We are all enriched when we are pushed outside of our comfort zone or envelope of security. At least most of us would agree with that statement –  I think. I work with colleagues who push me on many levels, and I’m confident that my professional growth at this stage of my career has been greatly enhanced by their drive and dedication to life learning.

Recently my colleague Todd Nilson of Social Syntax, JobCamp, talentline411 to name a few of his career brands, sent me a brief email with a link to an essay in The New Atlantis. As “A Journal of Technology and Society”, the Atlantis has a big playing field on which to explore many complex, and often controversial, topics that previous generations of even the most forward-looking members of our race couldn’t have hoped to scratch. The essay, The Case for Enhancing People, authored by Ronald Bailey and drawn from a recent symposium – Science, Virtue and the Future of Humanity, certainly challenged me with its equal measures of philosophy, bioethics and rapid technology advances, leaving me both enthralled with man’s progress and a bit queezy at some of the prospective determinations portended by the same. Unforced images of 1984, Hitler Youth rallies and a dash of Minority Report for good measure rattled in my head as I tried to weigh the arguments and counter-arguments pitting the absolute value of all progress against the seemingly outarmed cry for tbe beauty and uniqueness of the individual, warts and all. And of course, the historic and evolving discussions related to the presence, complexity and experience of disability were a constant stream in my head as I read. 

The essay is really a point-counterpoint that references some of the common arguments for and against prospective advances in fields like bioengineering, nanotechnology and DNA screening – advances that are already beginning to have an impact for some on extending life, restoring strength and, yes, in some cases enhancing the traditional human condition beyond what was possible even a decade or two ago. The author makes some compelling arguments for advances, current and future, by noting that our lot is certainly in a much more enviable position today than we were  just a century ago - owing in large part to the unceasing march of technological advance and its influence on critical fields such as medicine, agriculture, commerce and education.

I would be one of the last to argue that overriding point, having personally benefited from advances in spinal surgery, the evolution in wheelchair design that has taken advantage of the availability and integrity of advanced materials like carbon fiber and titanium, and the life-saving skills of advanced care teams in medicine. Further, like many of us around the world, I benefit daily through access to the internet and endless opportunities to gain knowledge that just a few short years ago would have required sitting in a classroom, or dozens of classrooms - and for next to no cost! It is truly astounding to ponder how different our world is from that of our parents, let alone our grandparents or great-grandparents. And it would be pointless to argue against the indelible influence of technological advance that has bestowed these fundamentally life-changing products, processes and systems on our culture.

So why did I experience such discomfort in reading The Case for Enhancing People? Without overanalyzing my emotional response to it, I think my reservations are less around encouraging – indeed lauding – the ongoing advances in all of these complex fields of inquiry, and more around two fundamental concerns. The first is socio-economic in nature, the other very human.

Accessing Advances in Evolving Technologies

The author dismisses arguments that, should we prove able to extend lifespan well beyond a century, we may experience a lack of drive or meaning for our existence at some point in our longer lives, with so much more time on our hands. Opponents of this march toward near immortality argue that the historic sense of mid-life and end of life might be rendered effectively meaningless, leaving many in a long-term malaise, or worse, a hedonistic drive virtually unimpeded by reflections of death and legacy. Bailey makes arguments implying that former generations were seemingly no more virtuous than current notwithstanding their modest lifespans.

The greater concern for me would be access to such evolving technologies. Whatever the core reasons behind the disparity in access to quality healthcare services and technologically advanced care, the fact remains that there are health care deserts – just as there are nutrition deserts - both in our nation and globally, and if the aspiration of enhancing the human condition collectively is at the heart of futurists’ drive, our systems and resources associated with the application of such developments will be at the heart of their successful integration. Try as I might to shake it, I can’t help but envision a world where these evolutionary technologies are applied to a very distinct segment of the human population in a highly discriminatory fashion.

In a World without flaws…

Of equal concern for me is the discussion of what makes us human. Myriad great advances or works in art, science, literature, architecture, social sciences, and even technology itself through the ages have been discovered, created, advanced or augmented by “unenhanced” humans. In fact, many of the great minds through the ages, upon critique, would be characterized as living with a disability – learning, physical, behavioral or other. For an interesting peek at the famous, and infamous, humans with disabilities through the ages visit Disabled World. Is it not possible that there’s some deeper significance to the complex variety of brain chemistry, behavioral distinctions, physical or sensory heterogeneity and, yes, longevity that continues to inform and advance our society generation to generation? Should we not at least harness and value these even as we aspire to improve and “better” ourselves?

While I believe the drive to continue to further the human condition and experience,  to reduce pain and suffering, and to explore how we can collectively grow in mind, body and spirit is vital to humanity, I fervently hope that we don’t lose that which makes us human in the process.

…”Let me put it this way, Mr. Amor. The 9000 series is the most reliable computer ever made. No 9000 computer has ever made a mistake or distorted information. We are all, by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.” – HAL 9000, 2001, A Space Odyssey

Diversity and Healthy Conflict

As our nation continues to struggle to establish a workforce that more closely mirrors our makeup, the Miami Herald recently tweeted a link to a story on the pervasively higher unemployment among PWD in the labor force. Our rate of unemployment hovers near or above 16% vs. 9% for the general labor force. Not to be confused with the incredibly high overall unemployment rate among PWD that has shifted somewhere between 65-70% for decades, the labor force rate applies to PWD who are capable of and actively searching for work or career opportunities. This is that segment among PWD whom we’d expect to be employed at a similar rate to all others in the labor force, wouldn’t we?

On the heels of the 23rd annual National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which actually has its roots in legislation from 1945, and as we’ve migrated into our third decade post-passage of the ADA, shouldn’t we expect that the most employable among us would be, well, EMPLOYED? The stated intent of NDEAM is to increase public awareness of the contributions and skills of American workers with disabilities. How many years will it take to achieve this goal, 25, 35, 50? Qualified candidates with disabilities long to be part of the equation and debate over diversity and conflict in the workplace.

Diverse Classes and Their Road to Employment

Diverse classes within our workforce didn’t achieve the great strides that they have – and clearly inequities are still pervasive - without broad-based and aggressive support by many companies willing to take an “active” position in seeking out, screening, hiring and supporting the career growth of qualified members of these communities. To hear hiring managers, human resource personnel, and other parties of influence in companies make reference to their open policies and willingness to interview any qualified candidate for a given position dismisses a core truth – all marginilized classes in our nation have required proactive support – not a neutral environment – in order to make inroads into historic employment disparity.

Forward-thinking organizations and their leaders took some perceived risks in bringing women, African-Americans and other culturally diverse candidates,  and other classes of previously marginilized candidates into the workplace. Why any company would perceive that PWD shouldn’t require or deserve like support is illogical. Proactive programs, trainings and cultural support directed at the disability community is the rational  progression of recognizing and exploiting all prospective members of our nation’s labor force. In the case of PWD, employers’ perceived risks come in the form of questions of productivity (unfounded), questions of attrition or lost work days related to the disability or associated illness (again unfounded), concerns over cost of accommodation (yet again unfounded), or fears over the ability to dismiss an underperforming employee (the ADA is not a quota system, nor to my knowledge do any of its titles or any EEOC statute or specific language protect an underperforming employee) and others.

A Maturing Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I)

Research is growing to support the business case for diversity suggesting that, when managed and implemented effectively by leadership, a more diverse and inclusive culture can benefit the organization.  The research referenced here takes a more complex view of diversity than that which has been traditionally held. Specifically, developing research doesn’t presume the benefit of diverse teams in all instances. Further, it accepts that with diversity comes conflict, and that if that conflict is not recognized and managed effectively, you may end up with a more diverse organization – but not a more productive one. Exploring relationship, task and process conflict within teams, the Wharton School of Business study offers a complex, if not completely supportive evaluation of the functioning of diverse teams within business organizations.

Allowing that we still have a lot to learn about diverse work teams, the conflict that diversity can breed, and how we optimize their performance, until qualified candidates with disabilities are actually in the workplace in higher numbers, they can’t be part of that complex discussion. Here’s hoping that future research on these important issues will engender the disability base along with traditional diversity populations as we look to establish the labor force of tomorrow.

2010 NDEAM Poster

The theme for this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month is “Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities”. Not necessarily catchy or bleeding edge, but certainly makes its point. On October 1, 2010 President Obama signed a presidential proclamation emphasizing the significance of the  effort in that, the 20th year after the passage of the seminel ADA. In 2009 the slogan was “Expectation + Opportunity = Full Participation”. In 2008 it emphatically exclaimed “America’s People, America’s Talent, America’s Strength!”. And the beat goes on.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics now provides month-to-month analytics for the disability workforce as well as side-by-side comparisons to the general workforce. The most recent numbers available are for March  and would suggest that this theme has certainly not been widely adopted to this point. The percentage of people with disabilities in the workforce was 21 vs nearly 70 for those without disabilities. Further, the unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 15.6% vs. 8.9% for those without disabilities. Both reflect the decades long underrepresentation of PWD in the labor force and the evident challenge that the hiring community has in seeing the profitability of such an investment.

The Time to Act is Today

My fear is that as we continue to inch forward and out of the shadow of the extended recession, this underrecognized and undervalued pool of candidates will sink still further into the abyss of unemployment or underemployment. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to suggest that if there isn’t a collective, protracted effort by both government and private sector employers to actively engage this community, the true spirit of the ADA will fail to be met. Namely, the complete and meaningful integration of  people with disabilities into our nation’s fabric. Distilled to its essence, that means meaningful and life-long employment for millions in this highly diverse, complex and mischaracterized segment of our potential labor force. Gary Karp, a former colleague of mine and respected voice for the evolving nature of disability in our nation emphasizes this collective misunderstanding and its implications in his e-newsletter Modern Disability.

In research that we commissioned to consider some of these prevailing challenges in the hiring community, Professors Fong Chan and David Strauser elicited input in deep focus groups as well as through an in-depth on line survey from hiring managers and IT executives in the Midwest on their perceptions of professionals with evident disabilities (hearing, vision, mobility). Two conclusions were clear; there are persistent perceptions of lower productivity associated with disability and there is clear lack of knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and its implications for the hiring and employment process. The abstract and conclusions of the research are noted in the National Library of Medicine online library.

This research bears out an unsubstantiated, yet persistent belief on the part of executives and hiring managers that a candidate with a disability is likely to be less productive than one without a recognized disability. Accounting for similar education, background and other key attributes, candidates with disabilities continue to lag noticeably behind their peers without disabilities in getting the job.

What About an Edgier Theme for NDEAM?

One of the core principles for a strategic effort is an intended outcome. Whether in sales forecasting, event planning, fundraising or any other endeavor of significant effort, if you don’t have a vision of success that can be quantified or made tangible in some clear way, how do you know if you’ve succeeded? I am beginning to feel that way about the yearly National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It’s a great “notion”, a promising vision, but it doesn’t drive change in the way the business and hiring community engages around employing qualified candidates with disabilities. Maybe introducing a target for hiring into the theme, poster, campaign launch, and all of the associated festivities and efforts would make an impact. 

Mayor Daley had it Right

Some years ago I served on a committee as part of  Chicago’s newly retired Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Task Force on the Employment of People with Disabilities. I will never forget the Mayor’s terse and direct comments to the large audience of business executives, service providers, the task force and some media gathered at McCormick Place (as I recall) for a progress report on the task force’s findings. The mayor appeared harried that morning, and after he was introduced he quickly thanked the chair of the task force and one or two others for their efforts and then, while wagging his finger indictingly at one after another audience member, stated very plainly “If you would just hire two of these people this year we’d be over this problem”. One of the things that I’ve always appreciated about Mayor Daley, whether he’s discussing international trade or trash pickup, is his directness. It’s vintage Chicago. While the challenge goes a bit deeper than that, I’d settle for the business community heeding the mayor’s admonishment.  Candidates with disabilities continue to be unemployed at the same or nearly the same sky-high rate as they did 10 and 20 years ago. Maybe I’ll be proven wrong and this year’s NDEAM theme will be the one that our nation’s business community takes to heart and acts upon. As it suggests, they would certainly profit by doing so.

FuelCall updated logo!

As I was on a break while attending the Healthcare Summit for Workers with Disabilities at Access Living in Mid-May my phone rang. Patrick Hughes, Owner of Inclusion Solutions, a forward-thinking developer of human interface technologies to enable PWD to better access key services and opportunities such as voting booths, inaccessible storefronts, drive-thru restaurants and gas pumps at service stations, had called me with one question. “Hi Pat. Patrick Hughes here. Do you know anyone at Google?”  Common to many entrepreneurs from my experience, Pat can make you feel as though you’ve come into the middle of a conversation that he’s been having with himself. I probed a bit and he made it clear that he really wanted to investigate getting a web site and mobile application developed for his FuelCall™ system.

As we have very strong relationships with Microsoft through both our ITKAN networking group as well as  MPS Partners, I quickly turned the conversation to engaging them to make this happen. With the support of both Microsoft and MPS,  the project quickly took shape. Bill Topel, Founder and Owner of MPS,  pulled some Microsoft executives from the Chicago regional headquarters into the conversation and we had the support we needed to begin the development. That was the good news. The more challenging requirement was that the application needed to be developed on a fast track to align with Microsoft’s end of fiscal year.

A Real Solution for a Real Need

The project was launched and MPS Partners developer Corey Miller was assigned to work with the Inclusion Solutions team to create the site . Over the course of the summer the site took shape.  A short sidebar note. I have a very personal stake in the development of this application, not specific to Inclusion Solutions’ success – though I certainly support that – but to expose what has been a 30-year challenge for me, and a challenge that I share with millions of other drivers with disabilities in our nation. Specifically, managing the process of getting in and out of your vehicle with the wheelchair, accessing the pump - which may vary in height, screen visibility, access to credit card slot, etc. , being aware of the movement of other vehicles while exiting and reentering your vehicle, managing a lift if you’re driving a van with a lift (true story – I had a car run over my lift at the gas station when I drove a van years ago), and on and on.

Without a solution like FuelCall in place at a station, drivers with a genuine need for assistance at the pump are left to either manage on their own, try to gain the attention, understanding and support of a station employee – and think about the frenetic nature of service stations at this stage, as well as the disinclination to “serve” - or not drive.  Many stations have legal language accompanied by the universal disability icon suggesting that they comply to the law, but the reality for drivers with disabilities is not so clear. After 30 years of this challenge, what it clear to me is that most stations aren’t in the least concerned about serving their customers with disabilities. The last option that I referenced, not driving,  is not an option. Drivers with disabilities value the independence, pleasure, need and right to operate their personal vehicles just as all other drivers. The ability to drive can often mean landing a job or not, engaging more actively in your community and the broader community, helping to support a family structure, and so much more.

This challenge is emblematic of the ongoing us vs. them relationship between the community of people with disabilities and the general population. In the evolved service station business model, the fuel purchase is the low margin sale that, hopefully, encourages customers to enter the “mart” and buy higher margin consumables like drinks, chips, candy, etc. For what it’s worth, the FuelCall model encourages station attendants to offer the driver with a disability the opportunity to order products from the store while their fuel is being pumped. I’m not endorsing or discounting this model, but I certainly understand why Inclusion Solutions presents this model to station owners. It’s encouragement to do what they are obligated to do under an element of Title III of the ADA. Fine by me. Whatever it takes to get this industry’s attention to accede to the law.

Check out the new Fuel Call site, http://www.fuelcall.net/ ,find those stations that have acquired the Fuel Call system, and plan that end of summer vacation, interview, family get-together, ballgame, or just follow the open road. Sign up for their newsletter to learn of  stations near you that have acquired Fuel Call.  Now you won’t be left wondering where you can fill up! Thanks to our partners at Microsoft and MPS  for helping to support the complete integration of people with disabilities into society through the development of The Fuel Call web site. Windows 7 Phone users, check back soon for the launch of the FuelCall Mobile application, giving you access to Fuel Call service on the road!

Safe Travels!

Matt Riebel at work

Some time back I posted a blog related to Matt Riebel, a former nAblement contract consultant who had done some outstanding work for PepsiCo in their data gathering function. He was working with a robust and complex query and reporting application. His managers expressed high praise and appreciation for his work and capacity to learn and master new technical skills. That wasn’t surprising to me, nor I expect would it have been for anyone who’s worked with candidates who have been identified as having Asperger’s or high-functioning Autism.  While Matt engages differently in social or professional environments, his intelligence and focus was capable of trumping much of his idiosyncratic behavior.

 Matt has relocated to the Baltimore area and taken a position in data mining with the National Security Agency (NSA). He was in town earlier this summer and his former manager at PepsiCo and I shared a nice lunch with him. It was very gratifying to have been invited by Matt to meet with him while he was back in Chicago for a brief window. Over a lingering lunch he shared some of the nature of the work he was performing on behalf of the NSA,  as well as the process through which he and other new hires were being evaluated and developed at this vaunted organization.  Matt also shared some more personal aspects of his transition, living situation, new friends – some with related challenges-  and the growth of his career aspirations. I continue to feel honored to know Matt and to have had any modest impact on his career and his continuing success in life.

Autism Speaks, Autism TV, Autism Project

It’s hard to imagine not being engaged in or overhearing a conversation regarding the growing presence of – or perhaps diagnosis of -  autism in our society. Media has been riddled with accounts of more  kids being identified through testing or other evaluative tools, and there is an overall heightened awareness of  Autism Spectrum Disorder  in our nation.

Autism Speaks is a blog and educational site that is helping lead us to a new and respectful awareness of the reality of living with – and thriving with – Autism and other ASD challenges. Watching some of the videos on the Autism TV site on Wrong Planet, the fun and quirky banter between “Aspergian” hosts Alex Plank and Jack Robison,  and compelling interviews with the likes of Steve Silberman of Wired Magazine (he speaks to his observation of high relative prevalence of Autism in Silicon Valley), I was struck with how far we have come in our journey of exploration around this complicated group of conditions. I’m certain you’ll be as intrigued as I am by the evolving face of this complex challenge, as well as the extraordinary contributions that many of our friends, family and colleagues who have been “labeled” with one of the diagnoses within ASD are making across multiple professional fields.

For another compelling link check out Ali Hossaini’s Autism Project on ArtLab TV and consider a sub-grouping within traditional Diversity and Inclusion, namely “Neurodiversity”. Great brain fodder.

ASD is a highly complex group of disorders that effects not just the person who has been diagnosed, but everyone who interacts with that person. I don’t want to presume to put a generic happy face on this challenging, and often very emotional group of conditions or ignore the other well-documented behavioral complexities of it, but it is encouraging to see the interest and attention that is being accorded to the creative and positive face of this very human condition.

Congratulations to the Forerunners documentary film for winning a 2011 CINE Golden Eagle Award. The CINE Golden Eagle Award acknowledges high quality production in a variety of content categories for professional, independent and student filmmakers. Each year, hundreds of jurors judge nearly 1,000 entries in 32 categories.

Forerunners is an important documentary film that encourages students with disabilities to pursue knowledge in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines, while emphasizing their inherent strengths related to those disabilities that can translate to valuable skills in the professional workforce. View the Forerunners movie trailer.

Special Event! Join nAblement & ITKAN for a Mobile IT and Apps Event on May 19

Promises and Challenges of Mobile IT and Mobile Applications
Relevant to the Community of People with Disabilities
May 19, 2011
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

You are cordially invited to join ITKAN, a not-for-profit network affiliated with the Illinois Technology Foundation (ITF), for an IT industry event on the promises and challenges of mobile IT and mobile applications relevant to the community of people with disabilities. RSVP today to Pat Maher at pmaher@nablement.com. View the event agenda.

When: Thursday, May 19, 2011, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Where: Microsoft Technology Center
200 E. Randolph Street, 2nd floor
Conference Room: MTC #3
Chicago, IL 60601
Enjoy Microsoft’s introduction video

Who Should Attend: This event is for anyone interested in the revolutionary changes occurring in mobile technology, the accessibility challenges to mobile devices and applications, and how to evolve mobile communications for people with a disability. By attending, you will discover how to harness the power of mobile technology to engage with this market audience.

Whether you are an IT professional (or an aspiring IT professional) with disabilities or are interested in innovating mobile technology and its impact on communications specific to the presence of disability, don’t miss this event.

The event will feature:
- Mobile technology demos
- Subject matter experts on mobile devices and applications
- Open discussion

RSVP by Tuesday, May 17
Email Pat Maher at pmaher@nablement.com to attend.

Capturing a Piece of the Jobs Pie

While President Obama chose a rather predictable day to announce his bid for a second term - on the heels of the announcement that 123,000 new jobs were created in March as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics , whether by design or good fortune, not all Americans are sharing in this long-awaited indicator of a turnaround. Gains were made in key sectors like manufacturing and temporary positions, and the construction sector climbed back to a net zero job loss figure for the first time since June 2007. Further, hours worked by part-time employees are on the rise, a strong predictor of more full-time hiring to come. These are all great signs you say. Why can’t you see the glass half full you say.

It Depends on Whether You’re Buying or Selling

Unfortunately, just as our jobless recovery was bound to create new jobs at some point – and we seem to have arrived at that point – equally assured was that the unemployed among us with a disability would not share in that recovery. As Molly of Molly’s Middle America blog notes, “…the participation and employment-population ratios of the disabled have gone down over the past year, and the unemployment rate for this group has continued to go up. One can surmise that, as it continues to be harder for those who are disabled to find work, they are more likely to leave the labor force.”

So excuse me, Mr. President, if I don’t celebrate with the irrational exuberance that others might over seeing this faint light at the end of our recessionary tunnel. Qualified and willing candidates with disabilities aren’t experiencing this early sign of a recovering job market. Our employment numbers seem to know only one direction – south. If job growth in general was a strong predictor of opportunity for candidates with disabilities I’d be doing a wheelie even as I sit here formulating this post. Just as the disability population remains widely unassimilated with the general population, so too are common statistical relationships divorced from this segment of our labor force.

What do the Super-Rich Have in Common With me?

The April issue of the Atlantic includes an illuminating expose on a Boston College study that looks at super wealth (net worth greater than $25M) and fulfillment. Once you quit laughing at the premise, the article does speak to some logical, and powerful, fears and anxieties shared by these inheritors of fortunes, entrepreneurs, and trust fund kids. What struck me were some of the unanticipated connections that I perceived between the super rich and people with disabilities. For example, many were fearful of disclosing their wealth to colleagues or bosses because they thought it would change the relationship. This seems analogous to people with non-evident disabilities’ concern over disclosing a condition or disability that would expose them to ridicule, undue concern or being ostracized – think HIV, cancer, bi-polar, depression. It just struck me that such seemingly divorced segments of the population would share such a human - and pragmatic – concern. This common concern calls to mind the oft-noted human observation about diversity – we have more in common than that which sets us apart.

As more or our friends, neighbors, past colleagues and strangers have the affirming experience of getting hired back into the labor force, let’s think about those marginalized populations who, on the whole, don’t share in this singular, value-affirming event  in our great country and remember - we have more in common than that which sets us apart.

Sputnik & Space Race

Recently I was fortunate enough to be part of a contingent of technology start-up leaders who had a roundtable discussion with Senator Dick Durbin (D,IL) at Tech Nexus in Chicago on the dire challenges that our state (IL) faces to keep our technology leaders in-state. I was invited as the founder of ITKAN – Illinois Technology Knowledge Abilities Network – a networking and training association for candidates and professionals with disabilities into the technology industry.  Frankly, I was the odd guy out among this group of both younger - and seasoned – technology entrepreneurs, so I sat back and listened to what proved to be a charged and insightful conversation.

Before I share my thoughts on the discussion itself, I’d like to make one observation that hit me squarely in the face. Our city and state is pulsing with technology entrepreneurs! There were at least fifteen separate technology start-up CEOs in that room, many of whom had succeeded in launching multiple technology companies. Their names were as creative as their solutions; Flyover Geeks, Timelines, Trademonster and Feefighters. It was gratifying to be in a room of genuine entrepreneurs willing to collateralize everything they owned for the sake of the opportunity to succeed in delivering a novel product or service with technology – either in construction or delivery – at its heart.

Confidence and Initiative 

While there was respect for Senator Durbin, none of these highly driven, success focused business owners were intimidated by, or in awe of,  the U.S. Senator. As we quickly shared our elevator bios with him, it was also evident that this group possessed almost unnerving confidence – the type of confidence that I’d like to bottle and hand deliver to any of our candidates with disabilities looking toward a career opportunity. The type of confidence borne of hard work, trial and error, long hours and a steadfast belief in their abilities. It was as if each of them was looking one of the one hundred most influential people in our country unblinkingly in the eyes and saying, “You need what I have to sell”. This was an inspired group.

By way of his introduction, Senator Durbin confessed to a lack of any deep technology aptitude and, in contrast to the entrepreneurs, being a bit in awe of some of the technology products and services that they were delivering. He noted that he was a lawyer by trade, and of course a senator by practice. He then went on to share some experiences that he’d had related to the United States entrepreneurial spirit, the current academic challenges in our nation, and finally a thorny suggestion that, one belief he held firmly related to technology and its many wonderful benefits, was that internet commerce had grown up and needed to start “playing with the big boys” – meaning paying sales taxes alongside its bricks and mortar counterparts.

First, on U.S. creativity and brainpower; the U.S.,  being embarrassed by the success of the Soviets launching the first space satellite – Sputnik – in 1957, ultimately developed GPS by studying and applying the Doppler effect of the satellite’s frequency relative to its proximity to an object on earth at a point in time. The applied physics lab staff at Johns Hopkins developed Transit satellites beginning in the late ’50s first to track the position of our Polaris nuclear submarines and then other ships in naval service. The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) was created in 1958, primarily to assure that the nation had adequate mathematicians and scientists to support national defense, but more importantly it infused the nation’s colleges with much needed financial support to reestablish its preeminent position in STEM graduates. The senator was clearly suggesting that we needed to apply just that type of collective knowledge, drive and determination to reclaim leadership in STEM fields globally.

It Starts in the Classroom

On academic standing and STEM careers; A few years ago Senator Durbin attended a graduation ceremony at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He came away concerned that many of the graduating seniors, who were citizens of other nations going to school on student visas, were planning to return to these countries following their graduation. The U.S. still has the preeminent bachelor, graduate and doctoral level institutions in the world, but we must retain as many of these newly minted graduates as we can if we are to be globally competitive. He challenged us - as a nation - to support keeping these newly minted, highly knowledgeable grads in their newly adopted nation to support that global competitiveness. He intimated that unless we regain a position of prominence in these critical fields, fields that drive actual creation of technologies, we’ll continue to witness previously unheard of developments like China establishing a manufacturing plant in Rockford.

 While this might rankle some, considering the challenges that many of our U.S. born students have getting accepted into the more competitive programs, I agree that we shouldn’t just sit by passively and wave goodbye to some of the brightest young minds as they leave for other shores. Our universities are analogous to our businesses in that they have invested heavily in these young resources only to sit idly by while they take that knowledge to a competitor. Why not try to make that investment pay off for our nation?

On e-commerce and leveling the playing field,  the senator responded to a question on Illinois’ “Amazon Tax” which seeks to apply a sales tax to any company’s on-line sales in Illinois. The tax is already in place in some states. This is vehemently opposed by the tech community since it would put the state at a distinct disadvantage in luring start-ups and existing companies with significant on-line sales.  Senator Durbin noted the dilemma and indicated that he and other members in the senate were working on a proposal at the federal level that would level the playing field for all e-commerce nationally.  

My greatest take away from this discussion was that, despite the many daunting challenges that these entrepreneurs faced to succeed, to a one they appeared committed to that effort – or more accurately impassioned by it. They fed off of one another’s energy and creativity. This is the feeling that I’d love all students and candidates within the STEM disciplines to experience. If you are fired with this level of commitment and passion, this belief in yourself and your ability, then your ultimate success is as certain as anything can be in our world.

Steve Luker - ITKAN Communications Committee

We’ve had the good fortune recently of being featured in  the Chicago Tribune  and Chicago Sun-Times Business sections. The interest stemmed from our CEO Rob Figliulo being honored by Chicago’s Jewish Vocational Services Strictly Business luncheon for his launching, direction and support of the nAblement channel, as well as his leadership on numerous service-oriented boards. nAblement continues to both create career opportunities for qualified candidates into technology roles and drive critical discussion with and inform the business community on the challenge of moving toward fuller inclusion in the workplace for PWD.  

A Place for Everyone

One of the gratifying results of the recent article was a flurry of new candidates reaching out to us for some support.  Their challenges were as varied as their backgrounds, professional and personal, but they all shared the need for some direction and support with their career initiatives. I have tried to address each with respect and critical consideration, recognizing the context of our ongoing economic environment and the – at times – further challenges of managing career and disability.

There was one email that caught my attention from the moment I read the subject line. It read simply, Do I Qualify?. The inquiry was from a woman who had a career as an accountant. She shared with me that she had sustained a CVA (stroke) sixteen years ago and that she was having great difficulty identifying career options. She also has aphasia, a condition that creates tremendous verbal communication challenges.

These types of inquiries are very challenging for me to respond to as they don’t lend themselves to any quick fixes, assurances, or other simple solutions. What they do is reinforce for me why we need to continue to be vigilant in our efforts to strengthen opportunities for candidates and professionals with disabilities to enter or reenter the workforce. This is a professional who has drive and determination. Further, she is addressing some challenges related to her disability that impact her ability to communicate – a skill that is valued above nearly all others as we try to land a job. Within both the nAblement channel and ITKAN, our professional networking group, verbal communication challenges are not uncommon. In fact, in my opinion this challenge is almost emblematic of the overall challenge of strengthening career opportunities for our candidate base. We’re very comfortable with our candidates’ ability to communicate, whether in a traditional sense or through harnessing one of many creative solutions. Our challenge is in convincing the hiring community that different isn’t less, just different.

Setting a High Standard through ITKAN

One of the first resources that I offer new candidates into the nAblement channel is ITKAN. We founded the Information Technology Knowledge Abilities Network (ITKAN)  in early 2008 as a member-driven networking group for students, candidates and professionals with disabilities. From the outset we engaged the business community and service provider community as well. We’re in an exciting and transformative period and will be strengthening our presence and efforts as we move into 2011. To date, we’ve been communicating very effectively within our LinkedIn site, but it’s time for us to establish a stronger brand and identity. Our own site will create opportunities for expansive blogging by members, outreach to our core communities – IT hiring community, diversity officers, service agency career advisors –  and of course to engage new members to ITKAN.

Committing to Excellence

With the recent report on the persistence of high unemployment among persons with disabilities, we must have not only the conviction that our members have value to bring to the IT industry, but the commitment to establish that value by supporting their education in critical paths. Thanks to partners like Microsoft who have graciously provided space in the Microsoft Technology Center – an outstanding facility – for ITKAN members to meet, learn and grow, as well as professional development partners like the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago and Wyvil Systems, our members’ ability to compete in the industry will continue to strengthen.

A key tenet of our mission within ITKAN is to identify growth areas of the industry in which hiring is strong or should be strong in the future – some examples would be mobile application development and support, Sharepoint support, and quality assurance and testing - and then work with curriculum partners to create and secure sponsorship for a training program that candidates can enroll in to support their career development. We have established baseline requirements for members to qualify for the training including active participation in meetings and committee structure, representing the group to outside communities, and making consistent efforts to gain knowledge in both business skills and technology aptitude.

The IT industry will only become more competitive in the future.  We are committed to assuring that our members are prepared to meet the industry head on and compete for careers in this exciting field. From educating them on evolving platforms like Cloud Computing and services to recognizing the ongoing needs around application testing and maintenance, our members’ knowledge will evolve with the industry.  We’re committed to assuring all of our members at ITKAN that, yes, they do qualify!