First hour: How can workplaces better support employees with disabilities?
Second hour: New words in the dictionary in 2023
How can workplaces better support employees with disabilities? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for people with disabilities is on the rise, but it remains at low levels. The data shows that in 2022, about 21 percent of people with disabilities were employed. This hour, we explore the kinds of changes that workplaces should make to address this disparity. Our guests share their experiences with adaptive technologies and their thoughts on the role of AI when it comes to this need. Our guests:
- Sarah Favro, grant writer for the Children’s Agenda
- Stephanie Townsend, Ph.D., communications director for the Children’s Agenda
- Mark Pound, CEO of CurbCutOS
This story is reported from WXXI’s Inclusion Desk.
Then in our second hour, Merriam-Webster added nearly 700 new words to its dictionary in September. This hour, we bring back one of our favorite Connections traditions: discussing those new words, quizzing our listeners and our guests about what they mean, and exploring how language evolves. Ngl, it’s going to be great, and we didn’t use generative AI to plan this discussion. Our guests:
- Linda Sue Park, author of “Prairie Lotus,” “A Long Walk to Water,” and many more
- Chris Fanning, deputy director of Writers & Books
- Amanda Chestnut, educator, artist, and communications manager for Writers & Books