JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy.

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Profit by Investing in Workers with Disabilities

Louis Orslene

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)October 11, 2011

Making the Case

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5. Learn from past cases at JAN.5. Learn from past cases at JAN.

Overview Making the Case Communicating that the Doors are Open Creating an Inclusive Workplace Knowing Your Resources

In 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 & Young

http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2011/01/23/ey-ceo-on-what-makes-global-leaders-successful/

Making the Case

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What 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

Making the Case

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What 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.

Making the Case

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What 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 Case

What 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 Persons with

Disabilities

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Making the Case

What 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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Making the Case

What is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity efforts?

71% increase in the employee’s productivityEmployers report, 76% accommodations were either very effective or extremely effectiveMost accommodations cost than half (56%) were made at no cost

Accommodation and Compliance Series Publication - Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact, http://askjan.org/media/lowcosthighimpact.html

Making the Case

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Five Signs the Doors are Open

Accessible Worksite Accessible Ethos - particularly language Accessible Workplace Technologies Inclusive Policies and Practices External Partnerships with disability related

services

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Communicating the Doors are Open

Language People First Language No One is a Victim Adults do not have special needs Disabilities have various levels of impairment

i.e. hearing, blind, autistic, etc. Mental Illness, correct? Not denigrating

descriptions Intellectual disability, correct? Not mental

retardation

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Communicating the Doors are Open

Meet and Greet Just like you, right? Write down what you want to say Meeting and talking with a person with blindness Sit down and relax Intellectual disability Cosmetic disfigurement Service animal Speech impairment Ultimately if you are unsure about how to

communicate, ask the person

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Communicating the Doors are Open

General 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

Communicating the Doors are Open

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Interviewing a Person with a Disability

Provide 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

Communicating the Doors are Open

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Supervising a Person with a Disability

Orient 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

Communicating the Doors are Open

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Websites Applicant Tracking System Online HR Systems Intranets Service Centers Products and Services Promotions – Marketing & Communications

Debra Ruh, SSB Bart (2011)

Communicating the Doors are Open

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Tips from the Leaders

Champion in the “C” Suite Identify existing channels of communication and identify

allies in other departments for collaboration Build a diversity and inclusion strategic plan with a

diversity recruiting commitment and a diversity performance objective

Begin 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 Workplace

Internally start by:

Developing internal expertise concerning issues of disability single point of contact

Develop or adapt accommodation policy and procedures

Conduct 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 Workplace

Internally start by:

Insuring all current training materials are accessible

Insuring all company communications are accessible

Insuring all hiring sites, meeting spaces are accessible

Insuring 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 champions Who the point person and internal expert is for

disability related questions What to do if someone discloses How are accommodations funded How will they be held accountable

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Creating an Inclusive Workplace

Externally 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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Creating an Inclusive Workplace

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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Knowing Your Resources

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Contact (800)526-7234 (V) & (877)781-9403 (TTY) AskJAN.org & jan@askjan.org

Job Accommodation Network

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Job Accommodation Network