jobgrowth

from Kessler Foundation 2023 Impact Report

egenerativerehab

more than doubled arrangements

In 2022, supervisors prioritized hiring and recruiting individuals with disabilities more than they did in 2017. established or changed their accommodations provisions 2x as many organizations have centralized accommodations funds to cover modifications for employees with disabilities

Your support opens doors all over NYC…

Will the post-pandemic surge continue?

With your help, we gathered some promising stats.

the past few years have been a remarkable and historic time for the employment of people with disabilities – and the world is taking notice. Remote work became increasingly accepted, a labor shortage hit the country, new accommodations policies were implemented, and employment for people with disabilities mushroomed. Your support enabled us to gather data on these important frontline trends. A 2022 employment and disability survey conducted by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire compared data from a similar survey conducted in 2017, providing a critical timeline analysis of the pre-pandemic, pandemic lockdown, and pandemic recovery periods. Our researchers captured changes in the processes and practices employers use to recruit, hire, train, accommodate, and retain people with disabilities, as well as differences in the attitudes and commitment of supervisors and upper management. kessler Foundation’s 2022 Stroll ’N Roll, presented by Pfizer and Impossible Dream, was a record setter. People of all ages and abilities gathered in Verona Park, NJ, and in their own neighborhoods to prove that abilities are what matter. Together, we raised more than $220,000 – the most ever –to advance rehabilitation research and employment for people with disabilities. The generosity of people like you made this happen! Inspiring leaders created teams of champions to give back and make a lasting impact. Our dedicated Stroll ’N Roll committee reached out to friends and family to make the event a success.

“Today, more companies are partnering with disability organizations in their recruitment efforts,” says survey co-author John O’Neill, PhD, director, Center for Employment and Disability Research, Kessler Foundation. “And more are using outside assistance for onboarding workers with disabilities, adopting training on disability issues and cultural competence, and reaching out to government and local resources to learn more about providing accommodations,” he concludes.

These surveys garnered national coverage from top-tier media including The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the LA Times. Your support raises awareness of the importance of expanding employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

In 2017, funding provided by Kessler Foundation and donors like you breathed life into NYC: ATWORK, a small-but-mighty disability employment project that supported 1,300 people with disabilities in their job search. n Six years later, the unmitigated success of NYC: ATWORK has led New York City to revamp its entire workforce development infrastructure to create an inclusive one-stop shop for job seekers of all abilities. n “We are identifying resources needed and training individuals throughout the city so people with disabilities will be able to go anywhere across the five boroughs to prepare for and connect to jobs,” says Martha Jackson, assistant commissioner, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “By integrating disability employment services into the wider workforce landscape, we can move thousands more New Yorkers with disabilities into employment.” n All of this progress would not have been possible without the generosity of donors like you. Your support is helping to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce, and that is a gift that will keep on giving.