• NCIL at the 2023 APRIL Conference
• NCIL Membership Perk Alert!
• NCIL Board Member Profile: Meet Brittany Boyd-Chisholm, Member At-Large
• Research Project on Disabled Workers
• October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• From our Partners at the LEAD Center: Happy #NDEAM

NCIL at the 2023 APRIL Conference

NCIL staff celebrated the Magic of Independent Living at the annual APRIL Conference, in Orange County, California.

Jessica Podesva, NCIL’s Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, participated in a panel discussion of advocacy topics important to the IL Community, including the 5 for 5 Campaign (5for5campaign.com), the notice of new proposed rule for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (https://bit.ly/48aa0y7), APS rule-setting (acl.gov/APSrule), and the Department of Labor’s announcement to reevaluate the 14(c) program (https://bit.ly/3Q29oC6).

Mary-Kate Wells, NCIL’s Program Director, represented NCIL at the IL-NET T&TA pre-conference (https://bit.ly/3M1ruD6). This all-day training focused on strengthening CIL and SILC cross-disability representation and skills for building an inviting space with underserved groups.

Image: From left to right, Mary-Kate Wells, Kimberly Meck, Jessica Podesva, and John Herring smile for a group photo while seated at a luncheon table in a hotel conference room.

Image: Christina Mills, Jessica Podesva, and Anna Action pose for a group photo in a conference lobby.

NCIL Membership Perk Alert!

Is your organization hiring for a position? Do you want to get the word out to as many people as possible? Then become a NCIL organizational member now! When your CIL, SILC, or other organization becomes a NCIL Member, you receive the benefit of job postings at ncil.org/jobs and on NCIL’s social media! To take advantage of this membership perk, just make sure your organization’s membership is current before sending your request to Eleanor at [email protected]!

It’s simple and easy to become a NCIL member. You can visit our new online member center by logging in at members.ncil.org. There you will see “Membership Application for Organizations” to get the process started. If you have any questions about NCIL Membership, feel free to reach out to our Member Services Coordinator, Denise Law at [email protected].

NCIL Board Member Profile: Meet Brittany Boyd-Chisholm, Member At-Large

Brittany started her long term / senior care journey in 2006 as a Personal Assistant at the Center for Independent Living of Central PA (CILCP) in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Since 2017, Brittany has spearheaded the expansion of homecare across South Central PA as the Administrator for Complete Homecare PA.

For more than 15 years, Brittany has been focused on serving the long term / senior care needs of the residents of Central Pennsylvania. Brittany’s experience includes providing care, scheduling, assisting family members to obtain care, and also home care administration. This diverse background allows her to have an overall understanding of the challenges the sector faces and bring solid input to the table.

When asked why she chose to become a NCIL member, Brittany said, “Being a NCIL member is an opportunity to continue the work of advocacy and education on a national level. Uniting with voices from all over our country allows pertinent issues to be presented loudly. Our power has always been in numbers.

“As a service provider, NCIL has offered me priceless insight and tools to better support the individuals I serve. I feel I can enhance the quality of care of my consumers while advocating on a different level.”

Brittany’s spare time is spent with her Husband and 3 children camping, reading, or attending sporting events.

For the full Board member roster, visit https://bit.ly/3ZpFUSY.

Image: Headshot of Brittany Boyd-Chisholm, a Biracial woman with long curly hair wearing a blue and red floral blazer over a white shirt.

Research Project on Disabled Workers

A group of nonprofit organizations is conducting a study on disabled workers’ experiences with modern hiring techniques. One group of participants for this study will be disabled workers who may apply for hourly jobs, including retail, fast food, cashier, or customer service positions. Participants will complete assessments and a video interview that are similar to what workers may experience when applying for hourly jobs in the real world. A member of the research team will interview each participant after they complete these tasks and ask them to share their experiences. We expect the study to take 3-4 hours to complete, and participants will receive $250 for their time.

If you identify as disabled, may seek hourly work in the next three years (or are currently working in an hourly job), and are interested in participating in this study, please complete this short survey (https://bit.ly/3Q5yikq). Disabled workers will receive a $5 Visa gift card for completing the survey, regardless of whether they are selected for the study. Please reach out to us at [email protected] if you have any questions.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

NDEAM gives us an opportunity to recognize the skills of workers with disabilities who contribute to our workplaces and economy. Read more (https://bit.ly/3s0wDEP).

Image: Collage of arrows in various colors pointing forward, with images of disabled people at work. The text reads “Advancing Access & Equity, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, Celebrating 50 years of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.” Also #NDEAM, #RehabAct50 and dol.gov/ODEP.

From our partners at the LEAD Center: Happy #NDEAM

Happy National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM)! For job seekers with disabilities, apprenticeship offers a model that promotes on-the-job learning and program supports that can offer a viable pathway to a well-paying career. Access the @LEADCtr webinar archive, “Registered Apprenticeship: Job Seekers with Disabilities Please Apply!” at bit.ly/45lJ2kr.

Image: LEADCenter Logo – WIOA Policy Development