Model Program: Employer Breakfast

Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities

Ron Lucey, Chair
512-377-0577
ron.lucey@tcb.state.tx.us

In 1999, the Austin Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilties gained attention and support by hosting an employer breakfast to highlight the Committee's efforts to promote the abilities of people with disabilities. Sixty-five people attended and 21 indicated an interest in working with the Austin Mayor's Committee. The breakfast, in some ways, served as a forerunner to a newly-launced Business Leadership Network initiative. Employer to employer communication is important in sharing successful recruiting, hiring and advancement practices.

Key steps for program implementation in another community include:

1. Identify your employer customers.
2. Plan a special event, such as an employer breakfast.
3. Identify a site for the event.
4. Secure a guest speaker(s).
5. Invite an employer to give a brief testimony of success in hiring qualified applicants with disabilities.
6. Invite employers to attend the breakfast.
7. Charge a reasonable fee (i.e. $15 - $25).
8. Have lots of help, get involved, and make it happen!