Voya Cares® raises awareness about the importance of competitive integrated employment and ABLE accounts in live event on National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

Written by Kathie Tarpey, AVP Voya Cares

As a purpose-driven company Voya believes that everyone should have a secure financial future — not just some people, but all whom we serve. To that end we take great pride in the work and partnerships that Voya Cares® has formed over the past years that allow us to make a meaningful difference in support of people with disabilities.

Although this month is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, or NDEAM, we work to raise awareness and prompt action all year long.

In recognition of NDEAM this October, our Voya Cares team conducted an event that kicked off with a panel to educate attendees about the importance of competitive integrated employment and share the steps Voya has taken to help make ABLE accounts accessible in the workplace.

I was honored to moderate this discussion that welcomed two high-profile panelists:

• Kandi Pickard, president and CEO of the National Down Syndrome Society, which Voya has worked closely with over the past seven years.
• Heather Lavallee, chief executive officer, and a board member, of Voya Financial, Inc.

The panelists informed attendees about:

• Competitive integrated employment or CIE, which is a type of employment that provides people with disabilities with the same opportunities and compensation as employees without disabilities.
• ABLE accounts — a savings and investment option for people with disabilities who qualify that allow them to save money without affecting most federally funded benefits based on need. They can be used in conjunction with federal benefits to increase opportunities for competitive integrated employment for people with disabilities.

The panel was followed by an informative presentation of proposed changes in disability inclusion legislation and regulations that may impact the employment rights of employees with disabilities. Jerry Hulick, the principal of Caring Consulting Group, provided an update on some of the work that continues to develop and improve laws, regulations and policies for the benefit of the disabilities community.

The event concluded with the following actions that we all can take to help disability inclusion a reality in our families, workplaces and communities:

• Connect to Voya Cares resources at voyacares.com — or reach out to the team at Voya.Cares@voya.com — for no-cost financial wellness and retirement planning educational articles, informational brochures and practical tools, such as checklists.
• Educate yourself: Learn about the legislative process and increase your political awareness.
  • Follow progress of bills
  • Get to know your legislators: Build relationships with your local legislators and visit their offices if you can
• Use a variety of methods to express your support: contact lawmakers by email, text, phone or social media.

With these simple steps, we all can play a role in creating more inclusive workplaces by providing people with disabilities the same opportunities as employees without disabilities.