2020 has been an exciting, interesting year for 6 Wheels Consulting so far, and I wanted to check-in with everyone and share what I’ve been up to lately.
I started the year lobbying at the Virginia General Assembly. One of the highlights of my lobbying work was working with legislature to remove the harmful, outdated term “physically deficient” in reference to people with disabilities in the Code of Virginia.
At the beginning of the year, Governor Northam signed executive actions to help create more job opportunities in the Commonwealth for people with disabilities. I worked with the Department of Human Resource Management to work out ways to hire more people with disabilities in our local government in order to fulfill this initiative.
After the session ended, I did a keynote presentation for the Virginia Board for People With Disabilities and discussed self-determination.
I’ve also been working with STEM students from Scarsdale High School in New York, which has been a great experience. I’ve been consulting with the school’s program to develop resources for students with disabilities.
Students at the school have also been designing and creating prototypes of items that could be useful for individuals with disabilities and for other populations. It’s been really fun to see what the students come up with!
Prior to universities closing their campuses for the remainder of the spring semester, I was a guest lecturer for a class at the University of Virginia. The class focused on innovative leadership, and I discussed my personal approach to leadership. It was great to connect with students and to share my experiences!
On April 8th, I’m going to partner with Gordian Partners, LLC., a consulting firm that focuses on inclusion, and Hallie Murray, a person with autism, to present The Business Case of Inclusion. This webinar will focus on the importance of inclusion and the ways inclusive business practices lead to success. I hope you’ll join me for this presentation and workshop!
I’ve enjoyed working in such diverse environments in the past few months, and I look forward to continuing to spread the message of inclusion.
Please make sure to be smart and vigilant at this time in regards to the coronavirus. Even though life looks a little different for us all right now, it’s important to do our part to keep each other well.
I hope everyone is healthy, happy, and safe!
PHOTO: Black cursive lettering that reads “stay safe and healthy”