Removing Barriers to Employment: Disability and National Origin Inclusion
Barriers to employment tend to be socially counterproductive and can serve to discriminate against minorities, women, persons with disabilities and older employees. Learning about these barriers and how to remove them promotes equal employment opportunities in the workplace.
In this luncheon event, learn from Brien Shoemaker, Outreach Education Coordinator with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, about general barriers that inhibit equal employment opportunity and receive suggestions and ideas on how to create a diverse, productive, and harassment-free workplace.
Then hear from experts who work with people with disabilities and immigrants and refugees to learn more about inclusive workplace practices for these cultural communities.
📆 Wednesday, February 24th from 12 – 1 p.m. EST
🤟 An ASL interpreter will be provided.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the general barriers that inhibit equal employment opportunity
- Explain how to eliminate barriers to employment
- Develop ideas for a plan to recruit and hire that is free from barriers to employment
- Understand specific barriers to employment that people with disabilities and immigrants and refugees may have.
- Gather ideas for policies and action items that would create a more inclusive culture of people with disabilities and immigrants and refugees in the workplace.
Speaker Information:
👤 Brien Shoemaker, Outreach Education Coordinator, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Brien Shoemaker is the Outreach Education Coordinator for the Indianapolis District of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Brien has been with the EEOC since 2001 and has served as an investigator and a supervisor. As an investigator Brien earned the Commission’s CORE award for outstanding contributions to the EEOC during his work as the lead investigator in a multi-agency class case involving hiring discrimination. Brien has presented outreach programs on the EEOC laws and regulations, and has given Respectful Workplace training to private companies and advocacy groups.
👤 Cynthia Hobbs, Outreach Partnerships Manager, Morales Group
Cynthia Hobbs serves as the Outreach Partnerships Manager with the Morales Group. Cynthia is an excellent networker who can identify diverse strategic partnership opportunities to build meaningful relationships with community stakeholders and employers to bridge language accessibility, skills, and employment gaps with the up and coming communities. Cynthia is an accomplished, innovative, culturally sensitive and responsible leader who has achieved to bring a collective of private and not-for profit organizations to address the multitude needs of the community; more specifically, the barriers to employment. Cynthia’s passion derives on her personal experience as a daughter of Mexican immigrants and as an English Language Learner.
👤 Josh Anderson, Manager of Clinical Assistive Technology, Easterseals Crossroads
Josh has worked at Easterseals Crossroads since 2011, first in employment services and then moved to the assistive technology department. Josh holds a Bachelor of Public Affairs in nonprofit management with a minor in sociology and is a RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). As an assistive technology specialist, he assists individuals with disabilities in achieving their goals in employment, school and life with the assistance of technology. In 2018, Josh took over hosting duties of Assistive Technology Update, the #1-ranked assistive technology podcast and is also a panelist on the podcast “ATFAQ – Assistive Technology Frequently Asked Questions.”
👤 Yaza Swe, Manager of Employment Programs, Exodus Refugee Immigration
Yaza is the manager of the employment programs at Exodus Refugee Immigration. He has been with the company for almost 11 years and has been providing employment services to refugees, asylees, Special Immigrant Visa, and Certified Victims of Human Trafficking clients. The team works with central Indiana employers to partner in job placement, follow-ups, and troubleshooting issues.
👤 Tiffany Hanson, Outreach and Engagement Manager, LUNA Language Services
Tiffany Hanson is an ultimate connector and avid community engagement enthusiast. With a background in marketing and public relations, Tiffany has found a niche in community outreach with a love of developing collaborative opportunities. She spends a majority of her day time hours representing LUNA Language Services, engaged in opportunities to further language access initiatives for immigrants, refugees, and members of the Deaf and hard of hearing communities.