EARN Newsletter: March 2024

EARN in Action

Addressing Long COVID, Disability, and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

EARN released a new Research-to-Practice Brief in time for International Long COVID Awareness Day on March 15th. The brief summarizes the EARN research team’s recommendations on how employers can best support their employees affected by Long COVID, including members of underserved communities. Use this resource to develop inclusive workplace policies to support employees with Long COVID and those with intersecting identities.

Tapping into Talent Through Community Partnerships

Have you worried about finding or keeping workers at your small business? Workers with disabilities may be a solution. Join EARN on March 27, 2024 for the first in a series of webinars focused on small business. Discover the benefits of connecting with state and local partners to help your small business create a pipeline of new talent and find the workers your business needs.

Statistics on Disability

Discover EARN’s latest comprehensive webpage on disability statistics—why they are important, where to find them, and what they tell us. Explore national-level estimates on disability prevalence, employment rates, and where to access additional resources. Learn why these statistics matter to employers and find answers to key questions such as “How many working-age people have a disability?” and “Where can I find the most current employment statistics for people with disabilities?"

Building a Disability-Inclusive Culture

Managers play a critical role in the success of their employees. They determine the support available to their employees, so manager training is an important part of building an inclusive workplace culture that welcomes disabled employees. Manager training helps develop and maintain an organization-wide commitment to inclusion. It helps meet organizational goals such as creating a more cohesive organization, complying with legal regulations and ethical standards, and more. EARN’s new resource provides an overview of important topics to cover in manager training on disability inclusion.

Disability Employment in the News

Celebrating Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, an annual celebration to reflect on past, present, and future women who have made an impact. This year’s theme recognizes “women who advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion.” The Smithsonian American Woman’s History Museum curated a collection of resources highlighting disabled women and their efforts to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion in employment and other settings.

Understanding the Benefits of Inclusive Apprenticeships

The Partnership on Inclusive Apprenticeship (PIA) published its “Perspectives on Apprenticeship: What Employers Should Know About the Value of Inclusive Apprenticeship Programs” resource. This resource is designed to help employers better understand the benefits of inclusive apprenticeship programs and how collaborating with apprenticeship intermediaries, disability advocates, and people with disabilities helps create inclusive apprenticeship programs that enable job seekers with disabilities to gain credentials and skills to succeed in growing industries.

Ask EARN

Employer Spotlight

Accommodating and Retaining Teachers with Disabilities

Six years into her teaching career, Dianna Ivey was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since her diagnosis, the nature of Dianna’s disability has evolved, as has the education field. The school district engaged in an interactive process with Dianna to develop accommodations that allow her to meet her responsibilities as an educator and manage her symptoms at the same time, helping her to remain at work and succeed. In turn, the school retained a valuable teacher who positively impacts the lives of her students, and the whole school community.

The content in this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.