Treasurer Frerichs leads panel at Special Olympics Illinois Athlete Leadership Academy.
Treasurer Frerichs moderated a lively panel discussion at the Special Olympics Illinois (SOILL) Athlete Leadership Academy that focused on the benefits of working. Panelists included SOILL athletes who have disabilities and leaders from Amazon and Hyatt who focus on initiatives that support hiring people with disabilities.
Special Olympics Illinois Athlete Leaders Zinyra Ross and Katie O’Neill discussed their jobs and the skills and confidence they have gained through work. They explained how those experiences have helped them grow as leaders in all areas of their lives.
Zinyra works at Brookfield Zoo Chicago and United Airlines and is the CEO of her own company. Katie works as a special education paraprofessional at an elementary school.
Sarah Glavin, Head of Community Affairs at Amazon Chicago, discussed job-shadowing days and other initiatives that help employees with disabilities find meaningful roles and feel included in the Amazon Fresh workplace.
Gus Vonderheide, former vice president of global affairs at Hyatt, helped launch Hyatt’s Career Builder Day. The annual event introduces Special Olympics athletes to career opportunities in the hospitality industry.
Katie’s mother, Cathy, shared practical advice for employers on supporting employees with disabilities. Zinyra’s mother, Simyra, explained how Zinyra saves part of her earnings in an IL ABLE Account while protecting her eligibility for Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits.
Treasurer Frerichs reminded the audience of approximately 175 athletes and mentors that an IL ABLE Account is especially helpful for working Account owners, as it provides a place to save their earnings without affecting their $2,000 asset cap. Learn more about IL ABLE & Working Account Owners.
The Special Olympics Illinois Athlete Leadership Academy brings together Special Olympics Illinois athletes and their mentors for an interactive weekend designed to help Athlete Leaders have a greater impact and more confidence in the roles they would like within Special Olympics Illinois and in the community.
Learn More About IL ABLE
Learn what an IL ABLE disability savings Account is, who is eligible, how to open an Account, and how it can help you save for qualified disability-related expenses while protecting important benefits.
- Visit the IL ABLE website
- Review the Plan Disclosure Booklet
- Explore IL ABLE Investment Options
- Open an IL ABLE Account online
For assistance, call 888-609-8683 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm CT, or email il.clientservice@savewithable.com. Support is available in multiple languages and for callers who are deaf or hard of hearing.