Page 65 - Peter Farrelly Issue

we were talking to an interviewee with a neurodiverse background, do our recruiters know how to ask the right questions?
vision. Those problem-solving skills can be applied to a lot of different areas. I can’t help but think that compa- nies and organizations would benefit from the kind of creative thinking and resilience that many people with disabilities could bring to their new job.
So frankly, it's organizations like yours that help compa- nies like Voya and all of the others really figure out how do we move forward? As you well know, just because you get somebody into the workforce doesn't mean you've necessarily created an environment where they can succeed and be fully included. It is a work effort on both sides. I just feel so fortunate to have organizations like yours, like The Harkin Institute and Easteseals that bring all of this know-how to the table. It makes me think about the saying, “A rising tide raises all boats,” and that's what we can do collectively to drive greater disability inclusion.
Lavallee: I couldn't agree more.
Goga: That’s so true.
Lavallee: Yeah, that's a great question. I was actually with the president and CEO of Easterseals yesterday. At Voya, we try to focus on building deeper partnerships with a smaller number of organizations in the space. We feel like we can go more deeply with them, but it does- n't mean as we come across other organizations that we won’t have more partnerships.
Lavallee: And knowing the statistics today, that 20 mil- lion Americans with disabilities who could be employed but are not employed today. We know there is still a lot of work to do, and Voya wants to absolutely play our part in that effort.
With the Harkin Institute, of course how can you not be mesmerized by Senator Harkin and his long history of advocacy, being at the forefront of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act? And so that was an opportunity that came to us a few years ago, starting with a white paper on disability inclusion and really focusing on the investor community and why it should matter to investors. So, after we engaged with them, my predecessor, Rod Martin spoke at a conference in Ire- land a year or two ago with Senator Harkin. And so, like many of these, they develop a personal relationship, and then we look for other opportunities to come together and partner.
Goga: That's so great to hear. If I may just briefly share my own background. I am legally blind and was out of the workforce for a good while. I could no longer drive, and I started to put a lot of limits on myself that weren’t really there. But, I participated in one of the ABILITY virtual job fairs, and they hired me. It's been great. I haven't looked back since. And I feel like I have value again. Knowing that there are organizations like ABILI- TY and like Voya that are willing to give people like me a chance is wonderful.
Lavallee: Thank you for sharing your story. For me, this is a personal passion. My father-in-law, who has since passed away, was hit by a car overseas and spent the next 23 years in a wheelchair. The accident happened when he was probably in his late 50s, early 60s. Every- body has different journeys. I just think that it's a little bit of the more you know and seek to understand, the more you can help with appropriate modifications, to create an amazing work environment for somebody. And I often feel like every individual with disability I meet often has the desire to work and the fulfillment and the commitment. I'm always thinking, jeez, I wish we had so many more individuals like that who just couldn't be happier to be in the workforce.
We're also working with Easterseals now. We did a white paper on employment extenders, we were really looking at older workers and different challenges they face. We may also lean in with a focus on the veteran community.
Goga: Yes, I never thought of it specifically about myself, but now being sort of immersed in the disability support and representation space, I've heard people describe people with disabilities as usually being great problem solvers. After all, we face challenges every day that people who are fully able do not have to. And it hit me that I’m often not even really aware of my own problem-solving skills. I make adjustments and create new solutions every day to compensate for my low
Easterseals is really the largest not-for-profit with on- the-ground assistance for individuals with disabilities and veterans. As a 100-year-old organization, we know we can spend a little bit of time and we brainstorm on where we could go with this partnership. It really depends on what the priorities are, is it workforce inclu- sion? What legislative priorities they may have? Are there things that we are trying to advance, like a specific group like veterans, people with intellectual disabilities, etc.
Goga: You mentioned your recent trip to DC for disabil- ity advocacy, and I know that Voya was a sponsor of The Harkin Institute Disability Summit event earlier this year. Do you do those regularly throughout the year with different nonprofits or I'm just curious how you got involved with that particular event?
Our not-for-profit partnerships involve a very strategic perspective. We’re asking, “What are the goals we're trying to accomplish? What's the reach? How are we going to do it? What's the goal of that not-for-profit organization? How do we partner together and advance an initiative?”
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