Beyond Yellow Ribbons: How Prepared are
Veterans with Disabilities and Employers to
Participate in a Disability Inclusive Workforce?
Hannah Rudstam, Ph.D. Northeast ADA Center (DBTAC—NE)
Wendy Strobel Gower, Project Director, Northeast ADA Center (DBTAC—NE)
Jamie Streeter Wilson, MA Candidate, Cornell University
A resource…
The Northeast ADA Center
1 800 949 4232
Offering training, consulting, and
technical assistance
Overview
Why is this a burning issue?
The nature of veterans’ disabilities
The Employers’ Study
The Veterans’ Study
Implications: Policy, practice and research
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Why is this a burning issue?
A 30 year old veteran returns from Iraq with PTSD. A middle school
teacher prior to his service in Iraq, he now plans on limiting his job
search to non-skilled work because he is sure he will never be hired for
professional jobs when he tells his potential employer about his PTSD
diagnosis.
A 24 year old soldier is recovering from a traumatic brain injury. She
plans on hiding her disability from her employer because she fears she
will be terminated if her employer finds out.
A 32 year old returns from Iraq with a spinal cord injury. An IT
professional prior to his service, he believes he will not be able to return
to his old job because the building he worked in lacks an elevator.
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Why is this a burning issue?
For these veterans (and many others
like them), will goodwill be enough?
What else needs to happen?
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Why is this a burning issue?
To a large degree, veterans’ workplace issues
are disability workplace issues
•
Since 2001, about 1.64 million U.S. troops have been
deployed for Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
•
According to the U.S. Census Bureau (American
Community Survey 2009):
•
•
•
21.9 million veterans in 2009
9.8 million of these veterans were in the workforce
5.5 million veterans had a diagnosed disability
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Yet, the real rate of disability among
veterans is likely substantially higher
“Signature” Disabilities: PTSD, TBI and depression
PTSD:
–
–
2008 RAND study: About 20 % of recently returned veterans screened
positive for depression or PTSD
Erbes , Westermeyer , Engdahl & Johnson (2007): Rate of PTSD
among returning service members was 6 % diagnosed, with an additional
27% estimated to be undiagnosed
TBI
–
2008 RAND study: 19% of soldiers received a probable TBI, with more
subtle (and more difficult to diagnose) blast-related injuries being the
most common
Many veterans have more than one disability
30% of returning veterans screened positive for PTSD, TBI and/or
major depression (RAND, 2008)
Overview: Disability rates & types
DOD rates across OIF, OEF & OND*
Total casualties:
41,675
Largest reason code:
WEAPONRY, EXPLOSIVE DEVICE
29,789
*US Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel and Procurement
Statistics at
http://siadapp.dmdc.osd.mil/personnel/CASUALTY/castop.htm .
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Returning veterans…
Arguably, the number of veterans with nonobvious disabilities far exceeds those with
obvious disabilities
The two signature disabilities for Iraq and
Afghanistan veterans are:
1. Post-traumatic stress disorder
(PTSD)
2. Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
The nature of veterans’ disabilities
Iraq and Afghanistan vets have higher rates of
signature disabilities (Williams & Mulhall,
2009)
•
Nature of weaponry—TBI closed-head blast injuries
from roadside bombs and mortar attacks
•
More vulnerable to PTSD because of street, hand-tohand fighting and snipers
•
More likely to have repeated deployments
•
Not as likely to have recommended rest period
between deployments
•
Recruited from National Guard and Reservists—may
lack the sense of shared community of enlistees
The special dynamic of these “signature”
veterans’ disabilities…
•
Veteran is likely still on a journey to understand the
impact and meaning of the disability AFTER the return
to civilian work life
•
Under-diagnosed & under-reported—Inadequate
screening mechanisms
•
Many will not be fully diagnosed & treated until long after
return to civilian life
•
Change a lot over time
•
Can have a wide range of symptoms and subtle
manifestations
•
Tend to be highly stigmatized
About PTSD…
Three major categories of diagnostic criteria*
1. Re-experiencing Symptoms
–
–
Uncontrollable flashbacks
Nightmares
2. Avoidance Symptoms
–
–
Withdrawing from others
Loss of interest in life activities
3. Hyper-arousal
–
–
–
Sleep problems
Unexplained anger
Difficulty concentrating
Symptoms can “creep up” –not necessarily present
immediately after the event
*4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (or
DSM-IV).
About TBI…
A leading cause is blast injuries, ranging from life
threatening to mild/undetected
Our screening systems for TBI are probably
inadequate
A very complex injury, with subtle symptoms:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Sleep problems
Impaired memory
Poor concentration/attention
Depression
Anxiety
Irritability/mood changes
Headache/dizziness
Fatigue
Noise/light intolerance
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Vision change: blurred or vision
And what does this mean
in the workplace?
Many veterans may still be on a journey to understand the
meaning of working with a disability long after they return to
civilian work life
Their conditions & treatment plans may still be in the process of
adjustment well into their civilian work lives
No “one size fits all.” Course of recovery and employment
needs is different for each individual
If workplaces are not disability inclusive, they are not
welcoming to returning vets--Disability inclusiveness is
the knot that holds together the yellow ribbon
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Symptoms and accommodation options
for PTSD and TBI often overlap:
Interacting with co-workers or supervisor:
•
•
•
•
Alternative communication systems
Work at home option (can be part time)
Clarity expectations and give positive coaching/feedback
Assign feedback partner
Sleep disturbances:
•
•
Provide consistent schedule
Combine short breaks into a long break for a nap
Fine motor skills issues:
•
•
•
Alternative input devices for computer
Speech to text software
Ergonomic phones, desks and office equipment
Large motor skills issues:
• Universal design
• Basics of accessibility
Main laws that apply to
veterans with disabilities in the workplace
USERRA
FMLA
ADA
USERRA
(Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights
Act)
Enforced by US DOL
Protects civilian jobs of service members called to military
duty
Retains employment rights for five years
Has some disability protections for service-acquired
disabilities--right to reasonable accommodation
Must be re-employed in the job they would have attained had
they not been in service
Guaranteed same seniority, rights and benefits
Employer must train/re-train service member to attain the
“escalated job
http://www.dol.gov/vets/programs/userra/userra_fs.htm
FMLA
• New military family leave
entitlements—2009
• Family members of service
members can take up to 26
workweeks leave to care for service
member with a disability
• Family members of National Guard
may use 12 weeks FMLA leave to
arrange family affairs of active duty
service member
ADA
•VWDs protected in same way anyone else with a disability is.
–Not automatically protected
–Independent of military benefits disability rating
•Hiring—Right to an accommodation during hiring process
itself
•Hiring—Right to disclosure as a choice
•Accommodation—Right to an accommodation
•Other work processes—Right to have equal access to
training, development, coaching, equal compensation,
promotion, etc.
•Right to an accessible workplace
EEOC (2009) Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities and the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Guide for Employers.
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/veterans-disabilities-employers.html
Two studies:
Are we ready for a workplace that
includes veterans with disabilities?
Study #1. Employer Study
Study #2. The Veterans’ Study
An overview of each study
Study #1. Employer Study
•
Northeast ADA Center & ADA Center Network in
collaboration with National Society of Human
Resource Management (SHRM)
•
Builds upon a prior SHRM study on HR professionals
attitudes about veterans
•
Question: Do HR professionals have the knowledge,
beliefs/willingness and practices in place to be
effective in hiring, accommodating and retaining
veterans with disabilities?
An overview of each study
Study #2. Veterans’ Study
•
Northeast ADA Center in collaboration with Kessler
Foundation and Tip of the Arrow Program
•
Veterans are being prepared in terms of medical,
training and vocational preparation. But what about
their rights as people with disabilities in the
workplace?
•
Question: Do veterans with disabilities have the
knowledge, beliefs/willingness and practices in place
to apply their rights as people with disabilities in the
workplace?
An ecological framework:
The DBTAC—NE Barrier Intervention Model
Can’t Barriers
(Practices/Policies/Systems)
√ We have needed knowledge
√ We are committed
But our practices/policies/
systems are in the way
Won’t Barriers
(Attitudes/Beliefs/Expectations)
√ We have good systems/practices/
policies
√ We have needed knowledge
But we are not willing & committed
Don’t Know Barriers
(Knowledge/Information)
√ We have good systems/practices/policies
√ We are committed & willing
But we lack knowledge
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
1. The Employer Study
A surge of
goodwill:
Will it be
enough?
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
1. The Employer Study
In collaboration with:
•SHRM
•National ADA Network
•Northeast ADA Center
(formerly DBTAC—NE)
National Society of
Human Resource
Management
SHRM
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Methods
Study #1
Employer Study
•
Employer survey online only
•
Took about 10 - 12 min to complete
•
10,000 surveys distributed to members of SHRM
•
1,083 returned
•
Mixed response scales
•
•
Some response scales included a “Not Sure” option
Respondent data—from what type of org? etc?
•
Survey based on DBTAC Barrier Intervention Model
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Employer Study
Findings:
Employers knowledge,
willingness & practices around
employing veterans with
disabilities
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Study #1
Employers
Overall: HR professionals are largely willing
to hire veterans with disabilities and do see
some benefits of having these veterans in
their workforce
Yet, they are struggling to turn this goodwill
into solid HR practices to find, hire, and
manage the talents of these veterans
Expressed goodwill is not the same as
prioritizing this issue!
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Do employers have the knowledge they need to be effective in
employing veterans with disabilities?
Study #1
Employers
Recruiting.
Most employers had not heard of resources
related to finding and recruiting VWDs.
– 73% had not heard of the VetSuccess Program;
– 61% had not heard of the Wounded Warrior Program.
– Varied by sector—govt sector respondents more likely
to know about recruiting resources
Signature disabilities.
Employers reported significant
knowledge gaps regarding PTSD and TBI.
– 70% could not identify any possible accommodations
needed by workers with TBI
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Do employers have the knowledge they need to be effective in
employing veterans with disabilities?
•Accommodations.
Employers largely did not know
where to go to find accommodation resources for VWDs
Study #1
Employers
– 41% did not know where to find resources to help them
accommodate VWDs
•The Law.
Employers were confused about disability
disclosure and did not know which laws applied to VWDs
•58% incorrectly believed applicants must disclose during the
hiring process (a key finding given that, to a large degree,
PTSD and TBI are often not obvious to others)
•42% incorrectly believed that USERRA and not the ADA is the
main law covering VWDs in the workplace
•31% of respondents did not know which laws covered VWDs
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Do employers have the willingness/beliefs in place to
employ VWDs?
Overall perceived benefits. Generally, employers did believe in
Study #1
Employers
benefits of employing VWDs.
– 73% agreed or strongly agreed that hiring VWDs would benefit
their business/organization
– 24% were unsure
Job performance expectations. Employers generally believed
VWDs could perform on the job.
– 72% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that VWDs
perform as well as other employees
– 26% indicated they were not sure
Customer relations. Employers generally believed hiring VWDs
would be good for customers
– 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that hiring VWDs
would improve their customer image;
– 24% were unsure
Do employers have the willingness/beliefs in place to
employ VWDs?
Yet…
Study #1 Employers
Perceived effort burden. Despite these positive beliefs,
employers thought VWDs would require more effort.
– 61% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that
accommodating workers with PTSD or TBI would require more
effort on the part of the employer
Manager time burden. Generally, employers believed VWDs
would take more of a manager’s time.
– 61% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that
accommodating VWDs would take more of a manager’s time
– 29% were unsure
– 10% believed accommodating VWDs would not take more of a
manager’s time/effort
Do employers have the willingness/beliefs in place to
employ VWDs?
Cost burden. Generally, employers were unsure if
Study #1 Employers
accommodations would be costly.
– 35% of respondents disagreed or disagreed strongly that is
costly to accommodate workers with PTSD or TBI.
– 52% of respondents were unsure whether accommodating
workers with these disabilities would be costly
Signature disabilities. Generally, employers were unsure if
workers with the signature disabilities would be violent in the
workplace.
– 39% of respondents disagreed or strongly disagreed that
workers with PTSD were more likely than others to be violent
in the workplace
– 53% did not know
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Did employers have practices/processes in place to be
effective in employing veterans with disabilities?
General Recruiting Practices. Some employers use
Study #1
Employers
recruitment sources targeting veterans.
– 38% of respondents reported that their organization generally
used recruitment sources targeting veterans
– 27% reported using recruitment sources that targeted people
with disabilities
VWD Recruiting Practices. Yet, surprisingly, these
numbers drop precipitously when respondents were asked
more specifically about using common recruiting sources
targeting VWDs.
– Only 2-3% of the employers surveyed reported using any of
the specific resources among a list of possible sources for
finding and recruiting VWDs
– Varied by organization size: 25% of smaller organizations
used recruitment sources targeting VWDs; 77% of larger
organizations
Did employers have practices/processes in place to be
effective in employing veterans with disabilities?
The Diversity Plan.
Study #1
Employers
Generally, employers included disability
and veterans in their diversity plans.
– 70% of respondents reported that they included disability in
their diversity plans (Varied by organization size: 67% of
smaller organizations and 93% of larger organizations
included disability in diversity plan.)
– 67% included veterans (Varied by organization size: 59% of
smaller organizations and 89% of larger organizations
included veterans in their diversity plan.)
Hiring. Generally, employers had not hired veterans with known
disabilities.
– 17% had hired a veteran who had disclosed a disability either
before or after time of hire
– 52% had not hired a veteran w ho had disclosed a disability
– 31% unsure
Did employers have practices/processes in place to be
effective in employing veterans with disabilities?
Accommodation Practices for PTSD. Employers had
Study #1
Employers
little experience accommodating workers with PTSD
– Only 6% had accommodated a worker with PTSD in the last
year
– 61% had not made any accommodations for PTSD
– 33% were unsure
Accommodation Practices for TBI. Employers had little
experience accommodating workers with TBI
– Only 2% of respondents reported that their organization had
accommodated a worker with TBI in the last 12 months
– 66% had not made accommodations for TBI
– 32% were unsure
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Did employers have practices/processes in place to be
effective in employing veterans with disabilities?
Centralized accommodation function. Some employers
Study #1
Employers
do not have a centralized accommodation office
– 40% of respondents indicated they had a centralized office to
handle disability-related accommodation requests.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Most employers
do not have an EAP with expertise in VWDs
– 74% of respondents reported having an EAP
– 38% of respondents reported that their EAP had expertise in
veterans’ issues
Affinity/resource group.
Most employers do not have an
affinity group focusing on either disability or veterans’ issues.
– 9% of respondents indicated their organization had an
affinity/resource group focused on disability
– 7% reported an affinity/resource group focused on veterans
Our findings…
Limitations of our study:
Study #1
Employers
“Not sure” response category
• Surfaces knowledge needs, but masks socially undesirable
responses?
Sample that consisted solely of SHRM members
• Accessed a difficult-to-reach audience, but over-represented
large, private sector organizations
• Could practices around diversity plans, EAP and Affinity groups
be over-represented in our study?
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Using the ecological DBTAC – Northeast ADA Center
Barrier Intervention Model to translate our findings
Can’t Barriers
(Practices/Policies/Systems)
Won’t Barriers
(Attitudes/Beliefs/Expectations)
What interventions will address
these barriers?
What interventions will address
these barriers?
Don’t Know Barriers
(Knowledge/Information)
What interventions will address
these barriers?
Using the ecological DBTAC – Northeast ADA Center Barrier Intervention Model to
translate our findings
The Model highlights a misalignment of barriers and
interventions
•Significant barriers to employing VWDs across all
three areas posed by the model
•Yet, the bulk of prior interventions provided by the
rehabilitation community have largely been directed
toward knowledge barriers only—toward disseminating
more information
•Hence, our interventions have not been fully aligned
with employer barriers
Three barriers posed by model do not exist in a vacuum, but are in a dynamic
inter-relationship
•For example, our findings indicated that employers largely do not
have knowledge of resources for recruiting VWDs.
•Does this call for a proliferation of information resources around recruiting
VWDs?
•Must ask: Why does this knowledge gap exist?
•It may be that employers have not prioritized this issue enough to seek out
these resources or to devote the attention needed to wade through existing
resources
•In other words, they may have this knowledge gap not because of a lack of
resources, but because employers do not believe these resources will benefit
them or can be integrated effectively into their current practices—barriers in the
“Won’t” and “Can’t” areas
•Hence, our efforts need to focus less on creating more information resources
and more on understanding how employers make choices about seeking and
using information related to VWDs in the workforce.
About willingness/belief barriers
Practice Implications:
Our findings show an inconsistent commitment to employing VWDs,
particularly for signature disabilities
Ultimately, employers’ resource-seeking, decisions and actions will be
fueled by their calculations of the relative benefits and costs of employing
VWDs
Organizational change literature: The limitation of traditional training
interventions in impacting these barriers
Yet, this is likely to be the most frequently requested intervention by
employers
About willingness/belief barriers
So, what’s to be done? Finding alternative
interventions…
•Surfacing self awareness of unquestioned, automatic
assumptions about VWDs, even when these are socially
unacceptable
•Creating direct experiences with veterans with disabilities in
the workplace, such as mentoring & internship
•Utilizing trusted, credible sources to engage in active “mythbusting”
•Move from traditional training to consulting
About willingness/belief barriers
Further research:
W. I. Thomas stated, “What is believed to be true will be true in its effect.”
•Use mixed methods to describe more deeply how employers’ beliefs
about VWDs impact their choices and actions
•Open-ended, probing interviews to surface how decisions about
VWDs in the workplace actually unfold
•Explore possible discrepancy between employers’ publicly held
beliefs and their real on-the-ground decision-making
•Is there a tacit contradiction between public vs. private belief
structures
•What might this tacit contradiction mean for future interventions?
About practice/policy barriers
Several remaining questions about how employers are actually using
practices such as diversity plans, EAP and Affinity groups
Clearly, employers lack prior experience with VWDs, particularly those
with signature disabilities
Further research:
Explore impact of organizational size and type (public/private)
Mixed methods—open the “black box” of real-life in the workplace;
surveys alone render invisible the tacit features of how
practices/policies are actually formed
A deeper view is especially needed given the nature of the
signature disabilities of PTSD and TBI--In addition to being
“mysterious” to many employers, these disabilities are highly
stigmatized and are likely to be unfolding after the veteran has
returned to civilian work life
Conclusions of employers’ study…
What was surprising?
Study #1
Employers
•They do have good will in this area and believe overall hiring
VWDs would benefit their business, but this belief is not strong
enough to prioritize this issue when it competes with other
demands
•Disconnect between what they aspire to and what they actually
do
•Largely don’t use recruitment resources
•Did have some key knowledge gaps—disclosure and
accommodation
•The extent to which signature disabilities were “mysterious”—
didn’t have any experience and were really struggling with
accommodating
•Effect of organizational sector (public/private) was clear, but
needs more elaboration
Study #2. Veteran Study
In collaboration with:
•
•
•
•
Kessler Foundation
Tip of the Arrow Foundation
SM Clark, U.S. Army
Northeast ADA Center
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
The purpose of this project was to describe the
readiness of veterans with disabilities to enter/reenter the workforce as a person with a disability.
A gap--Veterans were being prepared for work life in the
areas of medical rehabilitation, vocational training,
skills acquisition, resume preparation and
interview practice
But are they prepared to “work the ADA?”—To deal with
legal, practical and human issues around working
with a disability?
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Methods
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
•
Veterans survey pencil & paper only
•
Data collected June – Nov 2010
•
Incentivized self-selected volunteers completed
survey
•
Surveys distributed at veteran job fairs and
Wounded Warrior Units in several locations
•
Survey took about 20 minutes to complete
•
421 surveys completed
•
Survey based on DBTAC Barrier Intervention
Model
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Sample was somewhat representative
of veterans in general:
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
•Army (57%), male (83%), and white (53%)
•69% served in OIF and/or OEF
•86% self-identified as having a disability
•57% mental condition (e.g. depression and/or PTSD)
•60% physical disability
•30% sensory disability
•Our sample was somewhat older and have more
education than veterans in general:
•67% were at least 40 years old
•Had higher level of education
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
What do veterans know?
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
Overall, scored higher on a True/false test about ADA than what we
thought. But , nearly half believed these three statements were true:
•A veteran with a disability must tell an employer about a
disability when they apply for a job.
•A worker who did not tell their employer about a disability when
they were hired can be fired when the employer finds out.
•The employer does not have to change anything about how a job
is done to accommodate a worker with a disability.
44% strongly agreed or agreed that they have a good understanding
of what types of accommodations they will need on the job.
36% report they know where to get information about employment
issues
Fewer, only 29% have thought through how they will discuss an
accommodation need with an employer.
Study #2 Veteran Study
What do veterans believe/expect about their
worklives as people with disabilities?
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
•Almost 60% of respondents feared disability discrimination in
hiring
•29% believed they were ready to advocate for themselves as a
person with a disability in the workplace
•Almost half (46%) agreed/strongly agreed that their disability
would prevent them from obtaining many jobs
•Substantially fewer (35%) agreed/strongly agreed that their
disability will prevent them from performing jobs
•Less than half (44%) were comfortable communicating their
accommodation needs with an employer
•Those with the signature disabilities fear disability discrimination
more
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Study #2 Veteran Study
What are veterans doing/intending?
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
•About 2/3 are unlikely or somewhat unlikely to disclose either during
hiring or employment
•Veterans with disabilities intend to disclose their disability during the
hiring-process at a higher rate than after they are employed (This
finding must be viewed in light of the fact that many veterans believe
they must disclose a disability at time of hire)
•The decision to disclose depends on the type of disability.
oVeterans with the signature disabilities of PTSD and TBI intend
to disclose at a somewhat lower rate than those with physical
disabilities
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
What are veterans doing/intending?
•Most veterans do not intend to request an
accommodation either during hiring or employment
•Veterans with physical disabilities were somewhat more
likely to ask for an accommodation
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Study #2 Veteran Study
Study #2 Veteran Study
Study #2 Veteran Study
Limitations of veterans’ study…
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
Our sample was somewhat older and better educated
than the vet population as a whole (though veterans on
the whole are now being called from older populations
than prior engagements)
What definition of disability? Veterans can get confused
by military benefits definition of disability and the ADA
definition
Response categories—Using “True/False” (Though large
sample size should correct for guessing)
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Conclusions –What was surprising in our
data?
Study #2
Veterans with
disabilities
Higher than expected scores on True/False quiz (but our
sample was better educated than representative of vets)
Yet, True/False test showed they struggle with key rights:
disclosure and accommodation
The extent to which they feared discrimination
How little they had thought through disclosure decisions and
accommodation process (need and request)
How little they use recruitment and other resources, even
though they are aware of them
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, our conclusions…
Remember the three veterans with disabilities?
Goodwill & yellow ribbons are not enough—disability inclusive
workplace issues are largely veterans’ issues
Veterans do fear disability discrimination and this fear is somewhat
justified
Contradictions to yellow ribbon spirit are largely tacit
Overall, neither employers nor veterans with disabilities are fully
prepared to “work” the ADA to ensure a disability inclusive
workplace
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, what’s to be done?
Veterans and employers do have some knowledge needs, specifically
disclosure and accommodation request rights
Knowledge of ADA , disclosure decisions and accommodation practices
need to be part of VR process for vets
BUT--Few vets intend to disclose their disability and request an
accommodation; simply knowing their rights might not change these
decisions
We need to get beyond “Spray & Pray”—Disseminating knowledge won’t
be enough
A myriad confusing array of resources/efforts/information already exist,
but stakeholders are largely NOT using the resources we already have
even when they are aware of these resources!
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, 10 points for employers…
1.
Do you understand the special workplace dynamic
of the veterans’ signature disabilities of PTSD and
TBI?
•The unfolding nature of these disabilities
•The changing nature of these disabilities
•Diagnosis alone will not be enough
•The highly-stigmatized nature of these disabilities ; unfounded,
automatic assumptions
•Will people with these disabilities trust to come forward?
2. Have a look at your diversity plan; does it include
disability?
•
Veterans with disabilities will need more than a diversity plan
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, 10 points for employers…
3. Are you familiar with the resources?
•
A broad array of resources are available for employers on
recruiting, hiring and accommodating veterans with disabilities
4. Are you trying to go it alone?
•
Many opportunities for employers to build partnerships, both in
local communities as well as nationally
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, 10 points for employers…
5. Can you separate fact from fiction?
•Our survey suggests that the signature disabilities of PTSD and
TBI are “mysterious” to many HR professionals, both in terms of
their workplace implications as well as fears of possible threats.
•What assumptions could be tacitly driving your hiring decisions? .
6. Are face-to-face leaders on board?
•In many organizations, it is mid-level managers who are the real
gatekeepers of disability inclusive workplace practices and
cultures.
7. Can you accommodate BOTH obvious and
non-obvious disabilities?
•
Most employers “get it” when it comes to accommodating
employees with obvious disabilities, such as those who use
wheelchairs. But they struggle with accommodating employees
with non-obvious disabilities.
In a nutshell, 10 points for employers…
8. Are people with disabilities and veterans
included in your talent acquisition
practices?
•Our survey showed that many HR professionals are not aware of
and do not use recruitment resources that would reach veterans
with disabilities.
9. Do you understand which laws apply?
•
Some employers responding to our survey were confused
about the laws applying to veterans with disabilities in the
workforce.
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
In a nutshell, 10 points for employers…
10.
What actually happens to people
with disabilities in your
workforce?
•
•
•
Disability issues are veteran’s issues!
When workers come forward with a disability and accommodation
need, what actually happens to them in your workplace?
Ultimately, what happens to employees with disabilities in your
organization will happen to veterans with disabilities.
And this will be the true test
of your goodwill.
In a nutshell: Why is this important?
To veterans themselves: Work is part of the
healing process
To businesses: Accessing a talented workforce
To the rest of us: Not repeating the mistakes of
the Vietnam era
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University
Disability and Business
Technical Assistance Center
– Northeast ADA Center
ILR - Employment and Disability Institute
Cornell University
201L Dolgen Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
800.949.4232 in NY, NJ, PR, VI
www.dbtacnortheast.org
dbtacnortheast@cornell.edu
©2011 Northeast ADA Center,
Cornell University