The Northeast Human Resources Association (NEHRA) has named UMass Medical School’s Work Without Limits the 2016 Frank X. McCarthy Organizational Diversity Champion for its efforts to improve workplace diversity and the employment rate of people with disabilities. NEHRA will present the honor during the 2016 Diversity & Inclusion Awards Gala April 28 at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston.
“I’ve watched the team from Work Without Limits tackle some very big initiatives with great success. They’ve done so with a true commitment to collaboration and have single-handedly brought many organizations together for the greater good. We are thrilled to be honoring the incredible work they’ve done in support of both the disability community and diversity in the workplace overall,” said Tracy Burns, CEO of NEHRA, the largest professional HR organization in the Northeast.
Work Without Limits, a program of UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine division, is a statewide network of engaged employers and innovative, collaborative partners that aims to increase employment among individuals with disabilities. Most recently, the program created Jobs Without Limits, a fully accessible job board that allows candidates with all types of disabilities, including those who use assistive technology such as screen readers and enlargers, to connect with potential employers directly.
“We are passionate about raising awareness of underemployment among people with disabilities through our Work Without Limits Program. I am proud to congratulate our extremely dedicated and hardworking team on being named the 2016 Organizational Diversity Champion by the Northeast Human Resources Association,” said Joyce A. Murphy, executive vice chancellor of UMass Medical School’s Commonwealth Medicine division. “Work Without Limits has created innovative services and resources that assist employers in finding, hiring and supporting individuals whose skills and life experiences are invaluable in the workplace.”
The NEHRA gala also will feature the presentation of the Individual Diversity Champion award to EMC Global Chief Diversity Officer Jackie Glenn, $10,000 in college scholarships to two local high school students, and a keynote from “Dancing With The Stars” alum Sgt. Noah Galloway, who lost his left arm above the elbow and his left leg above the knee in an Improvised Explosive Device attack during Operation Iraqi Freedom. A portion of the gala proceeds will be donated to the New England Center for Homeless Veterans in support of helping a local veteran pursue further education.
The April 28 award presentation was highlighted on Twitter as showcased in this Storify.