National Disability Employment Month is commemorated in October to encourage businesses to reflect on the important role persons with disabilities (PWDs) play in workforce success. This year’s theme, designated by the U.S. Department of Labor, is “Inclusion Drives Innovation.”
That theme reflects the essence of the College of Business’ ongoing initiatives to foster diversity and inclusion and stress their importance to the next generation of business leaders.
An extension of those efforts includes an upper-level management course titled, “Current Issues in Human Resource Management,” taught at the college by disability policy expert JR Harding. Among other things, the course covers evolving issues in the workplace related to persons with disabilities. Since joining FSU and the college a year ago, Harding has lectured on the topic in more than 32 classes across campus. He is committed to his cause because, he says, everyone has the ability to contribute in a meaningful way; we just have to change attitudes and remove barriers.