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 Affiliate
StarReach Enterprises
Making the Case
Overview
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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 Case
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-leaderssuccessful/
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Making the Case
What is the strategic advantage of including disability in the diversity
efforts?
 Aging of the U.S. workforce and accompanying rise of impairment
 Increase of qualified youth with disabilities entering the workforce
 Broadening of the ADA and stricter enforcement of Section 508
and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act
 Recognition that people with disabilities and their families have
significant disposable income
 Workplace Accommodations including Assistive Technologies
Enhance Productivity
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Making the Case
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 University
Data from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, from the National Health Survey.
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Making the Case
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?
“…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 Accommodation
89% - retaining a valued employee
71% - increase in the employee’s productivity
60% - elimination of costs of training a new employee
53% - increase in the employee’s attendance
43% - increase in diversity of the company
39% - saving in worker’s compensation/other
insurance costs
10% - 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 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 Individuals with Disabilities
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Communicating the Doors are Open
Four Signs the Doors are Open
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Accessible Worksite
Accessible Ethos - particularly language
Inclusive Policies and Practices
Accessible Workplace Technologies
External Partnerships with disability related services
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Communicating the Doors are Open
Language
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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
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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
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Communicating the Doors are Open
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
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Communicating the Doors are Open
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
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Communicating the Doors are Open
Policies and Procedures
Reasonable Accommodation Policy
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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 Open
Practices
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 Open
Practices
How employees may disclose
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Verbally or in writing
Supervisor
HR Representative
Disability Coordinator
Other person stipulated by policy
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Communicating the Doors are Open
Accessible Technology
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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)
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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 Workplace
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 benchmarks
 Identifying external partners for technical assistance
 Identifying external partners to build your talent
pipeline
 Reviewing 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 disabilities
ADA Network – No cost regional technical assistance and training on disability awareness
and the ADAAA
State Vocational Rehabilitation - To identify qualified applicants with disabilities
Internship 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/
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One More Way
http://onemoreway.org/
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Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP)
http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/workforc.htm
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EARN
http://www.askearn.org/
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Emerging Leaders Program
http://www.emerging-leaders.com/
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Career Opportunities for Students w/Disabilities (COSD) http://www.cosdonline.org/
Hardware/Software/Website Accessibility Issues•
TecAccess
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SSB BART Group Inc.
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WebAim
Leaders in Inclusive Workplaces •
US Business Leadership Network
http://www.tecaccess.net/index.shtml
https://www.ssbbartgroup.com/index.php
http://webaim.org/
http://www.usbln.org/
Guidance, Publications, & Research •
SHRM Disability Resources
http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/disability_072110.aspx
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ADA National Network (DBTAC) http://www.adata.org/Static/Government.aspx
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Diversity Inc.(Disability page) http://www.diversityinc.com/department/255/Disability/
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Contact
 (800)526-7234 (V) & (877)781-9403 (TTY)
 AskJAN.org & jan@askjan.org
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JAN
Louis Orslene, Co-Director
PO Box 6080, Morgantown, WV 26506
800-526-7234 (Voice)
877-781-9403 (TTY)
orslene@jan.wvu.edu
NMBLN
Leah Rhule, Director
505-379-6533 (Voice and Text)
leahrhule@newmexicobln.com
Tessah Latson Garcia, Director
505-379-0572 (Voice and Text)
tessah@newmexicobln.com
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)
Julieb4@flash.net
DBTAC Southwest ADA Center
2323 S. Shepherd, #1000
Houston, TX 77019
www.southwestADA.org
1-800-949-4ADA
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