You may not know the name John Wodatch, but that does not matter. What do matter are the tens of millions of individuals with disabilities who he has helped over the past four decades. Mr. Wodatch is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Currently, he has become chief of the Department of Justice’s disability rights section. He did no happen upon this disability services position by chance, however. Mr. Wodatch has a long history of facilitating equality among Americans, dating back to his beginnings in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in the late 1960s. His critical role in shaping public policy over the past forty years has equated to massive change, providing a model to which all Americans may look for guidance.
Mr. John Wodatch has an extensive history of promoting equal rights among Americans. His career with the Federal government began in 1969 in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare where he worked with several employment discrimination lawsuits. Three years later, Mr. Wodatch found himself involved with the writing of rules to implement the Education Amendments of 1972, a piece of legislation that barred Federally funded educational programs from practicing sexual discrimination. Here, his career took a notable turn; Mr. Wodatch’s role in implementing the Amendment’s new statutes gave him unparalleled exposure to civil rights issues that eventually made him one of the government’s primary experts.
In 1989, Mr. Wodatch was recruited to help draft a piece of legislation that would become a landmark in American history. The legislation would bring disability awareness to the forefront of the workplace, prohibiting employers to discriminate among qualified job prospects because of disability. That piece of legislation, of course, was passed in 1990 as the Americans with Disabilities Act. Mr. Wodatch, because of his extensive experience in the area, was chosen to help draft the legislation to make the ADA enforceable and able to promote social change.
John Wodatch provides an exemplary role model for the men and women of America, particularly business professionals. When reflecting on over 40 years of Federal employment, Mr. Wodatch comments “I feel luck to have been a civil rights attorney during a time of enormous social change[…]” (i). Each of us can relate to Mr. Wodatch’s experience, having seen progressive social change occur steadily from the 1960s and well into the 1990s. We must, however, strive to remain grateful to have seen such change. Moreover, we must follow in Mr. Wodatch’s footsteps to help promote the social change he worked so hard to spur.
American business owners are in a powerful position when it comes to promoting the social change brought about by Mr. Wodatch and the ADA of 1990. Practicing equal opportunity employment and training for disability can put an end to discrimination against individuals with disabilities, helping to spread equality among Americans.
(i) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012402765.html
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
With the number of Americans with developmental disabilities surpassing 4.5 million in 2010, it is more important than ever to understand, engage, and help assimilate the disabled into the workforce. Program Development Associates understands this need and provides training resources to help social service agents, Human Resources departments, and other professionals communicate, train, and motivate those with developmental disabilities.
Developmental disabilities are an eclectic group of mild to chronic conditions characterized by severe mental or physical impairment. Individuals with such disabilities can have difficulty developing the skills to learn, communicate, move, and live independently. By definition, this spectrum of disorders manifests itself by the time the individual reaches twenty two years of age. The four most common forms include Mental retardation, Autism, Cerebral Palsy, and Down syndrome.
Mental Retardation
Mental retardation is by far the most common of developmental disabilities. Typically manifesting itself before the individual reaches the age of 18, this condition is defined by the American Association of Mental Retardation as a significant limitation in both intellectual functioning and adaptive behavior. Redefinition of the condition in 2002 paints a positive picture, placing heavy emphasis on the ability for the individual to become more functional and adaptive when provided with carefully constructed individual supports. With today’s advanced multimedia disability training resources, individuals can learn to provide these support systems and help mentally impaired individuals develop their intellectual capabilities.
Autism
Few disabilities are as complex and elusive as Autism. The variance in ability, from functional to severely debilitating, suggests miscellany in the causal factors depending on the individual’s unique genetic makeup. However, it has recently been proposed that the condition is deeply rooted in the abnormal architecture of neurotransmitters in the brain. Further, the degree to which the condition is expressed seems to hinge on the presence and extent of other impairments, such as mental retardation. Autism develops in about every one or two children per thousand, expressed most strongly during the ages of three to five years. The earlier symptoms are identified, the more likely the individual can learn effective communication and social skills. Symptoms may become more acute or progressively chronic as these individuals develop into adults. Thus, it is of extreme importance to understand Autistic professionals on a personal level as the nature of the disorder can differ profoundly from individual to individual. Human Resources professionals are encouraged to engage in disability training and education catered towards Autistic individuals in specific.
Cerebral Palsy
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, Cerebral Palsy is a broad, inclusive term for a group of capricious but non-progressive motor impairment syndromes secondary to anomalies of the brain arising in the early stages of development. A majority of cases are termed Congenital, caused by inadequacies of blood or oxygen supply to the unborn child, illness during pregnancy, or premature birth. The remaining minority of cases are termed Acquired, caused by head trauma, infections, or severe malnutrition shortly after the birth of the child. Whether Congenital or Acquired, individuals with Cerebral Palsy have the potential to be valuable assets to any company. Communication technology and mobility devices help these individuals to speak and move freely, however, the office environment and culture must also be built to foster physical accessibility and understanding of individuals with Cerebral Palsy.
Down Syndrome
Caused by a chromosomal defect, Down syndrome is seen in an estimated 1 in 700 people. These individuals exhibit physical characteristics unique to the syndrome, including low muscle tone and small stature, as well as a varying degree of intellectual impairment. Life expectancy for individuals with Down syndrome has more than tripled to sixty years since the early 1980s as researchers have made profound discoveries in the field of genetics and chromosomal development. In addition, cognitive delays are typically mild or moderate, making communication with an individual with Down syndrome easy relative to other chronic mental conditions. Several disability education resources are available to help professionals facilitate communication with these individuals, both in the workplace and in the home.
While developmental disabilities can vary in terms of severity, disabled individuals can nonetheless lead healthy, productive, and meaningful adult lives. The extent to which this can be realized hinges largely upon the unimpaired and our ability to promote disability awareness in the workplace. As disability training resources are utilized by professionals, more disabled Americans can transition into the office to make profound contributions. Disability education, whether taken on in the home or at the office, is a necessary for professionals in all industries to learn about and aid the disabled in their pursuit for fulfillment in society. Program Development Associates passionately links professionals with the educational resources necessary to help disabled individuals develop as professionals. PDA also offers a free disability education resource catalog of DVDs, CDs, videos, interactive board games, and gaming software.
References:
Kuban, K., & Leviton, A. (1994). Cerebral palsy. New England Journal of Medicine, 330(3), 188-195.
Huebner, R.A., and Dunn, W. (2001). Introduction and basic concepts. In Huebner, R.A., (Ed.), Autism: A sensorimotor approach to management (pp. 3-40). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishing, Inc.
