Pet bearded dragon on young woman's shoulder

Bearded Dragons as Emotional Support Pets

An Emotional Support Animal (ESA) is any pet that is legally certified to offer support for emotional of psychological conditions. They help people by providing support during difficult times and are mostly commonly utilized by people suffering from conditions such as anxiety or depression. Usually dogs are trained for this task. However, diversity of ESAs…

Supporting employees during the holidays

Supporting Employees During The Holidays

When we think back to how “stressed” we used to feel during the holidays, we might long for a bit of that old normal…especially as we continue feeling the effects of the pandemic and growing economic concerns. With your employees coping with burnout, COVID fatigue, and the rising cost of living, the “holiday blues” may…

fingers on a braille keyboard

Prioritizing Workplace Accessibility For All Employees

Every employer knows how difficult it can be to recruit and retain top talent. For far too long, however, one important and immense sector of the workforce has been under-utilized. Millions of Americans with disabilities have been excluded from the workforce simply due to the inaccessibility of the workplace.   This constitutes not only significant…

supporting employees during inflation

Help Support Your Employees During Inflation

This article originally appeared on the American Fidelity blog.   It’s no secret that the talent pool is getting smaller while inflation is steadily increasing. But, while the cost of living and consumer goods are growing, organization costs are also rising. This makes it difficult for some employers to match the inflation rate with salary increases. If…

How Mindfulness Empowers Us to Skillfully Engage in Difficult Conversations

By Cheryl Jones, Director of Mindfulness at Aetna As if the intensity of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic with its health and economic implications wasn’t enough, we now find ourselves in the midst of rising racial and political tensions. It feels as though our sanity and our humanity are at risk. I believe mindfulness (awareness that…

Working man dealing with mental health challenge

Psychosocial Factors and Disability Claims Management

Editor’s Note: The Council for Disability Awareness’ research consultant Fred Schott recently completed a third stint as host of The CDA’s Financial Health and Income Network podcast. This time, his guest was Ian Bridgman, executive director of The Claim Lab and a member of The CDA’s Board of Directors. Their topic was psychosocial factors and…

Office worker experiencing the mental health impacts of Long Covid

Be Rigorous — But Be Human: A Conversation About Long Covid and Mental Health

By Fred Schott Editor’s Note: Recently, Fred Schott, The Council for Disability Awareness’ research consultant, hosted a second podcast on Long Covid – this time focusing on its mental health dimension. (You can read the highlights from the first podcast here.)  Fred’s guest was Dr. Les Kertay, a clinical psychologist, senior vice president of behavioral…