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2020 JOHN F. KENNEDY JR. AWARD FOR DIRECT SUPPORT WORKFORCE ADVOCACY & LEADERSHIP 

It is with honor that the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals (NADSP) board of directors announce that Ann Hardiman will be recognized as the recipient of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Award for Direct Support Workforce Advocacy & Leadership for 2020. 

Ann was nominated by former awardees, Regis Obijiski and Amy Hewitt. She currently serves as the Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) for the NY Alliance for Inclusion and Innovation in Albany, New York. 

For more than two decades, Ann led the statewide trade association New York State Association of Community and Residential Agencies (NYSACRA) as its Executive Director. In this role, Ann was instrumental to the early success of the NADSP with her generous support of office space and mentorship to Joseph Macbeth, NADSP's first employee and executive director. Throughout the course of Ann's professional career, she has steadfastly focused on improving the working conditions of the direct support workforce. While well-known as a fierce workforce advocate in New York's capital, she was driving force in hosting more than 100 direct support professional conferences across five regions, produced an award winning Realistic Job Preview video, secured more than $1 million in grants to assist New York's DSPs in starting or resuming in grants to assist New York's DSPs in starting or resuming their college careers and was the leading voice in creating living wage campaigns, career ladder opportunities and professional recognition for the states direct support workforce. During the Obama Administration, she was appointed to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities where she served for three years. Earlier this year Ann was honored as an Essential Change Agent by the National Historic Recognition Project: 2000-2020.

NADSP Board Member and past president of both national and statewide self-advocacy associations Chester Finn, reminds us that Ann Hardiman was chosen to serve on the President's Commission on Intellectual Disabilities during the Obama administration for two good reasons: "First and foremost, Ann is dedicated to people with disabilities' right to be included in their commu nities in ways that help them be happy, productive citizens. Second, she has worked really hard to help those of us with disabilities reach our potential by advancing the ethics, abilities and profession of direct support professionals." Chester continued, "What makes Ann really great is the way she listens to us and always encourages us not only to advocate for ourselves but also to advocate in equal measure for DSPs who are essential to our success."

RAISING AWARENESS: Ann Hardiman advocates for Direct Support Workers at the bFair2DirectCare rally in Albany, NY in January 2019.

Ann will be honored during National Direct Support Professional Recognition Week in September, 2020 via a live ceremony with Tim Shriver. Learn more about the John F. Kennedy Jr. Award for Direct Support Workforce Advocacy & Leadership at nadsp.org/kennedy-award-for-dsp-workforce

ROGERS NAMED MANAGER FOR OUTLOOK BUSINESS SOLUTIONS' ACCESSIBILITY TESTING SERVICE

Greg Rogers has been named Accessibility Testing Manager for Outlook Business Solutions. Outlook Business Solutions provides businesses with marketing, customer care and accessibility testing services, and provides jobs for people with vision loss. Nearly half of its employees are affected by vision loss.

Rogers specializes in the strategic planning, management and execution of projects to assist businesses in making their websites and applications accessible to people with disabilities. He has nearly 10 years of experience providing consulting services to organizations on the accessibility of technology for visually impaired customers, including three years as a consultant for the Blind Institute of Technology.

LOOKING FORWARD: "Greg's expertise transforms the challenges that exist for consumers with disabilities into opportunities for businesses to serve this sizable market."

From websites to wireless devices and online documents and applications, Rogers works with organizations to create workplaces that are inclusive and legally compliant. His experience also includes product development to ensure compliance with federal regulations and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 25 percent of adults in the U.S. have some type of disability. A report from the American Institutes for Research cites that the discretionary income for people with disabilities is about $21 billion. "Greg's expertise transforms the challenges that exist for consumers with disabilities into opportunities for businesses to serve this sizable market," said Natalie Hadley, vice president of Outlook Business Solutions. "Businesses that provide accessible platforms for people with disabilities not only benefit by being more inclusive and increasing brand loyalty, they gain access to more customers with significant purchasing power."

Rogers received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Baker University and holds certifications for screen-reading assistive technology applications that include Jaws, ZoomText 2019 and NVDA 17.3. In 2016, he also earned Web Accessibility Specialist and Document Accessibility course completion certificates from Deque University.

"I look forward to partnering with organizations to help them improve their websites and digital content to deliver better customer experiences that expand the reach of their products and services," Rogers said. Businesses can be successful and socially responsible by outsourcing accessibility testing, marketing and customer care projects to Outlook Business Solutions. Call 531.365.5055 for a free consultation, and please visit OutlookBusinessSolutions.com

REIMAGINED HADLEY: GROUNDBREAKING DIGITAL FOOTPRINT FOR THOSE FACING VISION LOSS

In 1920, William Hadley, a Chicago area high school teacher who lost his sight at the age of 55, revolutionized the way adults facing vision loss would learn to read again when he created his Braille by Mail system.

WELCOME ADDITION: Hadley is committed to ensuring its website and content are accessible for as broad a user base as possible, with progressive tools and help features on every page.

One hundred years later, the nonprofit that bears his name is once again revolutionizing the way it provides support to persons throughout the world facing vision loss, especially those, like Hadley, who acquired the condition later in life.

Taking a dramatically different approach to reaching an audience that is often difficult to reach – primarily older adults facing vision loss related to diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma – Hadley has entirely overhauled its digital footprint, Hadley.edu.

Built on many months of research and development work, the new approach is entirely based on the needs, wants and desires of visually impaired adults. The ease-of-use, personalized settings, a wide selection of how-to video workshops, and live support from experts are just a few of the elements that make the new Hadley website a game changer. 

"At the core is a highly personalized approach, because we realize that no two learners are alike," explains Hadley President Julie Tye. "No matter the level of vision someone has, they bring with them a unique set of needs, interests, and their own preferences for how to learn new skills. On the new Hadley.edu, they'll find an experience that's been called 'groundbreaking' and 'a leap forward' by a wide variety of our early testers."

Whether the user is interested in learning how to safely use a sharp knife when preparing meals, managing medications with less frustration, or figuring out how to get back to using a computer, phone, or digital assistant, they'll find the site very intuitive.

Visitors are invited to create their own personal account and then, after adjusting the contrast and font color and text sizes to their liking, are offered six different learning avenues: Daily living, Adjusting to vision loss, Recreation, Technology, Braille, and Working. Upon revisiting, the site automatically logs the user back on and intuitively remembers where they left off.

Every page also has a help icon which connects directly to a live Hadley staff, making the experience less daunting and assuring the user that Hadley is with them every step of the way. "The beautiful thing Hadley has to offer in addition to the learning content itself is free and direct access to our learning experts," says Chief Program Officer Ed Haines. "No matter where you live, you can talk to a vision rehabilitation professional who can answer your specific questions and provide you with personalized help. Many online courses require an upgrade in order to talk to a real person or to use certain parts of a site. Here at Hadley, though, there are never any costs or barriers to using our service."

The mission of Hadley is to create personalized learning opportunities that empower those with vision loss to thrive --- at home, at work and in their communities. A 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, Hadley relies on contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations to fund its programs. Watch our videos to learn more about our students, programs and donors by visiting hadley.edu