Disability Resource Center, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid Offer Employment Resources for Individuals with Disabilities

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 31, 2017) —  The University of Kentucky Disability Resource Center has partnered with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield to host a Disability Mentoring Day Agency Services, Career and Employee Expo for individuals with disabilities. The expo will be held 2-5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1, at the James W. Stuckert Career Center.

Disability Mentoring Day promotes career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through an informative day of career exploration. Through the expo, attendees will be connected to leading organizations offering employment resources.

“Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Kentucky Medicaid Health Plan is proud to partner with the University of Kentucky’s Disability Resource Center and contribute $5,000 to the Disability Resource Center in an effort to bring a multitude of services and professionals to UK so that they can help create positive career paths for individuals with disabilities and diversify Kentucky’s workforce,” said Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid Health Plan President Celia Manlove.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Medicaid Health Plan has shaped an overall culture that is inclusive of individuals with disabilities by spreading awareness within the company and across communities in Kentucky. The company’s Associate Resource Group Abilities Beyond Limited Expectations (ABLE) serves as a collaborative business partner to help lead disability inclusion initiatives in the organization such as sharing best practices for recruiting and effectively incorporating individuals with disabilities, as well as hosting webinars on disability awareness on topics such as disability etiquette and barriers to self-identification. This group also serves as a sounding board for business initiatives that support individuals with disabilities who are part of the membership base.

Disability Mentoring Day aims to:

• increase internship and employment opportunities for people with disabilities;
• dispel employer’s fears about hiring people with disabilities;
• serve as a launching point for year-round efforts to foster more career oriented mentoring opportunities; and
• promote disability as a central part of diversity recruitment for a more inclusive workforce.

“Increasing employment opportunities for students with disabilities has long been an emphasis of the Disability Resource Center and an area where we had hoped to expand services in the future. Research has shown that persons with disabilities tend to have a higher rate of unemployment and underemployment. This is not an acceptable outcome for our students," said UK Disability Resource Center Director David Beach.

"When Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield contacted us about the concept of Disability Mentoring Day, we jumped at the chance. Disability Mentoring Day will provide vital information on how to increase the likelihood of getting and keeping a job straight from employers and experts in the field of disability. Most importantly, Anthem doesn’t view this as a one-time event. They see this as the beginning of a conversation with our students, not the end,” Beach said.

Employers and students wishing to participate in Disability Mentoring Day and Career Fair can register at https://uky.joinhandshake.com/login. For questions or more information, contact the Disability Resource Center at 859-257-2754.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield serves approximately 125,000 Medicaid beneficiaries in Kentucky. Every day, members of the Anthem team can be found in Kentucky communities listening to its members, interacting with providers and partnering with community-based organizations. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield began serving Medicaid beneficiaries in Kentucky in 2014. To learn more, visit https://mss.anthem.com/ky/Pages/AboutUs.aspx.