Full Access, Nashville, September 21-22, 2008. Gallery of images from the AT&T sponsored Summit.

What to Expect: An Interview with Sarah Helm of The University of Tennessee

Continuing our interview with Sarah Helm, Coordinator of the Disability Careers Office at The University of Tennessee and a nationally known speaker, we talked of what students should expect from FULL ACCESS.

AM To help prepare students for what to expect at FULL ACCESS, what is your take on how the two half-days will go?

SH From the vantage point of participating in all of the planning, I would say that our goal is to help students feel comfortable around employers and to fully understand why these great employers that we have invited are so interested in recruiting and hiring college students with disabilities. Students’ expectations in the career search need to be elevated to a point that they can confidently approach employers and feel that, if they are qualified, they can have a career and work for an AT&T, Microsoft, PepsiCo or Wal-Mart. Students should also expect to network with each other, as well as with the employers. Students should be prepared to honestly express their concerns with their own career searches in the small group discussions on Monday morning.

AM What would be your overall advice to students as they are preparing to come to FULL ACCESS?

SH Come to the summit with an open mind and a willingness to meet other college students or recent graduates with disabilities to share common experiences. You will get to hear one of the finest and most high energy speakers in the country talking about networking while making it exciting. Ollie’s example is a great one to follow. He has the type of personality and enthusiasm that is infectious. You will feel it from the first moment you meet him or when he begins presenting. The employers we are bringing together are all excited to meet the students and I would ask the students to be equally excited. This is a VERY rare opportunity for students to have this extended contact with nationally known employers to help these folks see what a great resource YOU are to these companies.

Dress for Success: An Interview with Sarah Helm of The University of Tennessee

Sarah Helm, Coordinator of the Disability Careers Office at The University of Tennessee and a nationally known speaker, sat down with Alan Muir of COSD and we talked of what the most appropriate clothes to wear to an event like this may be.

AM What would you advise students on the type of clothes that are most appropriate for the Full Access Reception and Dinner?

SH Since this is the first interaction with the representatives of employers who are participating in the Summit, I would suggest that professional attire is the best choice, in order to make that great first impression. Despite the Summit NOT being an extended job interview, first impressions are still important. For the guys, ties, a suit or a sport jacket with complimentary color dress pants. For the women, a business suit or a dressy blouse and appropriate length skirt at the knee. Dress shoes for the guys and dressy but comfortable shoes for the women.

AM Since the Monday morning small group discussions are designed to relaxed and comfortable, what would you suggest students wear?

SH Casual and comfortable, yet neat. Collared shirts, such as polo / golf shirts and khakis would be great for the guys. For the women, comfortable clothes and shoes would be fine. Jeans and shorts would not be appropriate, as we are all still promoting the professional image for the Summit.

Submit your Resume

Students, you will need to post a resume along with your Full Access application. Please have your resume reviewed by a Career Services professional at your home institution before posting.

To post your resume you will first need to register on Career Gateway. To do so, visit http://cosdonline.org and then click on “Student Entrance” at the bottom of the page. From there, click on “New Registration” to begin the process. Complete your new profile to the fullest extent possible, which will include uploading a resume into the system.

To upload a resume (or other documents such as a transcript), log into Career Gateway by going to:

https://cosd-csm.symplicity.com/students/

Once you are logged in, click on the “documents” tab.

Then, simply click on “add new.”

We look forward to reviewing your application and your resume!

If you have any problems or questions about getting registered on Career Gateway, feel free to contact Crystal Gilreath, Director of Operations, at cgilreath@cosdonline.org

An opportunity you can’t afford to miss!

Have you ever wondered how to get your foot in the door with a company?

Then don’t miss your chance! At Full Access you will have the unique professional opportunity to interact closer than ever before with employers who are looking for you. This event, which attracts top employers focused on recruiting students with disabilities, is coming to your area this year on September 21-22. This event won’t return to this area for years to come, so take advantage now. Submit your application online today before the opportunity passes you by!

Getting There…

It will be each attendees responsibility to get to Nashville, Tennessee. Any costs associated with your travel will be your own. There may be additional students attending the FULL ACCESS Student Summit from your college or university, so we encourage you to ask your campus professional (Disability Services or Career Services contact) about the possibility of carpooling with others.

Driving Directions to the Holiday Inn Select Opryland-Airport

From the East (Knoxville): Traveling on I-40 West, take exit #215B  Briley Parkway/TN-155 North.  Then take Elm Hill Pike, exit #7. Turn Right onto Elm Hill Pike.  Holiday Inn Select is on your left.

From the West (Memphis): Traveling on I-40 East, merge take exit #215B Briley Parkway/TN-155 North. Then take Elm Hill Pike, exit #7. Turn Right onto Elm Hill Pike.  Holiday Inn Select is on your left.

From the North (Louisville, KY): Traveling on I-65 South, take exit #90B Briley Parkway/TN-155 East toward Airport. Then take Elm Hill Pike, exit #7. Turn Left onto Elm Hill Pike.  Holiday Inn Select is on your left.

From the South (Birmingham, AL): Traveling on I-65 North, merge onto I-440 East via exit #80 toward Knoxville/Chattanooga. Then merge onto I-24 West via the exit on the left toward I-40 East/Nashville/Knoxville. Merge onto I-40 via exit 52B toward the Airport and Knoxville. Take exit #215B Briley Parkway/TN-155 North. Then take Elm Hill Pike, exit #7. Turn Right onto Elm Hill Pike.   Holiday Inn Select is on your left.

From the Southeast (Chattanooga): Traveling on I-24, take exit #52B I-40 East toward the Airport, then take exit # 215B Briley Parkway/TN-155 North. Then take Elm Hill Pike, exit #7. Turn Right onto Elm Hill Pike.  Holiday Inn Select is on your left.

The hotel is located at: 2200 Elm Hill Pike, Nashville, TN 37214.  Hotel phone number is 615-883-9770.

Airport Shuttle Information

The hotel offers a  free airport shuttle to and from the airport. Pick-up and Drop-off will be on the 1st Floor of the airport near the rental car area.

Will I Be Flying Solo?

One of your first questions you may be asking yourself right now is “can I bring someone with me to this event.” Well, the answer is “yes” and “no.”

 

YES to those of you who have a Personal Care Assistant or someone who will need to assist you in any way during the event. In this case, you will need to let us know if this individual will be attending any or all of the FULL ACCESS events so that we can ensure they have the appropriate credentials and are counted in meals. You can inform us of such a need on your application in the “accommodations” section.

 

But NO to those of you who’s best friend or family member wants to tag along for the fun of it. That’s not to say they can’t come with you, but they will not be included in any of the FULL ACCESS agenda items. Our space is limited for this event, so we appreciate your cooperation.

 

As with any COSD event, there will be many individuals to assist you throughout this event. In addition, there will be a lot of other college students just like yourself who are anxious about this event. But, we hope this will be an opportunity to network with others and possibly establish lasting relationships.

Companies you will meet – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is the largest retailer in the world with more than 6,500 stores and wholesale clubs covering 13 countries and more than 1.9 million employees worldwide. Global Revenues were approximately $345 Billion for the year ended January 31, 2007. Wal-Mart was the first major discounter to use technology to ensure replenished stock by working with suppliers to alert them when to deliver more product to each of the Wal-Mart stores. For more information, please click on www.wal-mart.com/careers. Crosby Cromwell will be representing Wal-Mart Stores and her brief bio and picture are following:

Crosby Cromwell

Diversity Relations, Manger of Disability Markets

Wal-Mart, Stores Inc.

Crosby Cromwell is Manager of the Disability Market for Diversity Relations in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Crosby joined the team at the end of 2007 after spending close to seven years working with a non-profit the focus of which was improving education and independence opportunities for adults with disabilities.

Crosby is currently responsible for building a successful outreach and productive relationships within the disability community. The desired outcome is that associates and consumers with disabilities would have a broader scope and depth of opportunity both with Wal-Mart and their communities at large.

She received a Bachelors Degree in History from the University of Arkansas. She has been involved with disability task forces and community outreach organizations for a myriad of issues facing the community, from housing collations to small business development.

As this is the beginning of Crosby’s Wal-Mart career, she looks forward to bringing her long-standing passion for issues facing individuals with disabilities to the table. She believes that Wal-Mart will continue to magnify and expand on past achievements for programs and initiatives that enhance the daily life of individuals with disabilities while striving for excellence in the future.

Our Keynote Speaker – Ollie Cantos

Olegario “Ollie” Cantos will be speaking to all of us during our opening lunch at FULL ACCESS on Sunday, September 21 at noon. Ollie is a master networker and will be able to show you the value of networking and how you can start and grow your network in a few easy steps.

For more on Ollie, here is his brief bio and picture.

Blind since birth, Olegario “Ollie” D. Cantos VII is Special Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the U.S. Department of Justice, originally commissioned by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in March 2006. Mr. Cantos recently returned to this post after having served two consecutive terms of service as Associate Director for Domestic Policy at the White House, where he led the implementation of the President’s New Freedom Initiative, the agenda for advancing equality of opportunity for people with all types of disabilities in information and assistive technology, education, employment, and every aspect of community living. One of the highest-placed persons with a disability in the federal government today, Mr. Cantos is Member of the Attorney General’s Committee for the Employment of People with Disabilities, Member of the Incident Management Team of the Interagency Coordinating Council on Emergency Preparedness and Individuals with Disabilities headed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to name a few, and in these and other prominent roles, his responsibilities include fostering closer ties between the Justice Department and disability rights leaders at all levels, facilitating greater compliance by businesses with applicable federal disability rights laws, and establishing and strengthening new cross-agency partnerships to promote full participation by people with disabilities in every facet of societal life.

Full Access – Nashville announced

The COSD-AT&T FULL ACCESS: Student Summit for Career Exploration will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on September 21st and 22nd, 2008. This dynamic and interactive event is composed of two half-day sessions, starting at 12 noon on Sunday, September 21st and ending at 2 pm Monday, September 22nd. Interested employers should contact Alan Muir at 865-974-7148 or via e-mail at amuir@tennessee.edu to receive further information about the event and how to register. Students with disabilities who are interested in receiving an invitation to the event need to click on “Student Application” to the right to initiate the application process.

Am I Qualified to Attend FULL ACCESS?

As has been stated on this website and the materials for application, this Summit is open only to college students working toward their Undergraduate OR Graduate degrees and recent graduates with disabilities from a college or university in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee. The definition of disability for this Summit is the same as the definition at your individual schools. All disabilities covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) are welcome. This includes, but not strictly limited to, students with Learning Disabilities, Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Chronic Health, Psychological and Behavioral Health disabilities, Sensory disabilities (blindness and deafness / hard of hearing), Physical and Mobility disabilities and Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injuries.

The Holiday Inn Select is FULLY accessible in all areas. From Check-in, to Check-out, everything should be accessible for all physical and sensory disabilities. The materials will be made accessible to you, but ONLY UPON REQUEST. Please let us know on your application, whether you will need a sign language interpreter, captioning services, Braille or large print materials, specific seating requirements or assistance with your hotel room.

 

There are 8 accessible rooms in the hotel with four rooms having roll-in showers. All of these accessible rooms have been renovated and are very impressive. The staff of the hotel is ready to be responsive to our needs, as a group, and to your individual needs. If you have any questions about the hotel accommodations or the programmatic accommodations, please call Alan Muir at 865-974-7148 or e mail at amuir@cosdonline.org. Please check back often on this site, as new information is posted everyday, including more information on Mr. Ollie Cantos, our keynote speaker, more about the hotel and our menus for our Lunch, Dinner and Breakfast.