All About the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
July 26th marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), signed into law by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. According to ADA.gov, the act “prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in employment, state and local government, public accommodations, commercial facilities, transportation, and telecommunications.” The ADA was a huge step forward […]
What You May Not Know About Minority-Owned Businesses
Applied Development is a minority-owned business with an interest in supporting other minority-owned businesses, especially in the Baltimore area. 2020 has been a turbulent year for all small businesses, but for minority businesses in particular. Shedding light on these companies and understanding their needs and how they operate has never been more important than it […]
How to Be a Good Business Mentor
A mentor/mentee relationship is a special one. Mentees look up to their mentors for advice, knowledge, and skills in the business world. This puts a large responsibility on the business mentor to provide expertise in their field and work to build a productive relationship with their mentee. If you are currently a mentor or you […]
Encouraging Self-Identification of Diversability for Your Employees
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program (OFCCP) recently released an updated version of the SF-256 (Self-Identification of Disability) form. Federal contractors are required to implement the new form by August 4th, 2020, which will be valid through March 31st, 2023. The SF-256 is a good tracking tool for government contractors who are interested in […]
Creating an Accessible Conference Room Space
Did you know that Americans spend an average of five hours per week sitting in meetings? In fact, nearly 11 million meetings happen in the U.S. every single day. While most of those meetings are happening virtually right now, many people will eventually be going back to working in office settings. Creating conference rooms that […]
3 Groundbreaking Technologies Helping the Blind Community
The blind and low-vision community in the United States comprises about 8.4 million people. This group is one that can benefit the most from new technologies. Assistive technology for smartphones, tablets, and computers have been improving for years but they are not the only advancements that give this community freedom to move about and participate […]
Remote ASL Interpretation vs In-Person ASL Interpretation
Deaf and Hard of Hearing people have a few different options for communicating in the workplace or at events. Some prefer real-time transcription services while others may favor text phones and video relay services. However, one of the most effective means of communication for Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals is sign language interpretation. An […]
Understanding What Reasonable Accommodation Means
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, all employees have a right to reasonable accommodations to do their jobs. While this act empowers people with disabilities to be successful and even excel in the workplace, the term “reasonable accommodation” is vague. Simply put, a reasonable accommodation is a change or addition to a typical process that […]
A Candid Conversation with Co-Founder and COO, Biffrey Braxton
Today, we’re sitting down with co-founder and COO of Applied Development, Biffrey Braxton to talk about his experiences as a Baltimore business executive! What is your proudest business accomplishment? My proudest business accomplishment is instituting a company culture that values people. It was particularly satisfying to hear our employees talking to each other and clients […]
Become a Leader in Accessibility
Creating a work environment that values accessibility for all employees is more important than ever. We are working towards a world where everyone is able to participate in the workplace and have equal access to information and resources. If becoming a leader in accessibility is a goal for your organization, the tips below can help […]