Sessions

4:00 - 4:30 pm
30 Years Down: Where We Go from Here on Disability Inclusion in the Workplace  

2020 marks 30 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While strides have been made, there is still much work to be done to ensure people of all abilities have the same opportunities to participate in all aspects of life – their job included. As a member of the House of Representatives, the Congressional Task Force on Down Syndrome and champion of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act, Eastern Washington’s esteemed Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers will shed light on the additional ways we, too, can be vocal champions for the disability community and how to use policy to promote equity in workplaces everywhere. This timely conversation with Congresswoman Rodgers and SHRM Foundation Executive Director, Wendi Safstrom, will empower you to boldly address today’s inequities, not just during October’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month, but year-round. You will gain practical takeaways to foster disability inclusion both in and out of the workplace.

4:30 - 5:00pm
Rethinking Our Thinking: Academic Findings Support Bold Change

Organizations are struggling to break barriers that hold them back from being truly diverse, equitable and inclusive. But do we actually understand why? In this session, we turn to academia to unpack the latest findings from SHRM’s Together Forward @Work research on racial inequity in the workplace. In true academic form, these experts will share the process of using existing knowledge to draw conclusions, make predictions and construct explanations—to get to the crux of these diversity, equity and inclusion issues. This session will help you rethink what you think you already know. You will not only discover new ways to apply this research in your day-to-day work but grow—personally and professionally—from this eye-opening dialogue about what this data truly means for the work world. This newfound insight will equip you to take bold action and create meaningful change at your own workplace.