Events
NDEAM with WDNBH
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
WDNBH is marking the occasion with our annual training event.
This year, we are piloting a brand-new interactive experience!
Breaking Workplace Disability Barriers: Hayden’s Story
Presented by WDNBH in partnership with BHSSC
Date & Time
Tuesday, October 7, 2025 • 8:30–11:00 a.m.
Location
The Monument — Spruce Room
444 N Mt Rushmore Rd, Rapid City, SD
About the Training Pilot:
Celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) with WDNBH at our annual training event. This year’s event features the pilot launch of a new, hands-on experience developed in partnership with Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC). You’ll experience the training firsthand, provide structured feedback, and play a key role in shaping its final design.
Inspired by BHSSC’s Poverty 101 escape room, this new training uses interactive storylines to expand education and awareness of workplace disability barriers.
The first module—focused on mental health disabilities—will debut on October 7. Because this is the pilot, participants will be asked to share feedback to ensure the training is effective and educational. Once finalized, the program will cover multiple disabilities and be shared across South Dakota.
Our escape room training helps employers see workplace accessibility in a new way. By putting participants in the position of navigating a disability, advocating for themselves, requesting accommodations, and learning to work sustainably, the training demonstrates how businesses can create real change through policies and practices that foster accessibility.
We believe this will be an impactful tool for educating employers about the ADA and how to accommodate and employ individuals with disabilities successfully.
Who Should Attend:
Business owners, HR leaders, supervisors, operations managers, and anyone responsible for hiring, onboarding, or employee support.
What to Expect:
Interactive activities that surface real workplace barriers.
Practical tools to build stronger, more accessible workplaces.
A guided feedback session.
You’ll Learn How to:
Support employees effectively with accommodations and clear communication.
Meet ADA requirements with confidence.
Build teams where every employee can contribute fully.
This training has been approved for 2 SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs)!
NDEAM Trainers
Morgan VonHaden is the Director of Strategic Planning and Outreach. She holds a Master of Science Degree in Strategic Leadership. Morgan believes that strong families form the foundation of strong communities, and her approach to family engagement is rooted in the understanding that by empowering families, we empower entire communities to thrive. Her leadership extends beyond her professional roles, as evidenced by her participation in Leadership Rapid City (2010) and Leadership South Dakota (2016). Through Morgan’s leadership, the Statewide Family Engagement Center has received numerous awards from local communities as being an outstanding partner and nationally from the ACT Board for being an outstanding advocate. In Morgan’s free time she enjoys hiking, fishing, and playing any board game with her three children and husband.
Erin Grant is a ThirdSpace Collaborative Learning Specialist with Black Hills Special Services Cooperative. She brings nearly 20 years of experience in both classroom teaching and specialty areas, as well as administrative roles such as elementary school principal, literacy specialist, director of curriculum, instruction and assessment, and federal programs director. Erin earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education/Early Childhood Education from Sinte Gleska University in 2003, and her Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Northern State University in 2009. She believes in the power of collaborative leadership to enhance educational outcomes.
Erin currently serves as a stakeholder member of the Early Learner Rapid City committee, which allows her to stay actively involved in her community and lend her years of experience to initiatives that support young learners. Throughout her career, she has contributed to numerous school and district committees and served as a board member of the South Dakota Association of Supervision of Curriculum Development.
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
Board of Vocational Rehabilitation
Board of Service to the Blind and Visually Impaired
Statewide Independent Living Council
South Dakota Department of
Human Services
Virtual Training Event
Any individuals who require auxiliary aids and services for a disability to participate (e.g., sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, materials in an alternative format) should submit a request to
Kim Ludwig at least 10 days prior to the training at 605.626.2313 or kimberly.ludwig@state.sd.us.
October 22, 2025
10:00 AM (CT) / 9:00 AM (MT)
MANAGING PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITIES
IN THE WORKPLACE
Jana Burke, with Mariposa Professional Services, will provide information about managing psychiatric disabilities in the workplace -disability disclosure considerations, reasonable accommodation requests, and mental health and wellness programming.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Human Resource Professionals
Small Business Owners
Supervisors
Visit WDNBH at the 2024 Disability Resource Fair!
Visit us at the Disability Resource Fair on July 26, 2024, from 11am to 2pm at Main Street Square, hosted by the City of Rapid City Disability Awareness & Accessibility Committee.