PHOTO: Matthew sitting in front of The Disability Museum on Wheels smiling. This picture was taken at the 2015 USBLN annual conference in Austin Texas.
At the beginning of the month, as mentioned in the previous blog post, we had the tremendous opportunity to attend the annual US Business Leadership Network conference in Austin, Texas. The mission of the USBLN is to connect potential employees with disabilities to companies who are looking for unique talent. This was a golden opportunity for 6 Wheels Consulting to network with the before mentioned businesses and students who were also in attendance.
The conference provided us with breakout sessions to learn about trends that are happening within the business world relating to people with disabilities. These sessions certainly shed some light on some strategies that we can undertake as an organization to make ourselves better. We, as students, also had remarkable opportunities to take part in an innovation lab project where the students were required to develop a product that could help improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities in the workplace. We got to pitch our ideas “Shark Tank” style to see who developed the best idea.
Because this year is the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act there were also many great ADA related events. The Disability Museum on Wheels made a stop in Austin during the conference and all participants were allowed to go through the museum to learn about the history of the disability rights movement and the passage of the ADA.
I also took it upon myself to set up several one-on-one meetings where I got to learn some strategies I could implement to improve the business. First, I met with a web designer to discuss how to make my website more disability accessible to all potential people who could visit the site and seek our services. Another day I met with a mentor who guided me on some potential certifications that I could receive that could provide additional revenue sources and exciting opportunities for 6 Wheels. More information will be coming soon on these new ideas. As I reflect on this recent trip and try to recuperate from the jam-packed schedule I know that some of the connections we made while in Texas will lead to more exciting outcomes for 6 Wheels Consulting. If you would like to learn more about the USBLN you can visit their website HERE. Stay Tuned and check out our social media.
PHOTO: Panelists getting ready for a discussion at the USBLN conference in Austin, Texas