Spectacular views of Lake Michigan from the 30th floor of the Blue Cross Blue Shield offices in Chicago provided the backdrop for the 1st Annual Disability Inclusion Opportunity Summit on November 16-17. 

The Chicagoland Business Leadership Network presented Day Two of the Summit, providing a content-rich conference featuring plenary and breakout sessions covering a range of topics from “An ADA Overview and Section 503” to “Creating a Culture of Inclusion in the Workplace” to “Hiring Do’s and Don’ts”. More than 275 human resources, talent acquisition, and diversity and inclusion leaders gathered at the sold-out event to learn, network and share best practices.

“The CBLN is poised to become the premier convener and connector, addressing the business issues and presenting the business case for disability inclusion” said Ann Kisting, Executive Director of the Chamber Foundation. “We enjoyed an overwhelming response for a first-year event. This demonstrates the importance of disability inclusion to hiring managers and front-line employees, who become the change agents when it comes to addressing the disproportionately high unemployment rate of people with disabilities.”  

The Chicagoland Business Leadership Network (CBLN) is a business-to-business initiative supported by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation and an affiliate of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in the workplace, supply chain and marketplace.

Thank you to the Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust, for its support of the CBLN and to ADA 25 Chicago, the CBLN’s partner in this event.  Special thanks go to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the Signature Summit Sponsor and Host, as well as the Charter and Sustaining Partners of the CBLN.

Click here to view the photo album from the event.