Bridges to Employment: Proyecto Visión Hosts National Forum on
Employment Issues & Latinos with Disabilities in Miami
 Business leaders discuss Successful Solutions in the Workplace. From left to right, Beth Butler (Wachovia), Kathy Martinez (WID), Matt Myrick (AT&T), and Katherine McCary (SunTrust). |
More than 150 human resource professionals, recruiters, occupational experts, entrepreneurs, diversity managers, disability service providers, and disabled Latino jobseekers and their family members from around the country came together June 13-15 in Miami, Florida, for the Bridges to Employment conference, an annual event focused on increasing employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities in the United States. The 2007 conference offered three days of workshops and plenary sessions to allow these experts and job seekers to share best practices, exchange information, and showcase employment opportunities. Scholarships were provided to unemployed or low-income Latinos with disabilities to cover the conference’s registration fee. Bridges to Employment was organized by Proyecto Visión, a project of the World Institute on Disability (WID), working in partnership with Counterparts Inc., a multi-cultural event planning organization, and the Center for Independent Living of South Florida (SOFLACIL). WID’s Executive Director Kathy Martinez said, “This is the only project in the country that specifically focuses on connecting Latinos with disabilities with employment services and opportunities. Over the last five years, Proyecto Visión has helped more than 350 Latinos find jobs in the U.S.” The conference kicked off with “Success Stories of Latinos with Disabilities in the Workforce,” a discussion led by Latino men and women involved in the worlds of publishing, education, and government. Their inspiring stories of perseverance were followed by an evening meet-and-greet reception that welcomed business leaders, disability advocates, and Latinos both seeking and offering jobs. The next morning’s formal opening session was led by Katherine McCary, vice president of human resources at SunTrust Bank and president of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, a national program focused on helping employers hire job candidates with disabilities. Conference events were led by representatives from Latino and disability advocacy organizations, employers, and professional Latinos who have disabilities. Sessions were conducted with simultaneous interpretation into English or Spanish and provided information about vocational training opportunities; regional job openings; job-acquisition skills such as resume writing and interview preparation; recruiting, retention and promotion opportunities; transitions from educational programs to employment; current employment-related legislation and rights, including employers’ responsibility to provide job accommodations; and ways to obtain culturally competent services. Throughout the conference attendees had access to assistive technology experts who could help them experiment with adaptive software and devices for use in the workplace. A new workshop on the topic of disabled veterans, their need for rehabilitation, and the importance of their returning to the work world was very well received. This session was of particular interest for rehabilitation outreach workers who are anticipating a groundswell of veterans with disabilities and who currently have minimal information on what rehab and job-related services are—and should be—available. A second new and timely workshop, Resources for Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylees with Disabilities, provided an overview of migrant workers, research about who is coming into the U.S., and information on how laws and court systems are handling this emotionally charged and controversial topic. AT&T, the primary corporate sponsor of this year’s Bridges to Employment conference, provided both financial support and active participation: Two company recruiters took job applications and conducted interviews on site. AT&T’s corporate specialist on relay services for people who are deaf led a workshop on assistive technology in the workplace and shared his own experience as a successful deaf professional. Representatives from Adobe Systems, SunTrust Bank, and Wachovia Bank also spoke at the conference. Many attendees directly benefited from the range of programs and agencies participating in the conference. One wheelchair user, who has two master’s degrees but has not been able to find employment, was invited to apply for a case manager position with the Florida Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. A parent who has a 14-year-old son with Down Syndrome was connected to the State of Florida's high-tech job-finding program for teenagers with disabilities. A leading immigration lawyer who led one of the workshops offered—pro bono—to handle a participant’s family immigration issues. And a participant whose Medicaid services were recently denied because of a newly diagnosed illness is now getting those services restored, thanks to an official from Florida's Social Security Administration who attended the Bridges conference. In preparation for the conference, WID’s executive director conducted a disability-awareness workshop for hotel staff from all levels of service, including managers, employees from the registration desk, housekeeping, and food service. As a result, the staff and attendees interactions were excellent. The hotel’s conference manager stayed after hours to converse extensively with three attendees who had guide dogs, and helped them find a safe place at night for the dogs to walk. The hotel manager said, "By encouraging our staff to step up and offer assistance to your participants with disabilities, you gave them permission to become visible—even though they are trained to be invisible." He has scheduled periodic follow-up training by the local conference partner, the Center for Independent Living of South Florida. Two hotel employees disclosed that they have family members with disabilities, and conference organizers were able to urge them to get services and gave them concrete leads to resources and supports. One waitress commented, "This is the most beautiful group I have ever worked with." Three reporters, all of them individuals with direct experience of different cultures and of disability, were hired to cover the conference. Two conducted their interviews in either English or Spanish, depending on the interviewees’ preference. Their articles on specific workshops and plenary sessions and their interviews with presenters and participants serve as the base for this newsletter. The conference was also covered by HispanicPRWire.com: http://www.hispanicprwire.com/news.php?l=in&id=9572&cha=8. ### Previous Bridges conferences have been held in San Antonio, TX (2006), Raleigh, NC (2005), Chicago, IL (2004), New York, NY (2003) and Anaheim, CA (2002). The Center for Independent Living of South Florida (SOFLACIL) co-organized the conference with Proyecto Visión. SOFLACIL’s leaders were critical partners in designing the meeting and its local staff was key to carrying it out. More than 15 staff members volunteered their time to run the registration desk, serve as workshop moderators and room monitors, act as general troubleshooters, and offer follow-up services to attendees in the South Florida area. Visit SOFLACIL’s website (see below) to learn about its programs and resources. Proyecto Visión, based at the World Institute on Disability in Oakland, California, is the first National Technical Assistance Center for Latinos with Disabilities living in the United States. Proyecto Visión connects Latinos with disabilities to jobs, training, and technology by providing capacity-building support and links to rehabilitation programs, service providers, and employers. Proyecto Visión was funded by the Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration from 2001 to 2006 and continues to operate through the support of AT&T and Wal-Mart. Visit the following websites to get more information on SOFLACIL, on Counterparts Inc., on Proyecto Visión’s activities, on future Bridges to Employment conferences, and on the work of the World Institute on Disability: Center for Independent Living of South Florida: www.soflacil.org |
