Businesses / Employers: Understanding workforce needs from the employer perspective is essential to strengthening and increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
If you are an employer or human resource professional please join us for this important conversation about your expectations and experiences hiring people with and without disabilities. We have scheduled three virtual employer roundtable discussions. Please join us for one of the roundtable discussions listed below:
Links:
June 11, 9:00 AM: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/GvBMeSSsRBaJ4o2fCkiQDA#/registration
June 16, 12:00 PM: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/j1c-KAwdTpWfvrZmezY95w#/registration
June 24, 3:00 PM: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/AmVgrw1WQfay52UioMThvg#/registration
Listening Session: The Importance of the Supported Employment Providers Perspective
on Increasing and Accessing Opportunities for Employment for People with Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities.
The California Policy Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (CPCIDD) has
received a grant from Ability Central to study barriers to employment for people with
Listening sessions with Supported Employment Providers to learn more about barriers
and Successes from the Supported Employment Providers perspective.
Supported Employment Provider Roundtables:
Understanding what Supported Employment is and how it is achieved is essential to
strengthening and increasing opportunities for employment for people with IDD. If you
are a Supported Employment Provider, please join us for this important conversation
about employment for people with IDD from the Supported Employment Providers
perspective
June 12, 2025 10:00 AM
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ZnwlJ1Z5TFeAJJvLE56r5g#/registration
June 25, 2025 1:00 PM
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/uifIMFhuRcipwUnQtDWdOQ#/registration
July 15, 2025 10:00 AM
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/a80nJBDVSqqtRGu9FVjBiw#/registration
Parents/Family Members/Self-Advocates: Stay tuned to this space! Although this series of roundtables is specifically for employers and supported employment providers, we will be hosting a series of roundtables to hear directly from you about your own experiences with employment!
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)
In this engaging interview, Peter Mendoza, a dedicated advocate for disability employment, shares his insights on the importance of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). Mendoza emphasizes the need for recognizing the contributions of individuals with disabilities in the workforce. He highlights the desire for equal pay, opportunities for promotion, and the right to choose their work environment. Mendoza also discusses the ongoing challenges faced by people with disabilities, including discrimination and underemployment, making this interview a must-watch for anyone interested in promoting inclusion and understanding the value of a diverse workforce:
CPCIDD / CALIFORNIA RETAILERS ASSOCIATION / MERISTEM RISE UP PROJECT
The RISE Up program, developed by the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation, offers essential training and credentialing to equip individuals with foundational employability skills, enabling them to secure jobs and advance in the retail sector and beyond. In an exciting new initiative, the California Retailers Association has partnered with CPCIDD and Meristem to launch a pilot program tailored specifically for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. Working together to make the NRF Foundation RISE Up curriculum accessible for the IDD community, our aim is to evaluate its effectiveness for our audience while maintaining fidelity to retail employer needs, and to provide participants with the tools and opportunities they need to thrive in the workforce, promoting inclusivity and diversity within the retail industry. Hear from one of the students as she shares her thoughts with both self-advocates and employers:
