The opportunity for people with disabilities to become leaders in the workplace is a chance not to show your skills, but to provide a team with insight, confidence and excellent networking in the city of Chicago. When the inaugural group of the ADA25 Advancing Leadership program was launched 2 years ago, I saw such a great opportunity for people with disabilities and the civic engagement community to learn from each other, and the chance to learn about all facets of diversity.
The Chicago Community Trust diversity pipeline does not just talk about people with disabilities, but diversity encompasses race, gender, ethnic groups, age, personality, tenure, organizational function, education and background.
Approximately one in five Americans has a disability of some kind, and like employers, civic organizations are quickly recognizing that disability is an element of diversity they need on their committees, boards, and task forces if they are going to successfully serve their consumers, clients, donors, and constituents. The ADA25 is selecting its third class of deep opportunities to become trendsetters to continue the program through acknowledging leadership skills and opportunities to connect as a class.
This is a window of opportunity for people who have started down the road to truly lead and want to network with those government, the non profit world and fortune 500 companies such as Allstate, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Microsoft, and Hyatt to name a few large organizations. The ADA sought to break down barriers, and now Advancing Leadership seeks to break down the silos of civic engagement with an inclusive lens.
For more information and links, look below. Applications are due by October 31st, 2017. Good luck!
Applications for the 2018 Leadership Institute - http://www.ada25chicago.org/
Recruitment Media Toolkit - http://www.ada25chicago.org/leadership-institute-application/
The Civic Connections Project - http://www.ada25chicago.org/civic-connections/
ADA25 Advancement Leadership; Supporters - http://www.ada25chicago.org/supporters/
ADA25 Members - http://www.ada25chicago.org/members/
The Evolution of ADA25 Advancing Leadership - http://cct.org/2017/05/the-evolution-of-ada-25-advancing-leadership/
