Taking Action to Promote Inclusion

Each October during National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), we celebrate the value and talent workers with disabilities add to America’s workplaces and economy. NDEAM is an opportunity to affirm our commitment to ensuring workers with disabilities have access to good jobs every month of the year. That's the spirit behind this year's official NDEAM theme, "Access to Good Jobs for All.” 

Here in Wisconsin, the Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) is designed to help individuals achieve their career goals, and to help businesses build a talented, inclusive workforce.

To accomplish this, DVR and businesses work together in a variety of ways. Some companies offer work experiences to individuals who need opportunities to further develop their skills. Businesses can host work experiences where an individual works for the company, learns skills, and experiences the company culture. DVR and its service providers offer support to both the individual working and the business during the work experience, and DVR covers the wage cost.

At DVR, we work closely with Wisconsin businesses to develop creative and flexible work experiences, often incorporating innovative supports at little to no cost to the employer. Examples include welcoming on-the-job coaching and instruction when individuals need customized training, creating task lists to aid in organization, allowing for flexible work hours, or modifying the work to accommodate an individual's needs.

Every experience enables a member of our community to gain skills and confidence, and our data shows these experiences improve the likelihood that a person will find permanent work. Organizations supporting work experiences appreciate the opportunity to contribute to an individual's success and report that they "get as much as they give" during the experience!

DVR is grateful to the hundreds of Wisconsin companies that have provided work experiences to individuals who benefit from the opportunity. If you would like to learn more about ways your business can connect to and support diverse talent in your community, reach out to your local DVR Business Services Consultant, Lynn Hardginski, at lynn.hardginski@dwd.wisconsin.gov.