News  2024 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebration

Massachusetts State House, Great Hall of Flags and on Zoom — We are excited to announce that the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities is hosting its Annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month Celebration on Wednesday, October 23rd, 2024 starting at 11 am the Massachusetts State House in the Great Hall of Flags. 

This event, as part of our National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebration, will bring together a diverse group of participants, including people with disabilities, policymakers, employers, human services providers, and other key stakeholders. This year, we are thrilled to broaden our focus to include both employment and the important issue of voting rights for individuals with disabilities.

In addition to our main event, we will host two significant sessions: a Voting Rights Panel titled "Accessible Democracy: Every Vote Counts" and a Fireside Chat titled "Inclusion in Action: Bridging Gaps in Disability Employment". The Voting Rights Panel will explore the challenges and solutions related to ensuring accessible and equitable voting for individuals with disabilities. The Fireside Chat will feature hiring managers and employees with disabilities discussing their experiences, best practices, and strategies for fostering inclusive workplaces.

By convening these important discussions, we aim to promote greater awareness and drive actionable change in both employment and voting accessibility for the disability community. 

Take a look at this year's program book! (pdf)

Schedule of Events:

From 11am to 12pm:
Voting Rights Panel "Accessible Democracy: Every Vote Counts" 
Location: MA State House Room 428 4th floor and on Zoom

PANELISTS:

• Maura Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer | The Arc of MA
• Barbara L'Italien, Executive Director | Disability Law Center
• Olivia Thompson, Partners for Youth with Disability Participant
• Bridget Murphy, Project Manager | Massachusetts Office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth and MA Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities Commissioner

MODERATORS:

• Keith Jones, President and CEO | SoulTouchin' Experiences LLC
• Regina Marshall, Commissioner | MCSPD
• Imene Bouziane Saidi, Executive Director | MCSPD
   

From 12:30pm to 2pm: 
Championing Inclusion: Honoring Employers, Employees, and Legislative Leaders (Main Celebratory Event)
Location: MA State House Great Hall of Flags and on Zoom

Main Event Schedule
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 Event Schedule
Great Hall of Flags, Massachusetts State House • 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm

National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Championing Inclusion
EMCEE: Representative Denise Garlick, Commission Chair

Opening remarks
Representative Denise Garlick, Commission Chair
Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll

Keynote
Secretary Lauren Jones, Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

2024 Legislative Champions Award Recipients
Craig Hall, Commission Member presenting:

• Senator Michael Barrett, Massachusetts Senate, Senate President Karen Spilka
• Representative John Lawn, Massachusetts House of Representatives, Speaker Ron Mariano

Spotlight: Disability Inclusive Workplaces Employers and Employees Perspectives

2024 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Employer Recipients
Kathy Petkauskos, Commission Disability Employment Chair presenting:

• Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston, Small to Mid-Size Organization Award Recipient
  Remarks from:
  • Barry Gale, Senior Vice President / Chief Human Resources Officer, OWMI Director
  • Adam Coldwell, Vice President, Director of Marketing and Communications
• Eversource Energy, Large Size Organization Award Recipient
  Remarks from:
  • Don Scacco, Vice President of Connecticut Electric Operations, Executive Sponsor of the AdaptAbility Business Resource Groups
  • Tim Vernon, Senior Customer Service Representative and co-lead for the AdaptAbility Business Resource Groups

2024 Employment Support Champion Award Recipient
Regina Marshall, Commission Member presenting:

• Employment Supports Award Recipient
  Remarks from Amanda Strange, Employment Specialist, CHAI Day and Employment Services, Jewish Family & Children's Service

Spotlight: Inclusive Democracy: Insights on Voting Access and Civic Engagement for People with Disabilities
Remarks from:

• Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts William Francis Galvin
• Raquel Quezada, Chair; Cody Rooney, Vice Chair Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council
• Leo Sarkissian, Executive Director, The Arc of Massachusetts

Closing remarks
Executive Board Members: Representative Denise Garlick, Oswald Mondejar, Carl Richardson, and Chris White

From 2:30pm to 3:30pm: 
Employment Fireside Chat "Inclusion in Action: Bridging Gaps in Disability Employment"
Location: MA State House Senate Reading Room 3rd floor and on Zoom

PANELISTS:

• Greg Martin, Secretariat Chief Information Officer | Executive Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
• Mark Feinour, Senior Vice President, Support Services Executive | Bank of America
• Sarah Wiles, Client Assistance Program | Massachusetts Office on Disability
• David McGrath, Food Service Assistant | Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

MODERATORS:

• Undersecretary Josh Cutler | Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development
• Representative Kip Diggs | Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce
• Commissioner Oswald Mondejar | MCSPD
• Imene Bouziane Saidi, Executive Director | MCSPD

ASL and CART interpreters have been requested.

Register for all three events below:

How can you participate? (2024 application closed)

The Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities would love to recognize your efforts in creating and sustaining an intentional inclusive work environment. We hope that you can help us recognize (or nominate yourself!) an organization that strives for disability inclusion and equity.

To make a submission, please complete this Nomination Form by Wednesday, August 14, 2024.

*Note: all information may be used publicly. We ask that you fully complete the nomination form.

If you have questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Commission's Program Director Imene Bouziane Saidi at imene.bouzianesaidi@mass.gov.

Click here for the Zoom link for the event.

Visit the link below to access the event photos:

Photo album link