I'M THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION, AFFECTIONATELY KNOWN ACROSS NIH AS EDI. IT'S WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I WELCOME YOU TO OUR NATIONAL DISABILITY EMPLOYMENT AWARENESS MONT EVENT. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A WARM WELCOME TO OUR VISITORS THAT HAVE TRAVELED TO THE NIH, AS WELL AS OUR PARTICIPANTS WHO'VE JOINED US VIA VIDEOCAST. WE ARE TRULY DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU ALL HERE TODAY WITH US. TODAY, EDI WILL LAUNCH ITS FIRST ANNUAL CULTIVATING INCLUSION, HONORING NIH CHAMPIONS AND ALLIES OF DISABILITY AWARD CEREMONY. HERE AT EDI, WE AIM TO REACH THE ENTIRE NIH WORKFORCE TO INTRODUCE TO SOME AND REINFORCE TO OTHERS THE NECESSITY TO COMMIT TO PRINCIPLES AND FOSTERING INCLUSIVITY. MODELED THROUGH EDI365 INITIATIVE, WE MUST HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE BY WAY OF BRINGING AWARENESS, ENGAGING ONE ANOTHER AND ERADICATING BARRIERS IN THE WORKPLACE EVERY DAY. WE LOOK TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY BY HIGHLIGHTING INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SHOWN LEADERSHIP AND COMMITMENT IN DRIVING FOR A MORE INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF, WHAT IS A CHAMPION AND AN ALLY? A CHAMPION IS A MEMBER OF THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY. THEY BRING MORE OF THEMSELVES INTO THE WORKPLACE TO MAKE IT MORE INCLUSIVE FOR THE SPECIFIC TBHAIMED GROUPS THAT NAMED GROUPS ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THE DISABILITY POPULATION WHILE MAKING SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY AT THE NIH. AN ALLY IS A MEMBER OF AN ADVANTAGED SOCIAL GROUP WHO USES SOCIAL POWER TO TAKE A STAND AGAINST INJUSTICE DIRECTED AT OTHER GROUPS. THESE INDIVIDUALS SHOULD HELP TO ADVANCE THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AND RESEARCH OR HELP TO MAKE NIH A MORE WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. TOGETHER, CHAMPIONS AND ALLIES BRING WHOLESOMENESS TO THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY AT THE NIH. TODAY WE ARE CELEBRATING SOME OF THESE EFFORTS ACROSS THE NIH. I HAVE PERSONALLY READ ALL OF THE AWARDEES' BIOS AND NOMINATIONS. I'VE NEVER BEEN PROUDER AND MORE AMAZED AT OUR NIH COMMUNITY AND THEIR ABILITY TO PUSH FOR INCLUSIVENESS, TO PUSH NIH'S MISSION FURTHER IN SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES OF . ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORTS AND SUPPORT NOT ONLY TO BRING CUTTING EDGE SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, BUT ALSO TO SHOW THAT ALL OF US TOGETHER MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT. MAY YOU ENJOY THIS AFTERNOON'S KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND AWARDS CEREMONY, AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE TURNING IT OVER TO DAVID RICE, WHO IS OUR EDI DISABILITY PORTFOLIO STRATEGIST. [APPLAUSE] >> HI, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS DAVID RICE, AND I'M THE DISABILITY AND PROGRAM STRATEGIST. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GET RIGHT INTO THE PROGRAM. THE WAY IT'S GOING TO WORK TODAY IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE KEYNOTE SPEAKER BY DR. KATHY MAN MANN KOEPKE AND THEN GO OVER TO THE AWARDS CEREMONY. SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO GIVE A BRIEF BIO OF DR. MANN KOEPKE. SHE HAS A FOCUS OF NEUROBIOLOGY OF LEARNING AND COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND COGNITIVE DISABILITIES THROUGHOUT LIFE, IN BOTH ANIMAL AND HUMAN POPULATION. HER EARLY MULTIDISCIPLINARY HEALTH RESEARCH WITH AN IMPACT ON BOTH PATIENT AND FAMILY REFLECTED IN ALL OF HER WORK. HER EARLY RESEARCH FOCUSES ON LEARNING DISABILITIES, ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER AND NEUROBIOLOGIC CONTRIBUTIONALITY NATIONS DUE TO COGNITIVE FUNCTION. BEFORE COMING TO NIH, SHE HELD SEVERAL FACULTY APPOINTMENTS, MOST NOTABLY SERVING A DECADE IN NEUROLOGY AT THE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ST. LOUIS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE RESEARCH CENTER. SHE JOINED NIH IN 2001, AT NIA, IN THE BEHAVIORAL SOCIAL RESEARCH BRANCH, WHERE SHE OVERSAW RESEARCH ON COGNITIVE AGING AND ALZHEIMER'S CAREGIVING. IN 2003, SHE MOVED TO NINR AS DIRECTOR OF THE NEUROSCIENCE AND CENTER GRANTS PROGRAM. SHE HAS SERVED NICHD AS THE DIRECTOR OF MATH SCIENCE COGNITIVE REASONING LEARNING DEVELOPMENT AND DISORDER PROGRAM WITH CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR BRAIN BRANCH SINCE 2008. SHE HAS DEDICATED DEVELOPMENT OF MATH AND SCIENCE COGNITIVE REASONING AND LEARNING AND PROVIDING AN EVIDENCE-BASE FOR INTERVENTION FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES IN THESE AREAS. THROUGHOUT HER NIH TENURE, SHE HAS SERVED ON NUMEROUS REVIEW PANELS FOR OTHER AGENCIES AND TRANSFERRED ALL ADVISORY PANELS ON DISABILITY AND OTHER HEALTH RELATED CONDITIONS AND HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT. SHE HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS AWARDS THROUGHOUT HER SCIENTIFIC CAREER, INCLUDING SEVERAL NIH DIRECTORS AWARDS FOR HER WORK ON CROSS-CUTTING PROGRAMS. SHE MOST RECENTLY WAS WINNER OF THE 2019 AWARD FOR EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. SHE HAS SERVED IN BOTH THE FORMAL AND INFORMAL MENTOR IN NUMEROUS EARLY STAGE SCIENTISTS INCLUDING NICHD DREAM SUMMER EMPLOYEES. IN ADDITION TO HER TYPICAL ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS, DR. MANN KOEPKE TAKES HER PASSIONATE ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THE PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES OF ALL TYPES OF COMMUNITIES SHE LIVES AND WORKS IN, FROM SERVING IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT ADVISORY GROUP, THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY COMMISSION OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND CREATING PATIENT AND FAMILY INTERVENTION THROUGH ENHANCED REAL WORLD FUNCTIONS. EXAMPLE, MULTI- -- ALZHEIMER'S PAGE CREATED IN 1990. THE WORLD'S FIRST FREE INTERACTIVE EDUCATION WEBSITE FOR PROFESSIONAL AND FAMILY CAREGIVING FOR PERSONS WITH DEMENTIA AND FOUNDING WORKING WITH MS TO PROMOTE SOLUTION-FOCUSED PROBLEM SOLVING FOR PERSONS WORKING AND WANTING TO RETURN TO WORK WHILE LIVING WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, TO FUNDING THE NIH ABILITIES EMPLOYEE RESOURCE GROUP AND LISTSERV WITH A MISSION OF FOSTERING A WELCOME, SUPPORTIVE AND RESPECTFUL WORKPLACE THAT PROMOTES SUCCESS FOR ALL NIH STAFF, REGARDLESS OF THEIR ABILITY OR DISABILITY. DR. MANN KOEPKE WORKS TOWARDS BREAKING DOWN BARRIER, FOSTERING INCLUSION AND CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PERSONS ON EVERY ABILITY LEVEL. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, PLEASE WELCOME DR. KATHY MANN KOEPKE. [APPLAUSE] >> SO I THINK YOU CAN HEAR ME? GOOD. I WILL MORE OR LESS STAY OVER HERE. I THINK I CAN DO THIS FROM HERE. SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE ORGANIZERS FOR INVITING ME TO SPEAK TODAY, AND FOR THE HONOR OF THE YVONNE THOMPSON MADDOX AWARD EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR INCLUSION AND DISABILITY. DIVERSE IRT ITY AND INCLUSION. I AM REALLY DELIGHTED TO HAVE A ROLE HERE AT NIH. I JUST READ IN THE PAPER THAT NIH WAS RATED NUMBER 1 FOR EMPLOYMENT FOR DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AS AN EMPLOYER, AND I THINK THAT'S A WONDERFUL HONOR, WELL DESERVED. SO I'M VERY HAPPY TO REPRESENT NIH AND THEIR INCLUSION ACTIVITIES IN PARTICULAR. SO, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH MY LITTLE TALK HERE. I WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE TIME SO I DON'T GO TOO LONG. WHY DO WE INCLUDE EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES, OR WHY SHOULD WE INCLUDE EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES? THERE ARE A LOT OF STANDARD ANSWERS TO THAT QUESTION. YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE SAY, WELL, BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, SOME PEOPLE SAY BECAUSE IT'S THE LAW, SOME PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO DO. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT EMPLOYING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IS ACTUALLY A BENEFIT TO THE EMPLOYER. THE EMPLOYER AND THE ORGANIZATION WIN WHEN YOU EMPLOY A PERSON WITH DISABILITY. THE BOTTOM LINE BENEFITS ARE CLEAR, THAT RETURN ON INTEREST IS PAID DUE, IS PAID WELL BY HIRING AN EMPLOYEE WITH DISABILITY. THERE IS SUBSTANTIAL DATA NOW THAT CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT IT'S A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR THE PERSON WITH DISABILITY BUT ALSO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE EMPLOYER. BUT, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY, YEAH, BUT WE'RE A GOVERNMENT, WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS, WE'RE NOT CREATING WIDGETS SO HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO GOVERNMENT? WELL, RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS STILL AN INTEREST OF THE GOVERNMENT, AND BY EVERY METRIC THAT I'VE SEEN, WE ARE STILL DOING RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF EACH EMPLOYEE AND WHAT WE CONTRIBUTE AND WHAT WE PRODUCE AND HOW WE ADVANCE, IN THIS CASE, AT NIH, THE SCIENCE AND HEALTHCARE FINDINGS AND ADVANCES. THAT'S THE PRODUCT WE'RE CREATING. IT'S NOT A WIDGET, BUT THERE'S STILL A RETURN ON INVESTMENT. THERE ARE ABOUT FEBRUARY .1 MILLION WORKING-AGED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE U.S., 15.1 MILLION. AND ABOUT 10.7 MILLION INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED BUT LIVING WITH DISABILITY. SO THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITY WHO AREN'T EMPLOYED. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THESE NUMBERS FROM LAST JULY 18TH, 2018, AT THAT POINT IN TIME FOR THE ADULTS IN THE WORKFORCE, MEANING PEOPLE 16 TO 64 YEARS OF AGE WHO HAD A DISABILITY, ONLY 29% OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES WERE EMPLOYED. EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS ANOTHER 71% OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH DISABILITIES WHO WERE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT, SO THEY WERE IN THE LABOR FORCE BUT THEY WERE NOT EMPLOYED. IN CONTRAST, PERSONS OUT DISABILITIES, 75%, WERE GAINFULLY EMPLOYED AND ONLY 25% WERE UNEMPLOYED AND STILL IN THE LABOR FORCE LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT. SO THERE'S A LUGE A HUGE DISPARITY BETWEEN EMPLOYMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY AND PERSONS WITHOUT DISABILITY. AND WHAT'S THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT? WHY WOULD ONE SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE AN EXPECTED RESULT? WHY SHOULD IT BE ANY DIFFERENT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES? IMPORTANT TO KNOW, EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES PAY TAXES. THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE U.S. TREASURY. THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT WORKING BUT WANTING TO WORK ARE PROBABLY ON DISABILITY, AND ALTHOUGH DISABILITY BENEFITS ARE IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, MOST PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING FULL TIME OR A LARGE AMOUNT OF TIME DO NOT COLLECT DISABILITY PAYMENTS IF THEY'RE WORKING, IF THEY'RE NOT TAKING OUT OF THE TREASURY, THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE TREASURY. EMPLOYERS BENEFIT WHEN THEY EMPLOY PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN MULTIPLE WAYS. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES BRING CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION AND PROBLEM SOLVING, FOR MOST OF US LIVING WITH A DISABILITY, WE DO A LOT OF PROBLEM SOLVING EVERY DAY JUST BY GETTING OUT OF BED AND GETTING TO WORK EVERY DAY. THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AND THAT'S IN THE WAY. TODAY MY EXCUSE IS, MY SECURITY CLEARANCES, MY PIV CARD IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE AND THE SECURITY SYSTEM PEOPLE THINK THAT I HAVEN'T DONE WHAT I HAVE TO DO, SO I'M BLOCKED OUT OF EVERYTHING. TRYING TO GET MY SLIDES OFF OF MY COMPUTER WAS A JOY. EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITY TEND TO STAY AT THEIR JOB. THEY'RE VERY LOYAL, THEY'RE DEVOTED, AND TYPICALLY THEY'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. IT TOOK THEM A LOT TO GET TO WHERE THEY ARE, AND THEY ARE DOING WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO THEM. IN THAT SENSE, IT'S A BENEFIT TO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE EMPLOYER IN THAT THERE'S VERY LOW TURNOVER IN PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES. THAT MEANS THAT THERE'S VERY LITTLE RE-HIRING, REPLACEMENT AND RE-TRAINING OF A NEW INDIVIDUAL EVERY TIME SOMEBODY LEAVES. DIVERSITY, THEY BRING DIVERSITY AND THEY STRENGTHEN THE WORKPLACE WITH THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES THAT THEY BRING TO THEIR EMPLOYER. THEY IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY. THE DATA ON IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY FROM PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE ORGANIZATION WHERE A PERSON WITH DISABILITY ENTERS A TEAM IS REALLY REMARKABLE. YOU WOULD THINK THAT IT WOULD GO DOWN BUT IT DOESN'T, IT GOES UP. THE PRODUCTIVITY GOES UP WHEN YOU HAVE A PERSON WITH DISABILITY ON YOUR TEAM. WE IMPROVE THE WORKFORCE MORALE, IN PART BECAUSE WE'RE EVIDENCE OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION. WHEN WE ARE IN A WORKPLACE, OUR COLLEAGUES KNOW THAT OUR EMPLOYERS VALUE WHAT WE DO WHAT WE PRODUCE AND NOT WHAT WE LOOK LIKE, NOT WHAT COLOR OUR SKIN IS, WHAT RELIGION WE'RE PART OF, WHAT SEXUAL ORIENTATION WE ARE. THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS WHAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE AT WORK. EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES PROVIDE PERSPECTIVES FOR THE THIRD LARGEST CONSUMER COHORT IN THIS COUNTRY. SO BEHIND AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND HISPANICS, PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE THE SINGLE LARGEST MARKET COHORT IN THIS COUNTRY. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES? WELL, THERE ARE MANY, AND I JUST LIST A FEW HERE. I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM. I THINK YOU ALL KNOW MOST OF THE BARRIERS THAT ARE HERE, BUT YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES ARE THE FIRST ONE LISTED, AND THAT'S ATTITUDINAL. ATTITUDINAL DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE PERSON IS NECESSARILY PUBLISHES MALICIOUS WHEN THEY CONSIDER A PERSON WITH DISABILITY BUT OFTEN TIMES IT'S THEY'RE UNDERINFORMED. THEY'RE UNCLEAR ABOUT WHAT A PERSON WITH DISABILITY CAN AND CAN'T DO. THEY'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS. THERE ARE MYTHS WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO. YOU CAN'T BE A SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL. YOU CAN'T BE A HIGH LEVEL EXECUTIVE. YOU CAN'T BE SOMEONE UNDER STRESS. YOU CAN'T BE, YOU CAN'T BE, AND MOST OF THOSE THINGS ARE COMPLETELY WRONG. THEY'RE NOT TRUE. SO THERE ARE SOME BIASES, SOME PREJUDICES, A LOT OF MYTHS OUT THERE ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES CAN AND CAN'T DO, A LOT OF ASSUMPTIONS THAT PEOPLE MAKE. THEY MAYBE KNOW SOMEONE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I STARTED USING A WHEELCHAIR, SOME OF MY FAMILY MEMBERS WERE AFRAID TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR ME WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE WHEELCHAIR BECAUSE THEY HAD SEEN MY FATHER DRIVE THE WHEELCHAIR. MY FATHER IN HIS FINAL DAYS, HE HAD HIS OWN WHEELCHAIR AND HE WAS BLIND, AND HE HAD DISABLED ONE ARM AND SO HE WAS HAVING GREAT DIFFICULTY COORDINATING HIS DRIVING OF THE WHEELCHAIR, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF COLLISIONS INSIDE HIS APARTMENT, YOU KNOW. BUT JUST BECAUSE THEY SAW HIS BEHAVIOR DRIVING A WHEELCHAIR, SAID NOTHING ABOUT WHAT I WOULD BE LIKE DRIVING A WHEELCHAIR. YET THEY HAVE A LITTLE WHILE COMING TO BELIEVE THAT I ACTUALLY WASN'T GOING TO RUN THEM OVER. SO LOTS OF OTHER CHALLENGES TO INDIVIDUALS LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT IF THEY HAVE DISABILITY. BUT PROBABLY THE TWO BIGGEST ISSUES ARE ATTITUDES AND COMMUNICATION. FINDING A WAY TO COMMUNICATE IN A WAY THAT BOTH PEOPLE RECEIVE INFORMATION, CAN INTERPRET THE INFORMATION, CAN PROCESS THE INFORMATION AND THEN MAKE USE OF THAT INFORMATION. AND BECAUSE WE DON'T ALL USE THE SAME STRATEGY FOR COMMUNICATION, IT CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING. IF YOU ARE A HEARING AND SPEAKING PERSON, YOU PROBABLY HAVE MORE DIFFICULTY SPEAKING WITH SOMEONE WHO'S DEAF. LIKEWISE, THE DEAF INDIVIDUAL MAY HAVE DIFFICULTY SPEAKING WITH YOU. AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE IT WORK SO THAT YOU CAN BOTH COMMUNICATE AND TALK TO EACH OTHER IN AN EFFECTIVE WAY. SO, WHAT DO CHAMPION EMPLOYERS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES DO? WHAT MAKES THEM A CHAMPION? AND THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE LOOKED AT THIS AND IDENTIFIED SOME OF THE KEY FACTORS OF WHAT CHAMPION ORGANIZATIONS DO. I WANT TO SAY, AND I WANT TO BELIEVE AND HOPE THAT NIH IS A CHAMPION EMPLOYER. SO CHAMPION EMPLOYERS FOSTER INCLUSIVE BUSINESS CULTURES STARTING WITH EXPRESSIONS OF COMMITMENT FROM THE HIGHEST LEVELS, CARRIED ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE ORGANIZATION, IDENTIFYING THEIR STAND AND THEIR INTENT AND THEIR PURPOSE AND THEIR ACTIONS IN BEING AN INCLUSIVE ORGANIZATION. ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DO IS THEY ENCOURAGE DISABILITY EMPLOYEE RESOURCE FOCUSED GROUPS AND I JUST AM GOING TO DO THE SHAMELESS LITTLE PLUG FOR THE ABILITIES ERG. YOU'LL GET A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE ABILITIES ERG LATER IN THE TALK, BUT THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE. ALSO DEAF NIH, ALSO THREE BLIND MICE, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF ORGANIZATIONS HERE AT NIH THAT ARE EMPLOYEE BASED SORT OF GRASS ROOTS ERGs, TRYING TO HELP INDIVIDUALS WITH SPECIFIC DISABILITIES BUT ALSO TRYING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE AND EDUCATE AND CREATE SOME RESPECT AND CROSSTALK BETWEEN THE GROUPS. CHAMPION EMPLOYERS ENSURE DISABILITY, INCLUSION, OUTREACH AND RECRUITMENT. THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE NEXT BULLET YOU SEE IS TALENT ACQUISITION AND PLANNING FOR THAT TALENT ACQUISITION. IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO SIMPLY SAY WE'VE POSTED A JOB OPENING, IF SOMEBODY'S OUT THERE, THEY'LL COME. THERE'S SOME GROUPS THAT DON'T KNOW TO COME TO THE GOVERNMENT, THAT DON'T KNOW THAT YOU WILL BE INCLUSIVE OF THEM, THAT DON'T KNOW THAT THEY HAVE GENUINE OPPORTUNITY HERE. AND SO PLANNING FOR HOW YOU ANNOUNCE, HOW YOU ADDRESS, HOW YOU ATTRACT PEOPLE OF VARIOUS TYPES INTO THE ORGANIZATION IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT STRATEGY THAT IS ESSENTIAL FOR A TRULY EFFECTIVE CHAMPION AS AN EMPLOYER. CHAMPION EMPLOYERS EMPLOYERS ALSO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS. I HAVE TO SAY SOME OF THE CHAMPIONS I SEE HERE AT NIH INCLUDE FOLKS FROM THE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN REVISED, REVAMPED AND IS REALLY WORKING SO MUCH BETTER THAN BEFORE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS TO EMPLOYEES WHO NEED THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR JOBS. IF YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE WEAR EYEGLASSES, TECHNICALLY YOU HAVE, NOT BY GOVERNMENT STANDARDS BUT YOU HAVE A DISABILITY BECAUSE YOU DON'T SEE WELL ENOUGH TO DO YOUR WORK UNLESS YOU'RE WEARING PRESCRIPTIVE LENSES. THAT'S NOT A DISABILITY AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED BECAUSE IT'S SO COMMON AND EASILY REMEDIATED. ENSURE A BARRIER-FREE WORKPLACE BY MAINTAINING ACCESSIBLE INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION. AS I SAID BEFORE, THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR BARRIERS TO EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR BEING ENGAGED IN EMPLOYMENT. AGAIN, IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE EMPLOYER PLAY A CENTRAL ROLE IN OVERCOMING THIS BARRIER SO THAT ALL EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES BUT ALL EMPLOYEES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE IN THEIR WORK ENVIRONMENT. CHAMPION EMPLOYERS PROMOTE EMPLOYER ACCOUNTABILITY AND SELF DISCLOSURE FOR EMPLOYEES AS THEY CHOOSE AND AS IS APPROPRIATE. BUT IF YOU'RE FEARFUL OF DISCLOSING YOUR DISABILITY, THEN YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO AVAIL YOURSELF OF REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS AND THE ASSISTANCE THAT YOU WOULD GET TO MAKE YOU MORE SUCCESSFUL AS AN EMPLOYEE. SO SELF DISCLOSURE IS AN IMPORTANT ACT, IT HAS TO BE VOLUNTARY, AND IT HAS TO BE IN A WAY THAT THE EMPLOYEE PERCEIVES THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO OVERCOME SOME CHALLENGE, SOME BARRIER THAT'S LIMITING THEIR ABILITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR WORKPLACE. I'VE ADDED TWO MORE PAST PRACTICES, BEST PRACTICES TO THE LIST, THIS LIST CAME FROM EARN AND THEIR GUIDE TO CHAMPION EMPLOYERS. THE TWO THAT I ADDED ARE, WE NEED TO CREATE A CULTURE OF RESPECT AND WELCOMING OF ALL EMPLOYEES OF ANY TYPE OF DIVERSITY. BUT FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, THAT INCLUDES RESPECTING THAT WE ARE CAPABLE, ABLE INDIVIDUALS. WE MAY HAVE LIMITS IN PARTS OF OUR SENSORY SYSTEM AND PARTS OF OUR MOTOR SYSTEM AND PARTS OF OUR MENTAL HEALTH PROCESSES, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T BE SUCCESSFUL. SO LOOK AT WHAT WE DO, NOT WHAT WE LOOK LIKE. THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS NEED TO BE VALUED, VALUED THE SAME WAY ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE'S CONTRIBUTIONS ARE VALUED. NO MORE, NO LESS. WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE, ENABLE, RECOGNIZE, AND REINFORCE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS WHO ARE MENTORS TO EMPLOYEES WHO LIVE WITH THE SPIRIT, "INCLUES STARTS WITH I."& THAT MEANS THEY TAKE TO HEART THAT THEIR ACTIONS, THEIR CHOICES OF HOW THEY ENGAGE OTHER COLLEAGUES AND HOW THEY COMMUNICATE AND HOW THEY DEMONSTRATE RESPECT AND VALUE FOR THAT OTHER PERSON'S CONTRIBUTIONS COMES ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND BECOMES VISIBLE TO THE EMPLOYEE THEMSELVES BECAUSE IT'S A ONE ON ONE INTERACTION. THAT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE TODAY, IS ALL THOSE INDIVIDUALS HERE AT NIH, AND I KNOW WE HAVE CAPTURED JUST A SMALL NUMBER OF THE MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS. THEY'RE NOT JUST CHAMPIONS AS SUPERVISORS OR EMPLOYERS, THEY'RE CHAMPIONS ON A VERY INDIVIDUAL PASSIONATE WAY. FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT'S THE SCIENCE THEY CONTRIBUTE TO ENABLE PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL MEDICALLY, PHYSICALLY. FOR SOME PEOPLE, IT'S THEIR INTERACTIONS HERE AT NIH WITH OTHER INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES. MAYBE THEY'RE A SUPERVISOR, MAYBE THEY'RE A COLLEAGUE OF SOMEONE WHO'S STRUGGLING, COMING TO DISCLOSE THEIR DISABILITY TO THEIR SUPERVISOR IN ORDER TO SEEK REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS. BUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE HAS PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE AS A CHAMPION, AND IT'S EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE IN THE PECKING ORDER, NO MATTER WHAT OUR JOB IS, EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US PLAYS A ROLE IN THAT INCLUSION OF EVERYONE HERE AT NIH, OUR COLLEAGUES, OUR SUPERVISORS, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING WITH US AND UNDER US ON OUR TEAM. EACH OF US HAS TO PLAY A ROLE, SO FOR EACH OF US, INCLUSION HAS TO START WITH I. THANKS FOR RECOGNIZING ALL OUR CHAMPIONS. I'M REALLY PROUD AND HONORED TO BE HERE TO KICK OFF THE HONORS FOR THOSE OF THE FOLKS WHO WILL BE RECOGNIZED TODAY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, AGAIN, A LITTLE PLUG FOR THE ABILITIES ERG. IF YOU WANT INFORMATION ABOUT ABILITIES, SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE RIGHT OF THE SCREEN, AND IF YOU WANT MY SLIDES FROM TODAY, SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE LEFT AND IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY POP UP, AUTO POPULATE IT ON TO ME TO SEND YOU WHATEVER YOU WANT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING US TODAY, GIVING ME THE HONOR TO OPEN THIS SESSION, AND FOR THE HONOR TO BE WITH YOU WHEN WE CELEBRATE OUR CHAMPIONS. SO THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THAT YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY IS A PERFECT SEGUE INTO RECOGNIZING THESE CHAMPIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE AT NIH. SO THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN. I'M GOING TO LEAVE THIS UP FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER, THEN WE'LL SWITCH OVER TO THE AWARDS. BUT I FIRST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TO ONE OF THE FIRST ANNUAL DISABILITY AWARDS CEREMONY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME SO MUCH ABOUT READING -- WELL, FIRST OF ALL, WE RECEIVED OVER ABOUT 35 NOMINATIONS THIS YEAR. AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN AMAZING AMOUNT BECAUSE IN SEEING HOW MUCH PEOPLE ARE DOING ON THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND HERE AT NIH, IT REALLY ENCOMPASSED THE REASON WHY I'M HERE AT NIH, IS BECAUSE OF THAT ENVIRONMENT THAT EVERYONE IS HERE FOR US, RATHER THAN I. AND IT WAS REALLY, REALLY TOUGH TO NARROW IT DOWN TO THE 11 THAT WE HAVE SITTING UP IN FRONT. A LITTLE THE WAY IT WORKED, SO AT EDI, EACH STRATEGIST HAS AN ENGAGEMENT GROUP, AND WE HAVE A DISABILITY ENGAGEMENT GROUP WITH 12 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS FROM ACROSS NIH, DIFFERENT ROLES AT NIH, IC, FACILITIES OFFICE, OHR, OCIO, AND THEY COME TOGETHER AND THEY DISCUSS HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO FORWARD AT A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO -- AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE TO PROGRESS THE DISABILITY GROUP HERE AT NIH. AND THIS COMMITTEE CAME TOGETHER AND THEY REVIEWED ALL THE NO, MA'AM FLATIONS. NOMINATIONS. THEY REVIEWED THE NOMINATIONS WITH NO NAMES, NO I.C., NO NOTHING, AND WE SIMPLY SELECTED IT THE BEST WAY OF WHAT THE NO, MA'AM NAY THE NOMINATORS WROTE. I WILL TELL YOU, THEY WERE PHENOMENAL, THE WAY THEY WROTE THAT. SO I'M NOT SURE IF I SENT TO YOU, ABOUT BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOUR NOMINATION, I WILL CERTAINLY SEND IT OVER TO YOU TO SEE WHAT YOUR NO, THEY WROTE. SO WITH THAT, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE AWARDS PORTION. THE WAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS IS THAT TO SAVE UP ON TIME, IS THAT EACH PERSON SUBMITTED THEIR BIO, AND I'M GOING TO POST THE BIO ON THE SCREEN, AND THEN DEBRA CHEW AND I WILL BE DOWN HERE IN FRONT TO BRING THE AWARDS TO EACH INDIVIDUAL, TAKE A PICTURE, LEAVE THE BIO UP FOR A COUPLE MOMENTS, AND THEN WE'LL GO ON TO THE NEXT AWARD WINNER. FIRST DISABILITY AND COMMUNITY ALLY AWARD GOES TO DR. KENT HUNTER, SENIOR INVESTIGATOR, LABORATORY CANCER, BIOLOGY GENETICS AT THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE. [APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT AWARD IS GOING TO GO TO A NURSE PRACTITIONER, NIAMS, YANI RUIZ. [APPLAUSE] ME AND MY WIFE LAST NIGHT WERE REALLY PROUD ON SEEING SOME OF THESE NAMES, I PUT EVERY EFFORT IN BUT SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T HEAR IT AS WELL OR IT'S HARD. WE'LL GO OVER TO THE DISABILITY CHAMPION AWARD. OUR FIRST UP IS STELLA STEINBERG FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES, NIEHS, DIVISION OF INTRAMURAL RESEARCH, TRANSDUCTION LABORATORY, MOLECULAR GENOME CORPS. SHE'S THE ONE THAT CAME ALL THE WAY UP FROM NORTH CAROLINA FOR THIS AWARD SO WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE HER HERE. [APPLAUSE] NEXT UP, WE HAVE OUR DR. CAROLINE SENOR, EUNICE KENNEDY SHRIVER INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH DEVELOPMENT. [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE DR. ANNE SUMNER, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETIC, DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASE. [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE KELLY VAN ZEE, STAFF ASSISTANT, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS. [APPLAUSE] SO A LITTLE ABOUT THE GROUP AWARD. WHEN I SENT THIS OUT, FIRST REMEMBER THIS IS THE VERY FIRST ONE, I SENT OUT, I WAS SHOCKED BY HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE CAN WE SEND IN A GROUP, CAN WE SEND IN A GROUP. SO I HAD MULTIPLE GROUPS SENT IN, SO WE CREATED A GROUP AWARD FOR THIS. SO FROM HERE ON FORWARD, I'LL MAKE SURE I ADVERTISE THAT A LOT MORE. BUT THIS GROUP SPECIFICALLY, ONE OF THE -- I THINK PEOPLE TAKE FOR GRANTED THE REALLY, REALLY SMALL THINGS THAT WE JUST KIND OF OVERSEE, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, ACCESSIBLE PARKING. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAD HERE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS IS THAT PEOPLE WERE USING THE ACCESSIBLE PARKING, THE HANDICAPPED PARKING IN WAYS THAT WERE -- EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD THE HANGAR. SO THIS GROUP CREATED A WHOLE NEW POLICY, CREATED -- IT WAS A LOT OF WORK. I KNOW IT WAS. AND THEY CREATED WHERE THEY -- IF YOU WERE SOMEONE WHO HAS A DISABILITY AND YOU NEEDED ACCESSIBLE HANDICAPPED PARKING,& GOT VERIFIED AND THEY GAVE YOU A GOLD HANGER, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT NEED IT ARE BEING ABLE TO HAVE IT. SO FOR THE GROUP AWARD, THAT SUMMARIZES THEM ALL TOGETHER AND THEY'RE OVER IN THE EMPLOYEE TRANSPORTATION SERVICE OFFICE, WHICH IS UNDER ORS. AND I'M GOING TO NAME ALL FOUR -- FIVE OF THEM, AND YOU CAN ALL COME UP AND GRAB YOUR AWARD, AND SO FIRST UP WE HAVE JOSEPH COX, BRANCH CHIEF. [APPLAUSE] WE HAVE LOUISE DAVIS, TRANSPORTATION MANAGER, PROGRAM MANNIER. [APPLAUSE] NEXT UP, WE HAVE NICOLE HUNTINGTON. [APPLAUSE] NEXT UP, WE HAVE MICHELLE MAHEHA, AND LASTLY, WE HAVE SHAWN CULINANE. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. SO I'M GOING TO CONCLUDE THE AWARDS TO LET YOU KNOW WE HAVE A SMALL RECEPTION OUTSIDE, YOU CAN GRAB A COOKIE, FRUIT, VEGETABLE, CHEESE, WATER, WHATEVER YOU PLEASE. IT'S OUT THERE. AND I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO MAKE SURE YOU CONGRATULATE THESE AWARD WINNERS. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT, I MEAN, IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, I'M GOING TO UTILIZE YOU TO HELP MOVE FORWARD THE DISABILITY PROGRAM HERE, BECAUSE I CAN'T DO IT ALONE. IT'S GOING TO TAKE ALL OF US. AND ALL OF US TOGETHER, I THINK WE CAN CONTINUE TO GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND WHERE WE HOPE TO BE. YOU KNOW, EACH DAY IS A NEW DAY TO KEEP PROGRESSING FORWARD. I'M A FIRM BELIEVER IN THAT, YOU KNOW, TAKE EVERY DAY AS IF IT'S THE LAST ONE YOU GOT. AND SO I DON'T MEAN TO GET ALL EMOTIONAL HERE, BUT THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE DISABILITY GROUP, IS THAT I LITERALLY -- HOW I WANT TO STAMP MY LIFE, SHAPE MY LIFE REVOLVES AROUND MAKING SURE THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE DISABILITY GROUP, AND THESE PEOPLE OUT IN FRONT HERE THAT WON THE AWARD ALSO FEEL THE SAME WAY, AS MANY OTHER PEOPLE DO. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR COMING HERE TODAY, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU OUTSIDE THE DOOR. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, IF YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED, EMAIL ME. I'M DAVID.RICE AT NIH.GOV, I AM A VERY NICE PERSON TO TALK TO, YOU CAN ASK MY FRIENDS. I HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL SOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE]