Feb/110
Disability Employers and the BWAP
Disability employers and diverse organizations know that recruiting talent is meaningless without the means of organizing individuals to yield optimum production or service efficiency. Identifying individual aptitudes, abilities, and preferences goes a long way in placing new hires as well as advancing current employees. At times, specific assessment tools are necessary. For workplaces that employ individuals with disabilities, core operations depend on the accurate assessment and placement of individuals. Disability employers are smart to consider the Becker Work Adjustment Profile (BWAP) when conducting these assessments. This easy-to-use disability training resource provides critical insight on individual vocational abilities, a prerequisite for providing meaningful and safe job placement for those with disability.
Introduction: The Becker Work Adjustment Profile
The BWAP is an observer rating instrument that gauges the work readiness of an individual. This is measured by having a subject perform several work-related tasks while a third party observes and notes their behavior. The outcome of the BWAP assessment will highlight deficiencies in certain areas necessary for job performance. Businesses use this information to help place employees with physical or mental disability in appropriate positions within the organization.
Advantages of the BWAP
One advantage of the BWAP: It does not depend on the solicitation of user responses. Instead, it is an observer rating instrument. A professional observes the subject, rating him or her on several dimensions including work attitude, interpersonal relations, cognitive skills, and work performance skills. This significantly reduces the incidence of subject-driven error, so you may be confident in the outcomes of the assessments and place employees effectively.
The greatest advantage of the BWAP is that it highlights specific areas where the subject exhibits a skill deficiency. The deficiency is framed in the context of the work setting, and this varies by organization. In this way, the observer attains a clear understanding of the specific areas in which an employee may need support or additional training. Vocational training may then be implemented to remedy areas of skill deficiency, making the subject “work ready.”
Moving forward, companies are smart to prepare for assessing and placing workers with disability. Workplace disability is on the rise, indicated by the Council for Disability Awareness. Having a firmly established assessment and placement protocol will help to create the structure necessary to support employees with disabilities in 2011.
Feb/110
Building a Disability Employment Program
As training for disability initiatives gain momentum, one hopes to see a fall in unemployment among those with disabilities. Instead, the opposite is true. When facing an increasing rate of unemployment among those with disabilities, one need ask: why are disability employment programs not working? There have been dozens of initiatives aimed at lowering the level of unemployment among individuals with disability. From Federal legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act to Presidential Executive Orders, finding jobs for those with disabilities has been on the forefront of American political agendas. The rate of unemployment continues to grow, despite the genuine efforts made by Federal lawmakers, business owners, and citizens alike.
Telework Exchange, in conjunction with the Federal Managers Association, shed some light on this mysterious conundrum in a study of Federal employees titled Unnecessary Boundaries. Through the early months of January and February of 2010, over 500 Federal employees were surveyed in an attempt to discern the extent to which Federal managers hired and trained job prospects with disabilities. Of the respondents polled, the following opinions were gathered (i):
- Over half (71%) of Federal employees surveyed felt that their manager, or managers, had fully committed to hiring prospects with disabilities.
- Only half of respondents (about 50%) felt that their managers had the skill sets necessary to train an individual with a disability.
The results of the TeleWork Exchange Unnecessary Boundaries study are quite clear. The level of unemployment among those with disability is not high because these individuals have trouble attaining work. Rather, the unemployment level remains high because these individuals are plugged into systems of training and development that are not ready to accommodate their needs.
Building Disability Employment Programs
Inclusive workplaces hire individuals because of their abilities. In certain circumstances, this may involve an employer gaining a talented individual through a work-placement agency or headhunter. Other times, employers simply encounter an applicant with a disability who happens to be the most qualified candidate for the position. In either case, the new hire must be correctly transitioned into the new work environment and company culture. The most proficient way to do so is through a Disability Employment Program. Such programs utilize disability videos, interactive training software, and standardized test materials to ensure a smooth transition for both new hire and current company culture.
The need for internal constructs that facilitate employee inclusion is great. The system has been set; no longer may employers discriminate among qualified job applicants merely because of disability. Rather, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for new hires with disabilities. Program Development Associates offers many resources to help your organization develop disability training programs that build inclusion in the workplace.
(i) http://www.teleworkexchange.com/unnecessarybarriers/landing.asp
Jan/110
Emotional Quotient: A Managerial Study
Our disability training and education blog has a long history of distributing articles to help business professionals make the most of the talent they recruit. This article is no different. Today, Program Development Associates explores Emotional Quotient, or EQ, and the benefits employers receive by engaging in this type of employee training. It goes without saying, however, that leaders are smart to construct this sort of training in an inclusive manner. Opening the doors to a diverse talent pool adds depth to an employee base that translates to greater idea exchange and a heightened bottom line. In short, implementation of an EQ employee training program that accommodates those with disabilities is your organization’s best bet for increased productivity in 2011.
Training and The Emotional Quotient
The emotional quotient, typically denoted EQ, is the ability of an individuals to perceive, evaluate, and curb their emotions, as well as the emotions of their peers. This domain of ability is becoming characterized by organizational leaders, leadership consultants, and psychologists as the primary indicator of work performance. Individuals with a high EQ are more in tune with the emotions of themselves and those around them, increasing their ability to empathize, negotiate, and motivate individuals including themselves. EQ is thought to have the greatest impact on individuals in positions of authority because of their role in organizing and motivating a group.
Disability Employment Programs with EQ
Disability programs are already in place at most American businesses, their goals ranging from ADA compliance oversight to aggressive hiring of individuals with disabilities. No matter what the whole disability employment programs play in your organization, one thing is certain: Managers with high EQ scores drive effective disability employment programs that drive improvements in performance, workplace culture, and revenue (i).
Unfortunately, managers are often categorized by low levels of EQ. In a study of more 1400 managers, Ken Blanchard businesses found that about 56-82% of managers lacked the EQ skills most necessary for successful leadership (ii). Specifically:
- 82% fail to give employees praise for positive contributions
- 81% neglect to incorporate each of their followers in job processes
- 76% either over-supervise their followers, or under-supervise them, providing a leadership style incongruent with job tasks and work environment
- 59% neglect to implement proper employee training programs to motivate their employees
Moving Forward: Developing Employer Relations
The good news: it’s never too late to create employee or managerial training programs tailored specifically to the needs of your organization. Organizations are cautioned, however, to fully assess business operations as well as managerial EQ levels before engaging in training to build employer relations skills. Full business analysis is a critical factor in creating training programs that yield true results. Disability videos, EQ materials, and other resources are available online, giving businesses the opportunity to create a custom library of training materials geared specifically towards their unique training objectives.
(i) http://guidebestofthebest.com/emotional-intelligence-eq-matters-more-than-iq-to-increase-business-profit-budget-for-executive-leadership-development-and-success.php
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 Blog Honors CSC
The Disability Training Blog would like to recognize and congratulate CSC on earning a spot on the “Top 50 Employers for Persons with Disabilities” list in CAREERS & the disABLED magazine. Though printing of the official list will not occur until this coming month, January 2011, the news is already rippling across the Web. CSC, a multinational technology solutions company, sets the quintessential example of what it means to value disability in the workplace.
CAREERS & the disABLED first printed in 1986. To this day, the magazine is the only periodical of its kind. Geared towards undergraduate students, graduates, and professionals, this magazine provides disability career guidance for individuals with a range of mental and physical impairments. For the past twenty years, CAREERS has surveyed subscribers to create an annual list of the top 50 employers for which those with disability would most like to work.
It is easy to see why CSC has been honored with a spot on such a admirable list. When asked about the award, Jeannie Maul, Vice President of CSC’s Managed Services Sector, replied:
CSC is greatly honored to receive this prestigious recognition that highlights our focus and commitment to creating an enterprise-wide culture of inclusion, valuing diversity and providing opportunities for all employees.
The company is no stranger to diversity, with offices in the U.S., Asia, Australia, and Europe. Experience with the global workplace has clearly impacted the culture of CSC, as Ms. Maul explains that disability awareness is very much a part of the company:
[…] we work to create awareness not about the ‘disability,’ but rather about the abilities of our employees. CSC strives to provide a fully inclusive workplace that inspires all employees to be a part of our success, and to provide everyone with vast global opportunities for professional development.
It is inspiring to see a company of such great magnitude value the diversity they recruit. Business leaders are smart to take a page from the CSC operations manual, and not just because of the praise the company has received from Fortune Magazine for being one of the World’s Most Admired Companies for IT. Ms. Maul said it best: CSC inspires each employee to be a part of the company’s success. By focusing on abilities, companies are better able to train, develop, and place employees for optimal performance. Disability training is an integral part of this process, equipping individuals with the knowledge and foresight to build inclusive workplaces.
News source for this article: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20101220006346/en/CSC-Recognized-Top-Employer-Persons-Disabilities
Dec/100
Disability Training: Soft Skills Meet Hard Tasks
One of the fastest ways to increase productivity is to encourage employee cohesion, particularly in diverse workplaces. Training employees to accept coworkers, communicate courteously, and work in teams is paramount in creating a productive workplace. Disability DVDs that develop cohesion among workers, for example, help employees to develop soft skills. These abilities relate to the personality and interpersonal abilities of an individual, and they are requisites for success in today’s dynamic and diverse workplace.
Soft Skills Overview
Soft skills contribute to the building of an individual’s Emotional Quotient. The Emotional Quotient, or EQ, is a measurement of 5 basic personal dimensions. These include open-mindedness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and narcissism. Those with a high EQ may exhibit positive personal qualities like high self esteem, responsibility, integrity, and a sociable personality. In addition, these individuals have refined interpersonal skills and work well as team members, interoffice leaders, and social negotiators.
Why Emotional Quotient?
Employers have begun to recruit, train, and advance individuals with increasing attention to their Emotional Quotient. While general intelligence is an important factor, it is limited in its ability to predict job performance. Intelligence, as measured by IQ, is merely an indication of what an individuals is capable of mentally. EQ, in contrast, provides a strong indication of what the individual will do. Moreover, individuals with a high EQ are better positioned to learn and excel within their respective areas of expertise. The American Psychological Association’s report titled Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns furthers this idea, stating that individual characteristics like interpersonal skills are of equal or greater importance than IQ in predicting work performance (i). Conscientious and open minded individuals, for example, work well in teams and positively contribute to the overall functionality of their office culture.
Benefits of Soft Skills Training
Cohesion among the members of an organization or business is one of the key drivers towards profitability. Employees who understand one another, communicate effectively, and hold one another accountable for their actions create workplaces that are efficient. In this light, soft skills training takes on added importance for businesses wishing to increase efficiencies, engage in team building, or unite a fragmented and inefficient workforce. Soft skills training is also important because it develops the abilities that are thought to complement hard skills, or job-specific tasks. In this way, an employee can become more productive or efficient simply by developing their ability to stay conscientious of peers, open minded to change, or communicative with fellow employees.
Soft skills training is essential for businesses of most industries because it aids in achieving efficient operations. Moreover, developing the soft skills and EQ of employees creates a work experience rich in feelings of worth, efficacy, and autonomy. Workplaces that cultivate such feelings are usually able to keep employee turnover low, building a long lasting foundation of human capital for future growth.
(i) Neisser et al. (August 7, 1995). “Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns”. Board of Scientific Affairs of the American Psychological Association. Retrieved August 6, 2006.
Oct/100
Skilled Technical Careers
Pursuing a college degree is not the only option for young people. Instead, it is a cultural norm that has become the go-to option for those who need more education, engagement, and time to decide on a career path. Skilled careers are a viable option for young people that are often lost in the overwhelming societal push towards the college experience.
There are many ways to transition into a skilled career as a young person. Apprenticeships, work-based learning programs, and associate’s degrees are just three ways to pursue opportunities for employment. These paths are each explored in the Succeeding Without College DVD resource from Program Development Associates. This indispensable resource helps viewers consider the abundant alternatives to college and decide which option is best.
Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are an excellent way to link employers with individuals who are ready to dive into the workplace. The Internet has become a valuable resource for employers to post apprenticeship opportunities, and for young people to find apprenticeship opportunities in their field of interest.
Work-Based Learning
Work based learning takes a hybrid approach to education, combining traditional the traditional learning environment with hands on work experience. This provides the ideal environment for individuals to showcase their abilities, as well as to learn firsthand whether or not a particular work environment is aligned with their personal values and abilities.
Associate’s Degree
The Associate’s Degree is perfect for the individual who does not want to pursue a four year undergraduate college degree but nonetheless has a particular field that they wish to study. Moreover, individuals who choose this path will be well positioned to transition to a college to attain an undergraduate degree if they so choose.
Making the change from teenager to young adult is difficult, and choosing the correct opportunity is critical. The Succeeding Without College DVD is an essential resource for young adults who are considering alternatives to a college education. This resource explores various skilled career options, highlighting skills and essential qualities for success along the way.
Oct/100
Disability Awareness: From Ancient Arenas, Willowbrook, and Forward
Learning the history of disability and the evolution of disability awareness is the key driver towards inclusion, both in the workplace and in the larger context of society as a whole. Disability employment professionals may utilize resources that provide the history of disability in society to better frame contemporary issues for employees. The goal: to provide a story with which everyone may relate, regardless of the difference in mental and physical capacities.
Program Development Associates features a resource bundle that is ideal for disability education in the diverse workplaces of today. This 2 DVD pack first primes viewers with the history of disability from a medical and societal perspective, then moves to share with viewers an unrestricted view of the infamous Willowbrook State School for the developmentally disabled. The progression of this multi-resource bundle will not only give viewers a comprehensive history lesson, but will also provide a real-world examples for the necessity for ongoing disability awareness.
Disability History
The first DVD of this resource bundle, A Little History Worth Knowing, provides a background in disability stereotypes spanning from early medical dilemmas to current day assistive technology breakthroughs. This DVD uses a multitude of resources, including the diaries of real individuals with disabilities, to follow the development of disability awareness through the past century.
Willowbrook: Lessons for Today
The Unforgotten: 25 Years After Willowbrook DVD provides the quintessential follow-up for this disability resource bundle. This award-winning expose was shot in 1972 by Geraldo Rivera and is widely considered a major catalyst for the widespread reform in the treatment of people with disabilities. The hour long DVD, available in Closed Captioned format, also includes a 30 minute Geraldo Rivera bonus feature that will give viewers insight toward the making of the documentary. Above all, the critically acclaimed film is a valuable tool for disability employment professionals because it shows viewers of the horrific shortcomings of the Willowbrook State School, teaches them of the inequities of such treatment, and provides impetus for ongoing disability awareness training.
Additional disability training resources may be viewed through the Program Development Associates product catalog, which may be downloaded for free on the Disabilitytraining.com.
Oct/100
Disability Employment: Making Transitions
Whether transitioning into the workforce for the first time or making a career change, finding jobs for people with disabilities may be a challenge. Caregivers and advocates see firsthand, for example, the difficulty people with learning disabilities face in trying to find employment that is both fulfilling and congruent with ability. The most effective way to make this transition is to first gauge the ability, talent, and interests of the individual. This personal assessment must then be used to compare real world employment options to confidently make career decisions.
Disability Employment Evaluation
Identifying the interests and abilities of an individual is crucial in determining the field of employment to pursue. The Career Evaluation DVD has been a popular disability product; this resource is available in Closed Captioned format and helps individuals relate occupational tasks and work environments to their own unique values. Education level, skill set, personal values, and lifestyle are all explored in the context of employment opportunities to mesh the attributes of an individual with an ideal area of work.
Disability Job Advancement
Many persons with disabilities are currently employed and may be happy with the environments in which they work. Still, these individuals may need assistance in evaluating how to progress as a professional in their field. The Career Advancement Strategies and Tools textbook will serve as a guide for these individuals to better identify their desires and to construct actionable steps towards achieving employment that is more satisfying.
Whether employed or seeking employment, career management is a necessary element for persons with disabilities, caregivers, and advocates to consider when seeking and evaluating career opportunities. Active career management can not only help with disability employment, but it can also aid in job retention. As studies like the Unnecessary Boundaries report produced by TeleWork Exchange indicate, it is the lack of disability job retention that has driven unemployment to such high levels in recent years.
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.
Aug/100
Diversity and Equality: A Workplace Must
A lack of diversity and equality may cost an organization billions of dollars over time. The damaging affects of inequality may manifest themselves within an organization in several ways, including losses in productivity, increases in employee turnover, and a dampening of employee moral. The Is It Bias? Making Diversity Work D.V.D. addresses these issues through a critical examination of organization biases, large and small, and how they affect company growth.
However, an organization may take proactive measures to define, recognize, and reduce even subtle biases among employees to pave the way toward long term financial stability.
Organizational Productivity
Increasing company diversity can increase both short and long term productivity. In the short term, a company culture built on equality works with exceptional cohesion. Cohesion provides the groundwork for peer-to-peer collaboration, a necessity for future growth.
Minimizing Turnover
Company diversity slows employee turnover. For example, the greater the variance in worker age, the slower the rate at which organizations lose employees to retirement. This is an issue to which organizations must pay close attention as the baby boomer generation of the 1960s nears retirement. Additionally, workplaces that hold principles of diversity in high regard are better able to retain and develop young employees. Managers, and their organizations as a whole, must instill a sense of equal opportunity among workers regardless of age, ethnicity, and other extraneous characteristics. Failure to do so can cause deeply rooted feelings of resentment, anger, and helplessness, each major contributors to losing human capital.
Inspiring Moral
Great leaders show their followers through action. Organizational leaders who utilize diversity activities inspire moral among their employees by setting estimable precedent. These activities come in many forms, but they each share the same goal: to teach employees to identify and diffuse even inconspicuous biases that lay the foundation for feelings of inequality and other counterproductive thoughts.
Properly utilizing diversity resources is the first step towards safeguarding against loss. Organizations may begin training diversity through many multimedia products. Program Development Associates offers the Is It Bias? D.V.D. to help management define, recognize, and reduce biases among their workforce. Only once biases are uncovered can they be disarmed—a critical step towards an inclusive work environment.
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
