center, the staff know us so well, they always let me put on scrubs to go with Jacob into the operating room and stay until they put him under. As he lay on the OR table that day last May, I told him he’d be able to get back to work soon, back to his three-day-a-week job, helping out at the 14th Street Y, even though I didn’t know if that were true.
“What do you like best about your job?” I asked to distract him.
“I like delivering the mail to everyone,” he said. “And I like taking the 6 train to get there!” Jacob is fully travel-trained; at this point, he has the entire New York City subway system memorized.
The nurse slipped the oxygen mask over his face. “And I want to play basketball and go to my songwriting class, and eat pizza with my friends,” Jacob murmured.
His voice trailed off, and I was left to imagine what life might be like if he didn’t wake up. No more making French toast and waffles together on Sunday mornings and quibbling about who does the dishes. No more chatty walks through Central Park after dinner. No more going to see funny movies—Steve Martin is Jacob’s favorite actor—or to Broadway musicals.
Yet even in these extreme situations, I still love being the CEO of Jacob, Inc., as I started calling myself many years ago. My job is to find out his preferences and his needs as he perceives them and to help him, whether it’s presenting him with choices or drawing him out. But that’s not my only job.
When Jacob was little, I worked in affordable housing development. In 2005, when he was 13, I was offered a consultancy for the National Organization on Disability, or NOD, based on my public policy experience. I had to think long and hard about whether to accept the position—did I really want to live disability 24/7?
Work had always been a welcome distraction for me, a much-needed way to keep balance in my life. But then I rewatched Geraldo Rivera’s 1972 exposé on the inhumane conditions at Willowbrook State School, the institution for the intellectually disabled in Staten Island. And I saw, in the wake of that scandal, how the mothers of those children successfully organized to bring about the Education for All Handicapped Children Act.
All those mothers before me had made it possible for Jacob to have a wonderful education, so why on earth wasn’t I giving my talents to a movement that had made such an impact on my family? In 2009, I took over as president of NOD, and I haven’t looked back.
As the hours of Jacob’s surgery ticked by, I lay down on the little pull-out couch in his hospital room, where I’d spent so many sleepless nights. I thought back to the time when he was eight and suffered a shunt malfunction while I was on a business trip to Boston. It was 2000, and I didn’t yet have a cell phone.
After a quick calculation, I realized that between the flight and cab rides to and from the airports, I would be completely in the dark about my son’s condition for well over two hours. Should I jump on the next flight to New York, I thought, or should I stay here close to a phone?
I decided I needed to be there with Jacob, so I rushed for the next flight. On the plane, I sat with my hands gripping the seat rest, looking out into the vastness of the clear blue sky, above even the clouds. This is entirely out of my hands, I thought. I am so insignificant, and as much as I try to take care of everything for my son, I have to trust in the power that’s outside of me, a power greater than myself and even greater than my love for my son.
And so here, almost 20 years later, back at NYU Medical Center, I again opened myself to complete acceptance of the situation before me, although it taxes the entire fiber of my being every time. After several hours, Jacob was out of surgery. The doctor said they’d been able to clear the obstruction, caused by scarring from multiple shunt surgeries.
A couple days later, I listened as Jacob held bedside court with the doctors and residents, regaling them with the song he’d written: “I’m made up of kindness,” he sang. “I have a good heart. Sometimes I’m funny. I’m pretty smart.” I never cease to be amazed by that light, that smile, that spirit that are so manifest in Jacob, this young man of mine who has had his work cut out for him from Day One.
“That’s my mom,” he told the doctors, pointing to me. “She’s a very famous person, and she’s nice.”
It’s an ongoing challenge being both the CEO of Jacob, Inc., and the president of NOD, but they’re forever entwined in my heart, and I wouldn’t trade my life for anything in the world.
Cohort of Top Companies Recognized for Exemplary Disability Hiring and Employment Practices
New York (October 1, 2020) – At the National Organization on Disability (NOD)’s Annual Forum, entitled “ADA at 30: What’s Next”, 68 companies were honored as 2020 NOD Leading Disability Employers. Now in its sixth year, the NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal recognizes companies that demonstrate exemplary employment practices for people with disabilities. This annual recognition is designed to commend those organizations that are leading the way in disability hiring and to encourage other companies to tap into the many benefits of hiring talent with disabilities, including strong consumer preference for companies that employ individuals with disabilities and greater employee engagement across the workforce.
“America’s success in the world depends on how well we inspire and put to use the talents and energies of every person in this country,” said NOD Chairman Governor Tom Ridge. “It was the vision of President George H.W. Bush, who signed the ADA into law, that no ability is to be wasted and that everyone has a full and equal chance to play a part in our national progress. We at NOD remain committed to seeing that vision fulfilled by working closely with corporate America to help them achieve their disability inclusion goals. These 68 organizations certainly have stepped up and are doing just that, and we applaud their leadership and thank them for their commitment to hiring people with disabilities.”
The 2020 NOD Leading Disability Employers are:
Accenture
American Heart Association
Anthem
AT&T
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Blue Shield of California
The Boeing Company
BP America
Capital One
casaGnial – U/able
Centene Corporation
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Cigna
Comcast NBCUniversal
Cox Communications
Dow
DTE Energy
Eli Lilly and Company
Endeavors Unlimited
Eversource Energy
EY
FCA US
FirstEnergy
General Motors
The Hershey Company
Hilton Worldwide
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey
Humana
Idaho National Laboratory
Kaiser Permanente
KeyBank
KPMG
Lockheed Martin
L’Oréal USA
Marriott International
Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Mastercard
Mayo Clinic
Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
National Grid
National Security Agency
Nautilus Hyosung America
New Editions Consulting
Northrop Grumman
Procter & Gamble
Project HIRED
Prudential Financial
Puerto Rico Industries for the Blind
PwC
Randstad US
Reed Smith
SEI Investments Company
Sempra Energy
Sony Electronics
Tata Consultancy Services | Tata America International
While the Tracker is confidential, organizations may opt to be considered for the NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal. Responses are scored, taking into account both disability employment practices and performance. Scoring prioritizes practices that are associated with increased disability employment outcomes over time, and companies receive additional points based on the percentage of people with disabilities in their workforce.
To be considered for the 2021 NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal, companies must complete the Disability Employment Tracker during the qualifying window. Sign up to be notified when the 2021 Disability Employment Tracker opens this October.
GOVERNOR TOM RIDGE PRESENTS AWARDS TO INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS MAKING EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN DISABILITY INCLUSION
NEW YORK (September 30, 2020) – Today, more than 300 diversity and inclusion leaders from global companies attended the National Organization on Disability’s (NOD) Annual Forum presented by platinum-level sponsors Prudential Financial, Spectrum and Target. The inspiring two-hour webcast entitled, “ADA at 30: What’s Next?”, addressed the challenges and opportunities of building a more disability inclusive society in the midst of the global pandemic and the fight for social and economic justice in our country.
The program paid homage to the activists, officials and allies who enacted the ADA and its promise of equality, and those who fulfilled that legacy by breaking down barriers for Americans with disabilities, especially in the workforce. Leaders of yesterday and today examined progress made in increasing disability employment and barriers to employment that still remain. The forum, emceed by actors and disability advocates Danny Woodburn (Seinfeld) and Robert David Hall (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), featured an influential group of speakers and topics including:
A meaningful discussion with disability rights activist Judy Heumann and disability policy expert Lex Frieden that explored how grassroots activism led to the landmark civil rights legislation in 1990, and how those lessons can be used today to close the disability employment gap.
A message from Senator Robert P. Casey addressing what the ADA means today and how to preserve the gains made by the disability community in a turbulent political and economic era.
A practical discussion, moderated by Mike Shebanek from Facebook, with esteemed panelists Director of Accessibility Jake Konerza, Target, and Vice President of Accessibility Steve Raymond, Charter about how the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the virtual workplace, where accessible technology is critical to productivity and engagement.
Other speakers included NOD Chairman Governor Tom Ridge, NOD President Carol Glazer and Prudential Financial Chairman and CEO Charles Lowrey.
“I applaud all of the companies who participated in NOD’s Annual Forum as they are making a purposeful and laudatory commitment to hiring people with disabilities and creating an inclusive workplace that allows all people to thrive,” said NOD Chairman Governor Tom Ridge. “While we owe a great deal to the activists that sparked the disability rights movement, actually fulfilling the promise of the ADA requires all of us to do our part. Business and community leaders must continue to come together, as we are doing right now, to reaffirm their belief in and commitment to a truly inclusive workforce and a truly inclusive America.”
In addition, Chairperson Governor Tom Ridge presented three distinguished awards to the following honorees:
The Kessler Foundation, a pillar in the disability community for its philanthropic support, received the Alan A. Reich Award for its exceptional contributions in disability inclusion. This award, named in honor of NOD’s founder who helped spark a movement to ensure people with disabilities were represented equally in all aspects of life, is given to an established leader who is advancing disability rights.
The Coca-Cola Company, one of the most respected global brands in the world, received the Charles F. Dey Award for their significant efforts to ensure that disability plays a vital role in the diversity and inclusion equation in both the company and the foundation.
Judy Heumann received the NOD Lifetime Achievement Award for her tireless efforts to make the ADA a reality for millions of individuals with disabilities and her continued work to build a brighter and stronger future for many more.
Lastly, 68 organizations were honored as the 2020 NOD Leading Disability Employers for their exemplary hiring and employment practices for people with disabilities. Now in its sixth year, the NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal is awarded to the top performers on NOD’s Disability Employment Tracker, a free and confidential assessment that benchmarks companies’ disability inclusion programs.
About the Leading Disability Employer Seal + Disability Employment Tracker
To see current and past winners of the NOD Leading Disability Employer seal, visit www.NOD.org/seal.
To be considered for the 2021 NOD Leading Disability Employer seal, companies must complete the free and confidential Disability Employment Tracker assessment during the qualifying window. For more information and to sign up, visit www.NOD.org/tracker.
Welcome to the NOD Leadership Council site where members enjoy exclusive access to leading disability inclusion resources, tools and events.
Don’t have a username and password? Check to see if your company is a NOD Leadership Council member and learn more about joining.
