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SUNY Potsdam Welcomes Our Ability CEO John Robinson for Pathways to Inclusion Program

SUNY Potsdam Welcomes Our Ability CEO John Robinson for Public Talk and Career Coaching Session for Students with Disabilities

Potsdam, NY (04/02/2025) — SUNY Potsdam will welcome guest speaker John Robinson, the president and chief executive officer of Our Ability, who will visit campus as part of the Pathways to Inclusion Program on Thursday, April 10.

The Pathways to Inclusion initiative aims to enhance career services support for students with disabilities. Out of many applicants, only six SUNY campuses were selected to participate in this prestigious program.

Robinson's visit will include a variety of meetings and student-facing events designed to provide personalized guidance and support. He will kick off the day with a talk on the history of workplace rights at 11 a.m. in the Lougheed Learning Commons lobby. This event is free, and open to the public.

In the afternoon, Robinson will lead a career workshop from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., in the Center for Diversity Lounge. In this session, students will have the opportunity to work directly to receive personalized career guidance. Utilizing a generative AI employment matching system, Robinson will help match student resumes to available jobs on the Our Ability platform.

Robinson is dedicated to connecting individuals with disabilities towards employment through emerging technologies. He is the subject of "Get Off Your Knees: The John Robinson Story," a public television documentary seen around the world. Syracuse University Press published his autobiography of the same title in 2009.

Our Ability is disability-owned and operated, and committed to building employment opportunities through its job platforms and engagement. In 2013, Robinson was named one of 10 White House Champions of Change for Disability Employment. Under his leadership, Our Ability was presented with the Business Excellence Award in Small Business by the New York Small Business Development Corp. in 2015. Three years later, he was honored with the Capital Region (NY) Chamber of Commerce Champion Award in recognition of actions that have advanced the mission of the organization. In 2023, Our Ability was recognized by the Zero Project as an innovative solution. To learn more, visit www.ourability.com.

This initiative is a significant step towards ensuring that SUNY Potsdam provides top-of-the-line career preparation supports for students with disabilities. By fall, the campus will have a written strategic plan in place to continue these efforts. To learn more about career services at SUNY Potsdam, visit www.potsdam.edu/studentlife/career-services.

About SUNY Potsdam:

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. Now in its third century, SUNY Potsdam is distinguished by a legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and culture of creativity. To learn more, visit www.potsdam.edu.

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Our Ability President and CEO John Robinson will visit SUNY Potsdam’s career services on April 10, as part of the Pathways to Inclusion Program (Photo credit: Albany Business Review).

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