WEBVTT 00:00:00.420 --> 00:00:05.400 Thank you all, right, welcome back, welcome back,   00:00:05.400 --> 00:00:11.160 welcome back. My name is Vince Prentice  from the Department of Homeland Security   00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:18.660 Accessibility & Usability, formerly known as  the Office of Accessible Systems and Technology.   00:00:19.500 --> 00:00:25.500 We are glad that you have come back to be  with us for day two of our awesome annual   00:00:25.500 --> 00:00:33.480 DHS Accessibility Day 2023. Before we get started,  I just want to make sure that we do a couple of   00:00:33.480 --> 00:00:42.000 house cleaning, keeping rules. Please make sure  that you put all of your questions into the chat.   00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:49.200 If you have any issues with the chat because of  capacity, please make sure you send your emails to   00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:59.760 accessibility at DHS. Let me sure I'm saying, I'm  sorry, accessibility at hq.dhs.gov. Please make   00:00:59.760 --> 00:01:05.640 sure, and I'll put it in the chat, make sure you  send those questions there. All presenters, please   00:01:05.640 --> 00:01:10.920 make sure that when you're not talking, you're  on mute, and that you turn your cameras off. 00:01:11.700 --> 00:01:15.240 So, for today, we're going to  have a lot of presentations,   00:01:16.380 --> 00:01:22.260 um, a lot of kind of workshops, uh,  we're gonna have group presentations.   00:01:23.100 --> 00:01:27.300 Um, the first one we're going to have today is  going to be diversity and hiring strategies, uh,   00:01:27.300 --> 00:01:31.380 by Miss Sharon Wong. Later on, after  that, we're gonna have an overview   00:01:31.380 --> 00:01:36.300 of accessibility training and developers'  overview of the playbook and its upgrades.   00:01:37.440 --> 00:01:45.660 DHS Outreach to persons with disabilities.  What we have in our pockets that we'll be   00:01:45.660 --> 00:01:51.720 talking about mobile phones and how to use  those for accessibility and engagement in the   00:01:51.720 --> 00:01:58.560 virtual environment, ensuring that everyone has a  voice and accessibility. All right, so Miss Wong,   00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:06.120 you can show yourself now, and I'm about to hand  off to you so you can take the first presentation. 00:02:06.120 --> 00:02:09.720 >> It's all right, how are you this morning? 00:02:09.720 --> 00:02:12.840 >> I'm fine, thank you, sir. How are you? 00:02:12.840 --> 00:02:18.720 >> I'm doing great, good seeing you again, and  we're looking forward to having an opportunity   00:02:18.720 --> 00:02:23.040 to hear what you're going to be talking about  today when it comes to dealing with diversity   00:02:23.040 --> 00:02:30.780 in hiring strategies, the conversation with the  CHCO, as we normally call you guys, or OCHCO.   00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:34.440 All right, so I'll let you take it away. 00:02:34.440 --> 00:02:41.340 >> Thank you, and good morning, everyone. So,  excuse me, I don't know, the smoke thing that's   00:02:41.340 --> 00:02:47.460 enveloping the, uh, USA. I've noticed I've had  a little, uh, struggle since yesterday with my   00:02:47.460 --> 00:02:53.100 voice, so hopefully, it holds, uh. My name is  Sharon Wong. I serve as the executive director   00:02:53.100 --> 00:02:59.220 for what's known as STRIDE within OCHCO, that's  the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer,   00:02:59.220 --> 00:03:04.260 and STRIDE stands for Strategic Talent  Recruitment, Inclusive Diversity,   00:03:04.260 --> 00:03:12.060 and Employee Engagement. Today's session, as you  heard, is Diversity in Hiring Strategies. It's   00:03:12.060 --> 00:03:17.460 a conversation with the Office of the Chief  Human Capital Officer across the department,   00:03:17.460 --> 00:03:24.600 and it is a discussion with leaders who are  responsible for the Recruitment and hiring of   00:03:24.600 --> 00:03:30.600 individuals with disabilities, you know, and often  you may hear it short until IWDs or individuals   00:03:30.600 --> 00:03:38.880 with targeted disabilities IWTDs, so you'll hear  how these DHS agencies are incorporating hiring   00:03:38.880 --> 00:03:44.940 strategies into organizational goals  that have produced positive results in   00:03:44.940 --> 00:03:49.620 the hiring of individuals with disabilities  and individuals with targeted disabilities. 00:03:50.940 --> 00:04:00.900 I'm privileged to have leaders in OCHCO from  four of our DHS agencies, CISA, FLETC, USCIS,   00:04:00.900 --> 00:04:07.500 and U.S. Coast Guard. We invited these agencies  as we were thinking about who would be on this   00:04:07.500 --> 00:04:13.740 panel. We looked at the data, and we invited  these particular agencies because there are top   00:04:13.740 --> 00:04:21.240 components or agencies who lead DHS in Outreach  and recruitment efforts for IWDs and IWTDs,   00:04:21.240 --> 00:04:27.240 right, and that they also significantly  exceed our onboard Baseline, which is 12,   00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:33.060 and also our new higher goal, which  is two percent for individuals with   00:04:33.060 --> 00:04:35.580 disabilities and individuals  with targeted disabilities. 00:04:36.540 --> 00:04:42.060 I did drop in the chat our panelists,  and they will actually be doing most of   00:04:42.060 --> 00:04:45.960 the talking because they're the ones that  are moderating this panel, and they will   00:04:45.960 --> 00:04:52.260 talk about what they are doing within their  agencies. So, we have Dina Beatrice. Dina,   00:04:52.260 --> 00:04:58.260 if you could, so as I call, just to quickly make  sure that we are able to see you. Dina Beatrice,   00:04:58.260 --> 00:05:04.440 Chief of the Human Capital Operations at Coast  Guard. Um, I see she's trying to come on,   00:05:04.440 --> 00:05:13.080 so I know she's on, but I did not quite can't tell  if your photo has come up. Um, we have Dina Reyes,   00:05:13.080 --> 00:05:22.080 who is the Chief Human Resource Operations Center  at USCIS. We have Shelly Pre, who's the Associate   00:05:22.080 --> 00:05:28.800 Chief of Talent Acquisitions for the Client  Service Advocates at CISA, and Rebekah Tucker, who   00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:35.880 is the Chief for Recruitment at the Human Capital  Office at FLETC. So great, I see all four of you,   00:05:36.840 --> 00:05:41.880 so I'm going to have each panelist do a very  brief intro, and then we'll begin our discussion   00:05:41.880 --> 00:05:47.400 with some Q&As. So, I'm going to start with  Dina and then go in the order of Dina, Donna,   00:05:47.400 --> 00:05:53.220 Shelley, and Rebekah. You could each just then  give a brief intro of your work experience and   00:05:53.220 --> 00:05:58.380 share something about yourself outside of work  so we also get to know you, right, to be able to   00:05:58.380 --> 00:06:06.000 put a little bit of a human face on that. So, um,  based on that order, so Dina, why don't you start? 00:06:13.320 --> 00:06:25.200 Dina, um, y'know, if you are... [Speaker  stammers] I had to come off camera, no one,   00:06:25.200 --> 00:06:30.900 so I'm glad it's working now, but thank you again.  I apologize for those technical difficulties,   00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:37.080 um, but as I was trying to say, I appreciate  the opportunity to serve on this morning's   00:06:37.080 --> 00:06:43.200 panel and look forward to the discussion.  I am a proud plank holder and serve as   00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:49.380 the chief of Human Resources operations,  overseeing all recruitment activity for our   00:06:49.920 --> 00:06:55.320 10,000-plus civilian workforce at the Coast  Guard. I've been in my current position for   00:06:55.320 --> 00:07:01.980 over eight years and with the Coast Guard for  over 22 years. Um, prior to joining the Coast   00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:07.140 Guard team, I worked for the Department of  Air Force in the DC area and the operations,   00:07:08.040 --> 00:07:13.680 um, arena, working at Bowling Air Force Base,  Andrews Air Force Base, and the Pentagon.   00:07:14.880 --> 00:07:21.780 Um, just a bit about myself, for good or bad,  I am a lifelong Washington Commanders fan. I'm   00:07:21.780 --> 00:07:27.180 looking forward to the upcoming changes and more  Super Bowl wins, and of course, beating Dallas.   00:07:28.500 --> 00:07:35.580 Um, so thank you again, and I appreciate today's  opportunity. Uh, thank you for that. Dina. 00:07:37.400 --> 00:07:44.520 >> Oh, goodness, uh, thank you, thank you, Sharon,  thank you, Dina, uh, very interesting, um. My name   00:07:44.520 --> 00:07:51.960 is Donna. I am the chief of HR operations here  at USCIS, and I've been in my current role for   00:07:51.960 --> 00:07:58.980 about three years, um. Our operations center  services, uh, a workforce of twenty thousand,   00:07:58.980 --> 00:08:06.540 holding strong, um, a new record for USCIS. My  oversee processing benefits and retirements,   00:08:06.540 --> 00:08:14.760 classification, our recruitment and staffing, um,  and a sort of other, you know, fun HR activities,   00:08:15.480 --> 00:08:21.300 um. Uh, prior to coming to USCIS in 2016,  I was with the Department of Navy for about   00:08:21.300 --> 00:08:28.680 seven years and did HR there as well, too, at the  headquarters and at the operational level, so,   00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:32.340 um, super looking forward to today's  conversation and thank you for the opportunity.   00:08:34.260 --> 00:08:36.360 Thank you, Dina. Uh, Shelly. 00:08:36.360 --> 00:08:44.580 >> Good morning, I am Shelley Pree, and  I am an associate Chief at, uh, CISA, uh,   00:08:44.580 --> 00:08:51.300 in OCHCO. I've been here for about 18 months now,  very happy to be here at CISA. I'm loving it,   00:08:51.300 --> 00:08:58.140 uh. Prior to CISA, I worked for the Department  of Justice, the Department of Defense,   00:08:58.140 --> 00:09:05.760 Health and Human Services, and USDA. And I am here  at CISA, we're growing, we're about a little under   00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:13.380 3,000 employees, but we are about to cross  over 3,000 very soon, um, probably within   00:09:13.380 --> 00:09:19.020 the next few pay periods, so we're really excited  about that because we're still young and growing,   00:09:20.100 --> 00:09:26.940 um. A fun fact, I guess maybe fun, I'm not  sure, fact about me is that on January 1st,   00:09:26.940 --> 00:09:35.040 2020, I woke up and decided I was going to  be a vegan, and I haven't turned away yet,   00:09:35.040 --> 00:09:40.380 but I collect a lot of cookbooks but  do not do a lot of vegan cooking yet,   00:09:40.380 --> 00:09:47.280 but I have the books. So anyway, thank you so  much for today, Sharon. Thank you, Shelly. I   00:09:47.280 --> 00:09:52.020 still think we could go to dinner. I am a meat  and potatoes person that would be very interested   00:09:52.020 --> 00:10:01.080 in how that would be interesting. I-I-I-I-I-I-I  literally run away from vegetables. So thank you. 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:02.960 >> And then, Rebekah. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:08.340 >> Good morning, thank you, Sharon, and  thank you everyone for being here today. So,   00:10:08.340 --> 00:10:12.480 my name is Rebekah Tucker. I'm the chief of the  Recruitment and Classification here at the Federal   00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:17.640 Law Enforcement Training Center down in Sunny  Georgia, fortunately not having to deal with   00:10:17.640 --> 00:10:21.720 the smoke from Canada at the moment, although  I'm pretty sure it'll make its way down here,   00:10:22.740 --> 00:10:26.160 um. So, I've been with FLETC for about  eight years. I've been in this particular   00:10:26.160 --> 00:10:31.860 seat for the last four, and my role here is to  oversee all the hiring efforts here at FLETC   00:10:31.860 --> 00:10:36.360 and across our training delivery points, which  we have four of them across the United States,   00:10:37.560 --> 00:10:43.920 um. So, in addition to that, I previously served  with DHS headquarters for five years, and prior to   00:10:43.920 --> 00:10:48.840 that, I worked with the Defense Logistics Agency  and doing recruitment for seven. So, my colleagues   00:10:48.840 --> 00:10:54.120 here are all at the higher level. I'm down at the  branch level as a recruitment specialist, and for,   00:10:54.120 --> 00:11:01.320 uh, FLETC, we are, we're really tipping the scales  at 1,300 or so, give or take, so definitely one of   00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:06.600 the smaller components that FLETC or at a DHS,  but but certainly a good one, not to mention. 00:11:06.600 --> 00:11:12.300 Now, something about myself that's a little  interesting outside of work because we are in   00:11:12.300 --> 00:11:16.260 Georgia, I live very close to the beach, so I  like to go to the beach and walk in the surf,   00:11:16.260 --> 00:11:20.040 and I like to rescue sand dollars, uh, just  so that, you know, I feel like I'm doing   00:11:20.040 --> 00:11:25.200 something a good contribution to the world,  at least to them. And when I'm not doing that,   00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:29.100 I go out in my garden. I have a mini  apiary, so for those that don't know,   00:11:29.100 --> 00:11:34.080 that's honeybees, and I manage that. And then,  when I'm not doing that kind of fun stuff,   00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:39.480 I'm trying to play tennis with my teenage  daughter and wind up failing miserably, uh,   00:11:39.480 --> 00:11:43.320 so it's great. So, thank you so much for  allowing me to be a part of this today. 00:11:43.320 --> 00:11:49.620 >> No, thank you all, really appreciate it, um,  hopefully, the audience can see that we have a   00:11:49.620 --> 00:11:54.300 very diverse group, from those that have been  plank holders to those that are more recent,   00:11:55.260 --> 00:12:01.080 um, but one thing that's common is they  all oversee, uh, they all have influence,   00:12:01.800 --> 00:12:06.600 um, and insight into the recruitment  effort. So, looking forward to hearing,   00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:14.940 uh, your answers today. So, let me start by giving  some context. Now, we know President Biden signed   00:12:14.940 --> 00:12:24.000 Executive Order 14035, right, in June of 2021, so  about two years ago, and this particular Executive   00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:31.140 Order is on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and  Accessibility in the federal workforce. You might   00:12:31.140 --> 00:12:36.660 often hear it referred to also as DEIA, right,  Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility,   00:12:37.560 --> 00:12:44.520 um, and so it's called the DEIA, a lot of letters  in that. Now, in industry and you'll often see it   00:12:44.520 --> 00:12:51.600 on a news article, you might have heard the term  DEI or DEIB, right, where B is the belonging,   00:12:51.600 --> 00:12:57.120 but within the federal government, when this  Executive Order came out, it was the A that was   00:12:57.120 --> 00:13:05.640 added to DEI to show a focus on accessibility,  right. And as we talk about DEIA, we're talking   00:13:05.640 --> 00:13:12.840 about building a workforce of diverse talent and  experience reflective of the public we serve.   00:13:13.380 --> 00:13:20.700 E is about ensuring consistent, fair, just,  and impartial treatment of all individuals,   00:13:20.700 --> 00:13:29.400 all of our employees. I is about creating that  culture where each person feels like they belong,   00:13:29.400 --> 00:13:36.540 they have a voice, uh, and that they  matter. And A is about ensuring that   00:13:36.540 --> 00:13:43.620 information systems, tools, resources,  and programs are accessible for all.   00:13:44.160 --> 00:13:50.520 And the DEIA Executive Order is focused  internally. A lot of the other work in   00:13:50.520 --> 00:13:58.080 this space of equity and other things really  look at both internal and external and focus   00:13:58.080 --> 00:14:02.700 a lot externally, but this particular  Executive Order is about our workforce. 00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:06.120 So, let me begin by asking the panelists, right,   00:14:06.120 --> 00:14:11.880 we're going to start with the "why." What  does the A in DEIA mean to you, right,   00:14:11.880 --> 00:14:18.780 and why is it important to you to integrate  DEIA principles into hiring strategies, and   00:14:18.780 --> 00:14:24.660 how have you been able to do so? I know there's a  lot of pieces to that, so let me start with Dina. 00:14:26.300 --> 00:14:32.940 >> Good morning, so, the, um, in my opinion,   00:14:32.940 --> 00:14:38.940 is that whole accessibility piece, helping  our hiring officials really, truly understand,   00:14:40.260 --> 00:14:47.160 um, how our office and operations  can help support them in making,   00:14:48.060 --> 00:14:57.480 um, it more, it easier for them to consider those  persons with disabilities so that they know that   00:14:57.480 --> 00:15:04.920 they're, they won't run into those challenges with  equipment, with being able to fully communicate   00:15:04.920 --> 00:15:12.780 with their staff members, so it's really those  initial strategic discussions that we hold with   00:15:12.780 --> 00:15:20.160 our recruiting officials to help them understand  what programs are available so that it eases their   00:15:20.160 --> 00:15:29.340 mind and they can give that true consideration  to those persons with disabilities, so, um, yeah,   00:15:29.340 --> 00:15:37.560 it's really worked well with us with those really  strong strategic conversations at the onset of our   00:15:37.560 --> 00:15:45.300 recruiting efforts. Hey, great, and, and, Dina,  do you like to share your perspective on that? 00:15:47.480 --> 00:15:51.720 >> Yeah, absolutely, sorry it took  me a minute to find the mute button.   00:15:53.340 --> 00:15:57.900 Um, yeah, I mean, I, so I think, you know,  when I think about this, of the A, uh, the,   00:15:57.900 --> 00:16:02.820 the accessibility in my mind is kind of just  making sure that everybody has the accommodations   00:16:02.820 --> 00:16:09.960 and modifications to give them equal access  to, uh, participating in the activities that   00:16:09.960 --> 00:16:16.260 will help them be successful, um, in their  work. Uh, getting folks to that equal space,   00:16:16.260 --> 00:16:23.760 uh, any which way would, you know, that we can,  technology-wise, um, space-wise, the mental piece,   00:16:23.760 --> 00:16:28.820 all of that is, is sort of what, what I think  about when I think about the A in the DEIA. 00:16:28.820 --> 00:16:33.180 >> Okay, and then, Shelly or  Rebekah, do you have anything,   00:16:33.180 --> 00:16:39.180 what would you like to add to how, what  does the A mean for you and your agency? 00:16:40.760 --> 00:16:46.560 >> Um, I would say, here it's just, uh, well,  when we think about A, we should also think   00:16:46.560 --> 00:16:52.980 about accountability and also accommodations,  and so our accessibility goals, you know, we want   00:16:52.980 --> 00:16:58.500 to be able to strengthen that accountability,  our with our policies and our procedures, and,   00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:05.340 you know, which we'll be able to, will be able to  create an accessible and, um, inclusive workplace   00:17:05.340 --> 00:17:11.460 that's going to foster, you know, respect for  all kinds of diversity. So, whether that's,   00:17:11.460 --> 00:17:19.040 you know, individuals with disabilities or any  other diversity areas that we want to consider. 00:17:19.040 --> 00:17:23.720 >> Okay, and then, Rebekah,  you want to round us out? 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:30.180 >> Yes, absolutely. So, uh, my colleagues  have offered some great definitions for A,   00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:34.200 and so I'll focus a little bit more on what  A means for FLETC, and it's really our,   00:17:34.200 --> 00:17:39.840 our focus on access to the underserved communities  and the disabled, essentially, uh, to be able to   00:17:39.840 --> 00:17:46.860 make our environment, it's, let's see here, more  diverse. Uh, we strive to have our, our instructor   00:17:46.860 --> 00:17:52.020 cadre look like the people that we are training,  so we want to make sure that we're inclusive and   00:17:52.020 --> 00:17:57.240 that we, we have that appearance that we are  diverse and we're hiring all the individuals   00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:01.560 that make us give that appearance to the staff  and that can have that interrelatability with,   00:18:02.100 --> 00:18:05.820 um, anyone that comes to FLETC for  a training. Um, but I agree with   00:18:05.820 --> 00:18:09.260 everyone else what they said, and, uh, we're  definitely working in the same direction. 00:18:09.260 --> 00:18:14.460 >> Okay, thank you. It was really good to hear  your perspective on how it's been seen within   00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:20.880 your particular agencies. So, I'm gonna take  it down one more and just, you know, ask if you   00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:27.120 can talk about the steps that leaders can take  or that you yourself specifically have taken,   00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:34.560 um, to make hiring more equitable for individuals  with disabilities or individuals with targeted   00:18:34.560 --> 00:18:39.120 disabilities, right, because they really want  now for, for folks and other leaders that are   00:18:39.120 --> 00:18:44.700 here to say, hey, this is what we have done, this  is, this is the kind of things that you can do,   00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:49.800 right. It goes a little bit to what's often  referred to as best practices. I don't know if,   00:18:49.800 --> 00:18:54.900 if I like the term best practices so much  as promising practices, right, or successful   00:18:54.900 --> 00:18:59.880 practices because it might be your best practice  for you, but I might need to adapt it a little   00:18:59.880 --> 00:19:04.620 bit for me, so it's more about a promise and  practices because we all have to adapt for our   00:19:04.620 --> 00:19:09.900 various cultures, right, and environment.  So, um, let me start with, uh, uh, Shelly,   00:19:10.740 --> 00:19:17.100 um, if you can just share with, with  us, uh, excuse me, like at CISA, what,   00:19:17.100 --> 00:19:22.080 you know, what steps have you taken there or  what steps leaders can take across the board. 00:19:22.080 --> 00:19:30.000 >> Okay, thank you, um, so, um, for me in  particular, I love to educate people on,   00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:39.300 um, you know, hiring, and so, for, and that means  our hiring officials, employees, applicants, uh,   00:19:39.300 --> 00:19:44.520 etc., about, you know, maybe about the use  of Schedule A appointments and things of that   00:19:44.520 --> 00:19:50.460 nature. I feel like if you, if you educate  one person, they'll educate someone else,   00:19:50.460 --> 00:19:57.360 and they'll, you know, it'll just keep, um,  keep going, and so then you have this whole,   00:19:57.360 --> 00:20:03.240 you know, workforce or universe of educated  people when it comes to things like, you know,   00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:09.180 Schedule A. So, we like to talk about, you  know, Schedule A, the wins, wins of using,   00:20:09.840 --> 00:20:15.360 um, things of that nature, you know, appointing  authorities like Schedule A or, you know,   00:20:15.360 --> 00:20:23.400 maybe 30, uh, disabled veteran appointment  authorities, etc. Using other programs,   00:20:23.400 --> 00:20:31.560 other maybe lesser-known, uh, programs, Workforce  Recruitment Program (WRP), um, which connects   00:20:31.560 --> 00:20:38.580 employers with students with disabilities, uh,  so things like that. But I think education really   00:20:38.580 --> 00:20:46.440 goes a long way when it comes to, you know,  um, providing that kind of equity because now,   00:20:46.440 --> 00:20:52.680 you know, people understand it, and it kind  of takes the, the mystery out of some of the,   00:20:52.680 --> 00:21:01.200 you know, things that hiring managers may be a  little, uh, fearful of. So, education, thank you. 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:06.000 >> And that's a great point because, you know,  it's that awareness and understanding and knowing,   00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:09.420 right, because if you don't even have that,  how do you know what you're supposed to do?   00:21:09.420 --> 00:21:12.840 And I will tell you, many times, that  that's what we hear from folks, right,   00:21:12.840 --> 00:21:18.240 not even understanding the hiring authorities  that are available and what it really means or   00:21:18.240 --> 00:21:22.260 even where they can go. So, a little bit later,  I have a couple of questions on that. But,   00:21:22.800 --> 00:21:26.580 um, Rebekah, do you want to share  about maybe at FLETC what steps,   00:21:26.580 --> 00:21:30.780 from a FLETC perspective, what steps can,  can leaders take or that you have taken? 00:21:30.780 --> 00:21:36.240 >> Yes, ma'am, absolutely. So, kind of along the  same line that Shelly was talking about and in   00:21:36.240 --> 00:21:41.460 my humble opinion, of course, um, I believe that  leaders can take the initiative to make themselves   00:21:41.460 --> 00:21:45.840 aware of the various opportunities that are  available to them. So, taking on a little   00:21:45.840 --> 00:21:51.480 bit of that ownership of teaching themselves and  go into the resources and, of course, utilizing   00:21:51.480 --> 00:21:57.360 the resources that are available to them. Um,  one of the big things that FLETC does is that,   00:21:57.360 --> 00:22:02.280 in terms of recruitment, we engage our managers  in a strategic hiring discussion, so we try to   00:22:02.280 --> 00:22:06.480 find out what it is they're trying to accomplish  and then we talk about how they can get there. So,   00:22:06.480 --> 00:22:11.940 this is our opportunity to tell them about all  the various non-competitive hiring authorities,   00:22:13.080 --> 00:22:19.140 um, the WRP, as Shelly mentioned, we  use a 10-point veteran file. FLETC,   00:22:19.140 --> 00:22:22.500 you only have to do that for positions that are  open to the public, but we use it for all of   00:22:22.500 --> 00:22:27.720 our positions because why not, it's an applicant,  it's a tool, it's a an access of ability for us.   00:22:28.620 --> 00:22:32.820 Um, something else that we do that's kind  of more FLETC-centric is we do what we   00:22:32.820 --> 00:22:37.920 call a voluntary applicant file, which is a  posting on USA Jobs. It opens up quarterly,   00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:42.600 and it's for those individuals that have a  non-competitive hiring eligibility, so this   00:22:42.600 --> 00:22:47.700 is really our way to reach out to those people  who have Schedule A hiring authority or their   00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:54.720 veterans or their military spouses or whatever, so  this has really been the key to success for FLETC,   00:22:54.720 --> 00:23:00.900 and our managers are made very well aware every  time we talk to them what options they have,   00:23:00.900 --> 00:23:05.760 and any opportunity we have to tell them again,  we will, so it's been a great experience for us. 00:23:05.760 --> 00:23:12.120 >> Okay, great. So, I'm gonna just ask a couple  more questions because I've seen a question in   00:23:12.120 --> 00:23:17.460 the chat. Um, I'll share the question now, but  I'll come back to it, um, in a bit because I   00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:21.300 also want us to address some of the questions. I  don't know if you all are able to see the chat,   00:23:22.020 --> 00:23:27.120 um, but then I'll open it up after. But your,  uh, the question is, can you address numbers?   00:23:27.120 --> 00:23:32.340 How many professionals with disabilities do each  of you have, and how are the numbers meaningfully   00:23:32.340 --> 00:23:38.220 increasing? So, I'll open that, and then maybe a  couple of you can address that in a bit. But let   00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:45.900 me go to our next question about key steps you  have taken to effectively communicate and get   00:23:45.900 --> 00:23:50.760 buy-in from staff and management, right, because  that really, you just talked about the education,   00:23:50.760 --> 00:23:56.220 the awareness, really working with hiring  managers, um, but I'd like to also,   00:23:56.220 --> 00:24:01.740 each question sort of builds on itself, right,  and digs deeper. So, what steps are being taken   00:24:01.740 --> 00:24:06.420 to effectively communicate, to really get  that buy-in, because we know, you know,   00:24:06.420 --> 00:24:14.940 there there's still some leftover, uh, unconscious  thoughts around the ability or inability, right,   00:24:14.940 --> 00:24:20.820 of individuals with disabilities. So, have you  effectively communicated, gotten buying from staff   00:24:20.820 --> 00:24:26.760 and management on the importance of inclusion  of individuals with disabilities and individuals   00:24:26.760 --> 00:24:34.080 with targeted disabilities in the workplace? And  so, let me go to Dina, start with Dina on that. 00:24:34.080 --> 00:24:39.360 >> Sure, absolutely. Thanks, Sharon. So, um,  some of the things that we've done, I mean,   00:24:39.360 --> 00:24:45.240 we, we always, every interaction, I feel like  every interaction my HRs, HREs have with, uh,   00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:51.000 management at all levels, that's an opportunity,  right, to inform and educate. Um, we always   00:24:51.000 --> 00:24:57.960 promote individuals with disabilities, IWTD events  and activities. Our staff are STAR training,   00:24:57.960 --> 00:25:04.140 our recruitment corporate team provides training  on reasonable routers, so reasonable accommodation   00:25:04.140 --> 00:25:10.620 of a last resort, um, request, uh, training  on unconscious bias, training on scheduling   00:25:10.620 --> 00:25:15.720 higher authorities. We try to create partnerships  with these smaller organizations to help them,   00:25:16.560 --> 00:25:25.560 um, help us USCIS reach our goals. One of our  recent examples is our Office of Equal Opportunity   00:25:25.560 --> 00:25:30.360 and Inclusion, OEOI, is what they're titled here,  has created an inclusive Recruitment and Hiring   00:25:30.360 --> 00:25:37.200 Hub. Uh, some of the examples of the, you know,  activities that we have promoted and organized and   00:25:37.200 --> 00:25:42.060 helped coordinate are participating in inclusive  diversity dialogues with particular offices   00:25:42.900 --> 00:25:51.660 within USCIS. Um, we participate in the DHS OPE  DHS career fair for underprivileged youth, and one   00:25:51.660 --> 00:25:57.180 of our service centers here at USCIS, our Potomac  Service Center, held a four-hour mentoring session   00:25:57.180 --> 00:26:02.100 for clients from Virginia from the Virginia  Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired,   00:26:02.820 --> 00:26:08.760 um, and DAR. So there are many activities, many  different ways to promote not only, you know, at,   00:26:09.360 --> 00:26:14.760 um, the higher levels of the organization,  but also with our operational partners at the,   00:26:14.760 --> 00:26:18.960 the lower levels, you know, with the field  offices or the service centers. So we just,   00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:23.940 we try to get that out there as much as we can,  try to promote those activities as best as we can.   00:26:25.080 --> 00:26:29.520 Um, I do want to, you know, touch, I loved that  Shelly shared, you know, the educational piece.   00:26:29.520 --> 00:26:35.580 That is, that's very critical. Another thing we do  at the leadership level is we try to ensure that   00:26:35.580 --> 00:26:42.660 they invest the time to understand how these,  um, uh, different authorities can help them get   00:26:42.660 --> 00:26:50.580 to their goals, get to our goals, and also ensure  that they understand and respect the unique needs   00:26:50.580 --> 00:26:56.340 of these individuals, right, because we, we all  need to get everybody to the same playing level in   00:26:56.340 --> 00:27:01.380 order for us to be successful and to ensure that  we are hearing, you know, the right feedback from   00:27:01.380 --> 00:27:07.440 our, all of our employees equally. So, I know that  was a lot and probably more than what you asked. 00:27:07.440 --> 00:27:11.220 >> No, no, no. I actually thought it was  great, listening to the, uh, you know,   00:27:11.220 --> 00:27:16.980 what you have done. Um, excuse me, Dina,  anything you want to share with that,   00:27:16.980 --> 00:27:20.400 with what's Coast Guard's  done to be able to get buy-in? 00:27:20.400 --> 00:27:28.080 >> Sure. So, a couple items. Um, we sent out  a targeted email to all of our supervisors   00:27:28.080 --> 00:27:34.920 highlighting the DHS hiring goal for persons  with disabilities and persons with targeted   00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:39.840 disabilities and highlighted the  schedule A appointing authority,   00:27:40.800 --> 00:27:46.920 um, and really tied it to time to hire, you know,  everybody's anxious to get their positions filled,   00:27:46.920 --> 00:27:53.940 so this would be a quick win, um, all the way  around, so really promoting the schedule A hiring   00:27:53.940 --> 00:28:01.440 authority. Additionally, the Disabilities  Allies Resource Group, DARG, is the first   00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:08.700 affinity group Employee Resource Group within the  Coast Guard to address the needs and interests of   00:28:08.700 --> 00:28:16.980 both people living with disabilities and their  allies. So, on April 6th, we had a memorandum   00:28:16.980 --> 00:28:23.160 of understanding that was signed between the  Disabilities Allies Resource Group and Affinity   00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:30.720 Group formalizing the partnership with the Coast  Guard, so we were really excited, um, made a big   00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:37.380 to-do of that signing ceremony to really promote  the program. So, that was truly exciting for us,   00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:46.200 um, and our Chief Medical Officer is the  executive champion of that affinity group,   00:28:46.200 --> 00:28:52.260 so I'm really getting a lot of  publicity around the group and around,   00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:57.600 um, you know, you know, that whole program,  so it's really working out well for us. 00:28:57.600 --> 00:29:02.400 >> I   00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:07.680 have been doing, so, um, I'm gonna go to flip the  other side and go to challenges, right, because   00:29:07.680 --> 00:29:11.460 then that's going to lead into, after that,  we'll just then go into some of the questions   00:29:11.460 --> 00:29:17.100 because a couple of questions, I think, um, the  discussion so far has set context for us, so,   00:29:17.880 --> 00:29:22.440 um, maybe share some of the challenges, one or  two of the challenges that you've encountered   00:29:22.440 --> 00:29:26.520 in recruiting and hiring individuals with  disabilities in targeted disabilities,   00:29:26.520 --> 00:29:32.760 and how have you overcome them,  so let me go to, uh, Rebekah. 00:29:34.380 --> 00:29:41.220 Um, Sharon, I was hoping you weren't going to  call on me because it's not necessarily a bad,   00:29:41.220 --> 00:29:46.140 a bad problem to have. Fluency has actually been  very fortunate. We haven't really experienced   00:29:46.140 --> 00:29:50.340 very many challenges with hiring individuals  with disabilities. And actually, I think you   00:29:50.340 --> 00:29:58.260 just asked about numbers. I pulled up my little  email here, um, so FLETC onboard, we have 35.3,   00:29:58.260 --> 00:30:05.640 so the goal, the Baseline is 12, so we have 35.3  percent individuals with disabilities and 4.2   00:30:05.640 --> 00:30:12.300 percent of those with targeted disabilities. And  our new hires are 40 with disabilities and 5.9   00:30:12.300 --> 00:30:19.080 with targeted disabilities, so, uh, we are, um, we  do a pretty good job at hiring those individuals. 00:30:19.080 --> 00:30:24.540 FLETC's mission really supports that ability  to do that. We support the hiring of military   00:30:24.540 --> 00:30:30.780 individuals with disabilities and those with  lengthy careers. So that aids and, in our numbers   00:30:30.780 --> 00:30:34.260 being able to be as high as they are. Plus, for  a small number, remember, early on I said we're   00:30:34.260 --> 00:30:41.700 about 1300. So 13, you know, a few people makes  can significantly impact those percentages. So,   00:30:42.300 --> 00:30:47.700 um, we've been quite fortunate, and, and hope,  hopefully, we can continue in that method. Thanks,   00:30:47.700 --> 00:30:52.560 Chair, and thank you, and I appreciate that, you  know, and as I said earlier, we wanted to bring on   00:30:52.560 --> 00:30:57.840 the folks that were doing well, so, so others can  listen and say, okay, you're doing well, right?   00:30:57.840 --> 00:31:02.400 Because this is what I always believe. People  tend to focus on your problem areas all the time,   00:31:02.400 --> 00:31:07.500 right, which obviously you should, but if you  forget the ears that are doing well because those   00:31:07.500 --> 00:31:12.360 are the ears you want to mimic and say, okay, what  is it that they're doing well? We should continue   00:31:12.360 --> 00:31:17.760 that, we should learn from that, right? So it's  not just picking, let's just work on on the areas   00:31:17.760 --> 00:31:23.220 where that need improvement because for those  that are doing well, you can share your story. 00:31:23.220 --> 00:31:27.180 >> So, thank you for that, Rebekah, and yes, I  know that's why I had pinged you guys, were doing,   00:31:27.180 --> 00:31:34.320 uh, well in that area, so, um, maybe Dina, let  me go to you for CIS, and then -- actually,   00:31:34.320 --> 00:31:38.640 I'd like to hear from each of you in terms of  this or the challenges because the questions that   00:31:38.640 --> 00:31:45.540 are coming up, um, seem to be more around that,  and, and, um, and so, Dina, and turn it to you. 00:31:45.540 --> 00:31:51.240 >> Yeah, I mean, it's so, I think for us, the  challenge is probably, you know, just having our,   00:31:51.240 --> 00:31:57.120 our hiring officials comfortable with using these  hiring authorities, and, and that goes back to   00:31:57.120 --> 00:32:01.200 the education piece, right, so I think the more  that we can promote that and get that out there,   00:32:01.200 --> 00:32:07.200 we will see increased use, um, as far as our  numbers, so our individual with disability goal,   00:32:07.200 --> 00:32:14.520 I think, is 12, is what you said,  and so we USCIS, is at 25.28 percent,   00:32:14.520 --> 00:32:20.640 and our IWTD targeted disabilities is  at 2.89, so we are above that threshold. 00:32:20.640 --> 00:32:24.900 >> Um, I love, you know what Shelly shared  earlier, always like a little competition,   00:32:24.900 --> 00:32:30.300 right, so we, we, I, I love that, that, you know,  that makes me think, my gosh, I want to do more,   00:32:30.300 --> 00:32:35.220 I want to, you know, get this, get this increased  even higher, especially considering our size, so,   00:32:36.120 --> 00:32:38.580 um, I think that's, that's all  the numbers I have for -- oh,   00:32:38.580 --> 00:32:42.900 I do have one more, so, sorry, just  trying to, I wasn't ready for this, but,   00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:51.480 um, we have increased from FY 21 to FY 22 by  1.28 overall in our underrepresented employee,   00:32:51.480 --> 00:32:57.320 so an additional 600, 648 employees, so we are  trying to drive up those, uh, numbers as well too. 00:32:57.320 --> 00:33:00.720 >> Okay, great, and, um, Shelly. 00:33:01.340 --> 00:33:08.280 >> Yes, thank you. Well, I had to phone a  friend, um, and I see that we have about 488,   00:33:08.280 --> 00:33:13.860 uh, employees on board with disabilities. Um,  I don't have the percentages, um, of what that   00:33:13.860 --> 00:33:21.960 is at the moment, but, um, so just speaking  to the, um, the challenges, I would say that,   00:33:22.620 --> 00:33:27.240 um, again, the education of the hiring  manager because we don't want them to think,   00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:35.580 um, and as some have in the past thought that  it would be expensive or resource-draining, um,   00:33:35.580 --> 00:33:40.740 you know, to hire individuals with disabilities  if they have to provide for accommodations,   00:33:41.580 --> 00:33:47.160 etc., but not so much. Um, you know, you budget  for things just like you budget for training,   00:33:47.160 --> 00:33:55.500 uh, for your employees, so you know it's all  positive, uh, definitely a win-win scenario,   00:33:55.500 --> 00:34:01.320 uh, for us and the hiring managers. I  mean, when we show them just how fast,   00:34:01.320 --> 00:34:07.440 how much quicker the process can be for  hiring an individual with a disability,   00:34:08.520 --> 00:34:13.800 um, you know, versus a posted vacancy  announcement or a certificate, and, you know,   00:34:14.340 --> 00:34:19.020 um, how much faster it can be, you know,  just showing them the win-wins, you know,   00:34:19.020 --> 00:34:26.160 it just kind of negates all of the challenges, um,  and now with remote work, um, and we do, you know,   00:34:26.160 --> 00:34:31.560 have some remote work positions, you know,  it just makes it that much more flexibility,   00:34:31.560 --> 00:34:37.680 and, you know, just, it just provides for so  much for everyone. So, again, just, you know,   00:34:37.680 --> 00:34:44.400 there's all kinds of wins here, so we can, we can  easily, you know, negate all those challenges. 00:34:44.400 --> 00:34:46.737 >> Great, and -- 00:34:46.737 --> 00:34:49.380 >> Actually, I just, I just want  to chime in, Shelley, thank you,   00:34:49.380 --> 00:34:54.900 you bring a very good point, right, we are in  a, you know, a huge siren hiring surge at USCIS,   00:34:54.900 --> 00:34:59.340 and one of the things we really want to do is  promote all of these non-competitive hiring   00:34:59.340 --> 00:35:03.720 authorities because you're right, it makes our job  as well as the hiring manager's job a lot easier,   00:35:03.720 --> 00:35:07.920 and it'll help us get there faster. So you're  right, that's a really, really great point. 00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:09.320 >> Thank you for saying that. 00:35:09.320 --> 00:35:12.500 >> Great. Dina. 00:35:12.500 --> 00:35:19.860 >> Okay, thank you, so, um, I think Donna and  Rebekah are showing off, and I'm very competitive,   00:35:20.640 --> 00:35:25.500 um, so their numbers are a bit higher than ours.  I was happy with our numbers until they reported   00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:32.580 theirs, so I, I'm, I'm going to really promote  the program even more and beat them next year.   00:35:33.360 --> 00:35:40.260 So, our numbers, um, for the persons with  targeted disabilities, we're at 3.5 percent,   00:35:40.260 --> 00:35:48.240 and persons with disabilities were at 17.8  percent, so, um, doing well, but obviously,   00:35:48.240 --> 00:35:55.320 there's more work to do, and, um, I'm gonna really  tackle that one. Um, one of the challenges that   00:35:55.320 --> 00:36:02.280 we were facing is our applicant pools. Um,  we wanted to increase, um, those applicants   00:36:02.280 --> 00:36:10.380 with targeted disabilities, so our recruiting team  conducts outreach to organizations with potential,   00:36:11.400 --> 00:36:18.300 um, persons with disabilities. So, we've reached  out to the Lighthouse for the Blind, Virginia and   00:36:18.300 --> 00:36:24.360 DC Departments of Aging and Rehabilitation  Services, and many other organizations. So,   00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:29.940 um, focused on that targeted recruiting  as well as, you know, the training and,   00:36:29.940 --> 00:36:38.460 and making our hiring officials aware, um,  you know, as they consider these applicants. 00:36:39.560 --> 00:36:48.720 >> Thank you, and Anthony, you can hear  these agencies, DHS agencies, are really   00:36:48.720 --> 00:36:53.220 pulling in some good numbers, right? A little  bit in a minute, we'll talk about retention,   00:36:53.220 --> 00:36:57.780 right, because, uh, we're seeing all the  great numbers for your on, um, for your,   00:36:57.780 --> 00:37:03.120 for your new hires, and even your on-boards,  and some of those on-boards is, is, you know,   00:37:03.120 --> 00:37:07.800 continues to be high because you're retaining  it, right? It's retaining, um, individuals   00:37:07.800 --> 00:37:12.240 with disabilities and targeted disabilities,  so you don't want people to think that this   00:37:12.240 --> 00:37:18.720 will just focus on recruitment because the onboard  number shows the exactly about retention as well. 00:37:18.720 --> 00:37:24.540 >> So, let me ask you all one more question before  I then take a couple of the other questions in the   00:37:24.540 --> 00:37:28.740 chat because then those questions, uh, you know,  again, if you're able to see it and you can read   00:37:28.740 --> 00:37:35.640 ahead, um, that really talk about the higher  levels and as you go up, um, you see that their,   00:37:35.640 --> 00:37:40.380 the representation in the higher levels are lower,  but we see that across the board. So it's not just   00:37:40.380 --> 00:37:46.500 individuals with disabilities, we see that across  other demographic groups as well, so, so let's   00:37:46.500 --> 00:37:52.860 then just talk about impacts. So, you know, if  you could share the impact that you have seen,   00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:59.520 um, by integrating diverse hiring strategies  into your organizational goal, right,   00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:06.060 um, and how that is changing, whether it's,  you know, the recruitment, the retention,   00:38:06.060 --> 00:38:10.140 but really talk about the impact you're  seeing, and you've all shared that   00:38:10.140 --> 00:38:17.960 somewhat in some of what you have said  before. Ah, maybe I start with Shelley. 00:38:17.960 --> 00:38:24.780 >> Yeah, thank you, Sharon, um, so as far  as the impact, I mean, you know, with, uh,   00:38:24.780 --> 00:38:29.640 veteran hires and individuals with, uh,  disabilities and targeted disabilities,   00:38:30.840 --> 00:38:36.540 um, you know, we, we have, you know, a  great number of them, and I, I remember   00:38:36.540 --> 00:38:43.620 we were recognized here at SINC, I believe,  maybe last this school year if I can recall,   00:38:44.760 --> 00:38:57.120 um, for our veteran hires. But, you know, um, we  have, um, so many people that are here on board   00:38:57.120 --> 00:39:05.580 and, since, uh, that we utilize for, you know, um,  even recruitment so that they can speak to our,   00:39:06.720 --> 00:39:14.580 um, potential, uh, candidates, our potential  applicants, hiring fairs, um, and we are   00:39:14.580 --> 00:39:22.740 recently using SkillsBridge with the Department of  Defense. So, um, you know, we recognize the great   00:39:22.740 --> 00:39:27.780 impact that our veterans and our individuals  with targeted disabilities and disabilities,   00:39:28.800 --> 00:39:34.560 um, bring to our organization, and we just  try to leverage, you know, them and their,   00:39:34.560 --> 00:39:40.860 you know, their, um, other resources  or, uh, what do you call them, the, um,   00:39:41.760 --> 00:39:48.420 like the other groups that they're, you know, part  of, um, and, and just, you know, bring them on. 00:39:48.420 --> 00:39:53.760 And, you know, if we can bring on one,  and, you know, one veteran that says,   00:39:53.760 --> 00:39:59.400 you know, I have other vets, um, because, uh,  that's normally, you know, what happens, we,   00:40:00.180 --> 00:40:03.960 um, you know, end up getting,  uh, a complete influx of,   00:40:04.860 --> 00:40:12.060 you know, fabulous fiber veterans that, you  know, just one more and one more and one more,   00:40:12.060 --> 00:40:17.640 so it's just a trickle of that, um, and we love  it, and, you know, the impact here is huge,   00:40:18.420 --> 00:40:23.400 um, because our veterans, of course, they're  gonna come, a lot of them already come with   00:40:23.400 --> 00:40:30.240 this cyber knowledge that, you know, we can, we  can leverage from day one, um, they already have,   00:40:30.900 --> 00:40:36.300 you know, this type of background that we're  looking for, um, and you just have to acclimate   00:40:36.300 --> 00:40:44.340 them to the organization, to CISA, to DHS,  but they fit right in, you know, no questions,   00:40:45.660 --> 00:40:53.280 um, so it's, you know, just that, the impact of  the, you know, the, the candidates that we are   00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:59.820 able to hire and, you know, just them spreading  the word, I think, is very impactful to CISA. 00:40:59.820 --> 00:41:05.280 >> Okay, so that's great. Uh,  Dina, do you want to add to that? 00:41:05.840 --> 00:41:13.140 >> I do. It made me smile. Um, being a military  organization, we certainly don't have trouble   00:41:13.140 --> 00:41:21.780 hiring veterans here, but, um, so we just feel  like, um, diverse hiring strategies broaden   00:41:21.780 --> 00:41:29.100 the applicant pools and could, and has decreased  our time, overall time to hire, and it's really,   00:41:30.180 --> 00:41:36.780 um, those outreach efforts that we're using  that's increasing our applicant pools to give   00:41:36.780 --> 00:41:46.980 more people with those disabilities an opportunity  to compete, um, and really highlighting those,   00:41:46.980 --> 00:41:54.360 um, those well-qualified candidates to our hiring  officials and making them at ease to make sure   00:41:54.360 --> 00:42:00.060 that they understand, you know, we're here to  help them with any accommodation that's needed.   00:42:00.060 --> 00:42:06.600 Our Civil Rights Office, uh, within the Coast  Guard handles all of our reasonable accommodation   00:42:06.600 --> 00:42:15.180 requests, and they really strongly partner with  the operation side of, um, the Coast Guard to   00:42:15.180 --> 00:42:21.540 make sure that, you know, we meet the needs of  both the hiring official and the new employee. 00:42:22.920 --> 00:42:28.020 Okay, I'm gonna take a couple of the questions.  We have a couple more that came up in the chat,   00:42:28.020 --> 00:42:33.540 and some of you that touched on this, but the  question says, "Often you see individuals with   00:42:33.540 --> 00:42:40.020 targeted targeted disabilities in fewer and  fewer numbers as the grade levels go up and   00:42:40.020 --> 00:42:46.620 are especially rare at the GS 15 and SCS levels.  How do your agencies utilize Schedule A not only   00:42:46.620 --> 00:42:53.340 as a hiring tool but also as a tool to promote or  advance individuals with targeted disabilities to   00:42:53.340 --> 00:43:01.620 ensure that they are more IWTDs in those higher  grade levels?" So I'm just going to open it up   00:43:01.620 --> 00:43:09.660 to any of our panelists that would like to or  maybe able to talk to, um, at higher levels. 00:43:10.700 --> 00:43:15.840 >> Um, I just wanted to, um, just quickly  chime in on this, just because of where I   00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:20.400 sit in my perspective, in, in the overall  scheme of things as being recruitment, uh,   00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:25.860 directly. When I saw this question, the thought  that I had was that a lot of times, for the higher   00:43:25.860 --> 00:43:33.120 graded positions in the 15s and the SESs, it's  not, it's, in my opinion, it's kind of rare,   00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:37.320 um, maybe not for the other components,  but it's kind of rare for those higher,   00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:44.040 those higher graded positions like 15s and SESs to  be appointed out from outside. So usually, they're   00:43:44.040 --> 00:43:49.980 going to be internal, um, and so in that, the,  the hiring authorities that are being utilized   00:43:51.060 --> 00:43:56.700 don't necessarily reflect the disability of a  person, for example, like the Schedulers or, you   00:43:56.700 --> 00:44:01.260 know, the persons with disabilities or targeted  disabilities. So I think the numbers are kind of,   00:44:01.980 --> 00:44:07.500 um, skewed in a way because whenever we recruit  someone, we might recruit them as a promotion,   00:44:07.500 --> 00:44:11.160 or it'll be an accepted service  appointment based on their,   00:44:11.160 --> 00:44:16.260 you know, their career in the position, not  necessarily because of their disability.   00:44:17.160 --> 00:44:20.100 Um, so I think that's just something to keep  in mind. It's not that it's not happening;   00:44:20.100 --> 00:44:25.020 it's just that those individuals already  are most likely in place, and they're just   00:44:25.020 --> 00:44:28.980 climbing the ladder, and this is just the most  effective method to get them to that point. 00:44:30.000 --> 00:44:35.040 Um, I'll also say that a Schedule A appointment  is an accepted service appointment, so a lot of   00:44:35.040 --> 00:44:40.920 times, when we hire people into accepted service  appointments, after they serve in that position   00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:46.320 for about two years, then they convert out  of that, that appointment into a competitive   00:44:46.320 --> 00:44:52.320 service appointment. So, therefore, when it,  when we're looking at the numbers and saying,   00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:56.460 these types of appointments, those people kind  of fall off because their appointment type has   00:44:56.460 --> 00:45:01.500 changed. It doesn't mean that they are not still  disabled or anything like that, but it's just as   00:45:01.500 --> 00:45:06.660 they're climbing the ladder, that doesn't  necessarily go with them. Um, so hopefully,   00:45:06.660 --> 00:45:10.440 that makes sense. I just, when I saw that,  that's kind of where my mind went, so hopefully,   00:45:10.440 --> 00:45:14.340 that helps, and I offer to my colleagues if  you have a different perspective, of course. 00:45:14.340 --> 00:45:19.620 >> Yeah, no, Rebekah, I completely agree with you.  You're right, that's exactly what happens, and so,   00:45:19.620 --> 00:45:24.240 you know, unless they, um, you know, self-identify  in another way, then they become part of that   00:45:24.240 --> 00:45:28.740 representative, representative group of the  workforce, right, on board, not necessarily,   00:45:29.340 --> 00:45:34.200 um, as visible through the hiring method. So  yeah, you're absolutely right. I agree with you. 00:45:37.140 --> 00:45:41.790 Shelly or Dina, anything you  want to add to that? Nothing? 00:45:41.790 --> 00:45:46.740 >> I think Rebekah and Dina have  been spot on. I completely agree. 00:45:46.740 --> 00:45:48.600 >> Yeah, I do too as well. 00:45:48.600 --> 00:45:54.000 >> Thank you. And hey, Sharon, there was a  follow-on question, um, from Malcolm Loungway   00:45:54.000 --> 00:45:57.960 asking about if they, if they use Schedule A to  advance and they lose that competitive status? 00:45:57.960 --> 00:46:03.360 >> They don't, well, they, they do  temporarily. So sometimes they'll convert,   00:46:03.360 --> 00:46:06.780 like they'll go back into their accepted service  appointment, and then they have to redo the two   00:46:06.780 --> 00:46:11.880 years. But I think that might be dependent on the  agency because I know some places that I've been,   00:46:12.720 --> 00:46:16.800 um, once they convert it out, then they  couldn't use it again. So I think that's where,   00:46:16.800 --> 00:46:20.940 if they're changing agencies, maybe they  can, but if it's within the same agency,   00:46:20.940 --> 00:46:26.160 a lot of times they can't or won't or don't.  So I think that's something to consider. 00:46:27.020 --> 00:46:33.900 >> Okay, great. And, uh, this discussion  has caused a lot of things in the chat,   00:46:33.900 --> 00:46:39.720 and I'm trying to keep up with it, so I appreciate  the panelists helping me to keep up with it, and I   00:46:39.720 --> 00:46:46.260 see Laura Davis, who is also the Department's,  uh, Disability Program Manager, has put some,   00:46:46.800 --> 00:46:54.000 um, some stats in the chat as well. Uh, so  thank you, uh, Laura, for that. Appreciate it. 00:46:54.000 --> 00:47:02.340 Okay, I think I'm also looking at the time. We  probably have time for one more question. I,   00:47:02.340 --> 00:47:10.620 um, okay, so here, let's talk a little bit about,  um, retention here, you know, because I talked   00:47:10.620 --> 00:47:15.420 earlier that the onboard numbers also reflect  retention, right, because if you were just focused   00:47:15.420 --> 00:47:20.580 on recruitment and, uh, this is another thing  I tell my team is although within our title is   00:47:20.580 --> 00:47:25.440 Strategic Talent Recruitment, um, but because  we have Inclusive Diversity and Engagement,   00:47:25.440 --> 00:47:30.900 that, to me, all wraps in the retention piece,  right, or else it just becomes a revolving door   00:47:30.900 --> 00:47:38.100 if we're just constantly recruiting and we never  retain. So, uh, one question is here, is we need   00:47:38.100 --> 00:47:41.760 to move from policy to practice, which I think  you have shared today about, you know, your   00:47:41.760 --> 00:47:49.140 practices focused on retention. How do we shift  to retention or just your thoughts on rotation,   00:47:49.920 --> 00:47:53.760 um, from any of you, and I'll, I'll  open it up to any of our panelists. 00:47:57.980 --> 00:47:58.980 >>   00:47:58.980 --> 00:48:02.160 All right, so, um, since no one's  jumping on that one, I guess I will.   00:48:05.280 --> 00:48:10.320 So, for retention for FLETC, I think our the  biggest thing for retention is opportunities.   00:48:10.320 --> 00:48:14.400 So, when I look at the broader, the  broader flexibility and the workforce,   00:48:15.480 --> 00:48:20.760 um, a lot of times it's been Workforce balance  and flexibility. So, um, you know, sometimes   00:48:20.760 --> 00:48:24.240 people want to try different things, they want  to go, they want to launch into different areas,   00:48:24.240 --> 00:48:29.940 so we give them opportunities for details. Uh, we  utilize what we call a developmental assignment   00:48:29.940 --> 00:48:35.760 program where they can go for, um, 90 days into a  different organization, and then they come back,   00:48:35.760 --> 00:48:40.800 and that gives them a little bit of an exposure to  that experience without, you know, going away for   00:48:40.800 --> 00:48:46.620 a permanent reassignment or something like that.  We also offer, like, for the work-life balance,   00:48:46.620 --> 00:48:52.320 you know, some positions have remote work  or extensive use of telework. There are a   00:48:52.320 --> 00:48:57.000 lot of positions that are not, um, they don't  have that flexibility because of the mission,   00:48:57.000 --> 00:49:01.020 so it's not something that a lot of  agencies can utilize, but here at FLETC,   00:49:01.020 --> 00:49:05.880 we do. Not necessarily for our law enforcement  instructors, but certainly for our support staff,   00:49:05.880 --> 00:49:12.180 it's a much more commonly used option that's  available. So, that, that version of retention,   00:49:13.020 --> 00:49:18.060 um, certainly has helped our numbers in retaining,  you know, our staff on site and those who have   00:49:18.060 --> 00:49:22.740 disabilities and Veterans and so on and so  forth, but the opportunity is really, I think,   00:49:22.740 --> 00:49:27.360 our sticking point for FLETC. And, of course,  who doesn't want to live at the beach, right? So,   00:49:27.360 --> 00:49:31.860 yeah, we've got places all over the place. We go  to the beach. We got the desert. You got the city   00:49:31.860 --> 00:49:36.900 life. We can, we can accommodate it all. So, we've  got a unique situation, but that's how we do it.   00:49:37.740 --> 00:49:43.380 And if I could add, from the Coast Guard,  I think our new affinity group is really   00:49:43.380 --> 00:49:49.200 going to assist with that retention, um, you  know, it's going to seek to raise awareness   00:49:49.200 --> 00:49:55.980 of workplace issues affecting individuals with  disabilities and help address those concerns. So,   00:49:55.980 --> 00:50:00.780 um, I, I think that's going to go a long way,  at least for us, with the retention piece. 00:50:02.840 --> 00:50:08.220 >> Thank you, thank you for that, um, you know,  there's been a lot of comments coming lately,   00:50:09.000 --> 00:50:14.100 um, around this, and, and, um, I'm also seeing  some of you, some folks answering some of the,   00:50:14.100 --> 00:50:19.860 the questions, so thank you, uh, I really  appreciate that because that's how this works   00:50:19.860 --> 00:50:24.780 as a community, right? Whoever has an answer  may chime in on that, so appreciate that.   00:50:25.560 --> 00:50:31.560 Um, let me ask, um, if the panelists  could, I always like to end to, uh,   00:50:31.560 --> 00:50:37.500 with people walking away in a positive,  uh, mood. So, if each of our panelists,   00:50:37.500 --> 00:50:43.860 if you have a success story that you could  share regarding individuals with disabilities   00:50:43.860 --> 00:50:49.020 or targeted disabilities in the workplace, if you  could share that, right, just, just something,   00:50:49.020 --> 00:50:53.040 you'll see, not about the policies and what  you're all doing, but if you have a particular   00:50:53.040 --> 00:50:59.460 success story you'd like to share with, with  our, um, our attendees and participants today. 00:51:00.080 --> 00:51:07.740 >> Hi, so this is Dina from the Coast Guard.  I will share a personal success story, um,   00:51:07.740 --> 00:51:14.760 my admin assistant, you know, those positions are  typically lower graded and more difficult to fill,   00:51:15.720 --> 00:51:20.160 um, I was able to hire a person with  disability, targeted disability,   00:51:20.160 --> 00:51:28.500 into that position. She's been with me for over  three years now. Um, honestly, I give her a task,   00:51:28.500 --> 00:51:36.900 I don't worry about it, she takes it and  just runs with it. So, I highly encourage,   00:51:37.860 --> 00:51:41.880 um, all hiring officials to  consider persons with disabilities,   00:51:42.660 --> 00:51:47.940 um, but just, you won't go wrong, at  least from my personal, um, story. 00:51:48.920 --> 00:51:56.220 >> Thank you. Any of the  others? Shelly? Donna? Rebekah? 00:51:57.500 --> 00:52:04.920 >> So, I don't have a personal story to share,  but I feel like, you know, a USCIS great story is,   00:52:04.920 --> 00:52:09.300 and, and this is, you know, something that we  track every year on a different front, right,   00:52:09.300 --> 00:52:12.840 so the, bless best places to work  in the federal government rankings,   00:52:13.740 --> 00:52:17.460 um, and in my view, this is a really  great story, especially for DEIA,   00:52:18.300 --> 00:52:22.320 um, and, um, individuals with disabilities.  Persons with disabilities, have to say that   00:52:22.320 --> 00:52:29.880 it's easier for me, um, our rankings are above  medium rankings for DEIA accessibility, 71.4%,   00:52:29.880 --> 00:52:38.280 and DEIA inclusion, 76.2 percent, and in my mind,  that is a great story, that's a retention piece,   00:52:39.300 --> 00:52:43.320 um, you know, there's so many other more reasons  people love working at USCIS, but that really   00:52:43.320 --> 00:52:48.180 means something because that's the employee's  voice back coming back to us, and that's,   00:52:48.180 --> 00:52:54.240 that's a critically High rating for us. So, in  my, my mind, that is a success story, and it is,   00:52:54.240 --> 00:52:59.160 it didn't necessarily have to be personal, it'd  be, what's a success story within your agency? 00:53:01.520 --> 00:53:08.880 >> Any others? Okay, so there's a question  here about how do we promote it at diversity   00:53:08.880 --> 00:53:13.320 at the 15 and SES level, is diversity  at higher levels considered important?   00:53:14.160 --> 00:53:18.480 Um, do you all want to address that? And this  doesn't, um, I mean this can be much broader.   00:53:18.480 --> 00:53:24.300 So let me start at the department level. One of  the things that my office does is we look at,   00:53:24.300 --> 00:53:30.720 um, diversity or demographic diversity across the  board, right? So it's not just about ethnicity or   00:53:30.720 --> 00:53:39.420 race or gender disability. We look at veterans, we  look at by generations, we look at, um, uh, what   00:53:39.420 --> 00:53:46.020 did I say? Veterans already, you know. So we look  at a broad cross-section when we are talking about   00:53:46.020 --> 00:53:51.180 diversity, and we're in that, we, you know, we  break it down by all the levels. One of the things   00:53:51.180 --> 00:53:58.260 is, some of you maybe, where hopefully you're all  aware of the Secretary's 2023, uh, priorities,   00:53:58.260 --> 00:54:05.940 of which, um, priority number one on dealt with  about meeting basic needs of our employees,   00:54:05.940 --> 00:54:13.440 that dealt with engagement issues like pay parity.  Priority number two, you know, and Facilities   00:54:13.440 --> 00:54:19.080 improvements, make sure that we're really meeting  the basic needs of our employees, right? Priority   00:54:19.080 --> 00:54:28.800 two talks to recruitment efforts and DEIA, and  that's where we report and and so when you said,   00:54:28.800 --> 00:54:34.680 is it, are we promoting it, is it considered? I  have to tell you, every week, on every other week,   00:54:34.680 --> 00:54:42.480 these reports are going up to the Secretary and  the Deputy Secretary, and you know, I know some   00:54:42.480 --> 00:54:47.880 of you are saying, yeah, reports just go up, what  does it matter? This is also, we have to meet,   00:54:49.500 --> 00:54:55.440 every week I am actually in a meeting where  I'm reporting this. The S2 meets regularly,   00:54:55.440 --> 00:55:00.660 and when I say regularly, I feel like it's every  month or every other week where I'm gonna be   00:55:00.660 --> 00:55:06.480 called to talk about all that we're doing and  reporting out, and if any of you have ever been   00:55:06.480 --> 00:55:13.260 in meetings with the S1, our Secretary, or Deputy  Secretary, they read everything we send. I think   00:55:13.260 --> 00:55:19.800 they must not sleep because they do, and then  they come back and they ask the hard questions,   00:55:21.300 --> 00:55:25.800 um, you know, we briefed, I think back  in January, to the senior leadership   00:55:25.800 --> 00:55:31.080 team about diversity. We actually had  to break it out by grade levels, and,   00:55:31.980 --> 00:55:37.320 um, you know, as with communication, sometimes  it doesn't flow down, um, you know, so you don't   00:55:37.320 --> 00:55:42.000 know, may not be aware that this is going on,  but I will tell you to have made those first   00:55:42.000 --> 00:55:52.980 two items, there's priorities or 2023 component  leadership will often reach out asking about the   00:55:52.980 --> 00:55:59.460 numbers that we have shown. The Secretary and  the Deputy Secretary calls them out about it,   00:55:59.460 --> 00:56:06.420 you know, good and bad. So it is considered, it  is being reported up, and they are reading it   00:56:06.420 --> 00:56:13.200 and coming back and asking us what we're doing.  So I did want folks to know is, um, you know,   00:56:13.200 --> 00:56:19.020 you may not hear, hear about that, but I will tell  you that I am spending an enormous amount of time,   00:56:19.860 --> 00:56:24.660 um, and then I am slowing this down asking people  what are you doing around this, what is the latest   00:56:24.660 --> 00:56:30.120 actions, here's some things that, um, have  been going on. We conduct focus groups across,   00:56:31.800 --> 00:56:37.320 um, the components, my team has been responsible  for that, and while it's not just about,   00:56:38.640 --> 00:56:44.400 um, disability issues, we hear, um, we hear  about all kinds of things, whether it's,   00:56:44.400 --> 00:56:51.660 you know, the bandwidth that can't support you  being able to do your work, Fleet facilities,   00:56:51.660 --> 00:56:57.600 uh, the environment, so we hear a lot of this,  we are tracking these. These are getting back   00:56:57.600 --> 00:57:05.160 to your components to say what is going on. The  Secretary has been doing engagement, so I know   00:57:05.160 --> 00:57:14.220 that was a lot to answer that question, but this  is really about, it is considered, it is, um, let   00:57:14.220 --> 00:57:19.740 me just tell you high interest in this, that is my  every waking moment, addressing these issues, and   00:57:19.740 --> 00:57:25.200 some of these folks as well because it flows down  when I go across, uh, the DHS agents, is to ask,   00:57:26.160 --> 00:57:30.900 um, with one minute with three minutes  left, I'm just going to have an open   00:57:30.900 --> 00:57:36.960 question for the panelists, is there anything  that you would like to, to close out with,   00:57:36.960 --> 00:57:42.240 and then we will wrap this up, and I will  do then just have some final comments. 00:57:44.780 --> 00:57:46.980 >> Um, I'll start -- oh, I'm sorry. 00:57:46.980 --> 00:57:47.760 >> Shelly, go ahead. 00:57:47.760 --> 00:57:51.660 >> No, I was just gonna say thank you, um,  thank you Rebekah. I was just gonna say, um,   00:57:51.660 --> 00:57:57.300 Sharon, thank you, and in the spirit of diversity  and inclusion, we love to grow our employees,   00:57:57.300 --> 00:58:03.120 and it's an honor to be able to promote and  hire individuals with disabilities and target   00:58:03.120 --> 00:58:08.640 disabilities at all grade levels. Um, and  also, I want to say thank you to the other   00:58:08.640 --> 00:58:14.160 panel members because I've taken some notes.  Um, some of the things like Rebekah mentioned,   00:58:14.160 --> 00:58:18.240 we are doing. We're getting ready  to post a vacancy announcement soon,   00:58:18.240 --> 00:58:25.560 very similar to your announcement, uh, out there  reaching individuals with disabilities and other   00:58:25.560 --> 00:58:29.880 non-competitive, uh, hiring authorities,  so we're getting ready to do that now,   00:58:31.020 --> 00:58:37.200 um, and we do the pre-consult, the pre-recruitment  consultations that we have, that hiring manager   00:58:37.200 --> 00:58:43.860 conversation. So I did write down from Diana, your  affinity group, and I wrote some notes from Dina   00:58:43.860 --> 00:58:49.140 as well, so thank you. This has been a tremendous  opportunity for me as well to learn, so thanks. 00:58:50.060 --> 00:58:51.840 >> Rebekah? 00:58:51.840 --> 00:58:56.700 >> Thank you, and I'll just echo  Shelley's sentiments. There was   00:58:56.700 --> 00:58:58.380 a lot of great information that was shared today,   00:58:58.920 --> 00:59:03.900 um, just thank you to Sharon and did my colleagues  here on the panel, and, uh, thank you all for all   00:59:03.900 --> 00:59:08.460 of you being here, and I'd also like to extend the  invitation to anyone if they have any questions   00:59:08.460 --> 00:59:12.600 about anything we talked about or about the  recruitment aspect or schedule a, please feel   00:59:12.600 --> 00:59:16.860 free to reach out to me. I'm happy to answer any  questions you might have, either teams or email,   00:59:17.940 --> 00:59:22.260 um, and, you know, if you're interested in  FLETC, come teach at the beach with us. I   00:59:22.260 --> 00:59:26.580 think I like that new slogan someone else came  across. I love it, teach at the beach. So I,   00:59:26.580 --> 00:59:30.180 uh, well, we might start utilizing that, but  hopefully, we'll see, uh, some folks at the   00:59:30.180 --> 00:59:34.800 recruitment fairs and just around the flood scene  or the DHS environment, so thank you all so much. 00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:37.640 >> Okay, Donna? 00:59:37.640 --> 00:59:42.900 >> Yeah, no, thank you. This was really  good, great to hear from everybody, great to   00:59:42.900 --> 00:59:48.000 participate. Look, I think we should get a little  competition going with the numbers, that'll be   00:59:48.000 --> 00:59:51.600 fun. But Sharon, to answer what you said too,  I mean, it's hard, I agree, it's hard at the   00:59:51.600 --> 00:59:57.000 leadership levels. One of the things our director  did, um, or do our director, who she's really   00:59:57.000 --> 01:00:04.380 amazing, um, she particularly, a strategic plan,  she linked it with our USCIS strategic plan. These   01:00:04.380 --> 01:00:08.460 things are meaningful, all of our leadership is  paying attention to this stuff. It is a big deal,   01:00:09.420 --> 01:00:13.920 um, and, you know, I think that's,  that's a great positive for us. So,   01:00:14.520 --> 01:00:19.200 um, we look forward to continuing to leverage  these authorities and promote them as best as   01:00:19.200 --> 01:00:23.820 we can, and, you know, thank you, Sharon,  for having us come, uh, today and speak. 01:00:23.820 --> 01:00:27.720 >> Okay, and Dina, any closing? 01:00:27.720 --> 01:00:31.860 >> No, I agree with everyone. I  took a lot of great notes, and,   01:00:32.460 --> 01:00:36.360 um, I'm thinking about posting  that announcement to Target,   01:00:37.080 --> 01:00:44.820 um, our position, so, um, great super suggestion  on that. And, um, I'm all for competition, um,   01:00:44.820 --> 01:00:51.480 and like everybody else, I am willing to share  our MOU for, um, affinity group if anybody would   01:00:51.480 --> 01:00:57.480 like to have a copy. Okay, so thank you, everyone,  great discussion, really appreciate the panelists,   01:00:58.440 --> 01:01:03.180 um, you know, hope you tune into so there's two  sessions that OCHCO is hosting. This is the first,   01:01:03.180 --> 01:01:07.080 the second one this afternoon is at two  o'clock, it's called "Boots Underground:   01:01:07.080 --> 01:01:12.660 Making Accessibility Happen," and they're gonna  align strategies and tactics that can be employed   01:01:12.660 --> 01:01:19.020 at the individual level to accomplish DHS's  broader goal to strengthen accessibility, equity,   01:01:19.020 --> 01:01:24.900 and fairness. Remember, we're not just doing this  to just do it, right? Just to hire people without,   01:01:24.900 --> 01:01:31.620 we are doing it because all these different  perspectives and backgrounds help DHS execute   01:01:31.620 --> 01:01:36.720 and accomplish our mission, and at the end  of the day, that's what's important is the   01:01:36.720 --> 01:01:42.840 execution of our mission. So we need to bring it,  we need to, um, ensure we are bringing in folks   01:01:42.840 --> 01:01:49.020 from all segments of society because it is this  diversity that helps us to execute our mission. 01:01:49.020 --> 01:01:54.480 >> So thank you, everyone, the chat had  the, um, the info on all of our speakers,   01:01:54.480 --> 01:01:59.220 so as they mentioned, please reach out to them  if you have specific questions. Thank you,   01:01:59.220 --> 01:02:04.740 everyone, and, uh, really appreciate  your joining us today. Thank you, bye. 01:02:09.740 --> 01:02:10.740 >>   01:02:10.740 --> 01:02:14.820 That was an awesome, awesome,  awesome presentation. Thank you,   01:02:14.820 --> 01:02:19.920 Miss Wong. You did a great job. Your  panelists were great. I think all of   01:02:19.920 --> 01:02:23.820 the participants today definitely walked  away with a lot of information. I, for one,   01:02:23.820 --> 01:02:29.760 would love to have you guys back again next year  with the same panel or other people who are as   01:02:29.760 --> 01:02:35.160 enthusiastic. And I really would love to be able  to see those percentage numbers to see where they   01:02:35.160 --> 01:02:40.380 are next year in comparison to this year because  based on what you guys described, the numbers are   01:02:40.380 --> 01:02:45.660 really doing well right now. But to get it  above 25 percent, that would be really nice. 01:02:45.660 --> 01:02:50.220 >> Yes, thank you very much  for having us. That, thank you. 01:02:50.220 --> 01:02:56.520 >> Thank you all. Right, guys, we are going to  move into our next segment. Um, for this morning,   01:02:57.420 --> 01:03:03.360 um, next, we're going to go into an overview of  accessibility training for developers, an overview   01:03:03.360 --> 01:03:09.180 of the Playbook upgrades. So I know that we have  a lot of people that are on the call now that are   01:03:09.180 --> 01:03:15.840 trusted testers. We have folks who are developers.  We have program managers that are in control of   01:03:15.840 --> 01:03:22.320 different systems. So this particular presentation  is one I think that you really are going to enjoy   01:03:22.320 --> 01:03:27.720 if you don't know about the Playbook. The Playbook  was created by our office to assist individuals as   01:03:27.720 --> 01:03:32.640 they are going through the development  process and procurement process, so...