James Emmett

James Emmett is a prominent figure in the field of disability inclusion and employment services. As the Workplace Lead Strategist at Understood, he brings extensive experience and expertise to his role.13

Professional Background

James Emmett is a national leader in developing employment services for individuals with disabilities and assisting corporations in creating outreach efforts to the disability community.1 He has worked on many high-profile disability and inclusion projects with companies like Walgreens, Best Buy, Office Depot/Max, PepsiCo, and Mercy Health.1

Career Highlights

• Founder and CEO: James Emmett & Company, a disability inclusion consulting firm14
• Disability Program Manager: Initially worked for Walgreens, helping set up the company's national disability initiative1
• Consultant: Assisted Easter Seals National in laying the foundation for their national autism services network1
• Project Director: Led award-winning research/demonstration projects examining career development and transition strategies for individuals with autism and other disabilities1

Education and Expertise

James holds a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Illinois Institute of Technology.1 He is an individual with a disability and a parent of three daughters with disabilities, which adds a personal dimension to his professional expertise.1

Publications and Presentations

• Co-authored a chapter on school-to-work transition in the book "Employment for Individuals With Asperger Syndrome or Non-Verbal Learning Disability"1
• Published an article in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation titled "Lessons Learned By A Rehabilitation Counselor in Corporate America"1
• Currently writing a book entitled "Business & Autism: The Desktop Guide on How Companies Target the Growing Autism Community"1
• Has presented at over 200 national, state, and local conferences on issues related to career development, transition, the business community, and disability1

Career Vision

James Emmett's career vision is to fundamentally change the business and disability communities by helping hundreds of companies create disability inclusion brands.4 His overall goal is to assist businesses in developing long-term strategies, systems, processes, tools, and support that create a disability-inclusive workplace.2