DEAL 2024 Recap: The Best Bits

December 12, 2024

On October 11, Disability Rights Tennessee gathered once again with friends, advocates, colleagues, and new faces at the Music City Center in Nashville to celebrate a significant milestone: 10 years of the Disability Employment Awareness Luncheon (DEAL). This annual event is a way for the community to come together and hear personal stories and best practices from panelists and speakers to show the benefits of inclusive employment in Tennessee. It is also a chance to gather together in-person, share a meal, and strengthen connections.

Each year, we use a theme or focus on a specific topic. This year, DEAL focused on creating community in the workplace and overcoming the stigma of disclosing your disability.

Remember DEAL 2024 with this recap video. A special thank you to the Adelicia Company.
English captions available. ASL and Spanish version to come Jan. 2025.

The event’s success was made possible by our charismatic Emcee, Clancey Hopper, Keynote Speaker, Keith Richards, Program Speaker, Sundi Wright, and wonderful panel from Holiday Inn Vanderbilt and Project SEARCH featuring Zack Nienaber, Gena Shearon, Kate Deitzer, and Dawn Howard. Before diving into more highlights, DRT extends a heartfelt thank you to all our sponsors and guests who made this event possible. You can read more about our speakers and the contributions of our sponsors here.

DEAL 2024 Speakers and Panelists

Emcee – Clancey Hopper

The image shows a person with short gray hair speaking at a podium. They are wearing glasses and a bright green jacket with a colorful collar. The background features a dark, heavy curtain, indicating a conference hall. The wooden podium has a gray plaque on the front.

We were thrilled to have a movie star join us as Emcee this year! Clancey Hopper, who appeared in the recently released documentary “TrueLove: The Film,” kept the room energized and engaged throughout our program of speakers. She also shared her personal journey of seeking employment in Tennessee as someone with Williams Syndrome. Clancey has held multiple jobs over the years and currently serves on the Williams Syndrome Association’s Board of Trustees.

DEAL guests were fortunate to see an extended trailer of “TrueLove: The Film” and receive DVDs of the film. Learn more about “TrueLove: The Film” here.

Keynote Speaker – Keith Richards

An individual wearing glasses and a blue blazer stands smiling at a podium while speaking at an event. The podium has a plaque labeled 'Music City Center,' and the background features a dark curtain.

Three individuals pose for a photo indoors in front of a white wall adorned with colorful square art pieces. On the left, a man in a blazer and glasses smiles warmly. In the center, a man wearing a blue Taziki’s shirt and cap stands confidently. On the right, a woman in a striped dress and glasses stands with her hand on her hip, smiling brightly.

Keith Richards, founder of Taziki’s Mediterranean Café and The HOPE Project—Herbs Offering Personal Enrichment—shared his insights on the importance of hiring people with disabilities from a business owner’s perspective. His journey to founding The HOPE Project began during a networking opportunity while on a cruise, leading him to create an employment program for students and young adults to grow herbs for Taziki’s restaurants.

Richards emphasized that inclusive employment benefits everyone—the employee, the employer, coworkers, and the family of the employee. He highlighted for guests that as a business owner, the community you make within the workplace is everything. Whether it is part-time or full-time work, a supportive environment is essential for not just business success but growth. We can’t wait to continue to follow the great work of Taziki’s and The HOPE Project.

Program Speaker – Sundi Wright

Sundi Wright, Human Resources Administrator at the Tennessee Department of Human Resources, spoke candidly about her experience with an invisible disability. Wright stressed the importance of checking the disability box on job applications, advocating for all in the room that the removal of assumptions and stereotypes is what allows employees to thrive in their workplaces.

Instead of shying away from disclosing a disability, employees are then able to work directly with their supervisors and/or job coaches to create an environment built for growth and success. We each have a different communication and working style. When disabilities are accepted, Wright emphasized that we can work more effectively together when we know how best to work together.

A woman wearing a green blazer and black top speaks at a podium with a plaque labeled 'Music City Center.' She gestures while addressing the audience, with a dark curtain and part of a projection screen visible in the background.

Panel – Holiday Inn Vanderbilt and Project SEARCH: Zack Nienaber, Gena Shearon, Kate Deitzer, and Dawn Howard

Four people stand together smiling in a group. They are in an indoor setting with colorful artwork on the wall behind them. — Dawn, Gena, Zack, and Kate

A man speaks into a microphone with a woman next to him, engaged in discussion. Several water bottles are visible on the table. A person stands at a podium in the background, slightly blurred. The setting is a conference. — Dawn, Gena, Zack, and Kate

Tennessee has seen a lot of growth in the last decade, Nashville particularly. The panel featuring Zack Nienaber, Gena Sheaon, Kate Deitzer, and Dawn Howard from Holiday Inn Vanderbilt and Project SEARCH highlighted the challenges and triumphs within the hospitality industry.

For many working in hospitality, the COVID-19 pandemic caused employment struggles. Unfortunately, Zack was one of those people furloughed at that time. But that didn’t sideline his desire to get back to work as soon as possible. After seeing Gena Shearon at a job fair, Zack walked right up to the table in his Holiday Inn uniform and asked for his job back. The admiration across the room was noticeable for the drive and commitment that Zack showed for his connection to his job. Zack’s job coach, Dawn, spoke to her passion in what she does, including the mutual benefit of employment for employee, job coach, employer, and the employee’s family.

Gena Shearon closed with a powerful message: people with disabilities are dependable employees. Through her experience with Zack and other Project SEARCH employees and interns, Gena can see the noticeable passion amongst her employees with disabilities. Even quipping that Zack was sad to learn he wasn’t going to be able to come into work when the city of Nashville was covered in many inches of snow.

For many employers they might wonder what extra work or money it would take to employee someone with a disability. All of our speakers at DEAL 2024 showed through personal experience that the investment in making your workplace an inclusive place is priceless when it comes to community connection, morale, and productivity.

Building a Community, Together

Throughout the luncheon, the common thread was the importance of building a community through trust and conversation within the workplace. The discussions emphasized the importance of understanding and accepting the unique contributions that individuals with disabilities bring to the table. This mindset not only benefits employees but also enhances team cohesion, morale, and overall productivity. Each speaker or panel highlighted different strategies for the audience to take back with them to foster inclusive environments both as an employee and an employer.

Event Photos

DEAL 2024 Program:

DEAL 24 Program Final (2)Download