Roy Grizzard, Jr.

Dr. Roy Grizzard, who served as the first Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP), has been at the forefront of disability employment initiatives for over twenty years. In addition to his presidential appointment at ODEP, Roy was formerly the commissioner for the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In his capacity as chief administrator, he orchestrated comprehensive services to the state´s blind, visually impaired and deaf blind, as well as supervised 196 employees. As a person with a disability, Roy understands the positive impact employees with disabilities are making in today´s workforce. He combines this first hand perspective with a keen sense of the operational procedures of business and government. Through his work and years of dedication, Roy has demonstrated the business case for hiring people with disabilities, proving that employees with disabilities can improve an organization´s productivity, efficiency, staff retention, and morale. Roy holds a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education and a Master of Science in education administration and supervision from the Virginia Commonwealth University. He also holds a doctorate in education in educational leadership from Nova Southeastern University. Roy is a board member of Prevent Blindness Virginia and former chairman of the research committee of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. Keynote & Workshop Topics: Access for People with Disabilities to Employment, Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities, Achieving an Inclusive Corporate Culture, Exploring Employment and Retention Strategies, and Workforce Recruitment.