There are numerous benefits to being (or becoming!) an inclusive employer and actively seeking out a diverse workforce. It can give your business a different perspective on how to innovate and solve problems&lt. A team that includes people with disabilities provides a wide breadth of experience to draw from. It creates an efficient and effective group of workers that treats everyone as equals. It can provide very real, very measurable benefits to productivity and profitability.

2020 has been a calendar year that will live on in the history books for decades to come, and for many has been the most difficult year in recent memory. The crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic is one of the major factors contributing to this. The epidemic has created a need for rapid change for individuals, organizations, and companies across the entire world. Part of this change has been a swift move to remote work, with offices closing and employees either on quarantine or choosing to stay home.

Technology has been a key component of empowering persons with disabilities, especially in the last 10 years, where we've seen an explosion of innovation. Whether you are an individual living with a disability yourself — or you have friends, family, employees, or co-workers who are — there's no doubt of how technology helps everyone reach their full potential. Maybe you've used voice-activated smart devices to execute commands without using your hands, or you've utilized a screen reader to view webpages, for example.

What better way to enjoy and explore your abilities than to visit national parks and recreation sites throughout the United States? Persons with disabilities who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. may be able to obtain a free lifetime pass that allows access to over 2,000 “Federal Recreation Sites.” Here’s some info to get you started on your next adventure.

How To Create a More Inclusive Workplace

It has been documented that Chicago is one of the best diversity and inclusion cities in the United States regarding all facets of disability. Recently, the Chicago’s Mayor's Office for People for People with Disabilities has focused on bringing together disability leadership through the Chicago Community Trust with the program ADA25 Leadership Institute.

With our low unemployment rate across the board for US citizens, people with disabilities have been seeing results that bring optimism in finding not just a job, but an ideal job. After missing out on an opportunity that you were excited about, rejection seeps in and it is tough for anyone to be rejected.