Welcome to our August 2025 newsletter!
Learn more about us and our exciting lineup of upcoming events.
August 2025 Highlights
Like all institutions of higher education, the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability (YTI) is facing some uncertainty. A frequent question this summer is “what’s happening with grant-related funding at YTI?” There is good news here, though not all good news. YTI was recently awarded three field-initiated research grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). The grants will focus on autism, home care workers and care recipients, and justice-involved individuals with disabilities. We look forward to sharing the results of these new grants with you – published papers, webinars, updated websites and more – stay tuned!

Course for HR Professionals at eCornell
YTI Academic Director Susanne Bruyère has created two eCornell courses, Disability at Work and Neurodiversity at Work. Disability at Work examines the role HR professionals can play by maximizing fair disability workplace policies and practices and minimizing disability discrimination across the employment process, while Neurodiversity at Work offers an overview of emerging Neurodiversity at Work employment programs and outlines the implications for HR policies and practices. These online courses can be taken independently or as part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for HR Cornell Certificate Program.

Improving Employment in New York
YTI is a proud to partner with New York state to improve education and work experiences for people with disabilities. Over the past year, part of our funding from New York has allowed us to focus on improving opportunities for New Yorkers with disabilities to obtain competitive integrated employment and to support the state’s efforts to become a model employer of people with disabilities.
In addition, we are working with the Office of the Chief Disability Officer to plan and provide several seminars for the 2025 Disability Rights and Employment Awareness Month (DREAM) Symposium, which will take place October 28 and 29 in the Empire State Plaza in Albany. Registration details coming soon!

Disability in the Workplace: A Just-in-Time Course for Leaders
October 14-15, 2025
570 Lexington Avenue, 12th floor, New York, NY
The course offers a transformative experience that will prepare managers to support employees around disability disclosure, reasonable accommodation, and performance management. Building on YTI’s innovative Just-in-Time Toolkit for Managers, the course will provide practical strategies to support all employees and set them up for success.

Upcoming Events
Apprenticeships and Workers with Disabilities
August 20, 2025, 2:00–3:00 PM EDT
Free webinar from the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability (EARN)
Apprenticeships are a proven pathway for developing talent and building a strong, experienced workforce. Many apprenticeship programs can expand participation and meet workforce needs by recruiting from a key talent pool: skilled workers with disabilities. Paid apprenticeships combine education and on-the-job training to prepare workers for long-term career success. By ensuring that all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities, have an opportunity to access apprenticeship opportunities, employers benefit from a broader pool of qualified workers. Join EARN for this free, informative webinar on practical strategies for recruiting and supporting apprentices with disabilities.
Focus on Title 1 of the ADA
September 9, 1:00–2:15 PM EDT
Free webinar from the Northeast ADA Center
This session will provide a broad overview of Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which covers employment. You will learn about:
- The overarching purpose of the ADA
- Key elements of Title I of the ADA, including disability disclosure and reasonable accommodation in the workplace
- How to apply ADA concepts in your own work
One hour of CRC credit is available.
Disability Disclosure and the Interactive Process
October 15, 1:00–2:15 PM EDT
Free webinar from the Northeast ADA Center
Can an employer ask a job applicant or employee if they have a disability? How do I best support a job seeker or employee in making the best choice about disclosing a disability? What does the ADA mean by “the interactive process?” A job application invites applicants to “self-identify” as having a disability – what does this mean? This session will review not only what the ADA says about disability disclosure in the workplace, but also the very real human impact of disclosure. One hour of CRC credit is available.
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