Most organizations are committed to increasing the diversity of their employees. Yet, only 12 percent of companies hire individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And 85 percent of differently-abled adults remain unemployed.

Listen to a panel discussion to uncover some common myths behind this unfortunate reality, and find out about the benefits of hiring differently-abled individuals and tips for improving their recruitment.

Panelists are affiliated with Creative Spirit, the first global, nonprofit talent acquisition resource devoted to placing qualified, ambitious candidates with intellectual, developmental, and learning disabilities in fair-wage integrated positions at the best companies in the world.

About the Speakers

  • Laurel Rossi, Chief Partnerships Officer at Omnicom; Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Creative Spirit
  • Andrea Sullivan, Chief Marketing Officer at VaynerX; Board Member of Creative Spirit
  • Joanna McElnea, Community Manager for Creative Spirit
  • Moderated by Linh Huynh, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Gladstone Institutes

This panel discussion was presented on April 26, 2023, for Autism Awareness Month, as part of Gladstone's Critical Conversations series. Critical Conversations was launched in 2020 as a way for Gladstone community members to challenge and empower themselves by considering different ways of thinking and reframing their perspective

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