ADA 25 Year AnniversaryTwenty five years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) revolutionized the way our country includes and honors people with disabilities. This week, we are excited to join the Minnesota State Council on Disabilities (MSCOD) to celebrate this landmark legislation at an event entitled the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at 25: Minnesota Moving Forward. This important dialogue will bring together people with disabilities, employers, and policymakers specifically to explore best practices for recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining employees with disabilities. The discussion was planned to fall in October to align with the celebration of National Disability Employment Awareness Month—a time to reflect on the importance of creating meaningful employment opportunities for people with disabilities in all American workplaces.

In anticipation of the ADA’s 25th anniversary, The Improve Group has been working with MSCOD over the last year to gather information from employers and people with disabilities across the state to better understand how the ADA has changed the employment landscape in Minnesota. During this week’s event, we hope to connect with other employers and persons with disabilities to gather insights that will contribute to this study. If you are an employer or a person with a disability, you can learn more and get involved by taking the survey here: http://www.mscod25ada.com/events-activities/employment-survey/

The Improve Group’s Chief Administrative Officer, Samantha Hagel, will also be attending to learn from other employers about innovative methods they are using to support more inclusive and diverse workplaces. Samantha was recently invited to the governor’s office to discuss how we have addressed barriers in our own office to create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Since then, she has been working with HR managers and ADA officers from statewide councils and offices to expand the use of these practices across Minnesota.

We are excited to celebrate the ADA’s great achievements, as well as the contributions of Minnesota employers working to ensure that people with disabilities are included in the workforce. However, there is still a lot of work to be done—and awareness to be generated—to expand opportunities for meaningful employment. We can’t wait to learn more at this event, to hear directly from the employers and people with disabilities who took part in our study, and to connect with others who are interested in building innovative, inclusive workplaces. Together, we really can move Minnesota forward for people with disabilities.