Disability Connection

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How a Family Car Wash Has Changed the Lives of People With Autism

Like many people with autism, Andrew D’Eri had a hard time finding a job.

Then, his father, a veteran entrepreneur, and older brother, who had recently finished business school, had an idea: What if they opened business employed mostly by people with autism?

“We wanted to build … an example big and bold and out there that other companies could go ahead and want to emulate,” Andrew’s brother Tom D’Eri, 25, told ABC News, adding that they wanted to find a business that would educate the community by putting autistic employees in front of the customers.

They opened the Rising Tide Car Wash in Parkland, Florida, in 2013, and today they employ 35 autistic men and women!

2014-Veterans Virtual Career Fair

Veterans Virtual Career Fair
Veterans Virtual Career Fair

MEET LIVE WITH RECRUITERS ONLINE More than 81,000 veterans hired since September 2011 Chat live with recruiters in their virtual booths View/apply for jobs in real time Win great prizes like IPad and Visa gift cards

Hero Ex-SVP : “Walgreens has “dream goal”, …10% disabled workforce within five years”

ex-Walgreens SVP Randy Lewis
Picture and Quotes via “www.hrmagazine.co.uk”

A Truly Uplifting Story

Randy Lewis has an incredible story to tell. “It’s the tale of how a man who led logistics at America’s largest drug-store chain, supporting it as it grew from 1,600 to 8,000 outlets with the most advanced logistics network in its sector, did so while giving job opportunities to thousands of disabled people.”

 

Randy is an advocate. He understands the benefits that inclusive organizations experience. Think ability, not disability.

This is another quote from the article. It really shows how perseverance and teamwork are so important to the success of any strategy:

Walgreens had previously employed disabled people to do “ancillary rather than mission-critical work”, cleaning for example, but Lewis wanted to do something more. “We wanted an opportunity to bring people in as our own employees,” he recalls. That opportunity came with the building of a new distribution centre; larger and more automated than any the company had owned before.”

The full article goes in to depth regarding Randy’s personal inspirations and current advocacy work.

I encourage our followers to read the full article 

 

Introducing “The Ability Club”

There are a plethora of online job-search sites available today.

Now there is a job-search site specifically for people with disabilities.

“Online applications are so complicated that they form a barrier to the job market for people with developmental disabilities.  When I saw that the McDonald’s application included psychological testing, I knew there was a problem,” says Wade Ogletree, IDD Director, Jackson County.

“Ability.Club is a system “where employers can post jobs for free and prospective employees and their service providers can search for free.”

 

Ability.Club Website Screenshot

 

This is an excellent new resource for the disability community.

Ability Links Logo

2014 Virtual Job Fair: March 25 – 27

via VirtualLinks.org

How to Sign Up for Virtual Job Fair

AbilityLinks.org VIRTUAL JOB FAIR

TUESDAY, MARCH 25 to THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2014

Ability Icons

JOB SEEKERS

  1. POST/UPDATE YOUR RESUME. (If new to AbilityLinks, you will also need to create an account.)
  2. CLICK LINK TO SUBMIT SIGN UP FORM

 

EMPLOYERS

  1. POST A CURRENT JOB(s). (If new to AbilityLinks, you will also need to create an account.)
    CLICK LINK TO SUBMIT SIGN UP FORM.
    Tips: Your job posting(s) must be current.
    If you add jobs after submitting the sign up form, resubmit the form to include the new jobs.
    Before the job fair you will receive live chat information.


Have a question or need assistance?

Ken Skord
Director, AbilityLinks Program
26W171 Roosevelt Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Tel. 630:909-7440
Fax: 630:909-7441
Email: kskord@abilitylinks.org

Janice Duvall
Information Specialist
26W171 Roosevelt Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Tel: 630:909-7443
Fax: 630:909-7441
Email: jduvall@abilitylinks.org

Bill O’Connor
Information Specialist
26W171 Roosevelt Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
Tel: 630:909-7444
Fax: 630:909-7441
Email: boconnor@abilitylinks.org