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Disability Disability SensitivitySensitivity
Debbie JonesDisability ConsultantSan Francisco Region - Department of Labor Office of Job Corps
The greatest barriers individuals The greatest barriers individuals
with disabilities have faced for with disabilities have faced for
decades and continue to face decades and continue to face
today are today are attitudinal barriersattitudinal barriers..
Work Trends SurveyWork Trends SurveyAmericans’ Attitudes About Work,
Employers and Government There are many ways in which barriers due to a disability may
be accommodated. Work Trends, March 2003 John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey
Restricted Access:A Survey of Employers About People withDisabilities and Lowering Barriers to Work
http://www.heldrich.rutgers.edu/Resources/Publication/89/WorkTrendsXIVRestrictedAccessFinalReport.pdf
Specific Barriers Cited by Employers toSpecific Barriers Cited by Employers toTheir Hiring People with DisabilitiesTheir Hiring People with Disabilities
31%
10%
10%5%4%
12%
5%
23%Nature of Work
Employer Discomfort
Fear of Cost of Accommodation
Actual Cost of Accommodation
Fear of ADA litigation
Other
None
Don't Know
Heldrich Work Trends Survey, v.3.6: winter ‘03
Why the Attitude?Why the Attitude?
FEAR Many people fear they will say or do the wrong thing and, therefore, avoid people with disabilities.
BACKLASH People believe that individuals with disabilities are given unfair advantages.
DENIAL "Hidden" disabilities are not "real" disabilities that require accommodation.
SPREAD EFFECT People assume that a person with a disability is totally impaired. For example, people may talk loudly to a person who is blind.
Misperceptions & Biases of Misperceptions & Biases of Persons with DisabilitiesPersons with Disabilities
MYTH:MYTH: People with disabilities have lower job People with disabilities have lower job performance.performance.▪ FACT: In 1990, DuPont conducted a survey of 811 employees with
disabilities and found 90% rated average or better in job performance compared to 95% for employees without disabilities. A similar 1981 DuPont study which involved 2,745 employees with disabilities found that 92% of employees with disabilities rated average or better in job performance compared to 90% of employees without disabilities.
MYTH: Employees with disabilities have a higher MYTH: Employees with disabilities have a higher absentee rate than employees without disabilities.absentee rate than employees without disabilities.▪ FACT: Studies by firms such as DuPont show that employees with
disabilities are not absent any more than employees without disabilities.
Misperceptions & BiasesMisperceptions & Biases
MYTH: It is too costly to accommodate students and MYTH: It is too costly to accommodate students and employees with disabilities.employees with disabilities.▪ FACT: Most workers with disabilities require no special accommodations
and the cost for those who do is minimal or much lower than many employers believe. Studies by the President's Committee's Job Accommodation Network have shown that 15% of accommodations cost nothing, 51% cost between $1 and $500, 12% cost between $501 and $1,000, and 22% cost more than $1,000.
MYTH: Certain career choices are more suited to MYTH: Certain career choices are more suited to persons with disabilities.persons with disabilities.▪ FACT: As with all people, certain career choices may be better suited to
some than to others. While there are obvious poor career technical training and career choices, there are also many ways to accommodate individuals with disabilities as well as alternate ways of accomplishing a task.
Misperceptions & BiasesMisperceptions & Biases
MYTH: Persons with disabilities need to be protected MYTH: Persons with disabilities need to be protected from failing. from failing. ▪ FACT: Persons with disabilities have a right to participate in the full range
of human experiences including success and failure. Job Corps Center staff and employers should have the same expectations of, and work requirements for, all students/employees.
Myths about Job Corps Students Myths about Job Corps Students with Disabilitieswith Disabilities Students with disabilities cannot be taught a vocation. This is not true. Each student with a disability is an individual with certain
abilities. The focus should be on what the individual can do, not limited by what he/she cannot. For instance, a student with a cognitive disability may have weaknesses in traditional academic areas and may have trouble reading; however, this student may do well in other areas such as carpentry. The key is to provide the student with the training he/she needs to match both their abilities and interests.
Students with disabilities cannot make academic gains. With reasonable accommodation, the student may make academic gains in
language or math, obtain a GED, a HSD, or even go on to college. All students with disabilities have low mental abilities. Every individual with a disability is unique just as each individual without a
disability is unique. Even manifestations of the same type of disability may present differently in different individuals. Get to know the person before making judgments based upon a label.
The words you use can create either a positive view of people
with disabilities or it can reinforce common myths.
It’s not just a matter of semantics or being
“politically correct”; the language we use reflects
how we feel about disability.
http://www.disabilitylearningservices.com/unit03.htm
Negative Phrases Used to Describe Negative Phrases Used to Describe People with DisabilitiesPeople with Disabilities
Retard or retarded You must have ridden the “short bus” Crazy, lunatic, schizo, psycho, insane Deaf and dumb A mute Brain-damaged Crippled
Language UseLanguage Use
Affirmative Phrase A person with an intellectual
disability A person who is blind or who is
visually impaired A person with a disability A person who is deaf or who has a
hearing impairment A person who is deaf A person who is hard of hearing A person who has multiple
sclerosis
Negative Phrase
Retard; retarded
The blind
The disabled; handicapped
The deaf
Deaf and dumb, mute
Suffers a hearing loss
Afflicted by MS
More on Language UseMore on Language Use
Affirmative Phrase
A person who has cerebral palsy
A person who has epilepsy
A person who uses a wheelchair A person who has muscular
dystrophy A person with a physical
disability A person with Down syndrome A person with a mental health or
psychiatric disability
Negative Phrase
CP Victim
Epileptic
Confined or restricted to a wheelchair
Stricken by MD
Crippled, lame, deformed
He’s Downs
Crazy, nuts, lunatic, psycho
More on Language UseMore on Language Use
Affirmative Phrase A person with a physical disability
or one who has quadriplegia A person who is short of stature or
who is a little person A person with a learning disability
A person without disabilities
A person with a brain injury
Accessible Parking
Negative Phrase
A quadriplegic
Dwarf; midget
Learning disabled
Normal
Brain damaged
Handicapped parking
Handicap vs. DisabilityHandicap vs. Disability
Handicap or HandicappedHandicap or Handicapped
▪The origin of the word “handicap” is from an old English bartering game in which the “loser” was left with “hand in his cap” and was thought to be at a disadvantage.
▪A legendary origin of the word “handicap” refers to a person with a disability begging with his “cap in his hand.”
-From Kathy Snow’s, “Disability is Natural” website. www.disabilityisnatural.com
Person First LanguagePerson First Language
Person First Language puts the person before the disability and describes what a
person has, not who a person is.
A “person with a disability” not a “disabled” person
Why Person First?Why Person First?
Group designations such as "the blind," "the retarded" or "the disabled" are inappropriate because they do not
reflect the individuality, equality or dignity of people with disabilities.
Further, words like "normal person" imply that the person with a disability isn't normal, whereas "person
without a disability" is descriptive but not negative.
http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/comucate.htm
Barrier Removal – Barrier Removal – Reasonable AccommodationReasonable Accommodation
Sometimes our misperceptions and biases about what a person with a disability can or
cannot do exist because there is not an awareness or knowledge base of how those barriers might be alleviated with the use of appropriate reasonable accommodation.
How Accommodations Remove How Accommodations Remove BarriersBarriers
Examples of what some individuals with certain types of learning disabilities might “see” when looking at printed
material or how they might “write” on paper.
Overcoming Those BarriersOvercoming Those Barriers
There are many ways in which barriers due to a disability may be accommodated.
Examples:▪Use of a word processor
• Spell check• Word prediction
▪Use of text to speech software▪Use of voice dictation software
Suggestions for Effective Suggestions for Effective CommunicationCommunication
Ask the person with the disability about their needs Consider the communication situation (e.g., nature,
length, and complexity) Use a combination of aids and services with appropriate
communication techniques. For example, speaking clearly in a normal tone of voice, writing key words, using short sentences, gesturing, signing, looking directly at the listener when speaking
http://www.disabilitylearningservices.com/unit05.htm
The Ten Commandments of The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Communicating with People with DisabilitiesDisabilities
The Ten Commandments of Communicating with People with Disabilities is a video that provide information on
disability etiquette via a series of humorous vignettes.
It also delivers a compelling portrait of people with disabilities as competent, contributing, and affable
participants in the workforce.
Creating Inclusive EnvironmentsCreating Inclusive Environments
Keep in mind that knowing how to react appropriately in every
situation requires time and practice.
As with all other etiquette issues, when mistakes are made,
apologize, correct the problem, learn from the
mistake, move on–do not be discouraged, and above all,
keep trying.
Creating & Maintaining an Inclusive Creating & Maintaining an Inclusive Training & Work EnvironmentTraining & Work Environment
Use posters and other visual displays that are inclusive of individuals with disabilities.
Provide ongoing training to staff, students, and prospective employers regarding disability related topics.▪ Disability Sensitivity/Basic Etiquette
▪ Common Disabilities
▪ Reasonable Accommodation
▪ Types of Barrier Removal
▪ General Resources
▪ Education and Training Techniques/Strategies
Staff modeling of appropriate conduct, attitudes, and knowledge.
Educating the StudentEducating the Student
Assist student in becoming confident and comfortable discussing his/her disability by providing:
▪Specific training/literature on• Disclosure
• Self-Advocacy & Self-Determination
• Workplace Rights
Educating the EmployerEducating the Employer Each October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month
(NDEAM). NDEAM is a perfect time to promote awareness and showcase the abilities of students with disabilities within the Job Corps environment, within the community-at-large and most importantly, with employers. Suggested activities include:
▪ Work with local business industry council to set up a job fair or open house featuring center trades and show types of accommodations and how they are used in that particular field.
▪ Gather information on hiring individuals with disabilities and disseminate to employers, including development of flyers and newsletter perhaps featuring students with disabilities who have been successfully placed. [Make this a year round activity!]
Involving EmployersInvolving Employers
Invite employers to participate in the center’s programs and activities.
▪ Include disability organization representatives on the center community relations and business industry councils.
Poster available at www.disabilityisnatural.com
Job Corps Disability WebsiteJob Corps Disability Website
The site contains general disability information and disability-related information specific to Job Corps.
http://jcdisability.jobcorps.gov/index.htmhttp://jcdisability.jobcorps.gov/index.htm
Other ResourcesOther Resources
Barbara Grove, National Office, National Nurse Consultant
202-693-3116 or [email protected]
Michelle Day, Humanitas, Disability Coordinator
301-608-3290, ext. 409 or [email protected]
Debbie Jones, Humanitas, Learning Disabilities Specialist
804-598-2118, or [email protected]
