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Disability at Work: Creating a Workplace Culture of ACCESS
February 16-17, 2012
Brought to you by the following Mission Partners and Sponsors:
Instituting a Culture of Access
Presented by:
Louis Orslene, Co-Director Job Accommodation Network
Julie Ballinger, Disability Rights & Issues Consultant Southwest ADA Center Regional AffiliateStarReach Enterprises
Making the CaseOverview
Debunking the Myths Making the Case Communicating that the Doors are Open Creating an Inclusive Workplace Knowing Your Resources
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Debunking the Myths
Accommodations are too expensive - – More than half (56%) were made at no cost– Of those employers who experienced a one-time cost to make an accommodation, the typical cost of accommodating an employee was $500
Low Cost, High Impact (2011) JAN Study
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Debunking the Myths
Accommodations aren’t effective –
– Employers were asked to rank the effectiveness of accommodating a worker on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being extremely effective
– Of those responding, 76% reported accommodations were either very effective or extremely effective
Low Cost, High Impact (2011) JAN Study
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Debunking the Myths
People with disabilities have a higher than average absentee rate A DePaul study of 314 employees across several industries indicates participants with disabilities had fewer scheduled absences than those without disabilities, and that all participants had nearly identical job performance ratings.
People with disabilities leave jobs more frequently than workers without disabilities Hire Potential, a hiring and staffing agency found that their placements stayed on the job an average of 50% longer than those without disabilities and Marriott employees hired through their Pathways to Independence Program experienced a 6% turnover rate versus the 52% turnover rate of their overall workforce.
Fortune Magazine reported that after Carolina Fine Snacks, a small business in Greensboro, NC, started hiring people with disabilities, employee turnover dropped from 80% every six months to less than 5%; productivity rose from 70% to 95%; absenteeism dropped from 20% to less than 5%; and tardiness dropped from 30% of staff to zero.
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Making the CaseIn Ernst & Young's latest survey on globalization, James Turley, E&Y CEO writes:
“we found that the majority of respondents believe diversity of teams and experience improves both the financial performance and reputation of their organizations.”James S. Turley, CEO, Ernst & Younghttp://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/01/23/ey-ceo-on-what-makes-global-leaders-successful/
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Making the CaseWhat is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?Aging of the U.S. workforce and accompanying rise of impairmentIncrease of qualified youth with disabilities entering the workforceBroadening of the ADA and stricter enforcement of Section 508 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation ActRecognition that people with disabilities and their families have significant disposable incomeWorkplace Accommodations including Assistive Technologies Enhance Productivity
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Making the CaseWhat is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?
“Some 58 million adults - 34 percent - age 18 to 65 have at least one chronic condition, and 19 million adults - 11 percent - have two or more chronic conditions…It is estimated that by the year 2020, half of the U.S. population will have at least one chronic condition and one-quarter will be living with multiple chronic conditions.”
From Center on an Aging Society, Georgetown UniversityData from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, from the National Health Survey.
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Making the CaseWhat is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?
“83% of working-age people with disabilities have high school diplomas or a higher education.”
National Organization on Disability, Harris Poll (2010)
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Making the CaseWhat is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?
“…87% of survey participants specifically agreed that they would prefer to give their business to companies that hire individuals with disabilities.”
A national survey of consumers attitudes towards companies that hire people with disabilities by Neil Romano and Gary Siperstein (2006)
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What is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?
Employer Reported Benefits of Accommodation89% - retaining a valued employee71% - increase in the employee’s productivity60% - elimination of costs of training a new employee53% - increase in the employee’s attendance43% - increase in diversity of the company39% - saving in worker’s compensation/other insurance costs10% - promotion of an employee with a disability
Low Cost, High Impact (2011) Resulting from the JAN Study of Employer Customers
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Making the CaseWhat is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?
Broadening of the ADA with the 2008 Amendments
An stricter enforcement of Section 501, Section 508 and Section 503 (Federal Contractors) of the Rehabilitation Act
U.N. Convention on the Rights of Individuals with Disabilities
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Communicating the Doors are OpenFour Signs the Doors are OpenAccessible WorksiteAccessible Ethos - particularly language Inclusive Policies and PracticesAccessible Workplace TechnologiesExternal Partnerships with disability related services
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Communicating the Doors are OpenLanguage People First LanguageNo One is a VictimAdults do not have special needsDisabilities have various levels of impairment i.e. hearing, blind, autistic, etc.Mental Illness, correct? Not denigrating descriptionsIntellectual disability, correct? Not mental retardation
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Communicating the Doors are OpenMeet and GreetJust like you, right? Write down what you want to sayMeeting and talking with a person with blindnessSit down and relaxIntellectual disability Cosmetic disfigurementService animal Speech impairment Ultimately if you are unsure about how to communicate, ask the person
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Communicating the Doors are OpenGeneral Tips Abilities First
Adaptive devices and assistive technology
Communicate directly – eye contact - with a colleague with a disability
Gaining the attention of someone who is deaf
Communication preference
Ask the person first before providing assistance
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Communicating the Doors are OpenInterviewing a Person with a DisabilityProvide training to all the employees who might be in contact with a
person with a disability
Focus on essential functions of the job
Disability does not need to be disclosed
Voluntary disclosure – affirmative action only
How to reply to a disclosure of disability
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Communicating the Doors are OpenSupervising a Person with a DisabilityOrient the employee to the evacuation procedures
Learning to navigate the office
Respect Privacy and do not make small talk about disability
Productivity tools - Just do it But, if a person discloses and asks for an accommodation then begin the interactive process – communicate frequently and document
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Communicating the Doors are OpenPolicies and Procedures
Reasonable Accommodation Policy How to request reasonable Written Confirmation of requests Timeframe for processing requests When medical documentation may be sought Denials in writing including basis for denial Responsible official and contact information.
DOL, Office of Federal Contract Compliance Program
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Communicating the Doors are OpenPractices
How to recognize disclosure an adjustment or change at work is needed for a reason related to a medical condition
may use "plain English" need not mention the ADA need not use the phrase “reasonable accommodation”
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Communicating the Doors are OpenPractices
How employees may disclose Verbally or in writing Supervisor HR Representative Disability Coordinator Other person stipulated by policy
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Communicating the Doors are OpenAccessible Technology
Websites Applicant Tracking System Online HR Systems Intranets Service Centers Products and Services Promotions – Marketing & Communications
Debra Ruh, SSB Bart (2011)
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Communicating the Doors are Open More Tips
Visit organizations with operational accessibility programs and benchmark their processes.
Enforce small, easy to make compliant issues first. Build employee/management expectations that accessibility is not difficult nor expensive.
Create a Road Map and Plan of Action
Offer training for several years. It is the second year that everyone starts to believe you are serious about accessibility
Debra Ruh, TecAccess (2011)
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Creating an Inclusive WorkplaceTips from the LeadersChampion in the “C” SuiteIdentify existing channels of communication and identify allies in other departments for collaborationBuild a diversity and inclusion strategic plan with a diversity recruiting commitment and a diversity performance objectiveBegin conducting accessibility audits – worksite, technologies, policies and practices Develop training to dispel myths, provide the business case and provide updated or new policies and practices
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Creating an Inclusive WorkplaceInternally start by:Developing internal expertise concerning issues of disability single point of contactDevelop or adapt accommodation policy and proceduresConduct an anonymous voluntary survey to begin to establish a baseline and understand how you organization is effected by disability Develop your own organizational business case and provide leaders with information to dispel the myths about disability when they arise
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Creating an Inclusive WorkplaceInternally start by:
Insuring all current training materials are accessibleInsuring all company communications are accessibleInsuring all hiring sites, meeting spaces are accessibleInsuring company events and holiday parties are accessible
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Creating an Inclusive Workplace As part of your internal communications, make sure everyone needs to know:Who are you top championsWho the point person and internal expert is for disability related questionsWhat to do if someone disclosesHow are accommodations fundedHow will they be held accountable
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Creating an Inclusive WorkplaceExternally start by:Visiting other companies or joining US BLN to identify a mentor Asking other companies for their benchmarksIdentifying external partners for technical assistanceIdentifying external partners to build your talent pipelineReviewing articles and books on inclusion
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Knowing Your Resources
ODEP and its Technical Assistance Programs – Effective policies and practices to increase employment of people with disabilities JAN – No cost national technical assistance and training on worksite accommodation solutions, Title I of the ADAAA and other disability-related technical assistance EARN – No cost national resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, and retain qualified employees with disabilitiesADA Network – No cost regional technical assistance and training on disability awareness and the ADAAA State Vocational Rehabilitation - To identify qualified applicants with disabilitiesInternship Programs - specifically for young people with disabilities i.e. Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), Emerging Leaders, Entry Point, Career Opportunities for Students with Disabilities (COSD), etc.Disability Related Job Banks - GettingHired.com, One More Way Foundation, Ability Jobs, Disaboom, etc.
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Select Resources:
Recruiting - • GettingHired.com http://www.gettinghired.com/• One More Way http://onemoreway.org/• Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP) http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/workforc.htm• EARN http://www.askearn.org/• Emerging Leaders Program http://www.emerging-leaders.com/• Career Opportunities for Students w/Disabilities (COSD) http://www.cosdonline.org/
Hardware/Software/Website Accessibility Issues- • TecAccess http://www.tecaccess.net/index.shtml• SSB BART Group Inc. https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/index.php• WebAim http://webaim.org/
Leaders in Inclusive Workplaces - • US Business Leadership Network http://www.usbln.org/
Guidance, Publications, & Research - • SHRM Disability Resources
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/disability_072110.aspx• ADA National Network (DBTAC) http://www.adata.org/Static/Government.aspx• Diversity Inc.(Disability page) http://www.diversityinc.com/department/255/Disability/
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JAN
Louis Orslene, Co-Director
PO Box 6080, Morgantown, WV 26506
800-526-7234 (Voice)
877-781-9403 (TTY)
NMBLN
Leah Rhule, Director
505-379-6533 (Voice and Text)
Tessah Latson Garcia, Director
505-379-0572 (Voice and Text)
NMBLN c/o Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce
1309 4th Street SW
Albuquerque, NM 87102
StarReach Enterprises
Julie Ballinger, Disability Rights and Issues Consultant
5901-J Wyoming Blvd. NE, PMB 175
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109
505-797-8612 (Voice)
Use Relay (TTY)
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
2323 S. Shepherd, #1000
Houston, TX 77019 www.southwestADA.org 1-800-949-4ADA
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