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
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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