BroadFutures, my host organization, is proud to be a part of this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month “NDEAM,” an annual awareness campaign that takes place each October. The purpose of NDEAM is to educate about disability employment issues and celebrate the many and varied contributions of America’s workers with disabilities. This year’s theme is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.”
We strongly believe that inclusion drives innovation and see the evidence of it every day in our work. BroadFutures is revolutionizing the way young adults with learning disabilities enter the workforce through our holistic training, mentoring and paid internship program. We believe in the inherent potential of the young people that we serve.
It is estimated that one in five Americans has a learning disability, yet 46% of working-age adults with learning disabilities are not employed. At a time when organizations are searching for talent and a diverse workforce, this population presents an untapped talent pool. We know that including different perspectives in problem-solving situations leads to better solutions. Hiring employees with diverse abilities strengthens businesses, increases competition and drives innovation. It is vital for any future-focused organization to develop a diverse talent pipeline. We streamline that pipeline by providing support to our participants as well as our employers, creating mutually positive outcomes for both. To bring awareness to this effort, BroadFutures, in collaboration with several other like-minded organizations and Quoted Studios, developed a fabulous animated video on unconscious bias and the value of hiring individuals with disabilities. We hope you can all watch and share!!!