Empowering Job Seekers with Disabilities: Insights on the pursuit of jobs and internships

Career Level: Basic-, intermediate-, and advanced-level career services professionals
Competency: Working with individuals and groups
Fee: FREE (member); FREE (nonmember);

Summary
Students with disabilities face a variety of challenges as they explore and pursue job and internship opportunities. Join us for a conversation on the experiences and motivations of job seekers with disabilities and the barriers they encounter as they seek to thrive in the world of work. Learn what you can do as a career services professional to support them as they evaluate their opportunities, remove barriers in their search for jobs and internships, and pursue meaningful careers.

Following this program, you will be able to:
- Better understanding of how job seekers with disabilities search for employment opportunities;
- Insights into the motivations of job seekers with disabilities as they evaluate internship and employment opportunities; and
- Appreciation for the barriers job seekers with disabilities encounter as they look for work and ideas for how you can adapt your coaching and counseling practices.
Presenters

Matthew Berndt, Head, Job Search Academy, Indeed
Matt Berndt is the career strategist leading Indeed’s Job Search Academy. Prior to his current role, Berndt built and scaled Indeed's executive briefing center program executing executive briefings with talent acquisition leaders from more than 800 enterprise employers in 29 countries. Prior to joining Indeed, he worked in the staffing industry and in university career services and served on the boards of the National Association of Colleges and Employers and the Southern Association of Colleges and Employers.

David Parker PhD, Program Manager for Research, Educ Outreach and Comm, Eskenazi Health
Over the past 30 years, David Parker has coordinated services for students with LD/ADHD at UNC-Chapel Hill, the University of Connecticut (where he was on the special education faculty), and Washington University in St. Louis. He now coordinates research and educational outreach at the Gregory S. Fehribach Center.

Alexjandro (Alex) Herrera, Financial Analyst, Power and Automative Industry
Alex Herrera graduated from college in May 2024. As a financial analyst in the power and automotive industry, he specializes in preparing statistical reporting, including financial performance, variance, and cost analysis, as well as annual budgeting and forecasting processes.

Michelle Alford-Williams, Senior Director, NextGen Initiatives, Disability:IN
Michelle Alford-Williams serves as the NextGen Initiatives senior director at Disability:IN. She has more than 35 years’ experience increasing access to employment for persons with disabilities. As the manager of the California Department of Rehabilitation Unit on Workforce Development & Business Relations, she was responsible for engaging and connecting businesses and consumers with disabilities. She is a skilled presenter on disability inclusion; has expertise in universal design, ADA compliance, and project management; and has provided technical assistance to businesses to remove barriers to disability employment.

Donna Bungard, Director of Accessibility, Indeed
Donna Bungard is the director of accessibility at Indeed, championing disability inclusion and accessibility to maximize human potential. With a holistic approach, she integrates accessibility into systems, processes, and culture, ensuring work is inherently inclusive. She advocates for systemic change that empowers individuals and strengthens organizations.