Labor Trends Change under the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 Qualifying More Americans as Persons with Disabilities
The revised 2008 Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act legislation, effective in January of 2009, redefined the act and broadened the scope of who is protected under the ADA. While more people may qualify under the new amendments, a study conducted by DePaul University funded by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity through disabilityworks shows that hiring people with disabilities in your business actually benefits your bottom line.
disabilityworks
, a workforce development initiative of the state of Illinois worked with DePaul University on the study and is proud to announce a state-wide business educational Chamber Summit titled “Everything you wanted to know about disabilities but were afraid to ask!” disabilityworks has partnered with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce who will coordinate this event. The summit will take place Wednesday, December 2nd where a Continental Breakfast will be served at Drury Inn & Suites, 1118 Central Park Drive
from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. There is no charge for participating but registration is required. Please RSVP to the
Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce
https://secure.chambermaster.com/directory/jsp/events/dlg/Public_AddReg.jsp?ccid=467&eventid=2546 
.
The summit will offer educational updates on the 2008 Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act as well as an opportunity for employers to obtain answers to frequently asked questions about employing people with disabilities and reaching out to this customer base which is good for their bottom line. The summit will provide abundant resources proving the business case and benefits that are present when employers include qualified workers with disabilities in their workforce.
The disabilityworks Chamber Summits are currently scheduled for nine locations across the state of Illinois where all summits will occur before the end of 2009.
Co-sponsors for the Chamber Summits are IL Chamber of Commerce, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Small Business Development Centers, State of Illinois, DBTAC Great Lakes ADA Center and the IL Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services. Funding is made possible through the Federal Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (MIG Grant) which is administered by the IL Dept. of Healthcare and Family Services.
A copy of the DePaul University Economic Impact Study identified above can be found at
http://www.disabilityworks.org/default.asp?contentID=87
.
Find more information about disabilityworks visit
www.disabilityworks.org
.
For information about a Chamber Summit location, contact disabilityworks Executive Director Karen McCulloh
kmcculloh@chicagolandchamber.org
or your local disabilityworks Resource Coordinator La Keisha Adams
ladams@chicagolandchamber.org
or John Lengerman, Executive Director Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce,
jlengerman@bellevillechamber.org
or 618-233-2015.
About disabilityworks
disabilityworks is a workforce development initiative of the State of Illinois where the primary funding comes through the IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and is located at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce with staff present in each of the Economic Development Regions across Illinois. disabilityworks seeks to increase the economic and employment opportunities of people with disabilities located in Illinois by promoting a collaborative partnership between the private and public sectors. Disabilityworks is a recipient of the 2006 US Dept. of Labor New Freedom Initiative Award. Find more information about disabilityworks by visiting
www.disabilitywroks.org
For more information, visit:
http://www.disabilityworks.org