Thanks to Kevin Rumley and MetLife for Making Our Thought Leaders Luncheon a Huge Success!

 On May 16, 2019 Disability:IN North Carolina held our fifth Thought Leaders Luncheon in Cary, NC. Keynote speaker, Kevin Rumley had the crowd transfixed by his moving and very powerful story of his  journey to recovery from injuries he sustained in Iraq as a Marine. The purple heart recipient, returned to civilian life only to face new challenges, mental health and addiction.

Thanks to TIAA for Hosting the 2018 Disability:IN North Carolina Fall Conference!

Disability:IN North Carolina holds an annual conference in October to honor National Disability Employment Awareness Month. TIAA hosted our 2018 Fall Conference on October 4, 2018 in Charlotte, NC for a audience of over 80 business representatives. The Disability:IN Fall Conference is also a great networking opportunity for job seekers with disabilities, employment service agencies, and advocates for disability inclusion.

Disability:IN North Carolina hosts Thought Leader Luncheons to recognize National Mental Health Awareness Month.

Thought Leader Luncheons are targeted, half-day events that are hosted across the state to raise awareness, expand disability inclusion and reduce stigma. In 2018, Brian Clark, J.D. brought his compelling narrative on reducing the stigma of mental illness to Thought Leader Luncheons held in Raleigh on May 17, Charlotte on June 14 and Asheville on August 9, 2018. Event sponsors included Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, Asheville Buncombe County Technical Community College, MetLife, Triangle Industry Liaison Group, Partners Behavioral Healthcare Management and Vaya Health.

Attendance at the 2019 Disability:IN NC Fall conference topped out at 138 participants, making this conference the largest in the history of the organization. Hosted by Ingersoll Rand in Davidson NC, the conference planning team from Ingersoll Rand and SAS Institute did an outstanding job coordinating the day long event. Evan Turtz, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for Ingersoll Rand, welcomed participants by challenging other Senior Executives to take a leadership role in disability inclusion within their organizations. Evan is the Executive Sponsor of Ingersoll Rand’s VisAbility employee resource group, which fosters inclusion and career development for employees who have disabilities.

In case you missed the 2020 Mental Health Wellness@Work event.  Thank you to MetLife and their Diverse Abilities Network for serving as our host-sponsors for this event. Our Wellness@Work event featured Dr. Tom Dooley, an entrepreneurial biomedical research scientist, as he shares a profoundly personal message entitled, “The High Cost of Anxiety” and what impact COVID-19 is anticipated to have on mental health.

2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the passage of the landmark civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Due to social distancing guidelines many celebrations have been canceled or scaled back to virtual online events. Drawing from the past, we invite our supporters, members, and stakeholders to experience a “Drive-In Theatre” and join us for an unforgettable ADA 30th Anniversary celebration!

2020 marks the 30th Anniversary of the passage of the landmark civil rights legislation, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. Due to social distancing guidelines many celebrations have been canceled or scaled back to virtual online events. Disability:IN North Carolina decided to get creative to mark this momentous occasion in an engaging manner. Drawing from the past, we invite  our supporters, members, and stakeholders to experience a “Drive-In Theatre” and join us for an unforgettable ADA 30th Anniversary celebration!

Disability:IN North Carolina is hosting a screening of the award-winning documentary film, “Lives Worth Living” (directed by Eric Neudel and produced by Alison Gilkey) on July 23, 2020 from 6:00 pm to 10:15 pm at the Legrand Center in Shelby, NC.   We are grateful to Wells Fargo and the Diverse Abilities Team Member Network, their Employee Resource Group (ERG) for being the corporate sponsors of this ADA celebration. The celebration will also feature guest speakers, musicians with disabilities, and food trucks! Participants will be able to enjoy an evening under the stars and celebrate the ADA from their cars or favorite lawn chair, in support of social distancing guidelines.

Due to generous donations, the ADA Celebration is free to all participants.  Advance registration is required and will close at 9:00am on July 23, 2020.

If inclement weather causes a delay or reschedule of the event, we will notify registrants via e-mail as soon as possible.

Event Location: Legrand Center | 1800 E. Marion Street, Shelby, NC, 28152

Event Date and Times:  July 23, 2020 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm

Please register  below: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07eh5eamiref0193dd&oseq=&c=&ch=