Description

Presented by Community Choices and DSC, Leaders in Employing All People (LEAP) is a free, one-hour presentation for business leadership, hiring managers, and anyone else interested in learning about inclusive employment and the disability community. The training is split into three sections:

• General education, including disability rights history, definitions, and etiquette;
• Economic benefits for companies who employ individuals with disabilities; and
• Free employment services that Community Choices and DSC specialists provide to employers, employees, and jobseekers, such as site consultation, working with the business to identify and meet their needs, and help with accommodations

The one-hour event window includes time for questions at the end and discussion throughout. Attending companies will be promoted on the social media channels of both organizations following the session, and ongoing support is offered to employers looking to create a more inclusive workplace.

Some LEAP-certified businesses include: Best Buy, Home Depot, County Market, Schnucks, Big Grove Tavern, Urbana Park District, Planet Fitness, and Carle Human Resources.

About the Presenters

• Ashley Withers has been employed by Community Choices for the last 7 years as an Employment Specialist. Along with facilitating LEAP trainings, she is responsible for working with job seekers with disabilities and figuring out their strengths and interests in order to make successful long term job matches. Prior to her employment at Community Choices, she worked for 3 years as a Vocational Rehabilitation/HR Coordinator for an organization that employed individuals with disabilities on state and federal contracts. She graduated from Southern Illinois University- Carbondale in 2010 with a degree in Hospitality and Tourism Administration.
• Greg Schroeder started off in the sciences, but ran away with the circus, touring with Cirque du Soleil and managing Adecco’s temporary staff in each city. He then moved abroad for the next six years: serving in Peace Corps Mongolia as a community development volunteer, lecturing for a Vietnamese university, and helping a nonprofit in the Dominican Republic. He went back to school to earn a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from IU in order to strengthen his business and finance skills. He is now the Employment First/LEAP Coordinator for DSC, helping local business leaders identify staffing solutions while increasing opportunities for jobseekers with disabilities