DEI Symposium Series - Assisting Clients with Disabilities in Employment

This episode continues our series of DEI conversations that were originally featured in the DEI Symposium of the NCDA 2024 Global Career Development Association Conference in San Diego, CA.

In this episode Dr. Frank Gorritz, a counselor educator at Florida Gulf Coast University, hosts Ken Meeker a Certified Professional Coach providing services through his company, Vitality Career Coaching LLC. Both are active members of NCDA’s Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion (DICI) Committee. Ken shares his insights from presenting at the NCDA conference, emphasizing that visibility and individualized support are crucial for career practitioners. They discuss the need for developing a toolbox of resources, using tools that cater to specific disabilities, and avoiding assumptions about a client's needs. The episode also covers person-first language to avoid dehumanizing clients, the prevalence of invisible disabilities, and the importance of asking respectful questions to understand a client’s needs. Frank and Ken inspire and equip counselors to better serve clients with disabilities by building trust, understanding their rights, and maintaining a network of resources.

Frank Gorritz FitzSimons, Ph.D., LPC is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Florida Gulf Coast University and a licensed professional counselor. Dr. Gorritz FitzSimons is a nationally recognized scholar and counselor educator on topics including providing affirmative counseling care to queer and transgender communities of color, providing multicultural supervision, utilizing diverse approaches to counseling work, as well as addressing and disrupting white supremacy in counselor education. His ongoing research interests include enhancing an understanding of minority stress, improving social justice counseling competencies, and promoting affirming approaches to substance use counseling practice. Dr. Gorritz FitzSimons has also received the Counselors for Social Justice 'Ohana Award in 2022 for his dedication to social justice across communities in both counseling and advocacy work. 

Ken Meeker is the owner of Vitality Career Coaching LLC, a boutique leadership, executive, and career coaching company. In addition to one-on-one client coaching, Ken develops customized workshops and training tailored to the unique needs of business clients. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility consulting are essential aspects of his work. Ken is a Certified Professional Coach, Certified ADA Coordinator, and has extensive DEI training and education, participated in numerous seminars and summits, and is Inclusive Behaviors Inventory Certified. Ken is the creator and host of the “Dissing My Ability" Podcast and has appeared on several other shows and podcasts. Ken is a regular contributor to the Bold Blind Beauty lifestyle magazine, Beyond Sight and serves on the NCDA private practice advisory board. 

Resources

• NCDA Diversity Initiatives and Cultural Inclusion Committee
• National ADA Resource Centers
• Person-First Language Guide
• CDC Stats on Americans with Disabilities
• Ask JAN (Job Accommodation Network)