Coming soon to a storefront near you: Window stickers that recognize businesses that proactively create employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
But before the stickers can be produced and distributed, a design is needed. A new partnership has formed, merging the enthusiasm and advocacy of the Knoxville Area Employment Consortium (KAEC) and the Mayor's Council on Disability Issues (CODI). KAEC and CODI are soliciting design ideas for the window displays through the end of June.
Last August, KAEC, Tennesseeworks and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center organized a "Community Conversation" at the Embassy Suites, 9621 Parkside Drive, to brainstorm ways that the Knoxville community can increase meaningful job options for people with disabilities.
Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and members of the Mayor's Council on Disability Issues (CODI) shared ideas during the forum. After the "Community Conversation," KAEC and CODI partnered in a joint focus on increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
“We can speak out and help employers more clearly recognize all the human assets in our community,” Mayor Rogero said at the community forum.
As a result of the KAEC-CODI partnership, educational videos are being created as both a tool for employers and as a way to further the discussion of strategies for successfully pairing employers and job seekers with disabilities.
Another result was a pledge to publicly recognize businesses that are committed to hiring people with disabilities. A good starting point in recognizing those businesses is the window stickers.
Got a strong visual in mind for the design? Entries will be evaluated by the Knoxville Area Employment Consortium and judged based on aesthetics, ease of production, and relevancy. Submissions of sticker designs will be accepted through Thursday, June 30.
Cash prizes of $300, $150 and $75 will be awarded to the top three designs. Winners will be notified by July 15. All submissions will become the property of the Cerebral Palsy Center, and KAEC and the Cerebral Palsy Center reserve the right to change or modify designs as needed for production, clarity or aesthetics.
Entrants are encouraged to use the acronym “KAEC” in the design, and artwork should include CMYK colors but may also include complementary colors and shades.
Submit entries to:
Bob Sexton, Executive Director
Cerebral Palsy Center
241 E. Woodland Ave.
Knoxville, Tenn. 37914
[email protected]
Questions about the design? Please contact Tom Beeson at [email protected] or 865-438-4391.