Cassie Heaster’s experience in the bakery at West Virginia University is different from an average workplace.

Heaster, who has been deaf since the age of 2, uses American Sign Language to communicate with her coworkers and supervisor who have all taken a basic sign language class to communicate about cooking and baking. And she regularly communicates with a sign language interpreter about specific tasks that need to be accomplished.

Heaster is one of many workers at WVU who are an asset to the University as they overcome a disability. In fact she was recently honored by the state as one of six workers who have overcome significant employment obstacles due to a disability as part of Disability Employment Awareness Month.

WVU is seeking to recruit more workers like Heaster as part of its commitment to employing a diverse workforce.

On April 21, WVU is holding the Work Opportunities Job Fair that is open to any job seeker but is placing specific emphasis on recruiting job seekers with disabilities. The event is being held in partnership between WVU Talent Strategy – Employment Services and the Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and in collaboration with the state Division of Rehabilitative Services, the Job Accommodation Network and the Region VI Workforce Investment Board. The event will take place in The Erickson Alumni Center from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Prior to the event, employers will have an opportunity to attend a special training session provided by a representative from the Job Accommodation Network on proper etiquette when conversing with individuals with specific physical, visual or auditory impairments. Another valuable feature of the fair will be the Resource Room where local agencies will be available to provide information on disability services they offer, including the WVU Center for Excellence in Disabilities with a display of state-of-the-art assistive technology benefitting employers and job seekers alike.

To further accommodate employers and job seekers, individual interview rooms will be available throughout the day for onsite interviews. Interpreters for the deaf will be on hand and programs will be available in Braille to assist visually impaired job seekers.

Talent Strategy is a unit of the WVU Division of Human Resources whose primary objective is to promote and facilitate the pairing of qualified job seekers with suitable work opportunities at the University. This unit functions with a basic awareness that the success of the University depends on establishing and maintaining a highly-skilled, innovative workforce — while steadfastly adhering to the University’s goal of promoting a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion.

Talent Strategy engages in frequent and diverse outreach efforts with a goal of reaching an all-inclusive audience of job seekers. One primary example is the Veterans Job Fair that took place in the spring of 2014 with a specific emphasis on military veterans and their families. The event was well attended and employers were able to meet with many jobs seekers to discuss their qualifications as well as to provide information with regard to opportunities within their organizations. On a smaller scale, recruiters routinely attend local job fairs, give informational presentations to groups and visit agencies in an effort to bring awareness to the community of current job opportunities at the University.

-WVU-

cs/2/4/15

CONTACT: Charlotte Swiger, WVU Talent Strategy – Employment Services
304-293-6573, Charlotte.Swiger@mail.wvu.edu

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