Glassdoor is celebrating the formation of the newest addition to our employee resource group (ERG) family, ADEPT (Advocates for Disability Education, Partnership, and Talent). With the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities act approaching, ADEPT held a kick-off celebration to introduce employees to the new ERG and educate employees about visible and invisible disabilities.
ADEPT’s mission is to advocate for people with visible and invisible disabilities and create a safe and supportive environment through education, representation, and belonging. ADEPT joins five existing ERGs at Glassdoor; BUILD (Blacks United in Leadership Development), Pride, La Familia, and GAIN.
Speaking about the group’s creation, Co-Chair Susan Smith, says, “I started ADEPT so people with disabilities at Glassdoor have a safe community to gather and a group to advocate for them. People with invisible and visible disabilities are the silent majority and it's time to stand up and be counted.”
The group’s principles are illustrated in their logo. The solid green arc on the left represents visible disabilities, while the light yellow arc on the right portrays invisible disabilities. The two sides come together to form a circle as a symbol of inclusion and community.
ADEPT’s leadership team includes:
Co-Chairs:
- Susan Smith
- Trena Kostantinovich
Business Lead:
- Nik Silveria
Community Door Lead:
- Whitney Willson
Education Lead:
- Jeannette Yellen
Event Co-Leads:
- Amy Farrar
- Caitlin Findley
VP Sponsor:
- Joe Freeman
Executive Sponsor:
- Chris McNamara
Speaking about the launch of ADEPT, Executive Sponsor and Senior Vice President of Sales and Customer Success, Chris McNamara, commented, “As a company, we have aspirations to help make workplaces around the world more accessible, inclusive and diverse. That's certainly reflected in the way our product is evolving, but also in how we're enabling employee groups like ADEPT to foster education and build community internally. I’ve personally been involved as a volunteer with The Special Olympics for nearly 20 years, so I’m delighted to see us advancing disability awareness and support in this way at Glassdoor”.
ADEPT is currently planning a program celebrating the Paralympics and a slate of events during October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month.