On day two of the Employment Summit, Tracy DuPree made a beeline for the group that would be discussing “Identify and match employer needs with consumer skill sets.”

When someone from a financing group defected and joined DuPree’s table, he said “I admire anybody who would want to go into financing anything. Good God.”

The second day for DuPree and other participants of the Employment Summit started by reviewing what the previous day’s brainstorming had resulted in.

The top nine categories for this day’s discussion were:

-Review, define and revise funding to support employment options for people with disabilities
-Engage individual with disabilities in career development experiences at a younger age
-Involve stakeholders (including employers) in the improvement of interagency collaboration and communication
-Develop and implement a “single point of entry” system or “one stop” system for employment for people with disabilities
-Develop and implement a seamless statewide employment process
-Develop and implement statewide employer education
-Identify and match employer needs with consumer skill sets
-Create mechanisms and expectations that encourage the use of natural supports including, but not limited to, friends, family and employers
-Expand use of assistive technology to increase employment options and visibility

Unlike the previous day, participants got to pick the topic they wanted to discuss and would remain in that one group all day.

For DuPree, there was no other choice. He has spent 12 years working with employment services, from Welfare’s job rehabilitation to his current job helping people with disabilities navigate the many state systems.

He also understands the other side of the process: He is in a wheelchair.

During the day, DuPree stressed proactive participation on the part of job seekers.

“Every job I’ve ever applied for, I’ve never said I’m disabled,” he told his group. “They find it out when I go in for the job interview and they get the deer-in-the-headlights look. I can handle it two ways. I can let them go ‘Oh no’ and try to ignore the elephant in the room or I can say, ‘I see that you’ve recognized I’m disabled. I’ve been doing this work before and if I need an accommodation, I can get together with you and figure out a cheap and easy one.’”

As the day went on, DuPree’s group moved from brainstorming to creating action plans and then prioritizing them.

Amid the representatives from Safeway, local hospitals and other state agencies, DuPree remained an outspoken group member.

“If something’s in my way,” he said, “it won’t be for long.”

Read more about the Employment Summit at:
Out of the gate running: Employment Summit’s first day
NCED’s Employment Summit page