About Us
Employment First
In 2013, Illinois implemented the Employment First policy. This says that “competitive and integrated employment shall be considered the first option when serving persons with disabilities of working age. This policy applies to programs and services that provide services and supports to help persons with disabilities obtain employment.”
The idea is that members of the disability community should be able to work on the same teams as people without disabilities. They should also make the same wages as their peers.
The LEAP Program
Service providers were aware of this movement. However, it was difficult to find employers interested in hiring qualified individuals with disabilities. To support the Employment First initiative, DSC and Community Choices launched the LEAP program in 2015. This is funded by a grant from the Champaign County Developmental Disabilities Board.
LEAP was designed as free education for hiring managers and business owners. The goal was to increase awareness of the benefits of inclusive hiring. The training also introduced the idea of job coaches and accommodations. As LEAP grew, there was increasing demand for a similar staff training. Frontline staff training started in 2020 and provides an added focus of how to be more supportive for coworkers and customers with disabilities.
As of the end of 2021, over 100 Champaign County businesses have been reached. Both training options continue to be offered at no cost in person and online.
Development of the Directory of Disability-Inclusive Employers
The directory came about due to multiple factors:
After training sessions, attendees asked specific follow-up questions about improving their processes
We wanted an employer-initiated listing that independent jobseekers could access
Members of the public wanted to know who the inclusive employers were so they could support them.
The directory was initially modeled after the UK’s Disability Confident Employer program. Through it, the UK has had great success in increasing work opportunities for the disability community. To fit the program to Champaign County, we got input from local jobseekers with disabilities, employers, and service providers.
The result is not only a listing of businesses, but opportunities for ongoing workforce education. The LEAP program is moving past a standalone training to assist employers on the path to more inclusive practices.
LEAP Trainers
