2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Awards
The Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award recognizes non-profits, small businesses, corporations and individuals that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment and workplace environment for people with disabilities, a goal of President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative.
The year 2006 marked the fifth anniversary of the award. Secretary Elaine L. Chao established the award in 2002. On October 26, the Secretary presented the award to nine honorees at the U.S. Department of Labor.
Secretary Chao also presented the first Secretary of Labor’s Spirit Award at this occasion.
Individual
Ilene Morris-Sambur
Marshall, Virginia
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Ilene Morris-Sambur. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Values at Work:
Helping others achieve self-sufficiency
Ilene Morris-Sambur is the CEO of CORA, Inc. (Creating Opportunities by Recognizing Abilities). CORA, Inc. provides job opportunities in telework for individuals with disabilities, disabled veterans, their families and spouses.
Mission Possible
Eager to help her son, who has multiple sclerosis, achieve self-sufficiency, Ms. Morris-Sambur realized there was a need for a company focused on training and connecting people with disabilities with work opportunities. CORA, Inc. offers supervised telework outsourcing services for accounting, business-to-business collections, customer service and administrative functions, as well as providing training programs in various job functions.
CORA, Inc. also provides job training to disabled veterans and military spouses in the Walter Reed Telework Training Pilot Program. Since January 2006, Ms. Morris-Sambur has worked with 344 individuals. Of these, 36 have since been employed, another 127 have completed training, and 20 are currently taking training courses.
Non Profit Organizations
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Jack Lavin, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, who accepted the award for disabilityworks, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Chicago, Illinois
Values at Work:
Creating opportunities for people with disabilities
disabilityworks is a pilot project at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and operated in cooperation with the Chamber, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. disabilityworks is a comprehensive effort to address economic and employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
In its first year, employers partnering with disabilityworks hired 194 individuals with disabilities. Over 90 percent of the jobs were in private industry, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses.
How disabilityworks
disabilityworks uses a business model targeting both the supply and demand sides of employment. Strategies include reaching out to business to develop employment opportunities, engaging educational programs for youth and adults with disabilities, and building awareness of work incentives and workforce development services. Key partners are people with disabilities; the Chicagoland Provider Leadership Network representing 117 different organizations; and
the Chicagoland Business Leadership Network with 63 member companies.
disabilityworks is just over a year old, but is already viewed as a
pilot project suitable for replication throughout the State of Illinois. disabiltyworks has created a directory of small businesses owned by people with disabilities; established networking meetings for small business owners certified as Business Enterprises Owned by People with Disabilities; developed an Entrepreneurial Educational Workshop for people with disabilities; and launched disabilityworks.org, a comprehensive Web-based employment information and referral resource for job seekers with disabilities, employers and service providers.
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to T. Alan Hurwitz, Ed. D., CEO and Dean, National Technical Institute for the Deaf. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, New York
Values at Work:
Giving students opportunities to gain meaningful employment in their field of study
The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID) is one of eight colleges of Rochester Institute of Technology. NTID’s career-focused degree programs prepare deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals for careers in high-demand technical fields. Nearly 92 percent of NTID’s graduates entering the workforce have found employment in business, industry, government, education and other professional fields. NTID graduates include engineers working to reconstruct levees in New Orleans, vice presidents at telecommunications companies, financial analysts for Fortune 500 companies, executive directors of non-profit organizations, and intelligence experts at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
How NTID Works
Technology, especially assistive technology, plays a pivotal role in NTID’s educational programs. The Institute captions thousands of instructional materials and delivers select course content via captioned podcasting. The campus is equipped with videophones in dorms, classrooms and offices, as well as interpretype machines for one-to-one communications used by both hearing individuals and those without hearing. Classrooms are equipped with multimedia technologies. NTID also developed its own assistive technology, C-Print, providing speech-to-text transcription.
NTID students also receive real-world experience through cooperative work, which gives them the opportunity to gain meaningful employment and work experience directly related to their field of study. For the past six years, NTID has hosted a job fair and a specially equipped, on-campus video conference room where students can connect with employers throughout the United States for real-time job interviews.
PRIDE Industries
Roseville, California
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Rick Kresslein, East Region Manager, PRIDE Industries. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Values at Work:
Building confidence and skills to live and work independently
PRIDE Industries helps people with disabilities prepare themselves for employment, obtain jobs and live independently. Founded in 1966 by a group of parents with adult children with disabilities, PRIDE Industries provides innovative programs addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and adults with disabilities. PRIDE Industries is the third-largest manufacturing and service company in the greater Sacramento region, providing a variety of outsourcing solutions to meet the manufacturing and service needs of companies nationwide.
PRIDE Industries employs over 3,100 people nationally, 2,500 of whom are individuals with disabilities. It provides a host of services to address the vocational and transitional needs of individuals challenged by multiple barriers.
PRIDE Industries recently initiated Project TEAMS (Transition, Employment, Advocacy, Mentoring and Self-Determination) to promote self-determination among transition-age youth with developmental disabilities. This program collaborates with university staff, special education teachers, parents and others to help students develop skills such as self-advocacy, problem solving and goal setting.
PRIDE Industries also participates in a pilot program to assist youth with disabilities in foster homes to develop job skills and life skills. The program has served approximately 30 students per year since 2002. Recently, of 28 youth receiving employment services, 16 obtained employment. While the numbers in the pilot program are small, the process is significant, especially for emancipated foster youth with disabilities, who are at a high risk for homelessness, unemployment, academic failure and a host of social problems.
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Cheryl E.H. Locke, Chief Human Resources Officer, The RAVE Program, University of Alabama at Birmingham. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Values at Work:
Valuing and retaining employees
In 2000, the Retaining A Valued Employee (RAVE) Program was established at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). RAVE partners with the Alabama Department of Vocational Rehabilitation (ADRS) and draws from a variety of disability-related resources. The program is a comprehensive, one-stop service model for helping people with disabilities enter, remain and move ahead in the workforce.
RAVE reviews
In the past two years, 332 job seekers received one-on-one vocational counseling and job preparedness training. Of the 234 submitting an application to UAB, 73 were hired. Positions include patient care surgical technicians, program coordinators, office associates and receptionists. In addition, 329 job seekers attended targeted job fairs, leading to the hiring of 7 percent of those applying for jobs in competitive positions. In the past four years, 159 employees received retention assistance, and 128 of these remained employed at UAB.
RAVE on campus
The RAVE team maintains dual offices in the Human Resources Management department of UAB and in the regional office of ADRS. The experience and resources of both organizations provide access to information and collaborative training. In addition to training job seekers, the program trains UAB employees and management with a focus on disability awareness and the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Businesses
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Mark T. Bertolini, Executive Vice President, Regional Businesses, Aetna. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Hartford, Connecticut
Values at Work:
Americans with disabilities work and participate fully in the community
Aetna is a diversified health care benefits company. Its 30,400 employees serve more than 28 million people. Aetna actively recruits employees with disabilities and encourages newly hired employees with disabilities to seek the accommodations they need.
How Aetna Works
In any given year, some 300 employees receive accommodations from Aetna’s Workplace Accommodation Unit, which simplifies the process for individuals and supports business groups. Aetna collaborates with individuals, health care providers, managers and various departments to identify and implement the most effective accommodation. This process places the emphasis on what employees need to be productive, engaged and high-performing.
Information and Support
Aetna’s employee Web site and intranet educate, connect and sustain a supportive work environment. In response to employee inquiries, Aetna developed a “Disability and the Workplace” Web site addressing topics ranging from attitudinal barriers to career development for people with disabilities.
Reaching Out
A 2005 survey revealed a link between depression and extended time away from work. Aetna now offers its disability claimants educational materials and information about resources available online, including its own service, the Reawakening Center at www.reawake.com.
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to V. Michael Ferdinandi, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Community Relations, CVS/pharmacy. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Woonsocket, Rhode Island
Values at Work:
Respect for individuals, integrity, teamwork and openness to new ideas
CVS/pharmacy is one of the largest pharmacy and health care product chains in the U.S. with more than 5,400 stores in 37 states. Its workplace programs include specialized assistance to individuals with disabilities entering the workforce close to home.
Focus on Training
CVS launched an innovative program to create opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities by partnering with New Vision Photography in the Washington, D.C. area. Participants in the nine-week training program learned photo skills to prepare them to intern in the photography departments of local CVS stores. At the end of the program, all participants were hired as CVS employees. CVS used this training program as a model duplicated in other markets, and donated and distributed 3,000 cameras in a partnership with Easter Seals.
CVS also partners with national organizations such as Goodwill Industries and state agencies, as well as school programs dedicated to serving persons with disabilities. In one tri-state area partnership, CVS hired 55 people with significant disabilities.
Funding Support
The CVS commitment to individuals with disabilities is also evident in the philanthropy of its Charitable Trust. In 2006, more than
$1 million was awarded to 31 non-profit organizations throughout the United States. This private foundation focuses resources on programs supporting children with disabilities.
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to S. Tyrone Alexander, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Administrative Services, Highmark Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Values at Work:
Commitment to hiring, accommodating, retaining and promoting individuals with disabilities
Highmark Inc. is a health insurance provider headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with 12,000 employees in Pittsburgh and Camp Hill. The company formed its first partnership with a local company to employ individuals with disabilities in 1995.
At present, 100 Highmark employees have self-identified themselves as persons with disabilities. These employees hold competitive positions in healthcare informatics, accounting, customer service, claims processing, and information technology.
How Highmark Works
The company’s Corporate Diversity and Work Life department provides appropriate workplace accommodations through a centralized fund. In addition, Highmark addresses employee opportunities by developing executive-level partnerships with companies and organizations that have expertise in the area of disability employment; assigning diversity consultants to its service locations to facilitate education and training, accommodations, effective integration and performance; and participating in local and national programs that support its mission to hire, accommodate, retain and promote individuals with disabilities.
Leading by Example
Highmark has taken the lead in Pennsylvania’s Business Leadership Network, a group of employers committed to hiring people with disabilities, and is very active in the leadership of local high school/high tech programs for students with disabilities.
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Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and former Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy W. Roy Grizzard (R) present a 2006 Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award to Daisy M. Jenkins, Vice President, Human Resources, Raytheon Missile Systems, Raytheon Company, Highmark Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Tucson, Arizona
Values at Work:
Diversity is a core business practice
Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) is a leader in design, development and production of missile systems. With more than 11,000 employees, RMS is committed to a diverse workforce. RMS maintains ongoing relationships with several colleges, universities and professional organizations that support people with disabilities, and recruits new employees from these organizations. RMS is dedicated to facilitating a comfortable, supportive and rewarding workplace for employees with disabilities.
Support, Awareness, Policy
RMS has implemented programs and policies to empower employees with disabilities. For instance, employees with disabilities partner with RMS’s Talent Acquisition Organization to recruit and bring new employees on board. New employees use a buddy system, and all employees gain ongoing support through a formal mentoring program and a Career Development Web site.
RMS’s awareness training also includes effectiveness skills for working with people with disabilities. The company employs two full-time interpreters, captions all training and Web-based materials, and provides text pagers to dispatch all safety and program-related audio announcements.
RMS’s policies for accommodation include an interactive process among the employee, Human Resource department, the supervisor and the department through which the employee was hired. In the past year the company responded to 150 accommodation requests.
Looking ahead, the company continues to seek improvements in its disability employment-related policies and activities.
Secretary of Labor's Spirit Award
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Former Major League Baseball Pitcher and Secretary SPIRIT Award recipient Dave Dravecky with wife, Jan, (left) presents autographed bat to Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. (DOL photo/Shawn Moore) |
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Values at Work:
Commitment to inspiring others
Dave Dravecky is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, bestselling author, motivational speaker, and founder of Outreach of Hope. In the seventh year of his baseball career, a cancerous tumor was discovered in his pitching arm. After initial treatment and defying all odds, Dave came back to pitch once again in the Major Leagues and became an inspiration not only to cancer fighters, but to all who needed hope that day. But the cancer returned, and the following years were a whirlwind of surgery, radiation, pain and depression, all in the glaring light of the media. Eventually, his arm was amputated to stop the spread of the cancer and save his life.
In response to thousands of letters and requests received from people encouraged by his example, Dave Dravecky founded, with his wife Jan, the Outreach of Hope ministry in 1991 to offer comfort, encouragement and hope to those who suffer from cancer, amputation or serious illness. Dave and Jan Dravecky are also the bestselling authors of eight inspirational books, in addition to publishing The Encourager, a national magazine addressing the emotional and spiritual aspects of suffering.
Dave Dravecky continues to examine the impact of the amputation on his life and powerfully inspires others with what he has discovered during the journey. His story is one of courage and perseverance in the midst of dark and overwhelming uncertainty. He genuinely relates to men and women with disabilities everywhere through loss and suffering, faith, encouragement, hope, reaching out to others, and finding the strength to say goodbye to the past.
