The Future of Work and the Disability Community

Social Enterprises of the Future

Social Enterprises of the Future represents a new collaborative platform to shape the future of inclusion of people with disabilities in the United States labor market. Through this initiative, SourceAmerica is convening representatives from the disability community, along with the public, private and social sectors to design, recommend and implement interventions in response to trends affecting employment and the disability community. Social Enterprises of the Future is a fully inclusive initiative, with equal participation by people with disabilities.

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SourceAmerica Future of Work and the Disability Community Report Cover

The Future of Work and the Disability Community

Executive Summary

The nature of work is changing worldwide. Technology, globalization and urbanization are contributing to a shifting employment landscape. Uncertainty about the future is fueling ongoing debate regarding potential outcomes for the labor force. This narrative is commonly referred to as "the future of work." Despite a growing body of knowledge on this topic, little to no attention is paid to historically marginalized populations such as people with disabilities. This report draws attention to how universal trends may impact the future employment of people with disabilities in the United States. Read the full summary.

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Social Enterprises of the Future: A Collective Response

Executive Summary

Social Enterprises of the Future: A Collective Response outlines our methodology and the path forward. Social Enterprises of the Future is rooted in design thinking principles. Therefore, success is dependent on the inclusion of people with disabilities in the design of interventions that meet their aspirations for the future. We must strive to develop testable prototypes that maximize learning and incorporate feedback into the innovation process. As the initiative evolves, it will be essential to include the diverse perspectives of representatives across the public, private and social sectors to guide the design process. The framework we developed during the original phase of this initiative and our first set of outputs reflect an evolution within the disability community. Read the full summary.

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Social Enterprises of the Future: Practices for Sustained Social Impact

Social Enterprises of the Future: Practices for Sustained Social Impact is intended to supplement SourceAmerica's publications: The Future of Work and the Disability Community and Social Enterprises of the Future: A Collective Response. This report examines select operational issues affecting disability service organizations nationwide, including strategic planning, fundraising, succession planning, social impact measurement and advocacy impact. Research for this report was conducted internally by SourceAmerica staff and informed by trends observed in the field.

This report starts by looking at factors that contribute to the success of high-performing organizations and continues with the examination of concepts and tools social enterprises may consider during strategic planning efforts. The remainder of the report reviews the literature on select operational challenges the field is facing and highlights best practices of high-impact organizations. It also provides case studies of social enterprises that have implemented relevant and sustainable business practices and self-advocates who participated in the Social Enterprises of the Future initiative.

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The Future of Work and Inclusion of People with Disabilities

In conjunction with the release of The Future of Work and the Disability Community and Social Enterprises of the Future: A Collective Response, SourceAmerica invited a panel of experts to share their perspectives on the global state of disability employment and societal inclusion. The panel event took place on May 8th at the 2018 SourceAmerica National Training and Achievement Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana. The panel members outlined a variety of challenges and opportunities and offered strategies for meeting the shared goal of a future of inclusion, with employment as a key indicator of success. This report represents the perspectives of a diverse panel on matters of global and domestic policy, human rights, and private sector engagement – and offers a summary of the key takeaways to inform subsequent discussion and action.

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The Journey of Employment: WorkUnified Talks

Special Olympics and SourceAmerica established a partnership focused on increased societal inclusion of people with disabilities. A demonstration of this partnership was the launch of SourceAmerica's Journey of Employment job fairs during the Special Olympics 2018 USA Games and 50th Anniversary Celebrations. This report summarizes a series of talks between athletes and employers at the Special Olympics 2018 USA Games designed to raise awareness, promote shared learning and encourage higher levels of workplace inclusion. The WorkUnified talks featured people with disabilities relating their individual journeys of employment. Representatives of Amazon, Bank of America, Special Olympics, Global Connections to Employment, and SourceAmerica’s Pathways to Careers™ program were on hand to address the challenges and successes they have encountered in their workplace inclusion efforts.

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