22-2023 Wise Webinar Series

Overcoming Barriers to Create Inclusive Workplaces and Careers

Timotheus (T.J.) Gordon, Jr. is a researcher at the Institute on Disability and Human Development at the University of Illinois Chicago. Gordon will share his journey from struggling to find full-time employment to landing a research position at the University of Illinois Chicago. In his journey, he will discuss the barriers he
faced in seeking employment, how his skills and interests have helped him
secure and thrive in his current position, and how he navigates reasonable
accommodations in the workplace. Gordon will also highlight what reasonable
accommodations can look like for employers and employees with disabilities, as
well as addressing the lack of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous/Native American, and
People of Color) people with disabilities in the workplace and the need to
mentor BIPOC people with disabilities in growing their careers in any endeavor
or field they want to pursue. The webinar is again moderated by Chuy Campuzano,
a Consultant/Trainer from Chicago Illinois.

Learning Objectives

Audience members will understand barriers that people with disabilities face in finding and maintaining lasting full-time employment and careers.
Audience members will learn about additional barriers that BIPOC people with disabilities face in finding and maintaining employment, as well as ways to mentor BIPOC people with disabilities to thrive in their employment and career.
Audience members will gain insight on the importance of finding out a person’s interests and skills and how those can lead to developing employment opportunities.
Audience members will gain insight on the importance of reasonable accommodations, as well as analyzing examples of how employers can create inclusive workplace environments by providing reasonable accommodations.

Timotheus “T.J.” Gordon Jr., MFA, MS

Rsearch associate at the Institute on Disability and Human Development at University of Illinois at Chicago

Gordon uses his passion for self-advocacy, racial equity, disability culture, and autism acceptance to create webinars, training sessions, and publications on autism and race, inclusion in communities of color, exploration of sexuality in the disability community, coping with COVID-19 pandemic, mental health emergency services, and more.

He is also a co-founder of Chicagoland Disabled People of Color Coalition (Chicagoland DPOCC), which is supported by the Institute on Disability and Human Development. Chicagoland DPOCC is a group of disabled people of color in the Chicagoland area that promote disability pride, self-advocacy, and inclusion in communities of color throughout the Chicagoland area.

In addition to his self-advocacy work, Gordon has also written essays and reviews related to disability and race. His writings appear in the Disability Studies Review, the “All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism” anthology, and ADA 30 in Color. He is one of the interviewees who appeared in the documentary, Code of the Freaks, where he discussed autism representation and intersections of disability and race in movies.

Jesus Chuy Campuzano

Jesus Chuy Campuzano was born and raised in Chicago Illinois where he still resides. Growing up in Chicago he went through the special education system. After graduating he never received services from the Illinois Council of Developmental Disabilities as he was unaware and uninterested in long term services. Chuy was ashamed and felt isolated with his disability. Fortunately, he joined Access Living, a Disability Rights Organization in 2008 where he met Curtis Harris. He began to learn about individuals with all types of disabilities and to accept them. This led to Chuy becoming a leader in the advocacy community.

Chuy is a member of the Going Home Coalition and chairs the leadership committee. As a member of the WOW team Chuy plans and co-hosts the meetings and created the WOW Facebook Group. Chuy is a regular presenter at the Speak Up Speak Out Summit. His project “Dis Life …An historical perspective of Lives that matter” has allowed him to conduct numerous interviews with individuals in the disability community. Chuy believes that getting to know individuals and their strengths will lead to better outcomes in life. Everyone should be treated with respect and dignity!

Chuck Goodwin

Chuck has worked for over 30 years with individuals with developmental disabilities in a variety of capacities. He has worked in both the residential and vocational arenas providing direct support for individuals. For the past 13 years as a private consultant around the Northwest, he has provided trainings on such subjects as positive behavioral supports, history and values around services, job coaching, supporting individuals with challenging behaviors, precision training, natural supports, utilizing community resources, and vocational issues. He has provided technical assistance to employment agencies around teaching individuals difficult tasks using universal design, understanding and supporting individuals with challenging behaviors, creating schedules, analyzing and modifying work flow issues, working with speed and quality issues, and teaching self-management. His passion is helping individuals who are struggling to find success. He continues to work individually with people and their families to help them realize their potential.Native American, and People of Color).