Introducing the Disability Employment Source (DES) for job seekers with disabilities and employers aiming to diversify their workforce.
The National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center is announcing the launch of the Disability Employment Source (DES), a job board and workforce development platform for qualified job candidates with disabilities and employers looking to diversify their workforce. DES is designed to serve as an intuitive tool for job seekers of all experience levels searching for employment, as well as businesses in the NBDC network interested in recruiting people with disabilities for available positions.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with disabilities across all age groups and education levels were less likely to be employed than people without disabilities in 2019. Last year, 30.9% of working-age Americans with disabilities were employed, compared to 74.3% of working-age Americans without disabilities. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 1 million people with disabilities lost their jobs between March and April 2020.
“The disproportionately lower employment rate for people with disabilities suggests that employers need better access to diverse applicant pools,” said John D. Kemp, President & CEO of The Viscardi Center.
“With the introduction of the DES platform, NBDC is poised to empower the disability community to navigate today’s competitive job market and provide businesses with the necessary resources to build inclusive workplaces,” added Carmen Daniels Jones, Managing Consultant for NBDC.
A Powerful Recruitment Tool for Employers Nationwide
Businesses who partner with NBDC can conduct unlimited searches for candidates based on multiple criteria, including career skills, job experience, and education. DES for employers includes:
- Candidate searching to match on a local/national basis, providing HR professionals with unlimited access to qualified, appropriate candidates for their open positions;
- Custom scraping of job posting pages easily replicates and displays an unlimited number of openings daily on the DES platform;
- E-Learning courses prepares recruiters to hire, onboard, and retain people with disabilities.
A Timely Resource for Job Seekers with Disabilities
Qualified candidates of all experience levels can access professional development tools, post their resume, and connect with experts in their chosen field. DES for job seekers includes:
- Skills assessment for applicable jobs based on answers to career and life interest questions;
- Resume builder, a resume optimization service approved by HR professionals;
- Mentorship portal connecting candidates to corporate mentors via email, phone, text, and video chat;
- Personalized dashboard providing an array of local job opportunities, benefits, and nonprofit services;
- Online job training library with over 250 various courses, as well as e-learning software to help candidates sharpen their skills.
Explore all the features available on the DES platform at https://des.nbdc.com. Employers interested in learning how to start taking advantage of this recruiting tool can send an email to NBDCInfo@viscardicenter.org.
About NBDC
For more than 20 years, the National Business & Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center has been a member-driven organization, offering comprehensive resources for disability best practices for Fortune 1000 companies, small businesses, and government agencies committed to disability inclusion. NBDC Corporate Partners receive tools and resources to proactively strengthen and diversify their workforce and comply with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other federal regulations.
About The Viscardi Center
Founded by Dr. Henry Viscardi, Jr., who served as disability advisor to eight U.S. Presidents and became one of the world’s leading advocates, The Viscardi Center educates, employs and empowers people with disabilities. It provides Pre-K-12 education, school-to-work youth transition services, vocational training, career counseling and employment placement, assistive technology, and adapted driver education to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide variety of disabilities. The Viscardi Center also assists businesses in advancing inclusive cultures in their workplaces.