Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation

In building the One More Way search engine, we’ve launched the world’s first comprehensive disability, incentive, and employment search tool. Rather than searching the entire web, One More Way yields search results that speak directly to your employment, accommodation, and diversity needs. Based on Google’s Coop Search technology, One More Way is the new tool that needs to be included in every diversity toolkit.

What does competitive employment for people with disabilities look like to you?

Recognizing that leadership is required to build the connections between job seekers and employees with disabilities and employers, The Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation steps up to build collaborative solutions that are designed to reverse the high rate of unemployment for people with disabilities.

50 million Americans

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, nearly 50 million Americans or one of every five people ages 5 and older, have a disability. That number is expected to grow over the next 25 years as the U.S. baby-boom generation enters the ages most prone to disabling injuries and illnesses. Participation in society to the fullest extent possible by people with disabilities, whether young or old, veteran or civilian, has been a goal of U.S. policies and programs. Translating this aim into reality requires confronting a series of challenges. We estimate that Federal and State budgets support over 15,000 programs designed to help people with disabilities find and maintain employment. Despite this massive investment, the unemployment rate of people with disabilities is still estimated to be over 50%.

Connecting the Need and the Resource

One major challenge involves identifying the population with disability. "Disability" refers to an individual's capacity to function within a given social and environmental context. An illness or injury may result in disability for one activity but not another, or for one occupation but not another. The complexity of the term has given rise to various definitions and indicators, and there is no current accepted gold standard for counting the population with disability. While the U.S. Census estimate offers a broad overview to the extent of limitation and disability across the nation; nationally representative, well-designed surveys and studies have produced differing but equally credible estimates.

A related challenge involves projecting the number of people who will have a disability and need support in coming decades. Such projections involve debates among experts about the extent to which life expectancy will rise, and whether the risks of developing and recovering from a disability are increasing or decreasing. Over the last few decades, disability appears to have diminished among older people; but it is not clear whether younger people have experienced a similar improvement. At this time, reasons for the decline in disability are not clear, adding to the difficulty in forecasting trends.

What we do

The Foundation has been established as a 501C(3) non-profit organization that invests our resources in three areas. They are:

Establishing sustainable forums and tools that connect people to existing resources. All too often the systems designed to save a job for a person with a disability are complicated to navigate. The Foundation seeks to deploy tools and training that allow for easier access to the funded infrastructure already in place.
Supporting relevant research on accessible technology in the workplace and supporting high levels of professional standards and credentials. Accessing reliable information and consistent advice lies at the center of every sustainable business process. The Foundation seeks to share best practice ideas that can transform the recruiting and hiring process allowing more qualified candidates with disabilities to secure competitive employment.
Providing grants to support job-seekers with disabilities in securing the tools they need to secure competitive employment. Transportation, wardrobe, and adaptive technology costs can sometimes stand in the way of a person realizing an opportunity that they are qualified to accept. The Foundation seeks to provide resources to help eliminate these obstacles so that qualified people can succeed in employment

Making a difference

100,000 hits per month!

The Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation and its major funding partner, The Sierra Group have created employmentincentives.com as an informational tool to assist employers in recognizing the scope and value of various employment incentive programs. The Sierra Group is a national consultancy offering solutions in the areas of Accessibility, Compliance, and Diversity.

Do you have an interesting point of view that can benefit our 100,000 monthly visitors? If so, please email michaelfiore@workplacefoundation.org. We are always looking to add valuable content to this project. If you want to write about disability and law, employment, discrimination, hiring trends, services, employee morale issues, training tactics, risk management, or any other topic related to the theme of the project, let me know.

One More Way Debut a HUGE Success!

The Sierra Group Foundation launched its newest initiative in DC on Fri. April 18th. This national Collaborative was well received by an audience of 50 distinguished guests - leaders in goverment, business and rehabilitation. Stay tuned for details on "One More Way" to connect job seekers with hiring managers.

Read the One More Way Collaborative

Denise Barnes joins Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation

Well known advocate, Denise Barnes, joins Sierra Group’s Workplace Foundation board as Vice Chair. Denise manages the sales force for bank loans at Washington Mutual, Tampa Florida where she combines her extraordinary people skills with her passion regarding workplace success through inclusion. Denise was lured back to corporate America after a very successful post serving as the Business to Business Connections director for Enable America. Desiring to stay connected to the community of friends she made while working at Enable America, Denise is proud to accept the position of Vice Chair, at Sierra Group’s Workplace Foundation.

“Really, the foundation of every workplace is its people” says Barnes. “After working in the area of employment and disability, I became quite impassioned regarding the absolute need to include people with disabilities into corporate diversity plans.”

Together with her ally, board chair, Janet Fiore, Denise will address the invited guests in on the upcoming launch of the Foundation’s One More Way Collaborative in Washington DC, April 18th..

The Sierra Group is a participating provider at the Transition & Benefits Fair at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center

The Sierra Group continues to assist veterans find employment! We are honored to be a participating provider at the Transition & Benefits Fair at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"The Transition & Benefits Fair is a partnership endeavor for service members and the community. Come out and take advantage of The American Legion Heroes to Hometowns network of providers ready to provide you transition, employment information and benefit resources to assist you as you transition from the military."

Wednesday, April 23, 2008
4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Walter Reed Army Medical Center - building 41 (Old Red Cross Building)

For more information see the Transition & Benefits Fair flyer. PDF - 399 K

The Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation is joining with AIG to host a Mentoring Event for Job Seekers with Disabilities

AIG logo On 2/20/08, The Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation isjoining with AIG to host a Mentoring Event for Job Seekers with Disabilities. The focus of the event will be matching Job Seekers who are interested in business careers to current AIG employees who are performing positions where the job duties are the same or similar to the Job Seeker's goals.

Click here for more information about AIG Mentoring Day.

The Sierra's Group Workplace Foundation's 2007 Annual Report

The Sierra Group's Workplace Foundation is pleased to release our 2007 Annual Report. PDF - 256 K The report is followed by a cover letter from the Foundation's Executive Director, Michael Fiore). 2007 was a year of growth and change as new programs were introduced and the Board expanded its roster. Feel free to call our office to request materials in alternative format. Also click here to learn about our Board members.

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The Sierra Group is featured in a book, "Accessible Technology in Today's Business: Case Studies for Success"

The Sierra Group is featured in a book produced by Microsoft Press, "Accessible Technology in Today's Business: Case Studies for Success." The book demonstrates to business that not only are accessible solutions available today that provide people with disabilities the essential tools they need to work, but it makes good business sense to do so.

Microsoft Book Cover Accessible Technology in Today's Business The book covers in-depth case studies that show solutions, a discussion of the business value of providing accessible technology, what accessible technology means including information about products and the benefits of accessible technology to people with disabilities, a five-step process your organization can use to develop and execute a strategic accessible technology plan, important purchase considerations and tools, and a prediction of what the future holds for accessible technology.

Click here to read an interview from the book with Sierra Group Rehabilitation Engineer and Consultant, Michael Fiore. Michael offers insight and best practices based on Fiore's experiences of consulting with organizations that are integrating accessible technology. The interview was conducted by Microsoft Accessible Technology author Janice Hertz.

National Breakfast Club members in Philadelphia Business Journal

PHILADELPHIA BUSINESS JOURNAL LOGO National Breakfast Club members Janet Fiore, CEO of the Sierra group Inc., and Bruce Sham, Agency VP of Sales, MassMutual First Financial Group, Bala Cynwyd office and Business Chairman for the National Breakfast Club, Philadelphia, give insight to the Philadelphia Business Journal as they delve into The Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities.

Click here to view the Philadelphia Journal article.

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