Overview
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Disability in 2015
Disability Etiquette
Disability Benefits Planning
Work Incentives & Tax Credits
Eight Most Common Types of Accommodations
Including JAN in Your Toolbox
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Training Goals
 Understand the business case for hiring and retaining
people with disabilities
 Examine stereotypes and misconceptions about
persons with disabilities
 Develop skills that help to more effectively
communicate at work with people with disabilities
 Develop skills at negotiating accommodations with
your client
 Develop a toolkit of go-to resources
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Disability in 2015: The Business
Case for Hiring and retaining
People with Disabilities
Lou Orslene, JAN Co-Director,
MSW, MPIA, CPDM
http://askjan.org/landingpage/Hawaii2015/
JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Office of Disability Employment Policy.
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Important things to think about…
 There is ability beyond disability.
 In fact, disabilities, impairments, and chronic
health conditions are a natural part of being
human. We may be born with them, or cycle
in and out of disabilities through injury and
recovery.
 The disability community is the world’s most
inclusive minority community. Disability is the
one diversity category that crosses gender,
race, ethnicity, religion, age and
socioeconomic class.
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Business case
Globally
1 billion people with disabilities
World Health Organization, 2011
U.S.
56.7 million people
U.S. Census Bureau, 2010
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Business case
On January 1, 2011, the first of the 83
million-strong wave of “boomers” began to
reach retirement age and every day
approximately 10,000 more employees
reach this milestone.
Pew Research Center http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=1150
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Business case
“19% of people with disabilities have
reportedly graduated from college…these
figures have increased…from 14%...in 2004”
“Although one in six people with disabilities
has not completed high school, there has still
been marked progress…82% of people with
disabilities have graduated from high school
today, this share was only 61% in 1986.”
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Business case
“The most recent data from the DoD report
that more than 47,000 OEF/OIF service members
have been wounded in action.”
U.S. Department of Defense Press Resources, 2012
“Hundreds of thousands more, nearly 25 percent of all
who served in OEF/OIF, will be diagnosed upon
returning home with other “invisible wounds,” such as
degenerative vision, hearing impairments,
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and brain
injuries.
Workplace Warriors Revisited: Challenges, Opportunities, and Lessons Learned from
Deployment and Reintegration of Citizen Soldiers
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Business case
Emerging Markets: People With Disabilities
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aggregate income that now exceeds $1 trillion and boasts $220
billion in discretionary spending power. Marketing programs aimed at
people with disabilities can reach as many as four out of every 10
consumers. As the largest of all U.S.-based minority groups, this group
is comprised of people of all ethnic backgrounds, cultures and ages.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, between 1990 and 2000, the
number of Americans with disabilities increased 25 percent. Of the
nearly 70 million families in the United States, more than 20 million
families have at least one member with a disability.
Business Case for Inclusion and Engagement. By Marcus Robinson, Charles Pfeffer, and Joan
Buccigrossi, (2003). wetWare, Inc. Rochester, NY.
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Business case
 Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADAAA)
 Section 503, 508, 501 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 Executive Order 13548
 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act (WIOA)
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Business case
The Conference Board – established to help member companies
understand and deal with the most critical issues of our time – believes
disability in the workplace is one of these critical issues.
Trends noted in the report:
 Employees aging in the workplace
 Development of new, more universally accessible workplace
technologies
 Greater acceptance of remote work
 Health care advances
 Incentives provided by government
The Conference Board, “Leveling the Playing Field:
ATTRACTING, ENGAGING, AND ADVANCING PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES”
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Disability Etiquette: Effectively
Communicating with People
with Disabilities
Lou Orslene, JAN Co-Director,
MSW, MPIA, CPDM
http://askjan.org/landingpage/Hawaii2015/
JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Office of Disability Employment Policy.
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Communication Strategies
 We all communicate in various ways
with or without a disability.
 Pay attention to cues from the
person you are communicating with.
 Model professional behaviors such
as active listening, a service-minded
orientation, and a results focus.
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Watch Your Language
Preferred phrases
 Person with intellectual/cognitive
disabilities
 Person who is blind, person who is
visually impaired
 Person who is deaf, person who is hard
of hearing
 Person with epilepsy
 Person who uses a wheelchair
 A person who uses synthetic speech
 Person with a disability
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Watch Your Language
Antiquated and offensive phrases
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Retarded, mentally defective
The blind
The deaf
Afflicted, stricken by, victim of
Crippled, lame, deformed
Confined or restricted to a wheelchair
Dumb, mute
Psycho, crazy, nuts, abnormal
A special needs person
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Tips for engaging…
 Relax. Be approachable.
 Smile and look a person with a disability in the eyes
as you would with anyone else and listen attentively.
 Talk directly to the person with a disability, not a
companion, assistant, or sign language interpreter.
 Use “people first” language like “a person who uses a
wheelchair” but only mention a disability if it is
essential to a conversation.
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The Don’ts
 Don’t be afraid to say that you do not understand
Consider writing information down
 Don’t touch, play with, distract, or feed a service
animal without the person’s permission
 Don’t touch, lean on, or move a person's mobility
device or wheelchair without consent
 Don’t elevate your speech when interacting with
people who have disabilities – maintain a natural tone
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The Dos
 Be considerate of the extra time it may take a person
with a disability to walk, talk, write, or perform a task
 Extend your hand to shake if that is what you normally
do. A person who cannot shake hands will let you
know
 Sit down when speaking with a person who uses a
wheelchair for more than a few minutes so you are at
eye level
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In general
I’m working to create a more inclusive work environment.
What should I do?
 Focus on abilities
 Ask the person first
 Be aware of adaptive devices and assistive technologies
 Be aware of the worksite and its accessible and
inaccessible elements.
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In general
I’m working to create a more inclusive work environment.
What should I do?
 Keep accessibility in mind in planning meeting or
workplace social events
 Provide various ways to communicate
 Provide work-related materials such as handbooks or
benefits information in accessible format
 Do not make subjective judgments about what a person
can or cannot do
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In general
I’m working to create a more inclusive work environment.
What should I do?
 Do not assume just because a person takes more time to
do something that they are not intelligent
 Provide a sign language interpreter for complex meetings
or social events where interaction is expected
 Respect personal space and equipment
 If a person is in crisis, ask what you can do to help
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A New Hire
I am preparing an employer to be ready for a client they
just hired. What should I let them know to do?
 Immediately orient employees with disabilities to the facility
and equipment while assessing what is and what is not
accessible for the employee
 Orient the person to the emergency evacuation procedures
 Respect privacy. All disability information should be
confidential
 Know that employee requests for assistance can open
discussions of accommodation needs
 Be sure the communication methods are worked out in
advance
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Meetings and Trainings
I am planning a face-to-face meeting/training. To be
as inclusive as possible, what should I do?
 Send out a request for participant accommodations in
advance of the meeting
 Know and communicate any emergency evacuation
procedures to your audience
 Customize information provided in print. (braille, large
print, electronic, etc.)
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Meetings and Trainings
I am planning a face-to-face meeting/training for our
unit. To be as inclusive as possible, what should I
do?
 Insure accessibility of information to be shared including
PowerPoint presentations
 Send out information to be discussed during the meeting
or the PowerPoint presentation in advance
 Be prepared to describe slides during the presentation
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In assisting someone who is blind
 Verbally identify yourself when you approach and then
let a person know when you are leaving
 Offer assistance and wait for an answer
 Ask for specific instructions on how you can assist –
“Would you like directions to…?” “Would you like to
take my arm?
 If offering to assist someone to find a seat, speak the
person’s name and tap on the table where a space is
available
 If offering to help someone as they sit down, let the
person know as you guide the person’s hand towards
the back of the chair
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In assisting someone who is hard
of hearing or deaf
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To get a person’s attention, it is okay to tap the
person on the shoulder or by waving your hand
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Ask what is the best way to communicate – reading
lips, signing, gesturing, in writing, texting, etc.
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When possible, speak in a well-lit room that is free
from background noises
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Do not put hands in front of your face or food items
in your mouth when talking
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Maintain eye contact and direct your communication
to the person who is deaf
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In assisting someone who has a
mental health condition
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Avoid stereotypes and assumptions about the
individual and how they may act
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Recognize but respect differences in people. A
person may act differently and have problems
interpreting social cues
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Be patient. Allow the individual to think and answer
questions
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Know that stress can aggravate a situation,
alleviating some of that stress may de-escalate the
situation
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In a crisis, stay calm and be supportive as you would
with anyone. Ask how you can help, and find out if
there is a support person who can be sent for
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Remember this…
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Do not refer to or talk about a person’s disability at all
unless it is crucial to the conversation.
Do not assume a person cannot function on their
own or perform a task.
Do your part to dispel myths and stereotypes. Speak
out when you hear others talk negatively about
people with disabilities.
Do insure your office spaces and social event venues
are accessible.
Do realize and then let it be reflected in your
behavior that people with disabilities are more like
you then not.
Do offer assistance in that rare instance when a
person’s safety may be in jeopardy.
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Disability Etiquette
Disability Sensitivity Training Video – DC Government
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Disability Benefits
Social Security – 2 Programs
Social Security
Administration
(SSA)
Supplemental Security
Income
Social Security Disability
Insurance
(SSI)
(SSDI)
Medicaid
Medicare
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Disability Disclosure
Wage
Reporting
Why is pay stub important?
How employers can help?
• Encourage disability disclosure
• Provide an easy yet confidential way for
self-disclosure
 Benefits of disability disclosure
• Understand the challenges faced by
disability or public benefits recipients
 Wage reporting
 Financial outcome
 Health Insurance
• Provide assistance in dealing with
government agencies
Tax Benefits for
Businesses Who Have
Employees with
Disabilities
Available Tax Benefits
• Disabled Access Credit
• Barrier Removal Tax Deduction
• Work Opportunity Credit
 Expanded Tax Credit for Hiring Unemployed
Veterans
Disabled Access Credit
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The Disabled Access Credit provides a non-refundable
credit for small businesses that incur expenditures for
the purpose of providing access to persons with
disabilities.
An eligible small business is one that that earned $1
million or less or had no more than 30 full time
employees in the previous year; they may take the credit
each and every year they incur access expenditures.
Businesses may claim a deduction of up to
year
$10,000 a
Adapted From: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-SelfEmployed/Tax-Benefits-for-Businesses-Who-Have-Employees-withDisabilities
Barrier Removal Tax Deduction
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The Architectural Barrier Removal Tax
Deduction encourages businesses of any size
to remove architectural and transportation
barriers to the mobility of persons with
disabilities and the elderly.
Businesses may claim a deduction of up to
$15,000 a year for qualified expenses for
items that normally must be capitalized.
Businesses claim the deduction by listing it as
a separate expense on their income tax return.
Adapted From: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&Self-Employed/Tax-Benefits-for-Businesses-Who-Have-Employeeswith-Disabilities)
Work Opportunity Tax Credit
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Genrerally, the Work Opportunity Credit provides
eligible employers with a tax credit up to 40
percent of the first $6,000 of first-year wages of a
new employee if the employee is part of a
“targeted group.”
An employee with a disability is one of the
targeted groups for the Work Opportunity Credit,
provided the appropriate government agencies
have certified the employee as disabled.
The credit is available to the employer once the
employee has worked for at least 120 hours or 90
days.
Higher credit for other targeted group
Adapted From: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&Self-Employed/Tax-Benefits-for-Businesses-Who-Have-Employeeswith-Disabilities
Work Opportunity Tax Credit Forms
 IRS Form 8850
 ETA Form 9061
 ETA Form 9062
Submit forms to….
Hawaii WOTC Contact
Edgar Fernandez
WOTC, Workforce Development Division
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations
Keelikolani Building
830 Punchbowl Street, Room 329
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-586-8820
Fax: 808-586-8724
Email: Edgar.L.Fernandez@hawaii.gov
Eight Most Common Types
of Reasonable Accommodation
Lou Orslene, JAN Co-Director,
MSW, MPIA, CPDM
http://askjan.org/landingpage/Hawaii2015/
JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Office of Disability Employment Policy.
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8 Types of Accommodations
1. Purchasing or Modifying Equipment or
Products
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
A nurse with a hearing impairment worked the night shift
and had to talk to doctors who called for information.
She was having difficulty hearing over the telephone.
The employee asked to be moved to a dayshift where
there would be other nurses who could talk to the
doctors but there were not any openings on the dayshift.
Accommodation
The employer purchased a telephone amplifier, which
enabled the nurse to hear effectively over the telephone.
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8 Types of Accommodations
2. Making Worksite Accessible
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
A purchasing clerk in a manufacturing plant had
diabetes and had to have one of his legs
amputated. He was having difficulty walking
from the parking lot to his workstation.
Accommodation
The employer moved the employee’s
workstation closer to the worksite entrance, to a
rest room, and to needed equipment. The
employer also provided a parking space closer
to the worksite.
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8 Types of Accommodations
3. Job Restructuring
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
An employee with a staffing agency had depression
and was having problems with his supervisor’s
management style, causing him stress and
exacerbating his symptoms. The employee wanted
less face-to-face communication, but parts of his job
were time-sensitive and the supervisor had to
communicate with him quickly.
Accommodation
The employer restructured the employee’s job,
removing some time-sensitive duties in exchange
for other duties. This allowed the supervisor to
communicate with the employee via email.
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8 Types of Accommodations
4. Modifying Schedule and Allowing Leave Time
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
An order clerk with asthma needed to exercise
periodically to prevent blood clots, but her job
required her to be available to respond to telephone
orders. The clerk also needed to do a breathing
treatment periodically and needed a private area to
do so.
Accommodation
The employer provided a private location for
treatment and extra breaks for exercise. The
employee was allowed to make up the extra time so
she wouldn’t lose pay.
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8 Types of Accommodations
5. Modifying Methods (e.g., tests,
communication, training)
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
A grocery store worker with epilepsy was having
difficulty consistently performing his job and
staying on task.
Accommodation
His supervisor implemented weekly discussions
with the employee.
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8 Types of Accommodations
6. Modifying Policies
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
An auditor for a state agency had anxiety and
depression and was having difficulty concentrating.
He worked in a cubicle environment. The agency
policy was to only give private offices to
management.
Accommodation
The employer modified the policy and moved the
employee to a private office that was vacant and let
the employee close his door as needed.
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8 Types of Accommodations
7. Providing Readers and Interpreters
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
A job applicant for a dog warden position for city
government had dyslexia and could not pass a
required written test.
Accommodation
A reader was provided for testing.
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8 Types of Accommodations
8. Reassignment
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8 Types of Accommodations
Example
A warehouse worker with a back impairment
could not do the lifting required in his job. The
employer had been temporarily having other
employees do the lifting but needed a more
permanent solution.
Accommodation
The employer reassigned the employee to an
office job.
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Including JAN in Your Toolbox
for Success
Lou Orslene, JAN Co-Director,
MSW, MPIA, CPDM
http://askjan.org/landingpage/Hawaii2015/
JAN is a service of the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Office of Disability Employment Policy.
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About JAN
 Over 26 Years of Service
 Consultation on:
 Job Accommodation
 Americans with Disabilities Act / Rehabilitation Act
 Entrepreneurship
 Experienced
 Free
 National
 Easy to Use
 Confidential
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About JAN
Ask JAN and we…
 Meet you where you are.
 Assist with negotiating the interactive process.
 Give targeted technical assistance.
 Provide comprehensive resources.
 Maintain confidentiality.
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Business Leadership Network
The Vision of the Hawaii Business Leadership
Network is to recognize and promote best practices
in hiring, retaining, and marketing to people with
disabilities.
http://hibln.org/east-hawaii/
http://hibln.org/west-hawaii/
http://hibln.org/maui/
Or the US BLN @ http://www.usbln.org/index.html
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List of Federal Contractors
The National Pre-Award Registry provides information
concerning Federal Contractors, that have been reviewed
by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs
(OFCCP).
http://www.dol-esa.gov/preaward/pa_reg.html#search
For instance:
ARCHITECTURAL GLASS & ALUMINUM CO., INC.
677 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 700
Honolulu HI 96813-0000
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Diversity Inc.
The 2015 Diversity Inc Top 10 Companies for People With
Disabilities
 EY
 Prudential Financial
 Procter & Gamble
 IBM
 KPMG
 Merck & Co.
 AT&T
 Sodexo
 Kaiser Permanente
 Comcast NBCUniversal
http://www.diversityinc.com/top-10-companies-people-with-disabilities/
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Federal Employment: Schedule A
Schedule A is a special hiring authority designed to
help federal agencies meet their affirmative action
obligations regarding individuals with disabilities.
Schedule A is different than the traditional, and
often time consuming process used to hire people
into federal service. Schedule A makes it easier
and faster to hire, and is just for people with
disabilities.
http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/abc_service_providers.cfm
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Campaign for Disability Employment
The Campaign for Disability Employment is a
collaborative effort to promote positive
employment outcomes for people with disabilities
by encouraging employers and others to
recognize the value and talent they bring to the
workplace.
http://www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org/
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“Who I Am”
https://vimeo.com/108810703
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Thank you for participating!
Contact
 (800)526-7234 (V) & (877)781-9403 (TTY)
 AskJAN.org & jan@askjan.org
 (304)216-8189 via Text
 janconsultants via Skype
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Questions?
http://askjan.org/landingpage/Hawaii2015/
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