May/110
Disabilities in the Workplace: Training for Executive Order 13548
As we approach the twenty-first anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Disabilities Education Blog would like to reflect on the year that has passed since President Obama addressed the country in honor of the Act’s 20th anniversary last summer.
Disability Training: Preparing for Executive Order 13548
For Federal employers, the Department of Labor has prepared a Toolkit for Implementing Executive Order 13548. Private business may benefit from this free resource, though it is geared towards Federal agencies. Nevertheless, this easy-to-follow toolkit outlines 5 main steps that employers must take in order to hire, train, and retain individuals with disabilities. Those steps are as follows:
1) Training. The first step is to reassess current hiring and training practices. Of particular importance is reviewing Schedule A certifications and processes. Under Schedule A hiring, employers may recruit qualified individuals with disabilities to fill certain job openings. For more on Schedule A hiring, please download the ABCs of Schedule A, a free .pdf document made available by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
2) Preparation. Step 2 in the DOL’s Toolkit for Implementing Executive Order 13548 is to create a welcoming environment for those with disabilities. Above all, employers must reassess the accessibility of their business. This stretches far beyond the physical workplace to include accessible company Web pages and other community outreach mediums. Additional soft skills training and ongoing disability awareness initiatives are recommended to keep each member of the organization mindful and accountable in creating an accessible environment for employees with disabilities.
3) Recruitment. Companies are encouraged to download the DOL’s Four Step Reference Guide to employing qualified individuals with disabilities. Business owners are also encouraged to proactively search for new networks from which to recruit. Building relationships with disability employers, for example, is just one way these new networks may be explored.
4) Interviewing and Hiring. Here, businesses are urged to once again review the ins-and-outs of Schedule A hiring, certifications of job-readiness, job accommodations, and more. To start, businesses may want to review the Overview of Hiring Practices for individuals with disabilities.
5) Retention. Finally, businesses are encouraged to consider what it means to retain employees with disabilities. The DOL’s Toolkit for Implementing Executive Order 13548 has many resource links to help employers perform a range of tasks including: helping injured employees return to work, build skills to manage veterans with PTSD, TBI, or other illnesses, and making ongoing workplace accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
Disability Training for Private Businesses
Disability trends indicate that the number of Americans with serious disability has been rising through the past decade. The 20th anniversary of the ADA and President Obama’s Executive Order to increase Federal employment of individuals with disabilities are two additional societal cues that diversity in U.S. workplaces is growing. Private sector businesses are smart to prepare to hire, train, and retain individuals with disabilities in the same way Federal agencies are doing so.
The Disabilities Education Blog has prepared several free resources to help businesses achieve this end, including:
- 3 Keys to Fostering Inclusion: This easy-to-follow resource lists 3 fundamental steps organizations may take to make their employees feel acceptance, value, and efficacy.
- Making Websites Accessible: This 5-part series is designed to help businesses create user-friendly Web pages that are accessible to individuals with disabilities, a simple yet crucial step in removing barriers of access to the workplace.
- Soft Skills Meet Hard Tasks: Join the Disabilities Education Blog in this look at soft skills training, a new way of developing individual skill sets to better accept coworkers, communicate respectfully, and foster inclusion in the workplace.
Employers may always visit the Disability Training online store to browse our comprehensive collection of leading disability videos, texts, CD-Roms, and more. Resources span a range of topics from specific illnesses to promoting respectful communication and inclusion in the workplace.
May/110
Disability News: Starbucks Sued by EEOC
A Starbucks location in El Paso, Texas, gained less-than-favorable attention this week as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or EEOC, sued the company for discriminatory hiring practices. The news comes as a shock to customers, many of whom regard the trendy coffee chain as forward-thinking and socially responsible. The incident illustrates firsthand that discriminatory practices are still very much a part of the modern American workplace. Moreover, this lawsuit serves as a wake up call to businesses nationwide: The ideals of a business or brand—respect and responsibility in the case of Starbucks—exist only so long as they are actively reinforced among all levels of employees.
The incident occurred in July of 2009. Nearly 3 years ago, Elisa Sallard applied for a position at a local Starbucks. The job listing was for the position of Barista, the individual responsible for greeting Starbucks customers, taking orders, answering questions, preparing coffee or food orders, and conducting other basic cleaning duties. The listing made no explicit requirements that past experience be necessary; rather, new hires were to be trained to perform all required duties, as is common to other franchise locations.
Elisa was hired by the coffee shop, and soon thereafter she requested a footstool to better help her perform her duties. It was at this moment that Elisa’s physical condition, dwarfism, seemed to be an issue. Starbucks promptly dismissed Elisa’s request, relieving her of her position later that day. The EEOC has taken legal action accordingly, as Starbucks directly violated the Americans with Disabilities Act in refusing to make a reasonable accommodation to better assist Elisa in performing her duties.
Disability Awareness: Training Managers to Make Accommodations
In light of the now-pending lawsuit faced by Starbucks, business owners are smart to reassess their position on disability training in the workplace. Training spreads disability awareness, helps to create best practices that comply with Federal disability laws, and insulates organizations from costly disability-related issues.
First, managers and other workplace decision-makers must be aware of what, exactly, constitutes a ‘disability’ under the ADA. According to the Act, an individual must exhibit each of the following characteristics:
- A mental or physical impairment,
- That is substantially limiting, and
- It is limiting in regard to one or more major life activities.
Should an employee exhibit these three characteristics, they are to be considered as having a ‘disability’ and are thus protected by the ADA. One of the most important protective clauses of the ADA is Title I, a provision requiring employers to provide ‘reasonable accommodation’ to employees with disabilities.
Disabilities in the Workplace: Providing Accommodation Through an Interactive Process
The Training Diversity Blog provides a fantastic guide to workplace accommodation under the ADA. It may be summarized as follows:
Request for an accommodation must be made through an interactive process.
The interactive process begins when the employee, in plain English, expresses their desire for an accommodation that will enable them to perform their job tasks.
The burden is on the employer, or the employer’s agents (on-site management), to remain attentive to an employee’s request for an accommodation.
Employer is entitled to review the request, and he or she may deny the accommodation request so long as it imposes undue hardship.
The interactive process is critical in remaining both attentive to employees as well as compliant under the ADA. Disability training programs, particularly those conducted internally, are fundamental in relaying knowledge of the ADA and its requirements to managers and employees alike. Businesses large and small may benefit from training seminars with disability videos, guest speakers, and interactive tools. Even those businesses with brands built upon principles of responsible, fair trade coffee procurement are poised to fall from the ignorant actions of a select few.
May/110
Paratransit Month: Increasing Accessibility and Opportunity
The Disabilities Education Blog has covered the contemporary issues faced by many individuals with disabilities when it comes to access to employment. From company websites to physical offices, we’ve explored what is necessary to increase the accessibility of both the physical workplace as well as general information, such as job openings and company information. We have sought to identify the barriers to access faced by individuals with disabilities in these areas so we may better counter them, establishing systems and practices that help these individuals overcome such barriers.
True, disability training programs are instrumental in creating inclusive workplaces where individuals with disabilities may thrive. However, accessibility is not a standard to be implemented in the workplace only. In fact, it is a general lack of accessibility in public transportation makes it difficult for qualified individuals to gain entry to the workplace, health care facilities, and rehabilitation centers. This problem is inhibiting, and it further perpetuates unemployment among individuals with disabilities.
Easter Seals Project ACTION
In 1988, two years prior to the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Easter Seals Project ACTION was commissioned by Congress to research and improve upon the accessibility of public transportation. The organization serves as a vital link between the transportation industry and the disability community, striving to eliminate the barriers of access to public transportation.
This year, Easter Seals Project ACTION has deemed June 2011 Paratransit Month, a time for paratransit managers and other organizations to focus on ADA complementary paratransit implementation. Business professionals are encouraged to participate through Project ACTION’s following free events:
Excellence in Service for Paratransit Managers: This 10-week virtual course is ideal for those new to the paratransit field. Learn more about the history behind the disability rights movement, how to best serve the disability community in your service area, and expand your understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Registration is free, but you must RSVP!
Determining Paratransit Eligibility: This two-part webinar trains professionals who are actively involved in conducting or managing the paratransit eligibility process. Interested parties must register by June 1st to take part in this comprehensive online training program.
Federal Budget Improvements: 2012
Accessibility to public transportation is projected to increase as a number of changes are made to the 2012 Federal budget. These changes reflect the growing need for state grants, employment programs, and most notably independent living programs geared towards increasing accessibility of public transportation services.
Improving Workplace Accessibility
Program Development Associates supplies business professionals, special education teachers, researchers, and others with leading disability training resources to increase accessibility in the workplace. PDA keeps pace with the rapidly evolving world of disability research and program development, offering exclusive resources, disability research, and news to spread awareness of the contemporary issues faced by some 54 million Americans with disabilities (i).
Increasing accessibility to communal services like public transportation is just one side of the equation, albeit an important one. Equal effort must be focused on increasing workplace accessibility. Disability workplace material like DVD resources, ongoing training initiatives, and strong corporate leadership are essential in promoting awareness for accessibility and inclusion in the workplace. Increasing accessibility to both public services, like transportation, and private opportunities, like employment, sets a foundation to drastically reduce unemployment among individuals with disabilities.
(i) http://projectaction.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=ESPA_who_we_are&s_esLocation=wwa_
Apr/110
3 Keys to Fostering Inclusion
Workplace inclusion is becoming a critical determinant of success for employers nationwide. An increasing population of Americans with disabilities, evaporating Federal funds for disability unemployment programs, and the need for ongoing ADA compliance are just three key drivers towards increased participation of individuals with disabilities in the workplace. Disability training programs that foster inclusion are a means for organizations to stay ahead of the curve, preparing workplaces across the country to better accommodate work-ready prospects with disabilities.
Workplace Inclusion: 3 Key Steps
Workplace inclusion is an end, not a means. It is a goal to be achieved through ongoing disability education and awareness programs. By definition, inclusive workplaces freely and without pity accept qualified individuals of all backgrounds, including those with disabilities. This view further recognizes that outward appearance or deficiency relative to the status quo in no way inhibit the ability of an individual to add value to an organization.
The following are 3 keys to fostering inclusion in the workplace while engaging in employee training programs:
1. Create and Enforce Policies
The creation and enforcement of policies is the first step in fostering inclusion in the workplace. This step will vary in application depending on individual business diversity and needs. In general, effective policies are those that increase the accessibility of job opportunities, physical work spaces, spread awareness for prevalent disabilities, engage in soft skills training, and other means of developing a respectful rapport among all members of the organization.
Enforcement is the not-so-pretty side of this coin, but it is essential nonetheless. All members must be made aware of the penalties for violating inclusion policies. Accordingly, all individuals found in violation of stated policies must be reprimanded in a timely and equitable manner.
Finally, organizations may wish to utilize periodic office communications like announcements, bulletins, or email newsletters to circulate news of policy and enforcement changes. This has a the dual benefit of keeping employees informed while also restating inclusion policies to remind individuals of their scope and goal.
2. Encourage Employee Support Systems
Employee support systems can be both imposed by management or created by employees. The latter reflects a recent trend in the grass roots style of employee networking whereby individuals of similar backgrounds voluntarily create interoffice groups to discuss pertinent workplace issues.
Employee support systems further the generation of inclusion in the workplace by giving individuals a chance to network and bond with peers with whom they share significant common grounds. Moreover, encouraging employees to form support groups can be a vehicle for spreading awareness about issues that otherwise may go unspoken. Human Resources plays a vital role, here, as an entity capable of moderating interaction among different employee support groups to facilitate open discussion of group-specific challenges, aspirations, and perspective.
Above all, these groups build the support system necessary to help individuals build confidence, broaden their horizons, and develop professionally within their organization.
3. Recruit Individuals with Disabilities
Inclusion is not reactive. Rather, it is proactive. Qualified individuals are to be welcomed into the workplace with under an unfaltering notion that everyone has the ability to contribute something of value.
Welcoming qualified individuals is all about accessibility. In a physical sense, this means review the architecture of real-world work spaces to ensure entrances, work stations, bathrooms, and other areas are ADA compliant and deemed handicapped accessible. Accessibility extends beyond the workplace, however, and into the mediums an organization may use to communicate job openings, marketing campaigns, and company news to the general public. The virtual world is valuable in this regard, and the Disabilities Education Blog has a 5-part series on Making Websites Accessible that may prove helpful in constructing Websites with persons with disabilities in mind.
Doing the Right Thing
Disability employers and accessible organizations too often err on the side of doing the right thing. Federal compliance and maintaining a positive public image are typical motivators for employing individuals with disabilities.
However, these shallow commitments are simply not enough. Individuals with disabilities represent a significant portion of working class Americans. Employed, they also represent wage earners and consumers. They participate in their communities in similar ways as those without disabilities. Many have life goals, fears, and moments of proud achievement. Ms. Nadine Vogel, President of Springboard Consulting, puts it best (i):
People who are[...] disabled are individuals with families, jobs, hobbies, likes and dislikes, problems and joys. While their [...] disability may be an integral part of who they are, it alone does not define them. Making it comfortable for everyone to be who they are and bring their full selves and creativity to the workplace is critical to everyone’s success.
As leading global experts in helping multinational corporations, governments, and other organizations support the disability community in the workplace, Springboard Consulting knows that successful disability training programs do more than simply spread awareness. They work to create inclusive communities where each individual has a unique opportunity to leverage their talent as a means of valuable contribution.
Mar/110
Inclusive Workplaces Require Proactive Leaders
Inclusion is rapidly becoming a focal point of most disability training programs. Inclusive workplaces are shown to be more productive and profitably, lending credible testimony to the argument that training programs ought to foster inclusive ideals first and foremost.
Benefits of Hiring Individuals with Disabilities
Typically, the topic of disability employment is approached with compliance in mind. Few organizations proactively seek and hire those with disabilities. Rather, the trends seems to be that organizations hire individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, carefully acting so as to not discriminate among qualified job applicants. New research shows that hiring these individuals adds depth and experience to the workplace that also translates to other benefits. Specifically, these recent studies indicate that workers with disabilities (i):
1) Are dependable as employees
2) Exhibit a lower frequency of job turnover
3) Inspire others to work cooperatively in teams
4) Raise the moral of their peers
5) Represent a large market as both consumers and potential employees
6) Increase productivity and strengthen levels of cooperation among workers
Still, the rate of unemployment among those with disabilities continued to grow through 2010 (ii). A review of inclusion may provide impetus for change, however, as we examine what it means to build a fully functional inclusive workplace.
Principles of Inclusion
Those who advocate inclusion do so on the argument that individuals with disabilities have a right to pursue safe and fulfilling work. Moreover, inclusion holds that employers are morally prohibited from discriminating against these individuals on the basis of disability. Inclusion differs from previous methods of assimilation or integration in its belief that preserving the social functionality and visibility of the individual is of primary importance. Under the model of inclusion, treating individuals with disabilities with pity compromises the individual’s inherent dignity and potential as a community contributor. In short, inclusion can be described as the unconditional accommodation and appreciation of an individual regardless of their ability.
Leaders Needed: Fostering Inclusion in the Workplace
Strong leadership is the most critical element of successful workplaces. It is no surprise, then, that the success of inclusion-focused disability training programs hinges upon the effectiveness of interoffice leaders. Leadership training and seminars are often the best way to prepare individuals to build inclusive workplaces. Those in positions of power must proactively foster inclusion and consider how they are perceived, who they manage, and how motivation can best be created. Additionally, leaders must remember that they are in a perpetual spotlight. Subordinates rely on superiors for guidance and task delegation. In doing so, employees are both consciously and unconsciously affected by the attitudes displayed by their superiors. Thus, leaders must be vocal about inclusion, their goal to create a accommodation in the workplace, and their commitment to help achieve such a lofty end.
(i) http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCAQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ilo.org%2Fwcmsp5%2Fgroups%2Fpublic%2F—asia%2F—ro-bangkok%2Fdocuments%2Fgenericdocument%2Fwcms_149586.pdf&rct=j&q=inclusive%20workplaces%20and%20productivity&ei=a8eHTcygKNH2gAfo_7m9CA&usg=AFQjCNElEsNdRyan8FYgRWiSJ8lp9I_kpw&cad=rja
Mar/110
Disability News: Federal Budget Changes for 2012
President Obama has led America through one of the most challenging economic climates since the early 1900s. While far from recovery, both the President and the American public remain hopeful that the worst has passed. To aid in recovery, the President has described several changes to the Federal budget that will help to spur growth in the areas of education, infrastructure, and innovation. President Obama has remained loyal to his Executive Orders and other heartfelt words that support those Americans with disabilities, and the Federal budget for 2012 reflects it.
Federal Spending in 2012
The Federal budget has been announced for 2012. Disability employers will see several changes in Federal spending; those with disabilities, as well as their advocates and caregivers, will be happy to note the following expenditures:
Increased Budget for Disability Research: The 2012 Federal budget includes over $100 million dedicated exclusively to the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research, or NIDRR. The NIDRR actively conducts research initiatives aimed at expanding the inclusion and employment of those with disabilities. Of the $100 million that will be directed to the NIDRR in 2012, $10 million will be designated to further computing intiatives that utilize the Internet to decrease the barriers of accessibility faced by some 20% of Americans with disabilities.
Increased IDEA State Grants: $200 million has been pledged to provide education grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This will help public high schools accommodate children with disabilities to ensure all children receive an equal opportunity to learn.
Disability Employment Initiative: The new Federal budget will also designate $24 million to the Department of Labor to construct centers to better help individuals with disabilities find and retain employment opportunities.
Independent Living Program Grants: $103 million of the 2012 Federal budget will provide grants for Independent Living Programs provide independent living services to individuals with disabilities. Additionally, $34 million will be provided exclusively to organizations that provide independent living services to the blind. Most noteworthy, $556 billion will be awarded to investments that seek to increase access to public transportation systems for Americans with disabilities.
Increase Anti-Discrimination Oversight: The new budget provides $18 million in funding to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to aid in enforcing the civil rights protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. These two landmark pieces of legislation make it a Federal crime to discriminate against job applicants and employees on the grounds of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, religious affiliation, or gender.
Disability training is likely to expand in 2011 and 2012 as many Federal agencies, private investors, and state governments receive Federal funding to increase accessibility and equal opportunity in the workplace. These Federal budget changes reflect a rising concern for inclusion in American society, and further illustrate the Federal government’s steadfast commitment to raising disability awareness and decreasing unemployment among Americans with disabilities.
Source: U.S. President’s Disability Budget, made available at http://www.guerillaadvocate.com
Jan/110
Government Trains to Hire Workers with Disabilities
President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 13548 last summer, challenging the Federal government to reevaluate their strategy for disability employment. The Order fell on July 26th, 2010, the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Motivation for the Order came from the need for the nation’s largest employer, the Federal government, to lead by example. The President challenged Federal departments to not only higher individuals with disabilities, but also to increase the rate at which they are retained and advanced. The government made significant strides towards attaining that goal just before the New Year; the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) hosted a disability employment training event, focusing on how best to achieve the goals set forth by the President’s Order.
An Overview: Executive Order 13548
Executive Order 13548 moved to unite the Office of Personnel Management, Department of Labor, Equal Opportunity Commission, and Office of Management and Budget in an effort to reassess Federal disability employment initiatives. The goal: reposition the Federal government as a “model employer of persons with disabilities,” (i). Each department was charged with developing their own plan of action for hiring prospects with disabilities. Additionally, Order 13548 encourages Federal departments to utilize the excepted service hiring authority of Schedule A to expedite job, internship, and training program placement of those with disabilities.
Federal Disability Training, October 2010
The Office of Personnel Management hosted the disability training workshop, partnering with fellow departments to address the lofty goals set forth by the President’s Order. Commenting on the training program, OPM Director Christine Griffin stated:
This is a win-win for everyone. Employment opportunities are increased for people with disabilities and the Federal government hires highly talented and skilled individuals. (ii)
Disability Programs and Employment
In the wake of President Obama’s Order and the Federal Disability Employment Training event, it is time for employers nationwide to embrace Ms. Griffin’s message: training for disability is a win-win. Preparing your organization to take on individuals with disabilities adds rich depth to your employee base, strengthening human capital. Further, according to a study of disability trends conducted by the Council for Disability Awareness, the rate of serious disabilities among working Americans is growing at an alarming rate (iii). Training for disability is becoming an essential component of employee training, creating a competitive advantage for the forward thinking organizations that embrace it.
(i) http://jfactivist.typepad.com/jfactivist/2010/10/from-the-office-of-personnel-managment-102610-opm-hosts-disability-employment-training-workshop-gave-agencies-the.html
(ii) See above.
(iii) http://www.beamalife.com/blog/disability-insurance/5-most-alarming-long-term-disability-ternds/
Jan/110
Achieve Interoffice Efficiencies with Disability Training
Disability training may take on several forms. From enhancing employee communications to creating cohesion among different departments, training for disability optimizes organizational performance. The means of implementation may vary, however the end is most always constant: increased operational efficiency.
Reasons to Train for Disability
Training for disability is a requisite for success in today’s dynamic and diversified business culture. The Council for Disability Awareness has issued disability trends report stating that the incidence of serious disability has grown steadily since just 2007. Women and younger workers are most at risk, according to the report, and managers who anticipate disability in the workplace are positioned for success. Disability costs can be staggering, but forward-thinking organizations can anticipate areas of risk and train employees accordingly. Remaining compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for example, requires attentive study of Federal and state level laws. Specifics may fluctuate, and creating a disability employment program that oversees compliance issues can save organizations immense amounts of time, money, and unwanted publicity.
Disability Training Topics
Disability training topics are similar to those of other, more common employee training programs. Unlike common training programs with which most employers are familiar, however, training for disability addresses these areas with workplace diversity in mind. This new and forward thinking method of employee training increases accessibility, builds inclusion, and positively leverage diversity to increase the bottom line. Three areas of beneficial disability training include employee communications, human relations, and ethical decision making:
Communications
With the number of different cultural customs and languages increasing in today’s workplace, increased importance is placed on effective communication. The same may be said for public relations; as community diversity increases, so too does the need for business to make an effort to communicate with persons of different backgrounds.
Human Relations
Training to better human relations involves more than communications training. Subtopics here include soft skills training, sensitivity training, and other areas of training that aim to increase the emotional quotient of employees.
Ethical Decision Making
From a legislative stance, employers are prohibited from discriminating against qualified job applicants. However, job posting, recruiting, and interviewing practices are each performed at the discretion of the employer. Training managers and human resources departments to carry out these functions in an ethical manner translates to ADA compliance, increased reach to prospects with disabilities, and an enriched talent pool from which to choose.
What to Expect from Disability Training
Ongoing employee training benefits each member of the organization. For organizations with an eclectic employee base, disability training offers the added benefit of creating a sense of inclusion among employees with rich differences. Ongoing training is essential; disability videos and other multimedia resources are essential in presenting and refining concepts that are critical to success.
Dec/100
Disability Training Specials for 2011
Just over 8% of Americans reported a disability or work limitation of some kind in 2009 (i). That equates to roughly 15 million individuals according to the Cornell University Online Resource for U.S. Disability Statistics. Unemployment among these individuals remains high as well, a statistic that some believe evidences a “first fired and last rehired” trend that asserts workers with disability are among the first to be fired and last to be rehired during weak economies. As the economy recovers and business begins to flourish, hiring is expected to increase and the unemployment level of all Americans is projected to drop. This will trigger an influx of workers with disability in the workplace, simply in virtue of the diversity of American population and the requirement for organizations to offer equal opportunity employment.
Disability training prepares business leaders, managers, and employees to work with and support individuals with mental and physical impairments. These individuals are qualified and capable, however may require accommodations to facilitate them in performing work. Such accommodations may be tangible or intangible, including physical structures like wheelchair ramps as well as nonphysical environmental constructs like coworkers who can communicate with sign language. In a world that becomes increasingly diversified by the day, businesses that utilize disability training remain competitive in terms of hiring, maintaining Federal compliance, and providing goods and services to a richly varied customer base.
Program Development Associates excitedly offers many resources for disability training professionals of most all industries. These multimedia training products are ideal for human resource departments, newly diversified workplaces, and educational professionals alike. The following selection of disability DVDs are Specials from PDA that are sure to meet your needs for 2011, no matter what your budget:
Disability Awareness Special—this disability video bundle includes the Ten Commandments for Communicating with People with Disabilities, as well as the Getting It Right DVD. Ideal for diverse organizations that want to teach courteous communication and engage in sensitivity training.
ADA Information Special—keep managers, human resources personnel, and employees up-to-speed on the Americans with Disabilities Act. Includes ADA quiz book, CD-Rom, and existing facility checklist to evaluate current compliance.
American Sign Language Special—Deaf Americans are among the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population. Prepare to hire, train, and serve this growing population with this comprehensive set of CD-ROMs.
These specials and more are available at the Program Development Associates disability video Specials and Clearance store. PDA wishes you and your organization a Happy Holiday, and a prosperous start in 2011!
(i) http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/edi/disabilitystatistics/reports/cps.cfm?statistic=prevalence
Dec/100
Disability Employment and Work Leave
Organizations do not hire individuals because of what they cannot do. Instead, individuals are hired for their skills, potential, and character. Disability employers know this first hand, hiring individuals because of their abilities rather than their disabilities. These employers see the value of diversity, recognizing that a richly varied group of individuals contributes more to production and innovation than does a homogeneous group. These workplaces build strong foundations for success through ongoing disability education for employees, managers, and other business leaders.
Diverse workplaces must also accommodate workers with disabilities, providing work leave for qualified individuals. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, individuals who become injured, disabled, or ill during their usual scope of employment may be entitled to disability work leave. Entitlement depends on the circumstances under which the worker suffers injury or illness. Moreover, claims are guided by two main Federal laws: the Americans with Disability Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Americans with Disability Act
The Americans with Disability Act prohibits employers from discriminating against those with disabilities in all employment-related activities including recruitment, advancement, pay adjustments, and benefits (i). The ADA does not specifically require employers to provide medical or disability leave. Rather, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities, if those accommodations are necessary to perform their job. Here, disability leave may constitute an accommodation necessary for a worker with a disability to perform their job. A typical example includes the modification of a work schedule to accommodate the rehabilitation of an injured employee.
Family and Medical Leave Act
The Family and Medical Leave Act is a Federal piece of legislation designed to assist workers in maintaining both workplace and domestic responsibilities. Covered individuals may take a leave of up to 12 weeks without pay for serious health conditions (ii). The scope of the term serious health conditions is broad and includes pregnancy, illness, impairments, and physical or mental conditions that require multiple absences.
Other state-level laws and provisions also come into play when employees seek disability leave. Businesses must remain compliant with all applicable laws on both the state and Federal level. Disability resources are the best solution for managing such compliance issues, providing information about state laws, Federal legislation, and the overlapping of the two. Such resources develop employer relations and aid in creating reasonable and lawful business policies.
(i) http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/employ.htm
(ii) See above.
Nov/100
Disability Employers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Is your organization working with the Americans with Disabilities Act? It may seem unreasonable to frame this question nearly 20 years after the enactment of the ADA, but a closer look may prove otherwise. The rate of unemployment among those with disability hovered around 16% at the end of 2009; nearly double the rate of unemployment among persons with no disability (i). The assessment of Federal employers, as illustrated in the Unnecessary Boundaries study, indicates little progress in hiring individuals with disability since 1990 as well.
The picture is not entirely dismal, however. The ADA was enacted. Presidents have made legislative changes to further disability awareness– Barack Obama’s issuance of Rosa’s Law in late October being one of the most recent. In spite of these governmental and societal movements, though, unemployment among those with disability continues to hover at almost twice that of those without disability. To further unravel this conundrum, let us consider the other piece of the equation: disability employers.
Disability Employers and the Americans with Disabilities Act
Disability employers may not actively seek to diversify their workplace. On the contrary, the Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits employers from trying to gauge whether or not a particular applicant has a disability (ii). Persons with disabilities are thus able to disclose their condition at their own discretion. Employers often hire applicants with disabilities simply in virtue of their qualifications for the job. Ideally, this would be a victory for both employer and applicant. However, employers sometimes lack the skills, workplace supports, or technologies to facilitate the employment of a new hire with a disability. As a result, the new employee is hired, receives inadequate training, suffers from lackluster environmental supports, and is unable to perform to the best of their ability.
Prepare to Work with the ADA
Simple disability education products can equip organizations to reverse this trend. The ADA has been successful in breaking the barriers to disability employment, however progress now rests in the hands of employers. Proactive disability awareness training can equip an organization with the knowledge, skills, and etiquette necessary to build inclusive workplaces suitable for today’s diverse workforce. Additionally, organizations may enlist disability advocacy resources to refine their hiring skills, smoothing the transition of employees with disability into the workplace.
(i) http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.t06.htm
(ii) http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/personalissues/a/disability_act.htm
Sep/100
Building Organizational Infrastructure with Disability Videos
Disability videos are an indispensable tool for any business. Workplace diversity is gaining momentum. The Unnecessary Boundaries study, conducted by Telework Exchange, offers clear evidence that employers are committed to furthering disability employment and equal opportunity for qualified job applicants. However, the study also illustrates that although employers are open to hiring qualified personnel regardless of background, ethnicity, and disability, they at the same time fall short of retaining the range of talent they recruit (i).
A Lack of Infrastructure
The conundrum uncovered by Telework’s Unnecessary Boundaries study is nevertheless hopeful. The study asserts that employers are open to disability employment. Despite the increasing rate of unemployment among persons with disabilities, 71 percent of individuals surveyed reported that their respective organizations makes genuine efforts to recruit and hire prospects from richly varied backgrounds, including those with disabilities (ii). Given this insight, the problem can be reduced to a lack of proper infrastructure to aid in training, assessing, and advancing new hires with disabilities.
Disability Videos: Infrastructure for Organizational Growth
Program Development Associates recognizes the need for organizational infrastructure that supports the vocational development of a range of individuals. Diversity in the workplace cannot flourish without internal supports that facilitate growth for many individuals of varied backgrounds. Without tools for disability assessment and evaluation, individuals with a disability cannot be expected to communicate, learn, and develop within an organization. Unfortunately, this often leads to high turnover among those with disabilities, contributing to the recently increasing level of unemployment among persons with disabilities.
The hardest battle has been won. The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated twenty strong years of disability awareness and advocacy this past July. Disability employment has grown. Organizations must now utilize tools for disability assessment and training to retain persons with disabilities. Moving forward, disability videos, CD-ROMs, and assistive technology are all necessities in maintaining a diverse workplace. Disability advocates agree: Disability unemployment will fall as organizations build the proper infrastructure to leverage the power of diversity.
(i) http://www.teleworkexchange.com/unnecessarybarriers/landing.asp
(ii) see above.
Sep/100
Disability Assessment and Evaluation
In recent years, businesses have focused on seeking out prospects from unique backgrounds to make their organization rich in culture, talent, and other dimensions. These organizations make proactive efforts to reach out to minorities and persons with disabilities to ensure equal opportunity is presented to qualified prospects. However, attention is all too often focused on the prospecting and interviewing processes, leaving a critical piece of the disability employment puzzle overlooked: maintaining and developing employees into valuable company assets.
Diversity in the Workplace
Diversification alone is unsuccessful in maintaining diversity in the workplace. The increasing rate of unemployment among persons with disabilities illustrates this concept, despite the push for equal employment by major pieces of legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act (i). The Presidential Executive Orders that followed the ADA pushed a similar agenda for equal opportunity, likewise coming up short. According to recent studies, a number of Federal employees say that while their respective organizations have the framework in place to recruit a diverse group of employees, management is incapable of helping a diverse group develop into professionals (ii). Diversification is only the first step in building a diverse workplace. Steps to train, assess, and advance employees must be taken as well.
Disability Training and Assessment
A diverse workplace is composed of individuals with backgrounds and abilities that may differ greatly. These differences are particularly pronounced when the workplace includes persons with disabilities. Differences in individual ability require different approaches to community inclusion, ranging from specific assistive technology requirements to the need for unique communication methods. Disability assessment tools are crucial in training and retaining persons with disabilities, as they expose areas where an individual may need additional training and support.
Disability assessment and evaluation, along with Disability assessment tools, are all critical components that inclusive workplaces must use in building a work environment that will expand upon internal human resources. Properly developing human capital is essential in increasing company productivity, revenue, and longevity. Program Development Associates offers a host of additional disability and diversity resources to help organizations recruit, train, assess, and develop persons with disabilities into business professionals.
(i) http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/stats.htm
(ii) http://www.teleworkexchange.com/unnecessarybarriers/landing.asp
Aug/100
Modern Diversity Training: Assistive Technology
The desire to employ persons with disabilities is growing. In honor of the recent twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Program Development Associates Disability Training Blog is proud to present a look towards the diversified businesses of the present. This coverage will be completed in two installments.
In this article, titled Modern Business Training: Assistive Technology Products, we will take a closer look at the assistive technology that is enabling persons with various mental and physical disabilities to gain employment. Next week, we will follow up with Modern Business Training Part II, a look at the Universal Design for Learning and its application in complementing assistive technology and broadening the scope of employment opportunity for those with disabilities.
Assistive technology can be considered any of a variety of instruments used by individuals with disabilities to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or altogether impossible (i). This is a broad and somewhat conceptual definition that has many applications. For example, mobility devices including manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, power scooters, and walking aids are all consider assistive technology. In this example, the technology is somewhat primitive compared to digital gadgetry but nonetheless enables the mobility of an individual who would otherwise have some degree of difficulty moving about.
Assistive technology goes beyond mobility devices to also include hardware, software, and other information technologies. For example, consider that individuals with physically impaired hands or fingers can utilize custom designed keyboards and computer mice to operate computers. Individuals with moderate to severe visual impairments can likewise overcome their unique sensory deprivation with software that reads digitally displayed messages aloud, like emails and other lines of text on a computer. In both of these examples, individuals are able to overcome their unique disabilities and perform work specific tasks.
Without these kinds of enabling technologies, these individuals would be hard pressed to find work environments in which they could actively pursue objectives, contribute as team members, and develop into working professionals. The expanding application of assistive technology, however, provides the groundwork for individuals with disabilities to do just the opposite. Indeed, the proliferation of assistive technology establishes the opportunity for businesses to diversify their workforce and cultivate the talents of a range of individuals. Moreover, employers are better able to retain valuable human capital; individuals who spend years learning, training, and contributing within a specific company can more easily retain their position should unexpected, devastating accidents occur. This adds a tremendous value for businesses rich in human capital; unexpectedly losing capital for any period of time can be costly, derail growth strategies, and undermine core business objectives.
Disability employers must know, however, that assistive technology is just that: technology. The effective application of assistive technology hinges on the ability of a disability or diversity employer to consider access. Technology is of no use if it is not accessible to the users for which it is intended. This is particularly important when considering the application of assistive technology, as it is specifically designed for persons with unique mental and physical impairments. Nuances that make one piece of assistive technology accessible to one individual may not make that instrument equally accessible to another individual with a similar impairment.
Since effective application of diversity training depends largely on accessibility, it is of great importance for employers to consider the needs of each of their employees. In the second installment of Modern Business Training, we will investigate how employers can best identify the unique needs of each employee to make assistive technology, and the workplace in general, more accessible.
(i) http://www.washington.edu/accessit/articles?109
Aug/109
An Executive Order for Disability Awareness
Disability awareness propagates in the wake of President Barack Obama’s most recent Executive Order to increase the Federal employment of individuals with disabilities. The order, released Tuesday July 26th, was issued just one day after the Americans with Disabilities Act reached its twentieth year since enactment. In those twenty years, despite previous presidential orders and Federal initiatives, the unemployment of Americans with disabilities has only risen (i). President Obama, however, hopes to reverse that trend. Different from prior initiatives, Mr. Obama’s Executive Order focuses primarily on retaining individuals with disabilities and learning impairments. An emphasis on disability training and education for Federal agencies and personnel is to be the point of difference that primes this Executive Order for success.
Recognizing the Federal Government as the largest employer in the nation, Mr. Obama begins by addressing the need for government to lead by example. In opening the Order, Mr. Obama states that the government has an important interest in reducing discrimination against those who live with a disability, eliminating the stigma associated with disabilities, and in encouraging individuals with disabilities to seek Federal employment (ii). The importance of these interests cannot be understated. Reducing discrimination and the stigma associated with individuals who have a disability is an important first step in reducing the unemployment rate. The ideal workplace for individuals with disabilities to prosper has core elements of regular disability education, inclusion training workshops, assistive technology integration, and mutual respect among coworkers. In achieving these core elements of an inclusive workplace, Federal agencies will establish strong paradigms that will work to welcome those with disabilities as potential employees.
Mr. Obama’s Executive order moves on to state specific requirements Federal agencies must meet in providing opportunities for persons with physical and mental impairments to gain employment. Most noteworthy, the President calls for the mandatory drafting of strategies to hire and recruit those with disabilities within 60 days of the Order’s enactment (iii). An essential part of these strategies includes outlining disability training programs for Federal Human Resource departments and other hiring professionals. This portion of the Executive Order aims to better prepare agencies to promote job availability as well as to provide hiring professionals with the disability education needed to recruit and train workers with disabilities.
Most importantly, the Executive Order sets the groundwork for long term success by setting standards for retaining workers with disabilities. Mr. Obama charges the Office of Personnel Management, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, with the responsibility of identifying and assisting agencies in implementing strategies to retain Federal workers with disabilities. Paramount to the success of this initiative is the ability of the agency to conduct thorough disability awareness training internally, developing an inclusive workplace that will help those with disabilities develop into industry professionals. The President’s Order will help in this regard, specifically detailing the duties of the Office of Personnel Management to include helping with internal training, using centralized funds to provide reasonable workplace accommodations, increasing access to the appropriate assistive technologies, and ensuring the accessibility of the physical and virtual workplace (iv).
In the twenty years that have passed since the enacting of the Americans with Disabilities Act, unemployment among individuals with disabilities has actually grown. Despite Executive Orders, initiatives, and disability awareness programs, the American public is ill equipped to recruit, train, and develop into professionals those with disabilities. Disability training resources are a necessity in reversing this trend. As Mr. Obama’s Order makes clear, responsibility lies in the hands of company owners, internal managers, and other business professionals to utilize inclusion training and other techniques to hire and keep workers with disabilities. Disability awareness training is a vital first step towards creating business environments in which this goal is attainable, and the Federal government’s push to lead by example is inspiring.
(i) http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/stats.htm
(ii) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-increasing-federal-employment-individuals-with-disabilities
(iii) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-increasing-federal-employment-individuals-with-disabilities
(iv) http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-increasing-federal-employment-individuals-with-disabilities
