12th Annual Disability Employment Awareness Conference & Training

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and Forbes recognized her in Forbes 30 Under 30. Haben travels the world consulting and public speaking, teaching clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. Haben is a talented storyteller who helps people frame difference as an asset. She resisted society’s low expectations, choosing to create her own pioneering story. Because of her disability rights advocacy, she has been honored by President Obama, President Clinton, and many others. Haben is also writing a memoir that will be published by Grand Central Publishing in 2019. Learn more at habengirma.com

The CA State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) is established by state and federal law as an independent state agency to ensure that people with developmental disabilities, and their families, receive the services and supports they need to live independently and to actively participate in their communities.

Sheraden Nicholau is the Regional Manager of the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, representing the Bay Area. She and her team direct and support the State Council’s core functions of capacity building, advocacy and systemic change, representing the counties of San Francisco, Alameda, Marin, Contra Costa and San Mateo. This team develops, contributes to, and promotes cross-sector collaborations that create meaningful opportunities and access that benefit people with disabilities and the larger community.

Sheraden has held both lead and individual-contributor roles in projects through cross-sector and intra-industry advisory committees, task forces and collaboratives effecting change in inclusionary opportunities, policy, collaborative advocacy, and influencing legislation recommendations in efforts across multiple counties in the Bay Area. She has worked with a variety of levels of leadership in corporations, local, regional and state government, private stakeholders, and nonprofits to build momentum of the agency’s mission. Previously in her career, Sheraden has overseen Employment Services programing, working with the local business community, as well as multi-national corporations to promote diversity in employment and to develop an increase in successful and meaningful employment opportunities across all sectors for employees with disabilities.

She received her M.A. in Sociology from San Jose State University and a B.A in Sociology from San Francisco State University. Her studies focused on social justice, social capital and human services.

This workshop will address advances and challenges in accessible technology for those with disabilities from a developer’s perspective. Learn tips for accessible social media and new avenues to connect with the disability community.

Alice Wong is a sociologist, research consultant, and disability activist based in San Francisco, CA. Her areas of interest are accessible healthcare for people w/disabilities, Medicaid policies and programs, storytelling, and social media. She is the Founder and Project Coordinator of the Disability Visibility Project™ (DVP), a community partnership with StoryCorps and an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability stories and culture. Alice is also a co-partner of #CripTheVote, a nonpartisan online movement activating and engaging disabled people in policies and practices important to the disability community.

Nina G is America’s favorite female stuttering stand up comedian (granted she is the only one). She is also a disability activist, storyteller, children’s book author and educator. She brings her humor to help people confront and understand social justice issues such as disability, diversity and equity.

When she isn’t performing at comedy clubs like the San Francisco Punchline or the Laugh Factory, she is playing colleges and presenting as a keynote speaker to children with disabilities and training professionals! Nina is part of the comedy troupe The Comedians with Disabilities Act, which brings laughter and awareness to audiences across the country.

This interactive session takes us beyond the fundamentals of the law and teaches participants what to do and how to be successful at navigating through process. Not only with this help you meet your legal obligations, but also it will help you improve your ability to keep employees working.

Roberta Etcheverry is CEO for DMG, a statewide group providing assistance to employers on job accommodations, job descriptions, and workplace ergonomics. Ms. Etcheverry has 20+ years experience, and is skilled at facilitating the “interactive process” to assess the need for reasonable accommodations, identify essential job functions, and evaluate effective accommodations

Ms. Etcheverry board member for the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) Sacramento, and has been a trainer for EEOC and California Division of Workers’ Compensation. She was a key contributor in the development of the State of California Return to Work Guide with the Commission on Health, Safety and Workers’ Compensation and is a Certified Professional in Disability Management.

Diversified Management Group (DMG)
1850 Gateway Blvd., #275,
Concord, CA 94520
800-746-4364 x 6105
[email protected]
www.DMGWorks.com

This presentation will highlight three ways in which KP provides accommodations and support to new and returning employees via its Integrated Disability Management program and utilizes a multicultural business resource group to build new mindsets for and about employees with disabilities, all of which have a positive effect on an organization’s bottom line.

Marlene Dines, MS, CRC, CPDM, as the National Integrated Disability Management Leader at Kaiser Permanente, facilitates a Task Force of Senior Leaders as well as a Subject Matter Expert Community. As a member of the Employee Safety, Health & Wellness Leadership team, she is actively involved in the integration of employee safety, wellness and disability management for the promotion and support of improved productivity and quality of life for all Kaiser Permanente employees. Prior to this, Marlene was the Director of Workforce Absence Management. She started at KP in 2005 as a Workplace Safety Consultant.

Michael Siver, Lead IT Trainer – Kaiser Permanente Information Technology/Service & Delivery (Marin/Sonoma Service Area), Michael joined Kaiser Permanente in 2005 and has provided training for several large technology systems during his tenure, including KP HealthConnect, Kaiser Permanente’s comprehensive health information system. In addition to his current position, Michael serves as the president of Kaiser Permanente’s multi-cultural business resource group (MBRG) for persons with disabilities, KPability. As president, he leads employees and physicians to promote equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities while leveraging the unique skills and experiences of every employee. KPability is tasked with raising awareness, removing barriers, and supporting a workplace built on talent, trust, dignity and inclusion.

Born with Cerebral Palsy, Michael’s lifetime of experience living with a disability has fostered a passion for coaching and advocating for others who are disabled. Recognizing that talent comes in many forms, he is always looking for opportunities to help others develop their unique talents and adopt varying approaches to confronting and overcoming challenges. His flexibility, adaptability and innovative thinking have allowed him to achieve success in his personal and professional life and he is committed to helping other carve their own path to success.

Disability issues can be some of the most challenging situations faced by employers. In this session, participants will be provided best practices to avoid distractions in the development of an inclusive workplace, with what effective documentation really means.

Timothy Davis is a partner in Burke, Williams & Sorensen’s Silicon Valley office and is Chair of the firm’s Labor and Employment Law practice group.

Mr. Davis has tried to verdict employment cases in both federal and state court and has conducted over 60 employment arbitrations. Mr. Davis routinely defends employers in litigation matters in actions involving state and federal law, such as Americans with Disability Act, Age Discrimination and Employment Act, Family and Medical Leave Act, California Family Rights Act, California Pregnancy Disability Act, Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights, and wage and hour issues, including wage and hour class actions. He has represented both public and private clients in claims of wrongful termination, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of loyalty, unlawful interference with prospective economic advantage, unfair competition, and constitutional rights violations.

His practice also includes the representation of public employers before state, federal, and local administrative proceedings, including the Department of Labor, local civil service commissions, PERB, EEOC, and OSHA. His litigation practice, with substantial emphasis and experience in labor and employment, encompasses all aspects of litigation, including trial, all phases of trial preparation, arguing law and motion matters, taking depositions, preparing and responding to pleadings, drafting and responding to written discovery, and research.

This workshop will engage participants in an interactive game addressing your role in reducing your organization’s liability exposure, increase your knowledge of federal and state disability laws, and increase your ability to recognize triggers and when to act.

Rhonda is Alameda County’s Disability Programs Administrator with the Human Resource Services Department.

She has been an H.R. Generalist since 1998 and she has worked for Alameda County since 2002. In 2012, Rhonda began working with employee disabilities in the Central Human Resources Department as the Department’s Disability Programs Specialist. As her role evolved over the years, she gained experience working with all types of employee disabilities, industrial and non-industrial, and with a variety of leaves of absences. Rhonda worked with supervisors on returning employees to temporary modified work assignments and provided consultation and training to agency managers/supervisors in the area of reasonable accommodations and managing employee disabilities.

In 2013, Rhonda began working in her current position, overseeing the County’s Disability Programs Division, where she has developed an effective and comprehensive centralized disability management program that ensures disabled employees’ rights and benefits while maintaining or enhancing productivity and reducing county liability. The Disability Programs Division responsibilities include conducting countywide job searches for employees that cannot be accommodated in their own department, providing consultation and technical support to departments on disability management, review, revise and/or create countywide disability program policies and procedures, provide countywide disability management training for managers/supervisors and monitor the department’s reasonable accommodation efforts to ensure compliance with state and federal disability laws.

Rosemarie Kwiatkowski has extensive employment law advice and state and federal court litigation experience. Ms. Kwiatkowski has been a Deputy County Counsel for the County of Alameda since 2002 and provides employment and labor law consultation and advice to executive management team members in multiple County agencies on a variety of issues including hiring, performance management, employee discipline, disability management, equal employment opportunity, wage and hour, family medical leave (FMLA/CFRA),workplace violence prevention, Public Safety Officers’ Procedural Bill of Rights, Firefighter’s Procedural Bill of Rights and labor relations.

Ms. Kwiatkowski also develops personnel policies, training curriculum and provides compliance advice and training on state and federal employment issues to management. Ms. Kwiatkowski also manages internal investigations by Human Resources professionals and outside investigators. Ms. Kwiatkowski has successfully represented public entities in federal and state court litigation, grievance arbitrations and administrative law proceedings.

Prior to her current position with the County, Ms. Kwiatkowski worked in a private law firm representing government entities in a variety of litigation matters through trial. While in private practice, Ms. Kwiatkowski also defended Fortune 500 companies and other businesses in a variety of state and federal court litigation including product liability, medical malpractice and employment law cases.

Ms. Kwiatkowski is a graduate of the University of San Diego School of Law and has been an active member of the California State Bar since 1992. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Public Administration from Mount Saint Mary’s College, Los Angeles.

This workshop will provide an overview of a community-based organization that advocates and provides a broad range of resources for people with disabilities. Among the programs to be highlighted is an Assistive Technology Device Lending Library.

Ron Halog has served in the disability non-profit sector for over 35 years. Throughout Mr. Halog’s successful career in the disability sector, he has worked with organizations such as CCS (Abilities First), PARCA, Kaleidoscope Activity Center, Easter Seals Bay Area, Mt. Diablo Vocation Services, Ala Costa Centers and, currently, Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL). During his last position as the Executive Director of Ala Costa Centers, Mr. Halog was able to grow the organization both in service delivery and financially. Through Mr. Halog’s leadership, Ala Costa received recognition for quality services from Parents Press (3 years in a row) and the 2011 Bernie Graff Award from the Alameda County Developmental Disabilities Council. In 2010, Mr. Halog was awarded a 2-year fellowship from LeaderSpring (an organization that supports Executive Directors in the non-profit sector).

In addition, Mr. Halog has served as the PVAC (Providers Vendors Advisory Committee) Chairperson (2014) and is currently on the Executive Team of the Alameda County Developmental Disabilities Council as the Vice-President. He is also is a member of the FAST (Functional Assessment Service Team) for Alameda County. He also serves on the Board of Directors for California Foundation for Independent Living as well as the Executive Board for Alameda County VOAD (Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters).

This session will provide a brief overview of the military experience with the goal of understanding the “military mindset” and presenting strategies for translating that mindset to successful productive workplace experiences for all.

Shannon Kissinger is a Policy Associate with Swords to Plowshares with a Masters in Social Work from Humboldt State University and BA in Journalism with an emphasis in Foreign Policy. Shannon has extensive experience in veteran policy concentrating on macro solutions to veteran issues. Shannon presents Combat to Community® cultural competency curriculum and provides outreach and technical assistance to other community-based veteran services agencies.

Shannon worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs as Social Worker dealing specifically with homeless veterans, infectious disease and medical practice. Shannon has also worked for numerous veteran non-profits and managed geriatric and senior services for clients. Shannon spent five years in the U.S. Navy as a Seabee and is a service-connected disabled veteran.

This workshop will teach participants to anticipate situations that might occur in the workplace with people with disabilities. Including tools on respectful etiquette and language in creating a comfortable work environment for all employees and familiarize participants with some of the basics of disability employment law.

She also functions as a DOR representative on various state, federal level and regional work groups and committees such as the State as a Model Employer Executive Order and the National Employment Team.

Steven Newcomb has worked in different roles in the vocational rehabilitation field since 2011. In 2013, he joined DOR as an Employment Coordinator for the Fairfield branch office. As an Employment Coordinator, he worked directly with the department’s job seekers to prepare them to look for and gain employment. He also helped to establish long-term partnerships with local and regional businesses.

Most recently Steven has started working as an Employment Specialist in DOR’s Workforce Development Section. He continues to partner with businesses to help them meet their staffing needs through the hiring of qualified individuals with disabilities.

Ability Now Bay Area was the first Adult Day Center to implement a Computer Learning Center in the Bay Area. The organization followed up with creating its Cornerstone Program, the first and only self-employment small business center for adults with disabilities in Northern California. The panel will discuss the role technology has played in creating independence and opportunity for individuals with physical disabilities that can limit their ability to work in a “normal” employment setting.

Bill Pelter serves as an advocate for Ability Now’s programs and services through its community outreach and education by participating in committees, panels and coalitions. Before transitioning into a consultant position, Bill served as the Assistant Executive Director, where he was responsible for the organization’s day-to-day operations, including the implementation of Ability Now’s Small Business Center.

Prior to joining Ability Now Bay Area, Bill was the program director at the Spectrum Center’s Oakland campus, the branch manager for Solano County’s Office of Independent Living Resources, and associate director of the Mental Health Association, which serves Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Bill has an M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling from Azusa Pacific University, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from California State University at Los Angeles.

Maureen DeCoste has over twenty years of marketing, communications and development experience. In her position at Ability Now Bay Area she oversees the branding and marketing strategy for the organization as well as financial support from foundations and individual donors. Previous to joining Ability Now, she served as the Director of Communications and Development at the Mental Health Association of San Francisco.

Maureen received an M.A. in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex, U.K. and a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Northridge. She has volunteered as an educator for several youth organizations, including as an HIV/AIDS educator for Coaching for Hope in Africa, and as a tutor for Casa Pacifica Center for Children and Families.