Employ a Student with a Disability

The Bender Leadership Academy provides scalable and sustainable, cost-efficient delivery of career and leadership programs for students with disabilities in partnership with employers and community leaders.

Premiere Partners

Bender Consulting Services, Inc.

Bender Consulting Services is a for-profit firm focused on creating an inclusive workforce. Bender’s products include talent programs and workplace mentoring, training, disability inclusion strategic planning, digital accessibility testing and remediation, and software solutions.

Highmark

Highmark, Inc. is one of America’s largest health insurance organizations. The organization services Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia. Some of Highmark’s subsidiaries and affiliates include United Concordia, HM Insurance Group, Allegheny Health Network, and The Highmark Foundation.

AudioEye, Inc.

AudioEye, Inc. is the industry-leading SaaS accessibility platform delivering website accessibility compliance to businesses of all sizes.

Pennsylvania’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

The state of PA’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) partners with Bender Leadership Academy to provide pre-employment transition services funding. PA OVR provides services to individuals with disabilities to assist them with preparing for, obtaining or maintaining employment. PA OVR also is responsible for providing programming that support employers in the areas of disability workforce development.

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is an esteemed mystery author who has published 19 books. Karin has partnered with Bender Leadership Academy as a part of the We Will Slaughter Stigma campaign. This campaign is geared toward educating the community about misconceptions and bias, while taking action to end stigma against all people, including people with disabilities.

Partners

Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust

FISA Foundation

Nancy and William Ris Charitable Gift Fund

William Stuck Hansen and Nancy K Hansen Fund

2022 Disability Mentoring Day Partners

Champion Sponsor

Accessibility Sponsor

Partner Sponsor

Advocate Sponsor

Friend Sponsor

PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation
- Pre-employment Transition Services Funding
Individual contributions
Healthcare; Financial & Technology Start-up Funding
- Curriculum Sponsorship
Charitable Foundations
- Funds National Expansion
Government Grants
- Apprenticeship Programs

Funding

Local Businesses & Government Agencies & Labor Unions
- Mentoring
- Job Shadowing
- Work-based Learning
- Employment
Not-for-profit Organizations
- Mentoring
- Job Shadowing
- Work-based Learning
- Employment

Employment

Highmark – Health & Wellness
Financial Literacy
Technology Companies
- Google – Classroom
- Microsoft Imagine Academy
When We All Vote

Curriculum

Disability Organizations
Public Libraries
School Systems
- Program Delivery & Student Referrals
Not-for-profit Organizations
- Grants & Collaborations
Trade Associations & Labor Unions
- Network Outreach

Community

The transition from youth to adulthood is challenging for almost every young person and this is particularly true for young people with disabilities. Part of a successful future includes finding and keeping employment. There continues to be a dilemma facing youth with disabilities. In spite of supportive legislation (e.g., the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act) and effective practices, many of these youth continue to experience high unemployment as well as insufficient opportunities to obtain competitive employment with the potential of career growth.

Guideposts for Success, National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability