Vocational Rehabilitation Program (Combined or General)

It is the goal of the VR Business and Community Engagement (BC&E) team to focus on building long-lasting relationships with each employer it connects with in order to increase opportunities for competitive integrated employment for qualified individuals with disabilities.

A first meeting with an employer typically begins with a tour of the workplace, an overview of the different open positions available, and an in-depth listening session on what the business believes  it needs to expand upon with their disability hiring goals. B&CE explores where employers are in their diversity hiring initiatives and explores some potential next steps employers can take to build a more inclusive workplace. Disability etiquette & awareness training for hiring managers and employees is most often a service the team is asked to help an employer to develop. The topics of student informational tours, work-based learning opportunities like internships and apprenticeships, and tax credits or incentives for employers are all presented as ways to assist employers in building a talent pipeline and an inclusive workplace. The VR BC&E team have been able to make many connections between job seekers with disabilities and employers, resulting in job hires.

The BC&E team is exploring strategies to expand its capacity for business engagement in order to increase diversity hiring opportunities for job seekers with disabilities and meet the needs of more employers in their hiring efforts. The team also works closely with the Work to Include coalition, including development of an employer toolkit. The BC&E team shared numerous examples of employer toolkits developed in other parts of the U.S. and internationally and serves as a key resource on this project. Additionally, the Employment First Plan developed by the Commission on Rehabilitation Services, outlines several recommendations regarding enhanced employer engagement. A few highlights include sharing success stories, identifying model employers to serve as mentors for other employers, increased opportunities for paid internships or apprenticeships, and developing a library of resources including information on tax credits, accommodation resources, and other helpful information. The Employment First plan was finalized in 2020 and is posted on the Commission webpage. The VR BC&E team will be a key partner in the implementation of proposed strategies.

Another key example of how the engagement team works with employers to identify competitive integrated employment and career exploration opportunities is through partnering with the 4^th largest employer in the state, the State of Indiana. In 2021, a disability inclusion committee was developed and chaired by the State Personnel head of talent acquisition. Monthly meetings resulted in the identification and removal of unnecessary barriers that were in job descriptions that might keep persons with disabilities from applying. For example, jobs that required a person have a drivers’ license, but it was not connected in any way to the actual job duties. A disability awareness training for hiring managers was created and presented during March Disability Awareness Month. Also, individuals with vision impairments were able to provide key input on the new onboarding system and how it worked with the screen reading. All of these examples of efforts the employer is making to make Indiana a model for other employers in the state.