Rosalind J. Cox, Director, Diversity, Worklife & Peer Review, Ford Motor Company, discusses careers with Carey Larabee at Disability Mentoring Day event held Oct. 13, 2004 at Ford’s global headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan.
DiverseAbility LLC and Ford Motor Company Celebrate Disability Mentoring Day
with Year-Round Career Development Program
Contact: Kathy McCreedy, DiverseAbility LLC (989-631-8867)
MIDLAND, MI. – Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) has been celebrated nationally every October since 1999 to coincide with National Disability Employment Awareness Month. It is designed to promote career development for students and job seekers with disabilities. DiverseAbility LLC (Midland, MI) is working with Ford Motor Company (Dearborn, MI) to extend Disability Mentoring Day beyond a one-day event in October. Together they have developed a year-round program to support the career development of students with disabilities, whether they intend to work in the automotive industry or not.
Disability Mentoring Day (DMD) is sponsored by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD), in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). In 2003, over 7,000 students in all 50 states participated in DMD activities focused on preparing the students for meaningful work careers.
Carey Larabee, a University of Michigan graduate with a degree in Sports Management and Communication, participated in this year's Disability Mentoring Day at Ford Motor Company. Larabee appreciates the commitment Ford Motor Company is making, commenting, “Being involved with Ford has really helped me learn that I can take my previous experiences in the sports arena and extend them to broader career opportunities in the business world.”
As an ongoing effort throughout the year, DiverseAbility is also partnering with Ford Motor Company to deliver career development workshops for college students with disabilities. The focus of these workshops is to help students develop the necessary skills to compete and succeed in jobs that have the potential of providing them with future corporate leadership roles. The workshops include participation from members of Ford’s Employee Resource Group, Ford Employees Dealing with disAbility (FEDA), who share their personal experiences of succeeding in the workplace.
Another component of DiverseAbility's ongoing efforts includes mock interviews with Ford recruiters. Ford recruiters give the students honest and constructive feedback on their resumes and performance during the interview process.
Rosalind J. Cox, Director, Diversity, Worklife & Peer Review, Ford Motor Company, described Ford’s commitment, “Diversity includes all of the differences that define each of us as unique individuals including those with disabilities. Valuing diversity means creating an environment that respects and leverages the contributions of all individuals ... thereby maximizing the potential of everyone. Certainly, our partnership with DiverseAbility has been a key element to our success."
DiverseAbility LLC, founded in 2001, provides DiverseAbility SM Career Development Services to support the integration of people with disabilities into corporate diversity efforts and to increase the career opportunities for college graduates with disabilities. DiverseAbility partners with Center for Independent Living of Mid-Michigan and together they have received a grant from The Ford Motor Company Fund to pursue career development activities for students with disabilities.
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Michigan, manufactures and distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 327,000 employees worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care and Hertz. Ford Motor Company celebrated its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003.
For information about Disability Mentoring Day, visit the AAPD website, www.dmd-aapd.org
For information about DiverseAbility, contact Kathy McCreedy at 989-631-8867 or www.DiverseAbility.com
For information about Ford’s diversity efforts, contact Marcey Evans at 313-322-9211 or www.ford.com
DiverseAbility is a service mark of DiverseAbility LLC