State agencies host Oct. 12-13 Anchorage conference on disability employment

The state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation and the Governor's Council on Disabilities and Special Education host the Employment First Conference Oct. 12-13 at Anchorage's Dena'ina Center. In 2020, 51% of Alaskans with a disability were in the labor force, against 77% of those without, the Alaska Work Matters Task Force reported.

Jenn Bozard, Chief Programs Officer at Nadon Family Home, is one of about two dozen listed speakers. She wrote "Seeing Through the Employer Lens," arguing employer uncertainty, not worker ability, is the main barrier. The conference has not published its 2026 agenda, and no session of hers is listed.

The 2023 Alaska DVR Comprehensive Statewide Needs Assessment, produced by one of the hosts, cited barriers tied to "the beliefs and attitudes of employers," including inaccessible applications and "generalized fear and stigma." Other research points to gaps in experience and job match instead. Alaska adopted Employment First, favoring regular paid jobs, in 2014.

The two days also cover labor data, benefits counseling and business awards. Tickets are available now.