In this first part of the two part episode, we discuss with Kathleen West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, National Employment Team @ Council of State Administrators of Vocation Rehabilitation, and Mike Corso President and co-Founder of DisABLEDperson, Inc in discussing  The Talent Acquisition Portal®(TAP). Tap is a leading site for listing employees with disabilities that provides unique services in this space. The Portal can be accessed at https://tapability.org/

Episode: 4 - A conversation about the Talent Acquisition Portal (TAP) - Part 1

Robin Jones is the Principal Investigator/Project Director/Instructor, Great Lakes ADA Center.  Robin Jones is the Director of the Great Lakes ADA Center and an Instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Center serves the States of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Center provides training and technical assistance on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and issues related to Accessible Information Technology.

Robin has served as director since the Center’s inception in 1991. Formerly, she served as director of an independent living center in the Chicago area and as an occupational therapy practitioner at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. She has extensive experience as a trainer regarding ADA for business, government and disability organizations. Robin has been actively involved in assisting business and government to meet their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 1990 and is recognized as a key resource regarding ADA compliance. 

Robin shares her unique experience on ADA journey, how they guide businesses on ADA compliance, and also work with individuals seeking accommodations under ADA. Furthermore, we cover the role of ADA centers in increasing awareness around the ADA.

Episode 12: A Discussion with Robin Jones on the Americans with Disabilities Act

Bill Krieger recently retired as the Veterans Program Manager at Consumers Energy and host of the popular Me You Us podcast.  He served ten years in the United States Navy achieving the rank of Petty Officer First Class. During his tenure he was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Commendation Medal and earned the Enlisted Surface Warfare Badge. He also served in the Michigan Army National Guard and retired at the rank of Captain after 21 years of combined service.  Bill was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal as well as the Combat Action Badge. He served as the Commander of the 144th Military Police Company during his combat tour in Iraq.  He has his Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Central Michigan University. Bill serves as the Legislative Chair for the National Guard Association of Michigan, where is also a life member.  He is married with three children and one grandchild.  Bill enjoys spending time with his family and traveling.  He has a passion for serving his fellow Veterans.

Bill Shared his work at Consumers Energy on Disability Inclusion, and best practices that they are pursuing in VFW National Home, the current non-profit where he works.

Episode 11: Conversation with Bill Krieger - VFW National Home

In this episode of the Abilities, Opportunities and Future of Work Podcast, Nacsha Ealy and I have an engaging conversation around the life, career, and views of Dr. Feranmi Okanlami at the University of Michigan around disability inclusion. His complete bio can be accessed from 
https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/family-medicine/oluwaferanmi-o-okanlami-md-ms 

He coined the term “disabusing disability” and we would also refer you to his inspiring TEDx talk “Disabusing Disability: Seeing the World Through Pearl’s Eyes.” He was also chosen to serve on Biden’s council for Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwzPWa6vDd4

He was also featured in Good Morning America in ABC. Not only did they celebrate his achievements, but they also named him a recipient of a $1 million award from the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation (link below).
https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/video/gma-celebrates-deserving-hero-million-surprise-91785088 

Dr. Dr. Okanlami was born in Nigeria and later moved to the United States. He attended Stanford University, where he excelled in Academics and Athletics. At Stanford, he ran track & Field serving as captain and achieved Academic All-American recognition. 
In his talk, he shares his personal (and inspiring) journey through various challenges. Dr. O (as he is popularly known) challenges societal perceptions of disability, positioning disability as an opportunity for growth, resilience, and empowerment. 

We are very excited to host Dr. O (as he is popularly called) on our podcast.

Episode 13: A Conversation with Dr. Feranmi Okanlami at the University of Michigan

Abilities, Opportunities and the Future of Work (AOFOW) is a podcast intended to showcase best-in-class practices on burning issues related to disabilities and employment. Each episode, we will be having conversations with employees, employers, firms, community organizations, not-for-profits and other state organizations that are doing outstanding work in integrating individuals with disabilities into the workforce and allow them to share their experiences and stories. This production is a collaboration between the Department of Supply Chain Management in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University and Michigan Rehabilitation Services.

Episode 13: A Conversation with Dr. Feranmi Okanlami at the University of Michigan

AOFOW

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