October is National Disability Employment Month (NDEAM). In this month’s episode of the Quest podcast, we dive into accessibility and inclusion in the workforce with Russell Shaffer, the Executive Vice President of Strategy & Programsat Disability:IN. Drawing on his lived experience of vision loss and his years of working in corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion, Russell shares how businesses can move from compliance to strategic disability inclusion, the power of measurement and benchmarking, and how individuals with disabilities and organizations alike can lead the change. He shares his expertise and advice as we discuss creating inclusive workplaces, what’s next in the field of disability inclusion, and how we can all play a role in advancing employment and empowerment.



Transcript



Guests:



Russell Shaffer is the Executive Vice President ofStrategy & Programs at Disability:IN, where he has responsibility for the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic plan, along with the measurement and reporting of its key performance indicators. In addition, Russell and his team lead signature Disability:IN programs, including Accessibility, Disability Equality Index, Learning & Workforce Development, NextGen Leadership, and Supplier Diversity. He joined Disability:IN in October 2022 from Walmart Inc. where he most recently was Senior Director ofGlobal Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (CDEI). Russell currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) in Louisville, Kentucky, and his board service includes prior terms with Sources for Community Independent Living in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB). His AFB service included a two-year term as Chair of the Board, and in 2015 he received the AFB Stephen Garff Marriott award in recognition of his professional achievement and service as a person who is blind or low vision. While at Walmart, he served two terms as Chair of the company’s inABLE Associate Resource Group, and in 2018, he traveled to China as a private-sector disability employment expert as part of a U.S. State Department delegation. Disability:IN honored Russell as the 2019 recipient of the annual John D. Kemp Leadership Award in recognition of his commitment to advancing disability inclusion inside Corporate America. He is an honors graduate of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, and holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in business administration and communication arts. Russell resides in Rogers, Arkansas, with his wife, Jessica, and their children, Sophia and Brady. His perspectives on disability advocacy and inclusion are informed by his experiences with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic, degenerative eye disease that was diagnosed when Russell was 10 years old and led to his legal blindness by his late 20s.



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Host:



Mindy Henderson is MDA’s Vice President of Disability Outreach & Empowerment,  Editor-in-Chief of Quest Media, and the host of this podcast. She was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, type 2 when she was 15 months old and has been a life-long partner to MDA. Mindy is also a motivational speaker and a writer, and author of the book, The Truth About Things That Suck.



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