Building a Disability Inclusive Workplace with Becky Curran Kekula
Name:
Building a Disability Inclusive Workplace with Becky Curran Kekula
Date:
October 13, 2021
Time:
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM CDT
Registration:
Register Now
Event Description:
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
People with disability make up 12.6% of the U.S. population and 11.8% of Iowa’s population.
Iowa’s unemployment is at 3.9% but the unemployment rate of persons with disability is at 9.1%(Source: Iowa State Data Center).
Research has proven that companies who prioritize inclusion of individuals with disabilities are four times more likely to outperform their competitors and have 28% higher revenues.
People with disabilities are often overlooked because of the stigma that comes along with their disabilities, but employers who abandon these stereotypes will gain highly skilled employees with substantial motivation and valuable skillset because of their diverse backgrounds and experience.
Presenter:
Becky Curran Kekula
TEDx Speaker, motivational speaker, passionate Disability advocate
Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College, where she gained a passion for influencing authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in the media and society.
Becky currently serves as Employment Chair of Little People of America (LPA). She’s also a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University, Positive Exposure, and Verizon’s Disability Advisory Board.
She delivered her first TEDx Talk in 2014 and her second in 2021.
Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. She stands 4 feet tall. Both of her parents and older sister are “average” height. Her parents always taught her to keep a positive outlook, no matter how harsh the outside world may be. She grew up participating in sports such as sailing, skiing, soccer, and swimming, amongst her "average" height peers. When people ask her if she likes being a little person, she always has the same answer. "I never want to change but I want the way the outside world reacts to my difference to change."
People with disability make up 12.6% of the U.S. population and 11.8% of Iowa’s population.
Iowa’s unemployment is at 3.9% but the unemployment rate of persons with disability is at 9.1%(Source: Iowa State Data Center).
Research has proven that companies who prioritize inclusion of individuals with disabilities are four times more likely to outperform their competitors and have 28% higher revenues.
People with disabilities are often overlooked because of the stigma that comes along with their disabilities, but employers who abandon these stereotypes will gain highly skilled employees with substantial motivation and valuable skillset because of their diverse backgrounds and experience.
Presenter:
Becky Curran Kekula
TEDx Speaker, motivational speaker, passionate Disability advocate
Becky received her Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Providence College, where she gained a passion for influencing authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in the media and society.
Becky currently serves as Employment Chair of Little People of America (LPA). She’s also a member of the Board of Advisors for the National Center on Disability and Journalism (NCDJ) at Arizona State University, Positive Exposure, and Verizon’s Disability Advisory Board.
She delivered her first TEDx Talk in 2014 and her second in 2021.
Becky was born with achondroplasia, the most common type of short-limbed dwarfism. She stands 4 feet tall. Both of her parents and older sister are “average” height. Her parents always taught her to keep a positive outlook, no matter how harsh the outside world may be. She grew up participating in sports such as sailing, skiing, soccer, and swimming, amongst her "average" height peers. When people ask her if she likes being a little person, she always has the same answer. "I never want to change but I want the way the outside world reacts to my difference to change."
