ITEEx News to Lose - September 18,2007
The Challenge Facing Professionals With Disabilities
There’s an old adage saying you should learn something new every day. I recently had that experience. I had never focused on the challenges professionals with disabilities face in being considered for a position.
This past year, the ITA created an academic outreach program and honored me with being the program’s first chair. It has been a wonderful experience to date. In the past eight months, we assembled a great committee from academia and industry. We developed a mission statement to:
1. Keep graduating students in Illinois
2. Encourage K-12 students to pursue careers in technology
3. Drive alignment between what is taught and the needs of the hiring community
To accomplish the mission, we initially have developed the following programs and initiatives:
1. “Fifty for the Future,” which is a recognition program for graduating student in Illinois. Fifty of our finest and brightest students will be recognized at the ITA gala in the spring and each year thereafter.
2. A student membership program, which is year-round involvement with students to encourage and enhance their opportunity to advance a career in technology including a Web-based resource center, internship program, mentor program, socials and executive roundtables.
3. We are in the early stages of developing an after-school program for K-12 students with the Chicago Public Schools.
The ITA is all about networking and driving companies to new levels of performance. This has proven to be true with the academic outreach program. The power of networking has kicked into high gear.
The connecting of the dots, the outpouring of volunteerism and the pure desire to give back to the community has driven this program to its current level and assures its continued success. We at the ITA are very excited about the prospects for the future and the impact the program will have on the community.
This all leads us to the main story of this article: the challenge facing professionals with disabilities.
First, here’s a little history. This opportunity was presented to us by Shelley Stern from Microsoft. She is the central region’s director of citizenship. This is a new position that Stern helped to create in Microsoft. The role is to work with the community to act as a catalyst for positive change.
It is not only Microsoft’s effort to give back to the community but it is good business to drive and nurture a healthy and vibrant community. Also, Microsoft is supporting employability for people with disabilities through software available in Vista.
Through Stern’s efforts, she reintroduced me to Bill Topel. He is working with MPS Partners, which is a joint venture with SPR. MPS Partners is a gold-managed Microsoft partner in the Midwest district. SPR is a Chicago-based IT services provider with strengths in programming and development, quality assurance, business analysis and strategic staffing.
SPR has been at the forefront of activism in providing assistance to professionals with disabilities ad helping them to secure career opportunities in information technology.
The company recently launched a program called nAblement, which is headed up by two industry veterans: Don Karpiak and Pat Maher. Topel introduced me to these two individuals. The rest was history.
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Karpiak and Maher. It was an eye-opening experience. I was very naive about the challenges facing professionals with disabilities.
I am embarrassed to say I didn’t even know that professionals with disabilities are considered a “diversity” group in the corporate employment world. In a couple hours, I was taken on a whirlwind tour of the challenges facing this diverse group of candidates.
It included a history lesson in legislation up to and including the current Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
I was also informed that people with disabilities represent the largest and most diverse “diversity” group. The most startling fact is that professionals with disabilities represent the diversity group with the highest unemployment (a rate of 65 percent). This was astonishing to me.
So what is nAblement attempting to do? First and foremost, they are attempting to find meaningful and productive employment for IT professionals with disabilities.
In order to break down the employment barriers, they have created a program called “Breaking Down Barriers”. The program is offered free of charge to human resource departments and hiring managers to take a candid look at the challenges facing this group.
They also work closely with not-for-profit organizations that support people with disabilities to drive awareness and change and to support the missions of these organizations.
A Call to Action
So what can the ITA do? A lot!
The ITA is immediately setting aside five of the 50 awards for the Fifty for the Future program to identify and recognize students with disabilities. The ITA is offering free student memberships to students with disabilities that are interested in a career in technology.
We have begun to explore other programs that will raise awareness and over time significantly decrease the level of unemployment. We are excited about the prospects and are eager to get on with the program.
So what can you do? A lot!
Take a look around your organization. Is your company sensitive to professionals with disabilities? Is your company in compliance with the ADA? Does your company need assistance in driving diversity?
If your company needs help or if you are interested in furthering your education, I would recommend that you contact Karpiak (312-756-1760 ext. 204) or Maher (312-756-1760 ext. 220) to have a discussion on how you can help or to set up a Breaking Down Barriers presentation for your human resources and management team.
Together we can make a difference. It only takes the effort to raise awareness and the will to drive change.
Have a Great Week!
Bill Waas
Executive Director&CEO
bwaas@iteex.org
312-671-4836
Lest we forget............... 3781 service people have lost their lives in the Iraq war.
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