e-Campus - Work Wellness Institute

Susanne M. Bruyère is a Professor of Disability Studies and Director of the K. Lisa Yang and Hock E. Tan Institute on Employment and Disability, Cornell University ILR (Industrial and Labor Relations) School. The Yang-Tan Institute is a research, training, and technical assistance center focusing on disability inclusion in employment, education, and community. Dr. Bruyère serves as Institute administrative and strategic lead, and as the Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of numerous research, dissemination, and technical assistance efforts focused on employment and disability policy and effective workplace practices for people with disabilities. She is the author/co-author of three books and over 120 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on workplace disability inclusion. Susanne holds a doctoral degree in Rehabilitation Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Bruyère is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association, a former Chairperson of the Global Applied Disability Research and Information Network (GLADNET), an executive board member of CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities), and Past President of the Division (22) of Rehabilitation Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA), the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), and the American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA).

Jamie Burton is co- owner and VP of Dolphin Digital Technologies, currently seconded to CCRW as the Chief Business Development Officer. Dolphin is a communication technologies firm widely recognized for the use of technology to tackle social issues. Dolphin has led a fundamental transformation in the modes of work by developing a virtual work environment capable of wealth creation and social cohesion. Their transformative workplace facilitates innovation and the development of a unique approach to profitability; one which allows for social alignment and sustainable, collaborative solutions. Dolphin is the first business in Canada to develop and implement a barrier free hiring strategy for people with disabilities. Jamie Burton helped to design the virtual technical assessment solution (ViTAS) to identify and qualify skills in job candidates. Being able to facilitate unbiased skill assessment led to the recognition of untapped potential, talent mobility and analytic synthesis of career development. Recognizing the value of strategic hiring, Jamie determined to take the opportunity to drive change in business, and founded Dolphin Disabilities Mentoring Day in 2011, which has grown from one city location, to a National event including 20 cities in 5 provinces across Canada, and from four participating businesses to 159. Dolphin DMD has proven that mentoring establishes a shared learning experience which lends to the identification of essential & transferable skills and facilitates increased disability confidence. Jamie Burton has utilized her skills and connections as Dolphin’s Vice President, to establish a sound mentoring model which has now been shared as a responsible, sustainable and economic best practice. She has represented Canada on global stages, championing the business advantage of innovative hiring strategies and employment of people with disabilities, with a lens on technical innovation. Jamie has helped government and businesses develop employment strategy, policy, and best practices, and is currently a member of the Accessible Standards Canada, Technical Committee on Employment. Jamie has been awarded the BMO Celebrating Women- Innovation & Global Growth Award, Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Lt. Gov. Community Volunteer Award, & Rogers Women of the Year-Entrepreneur.