Building the Corporate Case
for Including DisabilityOwned Businesses in
Supplier Diversity
Disability Supplier Diversity ProgramSM Overview
April 21, 2011
Aditi Dussault
Director of Affiliate Relations & Disability
Supplier Diversity Program,
US Business Leadership Network
(USBLN®)
2
ADA National Network Centers
1-800-949-4232 [voice/tty]
adata.org
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About the USBLN®
 National disability organization with over 60 affiliates in
North America, representing 5,000 employers
 Supports best practices in employment, youth
engagement, marketing, and procurement
 Major offerings are Annual Conference, TOWER
Initiative, and Disability Supplier Diversity ProgramSM
 Annual Conference – October 16th-19th, 2011 in
Louisville, Kentucky
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About Supplier Diversity
 Stemmed from Civil Rights movement
 Contract compliance requirements for minority-owned
businesses
 Additional requirements for women-owned businesses
and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses
 Creation of certification for lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or
transgender owned businesses
 Recent launch of certification for disability- owned
businesses
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Why Supplier Diversity
 Contract compliance
 Circle of Corporate Advocacy
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 Marketing, Employment & now Supplier
Diversity
Strong business case for inclusion of diverse
populations
Buying power of diverse populations
Brand loyalty
Capabilities and agility of diverse suppliers
Right thing to do
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About the DSDP
 Corporations have diversity programs to round out their
marketing, employment, and philanthropy toward diverse
segments
 USBLN® Disability Supplier Diversity Program is modeled
after existing national third-party certifications for
minority, women, and LGBT-owned businesses
 Pilot program launched July 1st, 2009
 Full implementation on January 1st, 2010
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DSDP Founding & Corporate
Partners
 Ernst & Young, LLP
 Marriott International
 SunTrust Bank
 Qualcomm
 KPMG, LLP
 WellPoint, Inc.
 IBM
 Walmart, Inc.
 Merck
 Wells Fargo & Company
 Freddie Mac
 Sodexo
 Microsoft Corporation
 #15 Still TBD
 Southwest Airlines
 Lowe’s
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About the DSDP cont.
 Criteria based on 51% ownership, operation,
management, and control by individuals with a disability
and/or service-disabled veterans who are either US
citizens or lawful permanent residents
 Must exercise independence from any other business
enterprise
 Must have principal place of business in US
 Must be legally formed in the US
 Annual Renewal
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Accomplishments
 Certification Committee established during program
pilot
 Corporate & Certified Disability-Owned Business
Enterprise Representation
 Met 5 times over the course of 2010
 Certified 23 businesses, 1 denial
 No appeals
 Developed supplier education materials,
programming for annual conference, and
relationships with both suppliers and corporate
representatives
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Certification Process
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Applicant initiates certification process 960 – 90 days)
Application Received by USBLN and reviewed for completion
Application undergoes review by National certification Committee
Site Visit Scheduled and Conducted
Final Review of Application by National Certification Committee
Determination sent to business within 15 business days
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Definition of Disability
 Disability is defined as a physical and/or mental
impairment that substantially limits one or more major life
activities of an individual
• Based on the first prong of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990
 A service-disabled veteran is a person who served in the
active military, naval or air service, and whose disability
was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty in the
active military, naval, or air service
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12
Disability Status Qualifiers
 To demonstrate disability status or status as a service-
disabled veteran, applicants must submit one document
from Group A or at least two documents from Group B
 All documents must be accompanied by a Disability
Status Qualifier Supplemental Form, with the exception
of the USBLN® Physician’s Certification of Disability Form
 USBLN® reserves the right to request further information
and documentation of disability status
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13
Disability Status Qualifiers
– group
A
Group A
 Records, statements, or other documentation issued from
a licensed, registered, or certified vocational rehabilitation
specialist (i.e., state or private) stating that the applicant
individual is a person with a disability
 Records, statements, or other documentation issued from
any Federal agency, State agency, or an agency of the
District of Columbia or a US territory that issues or
provides disability benefits stating that the applicant
individual is a person with a disability
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14
Disability Status Qualifiers
– group A cont.
Group A cont.
 USBLN® Physician’s Certification of Disability Form from
a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other
medical professional duly certified to practice medicine
by the State, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory)
stating that the applicant individual is a person with a
disability
 To be considered a Service-Disabled Veteran, the
veteran must have an adjudication letter from the
Veterans Administration (VA), a Department of Defense
Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from
Active Duty), or a Statement of Service from the National
Archives and Records Administration, stating that the
veteran has a service-connected disability
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15
Disability Status Qualifiers
– group B
Group B
 National or local media attention indicating the applicant
company is a disability-owned or service-disabled
veteran-owned business, or mention the owner(s) as a
member of the disability community
 Records, certifications, or registrations regarding the use
of a service animal
 Advertising/promotional materials that note the business
is disability- or service-disabled veteran-owned and
operated
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16
Disability Status Qualifiers
–group B cont.
Group B cont.
 Certificates/Awards/Recognitions of the business and/or
owner(s) as a member of the disability community (a copy
of the certificate, letter of congratulations, or other
supporting documentation must be included as well as
contact information for the presenting party)
 Membership letters or certificates from a disability-focused
organization (i.e., Center of Independent Living, national
disability advocacy organizations, etc.), accompanied by a
letter written by a board member of the organization
indicating the applicant is a member in good standing and
is a person with a disability. Contact information for the
board member must also be provided
 Other documentation, subject to review and acceptance by
the USBLN® National Certification Committee
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Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
17
Ideal Candidates for Certification
 Business is at least 51% owned, operated, managed,
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and controlled by a person (or persons) with a disability
The business must be a for-profit entity
No requirement for length of time in business (start ups
can be certified)
Flexible scalability to fulfill large contracts while
maintaining quality or be highly specialized/serve a niche
Willingness to share all information required on the
application
Prepared to incorporate certification into long-term
strategy for growth
Highly desired industries: All manufacturing, IT firms,
facilities management, document security, research,
construction, and many more!
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Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
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Benefits of Certification - Employers
 Access to supplier diversity personnel in major
corporations and government agencies
 Business to business opportunities for collaboration, joint
venturing, and new client development
 Opportunities to participate in mentorship and leadership
programs
 Certification is a differentiator from one’s competition
 Ability to brand one’s business as a certified disability-
owned business
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Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
19
Benefits of Partnership - Corporations
 National promotion and recognition as a participant
 Access to the database of certified Disability-Owned
Business Enterprises that have met rigorous criteria for
certification
 Exchange of best practices surrounding inclusion of
certified DOBEs in existing corporate supplier diversity
programs
 Broad exposure at USBLN® events
 Face-to-face meetings with certified DOBEs
at USBLN® supplier diversity events
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Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
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Open Discussion
&
Questions
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*
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THANK YOU!
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Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
22
Contact Information
Please Feel Free to Reach Out to Us
Jill Houghton
Deputy Director
Southeast TACE
Acting Executive Director
USBLN
(954) 461-4726 [voice]
Jilldh@bellsouth.net
Aditi Dussault
Director, Disability Supplier
*
SM
Diversity Program and
Affiliate Relations
USBLN
(202) 487 -5868 [voice]
aditi@usbln.org
Pamela Williamson
Director
DBTAC: Southeast ADA
Center
(404) 541-9001 [voice]
sedbtacproject@law.syr.edu
Webinar Series for Business
Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
23
Sponsors of Webinar Series
ADA National Network by DBTAC
Web: adata.org
American Association of
People with Disabilities (AAPD)
Web: aapd.com
Council of State Administrators of
Vocational Rehabilitation (CSAVR)
- National Employment Team (NET)
Web: rehabnetwork.org
U.S. Business Leadership Network
Web: usbln.org
Webinar Series for Business
Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
24
Education Credits - DEADLINE: May 2, 2011
CEU (0.1 Pending)
Approved by the University College at Syracuse University
To earn CEU credit, you must:
1. Participate in the 1.5 hour webinar.
2. Login to your Webinar Account & complete: CEU Request.
3. Follow CEU Credit Requirements
(http://sedbtac.org/webinars/requestCEU.php?eventid=531).
CRCC (1.5)
Approved by Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor
Certification (CRCC)
To earn CRCC credit, you must:
1. Participate in the 1.5 hour webinar.
2. Login to your Account & score 80% or better on Post Test.
3. Complete: CRCC Request and send a copy to the CRCC office.
4. Follow CRCC Credit Requirements
(http://sedbtac.org/webinars/requestCRCC.php?eventid=531).
Webinar Series for Business
Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved
25
Disclaimer
The DBTAC: Southeast ADA Center (Southeast DBTAC) is
authorized by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation
Research (NIDRR) to provide information, materials, and technical
assistance to individuals and entities that are covered by the
Americans with Disabilities Act and its Amendments (ADA) under
Grant No. H133A060094. However, NIDRR is not responsible for
enforcement of the ADA. For more information or assistance,
contact your regional ADA Center via the ADA National Network by
DBTAC at adata.org or call 1-800-949-4232 [voice/tty].
The information, materials, and/or technical assistance are intended
solely as informal guidance, and are neither a determination of your
legal rights or responsibilities under the Act, nor binding on any
agency with enforcement responsibility under the ADA. The Burton
Blatt Institute (BBI) at Syracuse University does not warrant the
accuracy of any information contained herein. Any links to non-BBI
information are provided as a courtesy. They are not intended to nor
do they constitute an endorsement by the BBI of the linked
materials.
Webinar Series for Business
Hosted by: Southeast ADA Center and SoutheastTACE
Projects of Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University
Funded by NIDRR Grant # H133A060094. © 2011 All Rights Reserved