By Catie George, Director, Communications & Storytelling
The Dallas Regional Chamber’s Disability Inclusion Toolkit was honored by Gov. Greg Abbott’s Committee on People with Disabilities as the ‘most innovative local organization project’ among the 2024 Lex Frieden Employment Awards.
The awards recognize commitments to hiring and supporting the employment of people with disabilities, a core tenet of the DRC’s Disability Inclusion Toolkit, presented by Ernst & Young LLP. The DRC specifically received the Martha Arbuckle Award, named for a long-time disability advocate.
“Texas is a beacon of freedom and opportunity for everyone, including the two million Texans with a disability. Our lives are not defined by how we are challenged, but how we respond to those challenges, and I applaud all the Texas businesses who empower Texans with disabilities,” said Gov. Abbott in the release announcing the award winners. “I congratulate the winners of this year’s Lex Frieden Employment Awards for their work to hire and support Texans with disabilities. Working together, we can create a brighter, more inclusive Texas for all.”
The DRC launched the Disability Inclusion Toolkit in June at its 2024 Inclusion Conference to help companies assess and maximize their inclusion of people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. The toolkit’s data, resources, and best practices are informed by the perspective of experts and people living and working with disabilities.
The one-of-a-kind toolkit was selected for the honor by the governor’s committee on people with disabilities.
“The CDC estimates that more than one in four people in the United States has a disability,” said Nicole Ward, Storyteller at the DRC. Ward’s personal experiences with a traumatic brain injury and following complications helped compel the development of the Disability Inclusion Toolkit. “The disability community is so big, but the people talking about it is so small. And so, our goal with the toolkit is to get this conversation going.”
The Martha Arbuckle Award was presented to the DRC by the Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities and the Texas Workforce Commission on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at the HireAbility Employer Forum and Lex Frieden Employment Awards luncheon at Dallas College – Cedar Valley Campus.
“This work doesn’t come by happenstance,” said Latosha Herron Bruff, DRC Senior Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement. “We are an organization that prioritizes diversity and inclusion. This is not just a department; it’s part of what we do. It’s in the DNA of our organization… We could not do this without executive leadership and support. If your leadership doesn’t believe that this matters, this stuff doesn’t happen.”
DRC President and CEO Dale Petroskey echoed Herron Bruff’s comments and added color to the DRC’s commitment.
“When you think about a chamber of commerce, you probably don’t think about them working in diversity and inclusion,” said Petroskey. “But we’re a different kind of chamber. We believe that everyone in our community needs to have equal opportunities for a good education, a good job, and a good life… because that makes us all better, and it gives everyone that chance.”
The process of developing the toolkit was a collaborative one, with the DRC looking to member companies who do this work well—including Ernst & Young LLP, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Bank of America—and thought leaders in the region to help ensure the toolkit is as helpful as possible.
One such thought leader is the North Texas Disability Chamber, which Herron Bruff recognized for its “partnership and continued advocacy” in her acceptance
“The Dallas Regional Chamber launched its Disability Inclusion Toolkit, a first for a major metropolitan chamber of commerce here in Texas,” said Dylan Rafaty, President & CEO of the North Texas Disability Chamber, as he presented the award. “The effort included partnerships with local service providers, corporations, business leaders, and nonprofits. This toolkit promotes competitive and integrated employment of persons with disabilities while promoting an increased employment pipeline and supporting local and regional organizations.”
“I want to say thank you to the Governor’s committee for this award. Thank you to the North Texas Disability Chamber for your partnership and your continued advocacy,” said Herron Bruff.
To learn more about the work the Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement team at the DRC is doing, visit our website.