The Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams for Monday, October 6, 2025 – Issue 107

Recording: Supercharge Your Bottom Line Through Disability Inclusion: September 25, 2025: Kathy West-Evans, Director of Business Relations, National Employment Team, Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation | Dr. Kirk Adams

Here Dr. Kirk Adams frames disability inclusion as a hiring advantage powered by one national door and local execution. He spotlights CSAVR’s National Employment Team (NET), led by Kathleen West-Evans, as a single gateway into every state and territorial public VR agency, with TAP (the Talent Acquisition Portal) and on-the-ground VR specialists turning postings into interviews, OJT, accommodations, and retention. The article walks leaders through why inclusion breaks at the national-to-local seam, how the NET’s “one company” model fixes it, and where the ROI shows up—shorter time-to-fill, stronger 90/180-day retention, and reduced compliance risk. Case patterns from Hyatt (1,000+ trainees), Microsoft (dozens of hires), CVS Health (hundreds of hires), and Kwik Trip (300+ hires across 600+ stores) demonstrate repeatable designs: employer-built curricula, alternative assessments, role redesign, and national agreements executed locally.

He closes with a six-step playbook (name a national sponsor, execute a NET agreement, activate state POCs, instrument training/OJT, pre-plan retention, measure and scale), rebuts common objections (“we already have job boards,” “accommodations are costly,” “multi-state is messy”), and shows how to integrate the NET into ATS, accessibility roadmaps, workforce pipelines, and governance. Compliance is the floor; performance is the flywheel. The invitation: join the September 25 LinkedIn Live with West-Evans, bring one stubborn multi-state requisition and a draft KPI set, and leave with a 90-day plan to pilot the NET in two regions—because inclusion isn’t charity; it’s recruiting math at enterprise scale.

1.) Embracing the Dignity of Risk: An EMPOWER VI Course to Help Families Foster Independence for Blind & Low-Vision Youth | EMPOWERing Youth with VI | October 3, 2025

EMPOWER VI’s “Dignity of Risk” is a self-paced online course for families and professionals supporting blind or low-vision youth that explains why real independence requires opportunities to try, fail, and grow, and how to balance safety with empowerment at home. Across six concise lessons (about 10-15 minutes each), learners hear short videos and first-person stories from self-advocates and parents (including Dr. Kirk Adams), explore practical strategies to foster independence, and complete a brief survey to receive a one-hour certificate of completion. The course centers lived experience, “life is meant to be lived”, and provides actionable ideas families can implement right away.

2.) IMPACT Registry: Help Shape the Future of Assistive & Rehab Tech | Impact.org | October 2, 2025

The IMPACT Registry, run by the University of Pittsburgh’s NIDILRR IMPACT Center, is a voluntary, opt-in community of rehabilitation and assistive-technology users, caregivers, and professionals who agree to share lived experience (e.g., brief surveys, interviews, usability testing) to guide user-centered innovation. By joining, participants help researchers and startups develop tools that better meet real-world needs. Eligibility is simple: be 18 or older, able to understand English, and either a person with a disability, a caregiver, or a professional serving people with disabilities. Sign-up is through a short online survey.

3.) The Race for Skills: Paying the Cost for Ignoring Creativity | HRSpotlight.com | October 1, 2025

Here, Dr. Kirk Adams contributes to an HR Spotlight roundtable on the hidden costs of chasing technical skills at the expense of creativity and emotional intelligence, urging disability inclusion as a powerful source of resilience, empathy, and inventive problem-solving that organizations waste when accessibility is an afterthought; alongside him, leaders including Jen Stamulis, Marin Cristian Ovidiu, Mark Niemann, Eugene Leow Zhao Wei, David Ciccarelli, Wynter Johnson, Ross Hackerson, and Erinn Everhart warn that over-indexing on hard skills erodes human connection, stunts innovation, weakens leadership, and even fuels emotional loneliness; their examples, from campaigns that worked because they moved fans to “technically flawless” products that miss user empathy, argue for teams that can code and connect; the playbook they propose: hire and promote for empathy and communication, integrate creative training, build psychologically safe, inclusive cultures (especially welcoming disabled talent), and balance efficiency with flexibility so outputs resonate with real people; the consensus: technical prowess is table stakes, while creativity and EQ are the competitive edge that sustains growth, cohesion, and long-term impact.

4.) The Resume X-Factor: Standing Out in a Crowded Market | HRSpotlight.com | September 25, 2025

Here, Dr. Kirk Adams contributes to an HR Spotlight roundup on the résumé “X-factor,” arguing that lived experience, especially navigating disability, signals resilience, problem-solving, risk awareness, and communication that translate into better retention, fewer absences, and safer teams; alongside this, leaders across industries advise showcasing hard, role-relevant proof of impact: Jared Bauman and Samuel Huang want measurable outcomes (rankings, traffic, revenue, CTR/CPL lifts) and links to real campaigns; Mike Stafiej prioritizes hands-on ATS/HCM expertise (Workday, iCIMS, Greenhouse) in HR tech; Marin Cristian Ovidiu prizes personal games or prototypes that reveal initiative and creativity; Eugene Leow seeks “client proof” tying technical work to business results; Mark Niemann values cross-industry adaptability and intrapreneurship; and Dionne Jayne Ricafort highlights crisis-response experience for humanitarian roles, together mapping a simple rule: show specific, contextualized achievements that align with the organization’s needs.

5.) Podcasts By Dr. Kirk Adams: Interview with Elizabeth Whitaker and Rachel Buchanan, Vispero | Dr. Kirk Adams | September 12, 2025

In this engaging episode, Dr. Kirk Adams sits down with Elizabeth Whitaker and Rachel Buchanan of Vispero to explore how AI and JAWS’ 30-year legacy are converging to expand employment and independence for people who are blind or low vision. After Kirk shares a personal JAWS origin story from 1995, Liz and Rachel trace their own paths through VR and training, then introduce Freedom Scientific’s new “Learn AI” series: live, first-Thursday-at-noon ET webinars that begin with fundamentals (terminology, prompting, hands-on practice) and progress to specific tools, ChatGPT in October, then Gemini and Copilot in November. Each session is archived with step-by-step exercises and resources, and early interest is strong with 900+ registrants for the kickoff.

6.) You Don’t Need 20/20 to Lead: Ken Brandt’s ‘Positive Vision’ for Work and Life | Dr. Kirk Adams | September 18, 2025

Here Dr. Kirk Adams spotlights Ken Brandt, a global IT and cybersecurity leader turned author, whose memoir ‘Positive Vision’ shows how reframing constraints can fuel performance. Drawing on Brandt’s “advantages of poor eyesight” lens (like calmer public speaking and practical “menu tactics”), Adams translates story into system: embed inclusive meeting norms, simplify decision paths with clear defaults, and treat access as non-optional. He connects these behaviors to measurable returns through his own Apex Program work and NICE-aligned pathways, showing how accessible design, mentoring, and practicums move overlooked talent to billable roles faster and at lower cost.

October 16, 2025 | Deep Dive Day 2025: Jump into Accessibility | Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium

Here, Dr. Kirk Adams joins SCAC’s third annual “Jump Into Accessibility: Deep Dive Day 2025,” a full-day, in-person conference on Thursday, October 16 (9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. PDT) at the Wyncote NW Forum, Town Hall Seattle, designed to equip cultural professionals with practical tools and community support for making inclusion the default; moderated by Inji Kamel, the program features Teal Sherer’s opening keynote (“Starting Somewhere: Lived Experience as a Path to Accessibility”), sessions on securing organizational buy-in and centering lived experience (with Adams, Aimee Chou, and Amberlee Joers), a mid-day set from The Disabled List comedians, an equity talk by artist Grace Flott, an interactive unconference to craft action steps, and a closing address from Headwater People’s Matt EchoHawk-Hayashi—registration is required by October 12 ($55.20 with lunch), scholarships are available, and access supports include ASL, captioning, a hearing loop, and an ADA-accessible venue.

October 20-26, 2025 | 2025 Birdability Week | Birdability.org

Birdability Week is a celebration of birders with disabilities and other health concerns, as well as an opportunity to share resources and ideas to help the birding community become accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to everybody! It is an annual collection of events the third week of each October, drawing inspiration from other inclusive celebrations such as #BlackBirdersWeek, Latino Conservation Week and Let’s Go Birding Together.

October 22, 2025: National Disability Employment Awareness Month Webinar | Helen Keller Services

The Helen Keller Services NDEAM webinar, “Strategies to Success: Celebrating Value and Talent of Employees who are DeafBlind, Blind, or have Low Vision,” will be held Wednesday, October 22, 2025, from 2-3:30pm ET and is free to attend. Framed by the Department of Labor’s 2025 theme “Celebrating Value and Talent,” it offers practical, immediately usable strategies for employers, vocational rehabilitation professionals, and job seekers to create inclusive workplaces and leverage the unique problem-solving strengths of people who are DeafBlind, blind, or have low vision. A diverse panel—Chris Woodfill, Elizabeth Schmaltz, Rocky Hart, and Kevin Schultze—will share lived and professional insights, with accessibility expert Joe DiNero moderating. The event is designed for counselors, community agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and higher-ed staff, and includes comprehensive access features (ASL and spoken English interpretation, captions, audio descriptions, and transcripts), with additional accommodations available by request.

October 27, 2025 | 2025 Laugh for Sight | GothamComedyClub.com

Laugh For Sight returns to New York City’s Gotham Comedy Club on Monday, October 27, 2025, celebrating its 18th year with a benefit show hosted by Brian McCarthy and featuring Rich Vos, Bonnie McFarlane, Marina Franklin, Carmen Lynch, Matthew Broussard, and organizer-comedian Brian Fischler. Proceeds support two causes, Blinded Veterans Association and Pets Alive, spotlighting veterans coping with sight loss and animal welfare. The evening also honors Be My Eyes with the Low Visionary Award and recognizes longtime supporter Bailey Glasser, with a special silent-auction prize: lunch in Los Angeles with legendary actor Henry Winkler (date and restaurant to be arranged). Doors open at 7:00 pm for a cocktail hour and silent auction, and the comedy show starts at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $50 GA (+ fee) with a two-beverage minimum, or $150 VIP (+ fee) with open bar and preferred seating.

October 28, 2025 | Nobody Does this Work Alone: The Role of Relationships in Advocating for Social Change | The International Center for Growth and Connection

Antioch University, in partnership with the International Center for Growth and Connection, is hosting a free virtual program, “Nobody Does this Work Alone: The Role of Relationships in Advocating for Social Change”, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, from 7:00-8:30 pm ET via Zoom. Featuring Elaine Weiss, author of Spell Freedom, with respondents Kimberly Hardy, Cathy Lounsbury, and Fayth Parks, the session explores how lessons from the Civil Rights Movement can inform relationship-centered, grassroots approaches to inclusive classrooms, mental health practice, and community advocacy. Designed for educators, mental health practitioners, and change leaders, it offers practical strategies for healing, empowerment, and connecting individual and community wellbeing. Attendance is free with registration; an optional 1.5-hour continuing education certificate is available for $20 (with approvals such as CAMFT, NBCC, and OSPI). The event is part of Antioch’s RCT@AU initiative and is supported by the Coalition for the Common Good.

October 30, 2025 | Merit + Inclusion, Measurable Results: Why I’m Partnering with DIRC25 (Twice) on October 30, 2025 | Dr. Kirk Adams

Don’t miss the 8th Annual DIRC Conference (#DIRC25), taking place as a virtual event on October 30, 2025. Enjoy a stellar roster of presenters who will share practical advice and real-world case studies at the intersection of Merit and Inclusion.

October 30, 2025 | Access Horror Screening | Halloween Edition | Disability Cultural Center San Francisco

On Thursday, October 30, 2025 (5:30-8:00 pm PT), the San Francisco Disability Cultural Center hosts “Access Horror Screening | Halloween Edition,” an adults-only hybrid movie night co-presented with Access Horror and Superfest that features a curated program of disability-centered spooky films. Filmmaker and Access Horror founder Ariel Baska opens with a brief talk on why the horror genre is a powerful vehicle for disability storytelling, followed by screenings that are more truth-telling and often funny than slasher. The event is highly accessible, with ASL, captions, and open audio description provided, and in-person attendance requires masks; registration is required.

November 5-6, 2025 | 4th Annual Disability Owned Convening | NationalDisabilityInstitute.org

The National Disability Institute’s Small Business Hub is hosting the fourth annual Disability Owned Convening, a free, fully virtual national event on November 5-6, 2025 (12:30-5:00 p.m. ET each day). Designed for entrepreneurs with disabilities and the ecosystem that supports them, the two-day program features accessible sessions (ASL and real-time captions) and panels on leveraging AI for growth, financial health, marketing, technology tools, business organization, and how to access key resources. Now in its fourth year, the convening connects business owners, entrepreneurial support organizations, state vocational rehabilitation counselors, policymakers, financial institutions, and disability advocates—building on participation from 2,650+ community members over the last three years. Registration is complimentary thanks to sponsor support, and attendees can join from anywhere to gain practical strategies and expand their networks.

November 13-14, 2025 | The Blind Travel Foundation is hosting the Blind Travel Summit November 13-14, 2025 at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin, Texas | Blind Travel Foundation | October 5, 2025

The Blind Travel Foundation’s Blind Travel Summit will be held November 13-14, 2025 at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Austin, TX, led by accessibility pioneer Mike May and designed to convene active blind travelers and industry partners to explore what works, what’s possible, and how to improve accessible travel. Participants will engage in sessions spanning rideshare and autonomous vehicles, air travel, hotels, apps, and travel gear, and community members can propose their own sessions. Early registration is $30 through October 1 with door-prize drawings (FEELDOM NAVi-BADGES, Aira minutes, AGIGA glasses). A hotel block is available at the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin-Downtown for $191 per night including breakfast and taxes if booked by October 12. Sponsors include Gold sponsor Uber and a major airline (TBA), with Bronze sponsors AGIGA, Aira, Ambutech, FEELDOM, and Open Doors Organization.

December 5, 2025 | 2026 Disability:IN NextGen Leaders Program Application Submission Deadline | Disability:IN

Disability:IN’s 2026 NextGen Leaders is a competitive, six-month virtual mentoring program that pairs college students and recent graduates with disabilities with mentors from Corporate Partner companies. To apply, you must self-identify as disabled; be a current undergrad/grad/law student or a 2024+ graduate; reside in North or South America; have appropriate work authorization for the U.S. or your target country; and be fluent in English. Submit the online application by 11:59 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec 5, 2025, including contact/education details, brief demographics, industries and Corporate Partners of interest, two participation objectives, your accommodation needs (e.g., ASL), and uploads of a résumé (.pdf/.doc) and LinkedIn profile URL. Selection is discretion-based; those chosen receive an invitation and must sign a participation agreement (some companies may require additional paperwork). All accepted mentees join the six-month Virtual Mentoring Program, and a smaller cohort may be selected for the in-person NextGen Talent Accelerator at the 2026 Disability:IN Global Conference & Expo (July 25-30, Dallas), with limited travel/registration support for roughly 50 participants; participation does not guarantee a job offer.

Distribution: Dr. Kirk Adams

Distribution Since: 2025

As of April 7, 2025 the distribution of the Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams is made possible by Dr. Kirk Adams, a leading disability inclusion advocate, workforce accessibility expert and business strategist dedicated to fostering inclusive workplaces and leadership development worldwide.

Any time the Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams Newsletter carries less than its Sponsor limit, Dr. Kirk Adams donates the remaining dollars necessary to keep the publication running.

Publisher: Dr. Kirk Adams

Publisher Since: April 7, 2025

Location: Seattle, Washington

Time Zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST/PDT) (GMT-2/GMT-1)

In addition to serving as Publisher for the Innovative Impact Newsletter, Dr. Kirk Adams also serves as the Managing Director for Innovative Impact, LLC, an award-winning firm where he leads strategic consulting, workforce inclusion initiatives, and leadership development programs focused on creating accessible, equitable, and high-performing workplaces. Through his consultation work with https://innovativeimpact.consulting to his speaking engagements and direct marketing initiatives via https://drkirkadams.com, Dr. Adams advises and assists Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations on advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives to drive meaningful, systemic change.

As Publisher, Dr. Adams oversees the monthly distribution of the Innovative Impact Newsletter By Dr. Kirk Adams on behalf of Dr. Kirk Adams.

” Inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s a strategic advantage. “

Dr. Kirk Adams, Ph.D.
Advocate, Leader and Keynote Speaker on Disability Inclusion & Leadership
Leading the Way to Accessible Innovation

Innovative Impact, LLC Consulting
Managing Director
Impactful Workforce Inclusion Starts Here

American Foundation for the Blind
Immediate Past President & CEO
To create a world of no limits for people who are blind or visually impaired.

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