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City Helps Promote Opportunity During National Disability Employment Awareness Month

Mentors and mentees at the City's Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 21.

The month of October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and a series of events have been hosted to promote recognition of the benefits of a diverse workforce.

City of Knoxville officials, including Mayor Madeline Rogero, understand the valuable contributions that employees with disabilities have to offer. Having just celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act last summer, City leaders want the legacy of the ADA's next 25 years to include more meaningful employment opportunities.

In an effort to connect job seekers with disabilities to mentors in their fields of interest, 10 City departments hosted 13 mentees for National Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 21. Since 2009, the City has hosted more than 120 job seekers with disabilities.

The Knoxville Area Employment Consortium also hosted a Disability Employment Awareness Breakfast with keynote speaker and former Lady Vol superstar Chamique Holdsclaw on Oct. 28 at the Crowne Plaza.

“This breakfast is intended to honor companies and agencies who are champions of hiring job seekers with disabilities,” says Stephanie Cook, the City's Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. "We also invite those who have hosted or supported job seekers with disabilities."

Chamique Holdsclaw speaks at a breakfast aimed at promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Chamique Holdsclaw

Posted by evreeland On 30 October, 2015 at 4:00 PM