Diversity Includes Disability

Ladan Nikravan  -  3/29/11

People with disabilities add to the variety of viewpoints needed to be successful in business today.

Businesses are required to make reasonable accommodations for disabled employees based on the law. But they’re not required to make the effort to understand these individuals’ unique qualities and assets. People with disabilities have varied experiences that can enhance a company’s culture and acquaint the organization with diverse client bases. The various forms of disabilities should first be understood and then embraced through inclusion strategies to help an organization succeed in an increasingly diverse environment.

Under President George H.W. Bush, Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 to protect workers with disabilities from discrimination. The law was amended in 2008 by President George W. Bush to expand the definition of disability after employees with impairments such as multiple sclerosis and major depression reported that they were not considered to be disabled, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

On March 25, the EEOC published the final revised regulations in the Federal Register, the daily publication for rules, proposed rules and notices of the federal government. Filling 202 pages, these regulations implement the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 and change how the definition of disability is interpreted: a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Under the new regulations, an impairment can qualify as a disability even if it occurs periodically, like epilepsy, and even if it does not prevent a person from conducting a major life activity such as self-care, walking or communicating.
According to the Office of Disability Employment, as of February 2011, 20.6 percent of people in the workforce have a disability.

“It’s so easy for us as human beings to be comfortable with people who have the same interests as we do and behave very similarly to the way we behave,” said Sharon Birkman, president and CEO of Birkman International. “When we think of diversity, we immediately think ethnicity, age and gender. We think of diversity in terms of outward parts that can easily be seen as opposed to the inner individual.”

(Read the full article HERE!)

Return-to-Work Toolkit for Employees & Employers

An organization's workforce is its most valuable asset. And when an employee can't work due to illness or injury, it impacts not only an organization's productivity, but also its morale.

This toolkit helps both employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provides resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly.

Effective return-to-work approaches can help employees work while still recuperating, protecting their earning power and boosting an organization's output. Furthermore, in many instances, work itself plays an important role in the recovery process.

Employees

With effective accommodations and a clear understanding of the return-to-work process, you can be back on the job sooner and retain your income. Use this toolkit to get started.

• Return-to-Work Resources
• Healthcare
• Job Search Preparation
• Employment Laws & Discrimination
• Veterans and Wounded Warriors

Employers

Strategies to return employees to work as quickly and smoothly as possible benefit everyone. Use this toolkit to learn about the tools and resources available to assist you with the return-to-work process.

• Return-to-Work Background
• Using Accommodations to Retain, Return Employees to Work
• Strategies for Mature Workers
• Relevant Laws
• Employing Veterans and Wounded Warriors

Technology Bridges the Employment Gap for Feds with Disabilities

 
 
 

   
    Technology bridges the employment gap for feds with disabilities (via FCW)
   

       An interactive online portal has spawned new hope for people with disabilities exploring a career in the federal government -- and for managers looking to recruit them. Launched in September 2011 in response to a directive that requires agencies to boost their efforts to hire employees with disabilities…
   

 

 

A Framework For Disability Inclusion

Business Strategies That Work: A Framework For Disability Inclusion


What’s the third largest market segment in the United States? The answer might surprise you. It’s not
a particular race, gender, or age group.  It’s people with disabilities. The size of this population—54
million strong—surpasses Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans, as well as Generation
X and teens. Add in their families, friends, and associates, and you get a trillion dollars in purchasing
power.
Want a slice? Any smart business owner would. As with any customer segment, one of the best ways
to tap into the disability market is to ensure it is represented in your workforce. Employees with
disabilities can help businesses understand and meet the needs of this important and expanding
customer base. What’s more, research shows that consumers both with and without disabilities favor
businesses that employ people with disabilities, and that people with disabilities can provide your
business with the flexible, innovative thinking required for a competitive edge in the 21st century.
Business Strategies that Work identifies promising employment policies and practices for recruiting,
hiring, retaining, and advancing qualified individuals with disabilities. It is a guide for employers
who want to ensure that their workplaces are truly diverse and inclusive. And it is a valuable tool,
with proactive and dynamic human resource strategies, for employers who want to be successful in
today’s diverse and global markets.
The strategies found in this document are used by employers who make a strong business case
for employing people with disabilities. By identifying, adopting, and refining these effective and
meaningful employment practices that welcome people with disabilities, you too can benefit from
having a vibrant, diverse workforce.
These practices are organized into seven action areas:
• Lead the Way: Inclusive Business Culture
• Hire (and Keep) the Best: Personnel Processes
• Ensure Productivity: Reasonable Accommodation Procedures
• Build the Pipeline: Outreach and Recruitment
• Communicate: External and Internal Communication of Company Policies and Practices
• Be Tech Savvy: Accessible Information and Communication Technology
• Grow Success: Accountability and Continuous Improvement Systems

(Read the full article HERE!)
*Information provided by: www.dol.gov

The Insider: Rebels With a Cause -- National Geographic Traveler

The Insider: Rebels With a Cause -- National Geographic Traveler

By Christopher Elliott

From the September 2011 issue of National Geographic Traveler

Scott Rains has kayaked in Alaska’s Glacier Bay, trekked through South Africa and India, and visited Guatemala and New Zealand. He also happens to be a quadriplegic, a fact the 56-year-old campus minister from San Jose, California, hasn’t allowed to interfere with an ambitious travel schedule.

Rains has noticed something interesting lately. Other folks his age—the 76 million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 and referred to as the baby boom generation—have begun to see things his way.

Wouldn’t it be nice if there were ramps for easier access to train cars? Bigger doors to hotel bathrooms that accommodated a wheelchair? Audiovisual paging systems for the hard of hearing?

Boomers, many of whom came of age holding a protest sign, are joining forces with disability and senior groups to add muscle to the cause of increased accessibility in travel. “They don’t intend to let hip replacements and insulin shots stop them from traveling,” says Rains. “Nor will they be pandered to, stigmatized, or written off.”

Rains and his generation are part of a growing movement. Retiring 60-somethings have more time to travel, which has increased demand for accessible accommodations. The nonprofit Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), made up mostly of travel agencies catering to those with mobility issues, saw members’ hotel bookings more than double last year, a remarkable feat in a recession.

It’s been two decades since the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect. The landmark law opened travel to a new group of Americans, forcing many travel operators to ensure that transportation and lodging facilities are accessible to people with disabilities. It was a promising start, but lax enforcement over the years and an uninterested public stalled further efforts, say industry-watchers. And the travel industry hasn’t exactly embraced the idea of upgrading its facilities because of the expense. Travel companies have provided only the “absolute minimum required” for the disabled, according to Jani Nayar, SATH’s executive coordinator.

But the flood of boomers reaching their golden years could be the impetus needed to prod the government into enforcing its rules and to push the travel industry beyond ADA requirements.

There is evidence that this is happening already. In recent years the Feds have taken a more activist approach to accessibility. The Department of Transportation (DOT), which oversees air and cruise lines and regulates cars and mass transit, slapped a fine of two million dollars on Delta Air Lines in February for failing to respond to complaints and provide customers with required wheelchair assistance. In 2010 the agency issued seven disability-related consent orders for airlines—the equivalent of a citation for breaking the law—for violations of a federal regulation, compared with just two in 2009.

Government regulators are also drafting new rules to address service animals at airports, captioning for in-flight entertainment systems, disability-accessible rail stations, and accommodation of wheelchairs on public transit, among other things. For example, one proposed rule would make self-service check-in kiosks more accessible to people with disabilities, adding an audio prompt for those with limited vision.

The United States often sets disability standards for the world. When American regulators required commercial aircraft to have movable armrests on at least half the aisle seats, at least one accessible lavatory on dual-aisle aircraft, and stowage space in the cabin for a folding wheelchair in certain aircraft, the European Union adopted similar regulations. America is hardly the only leader, though. In London, all Black Cabs are required to be wheelchair accessible. No such requirement exists for any major American city, although the New York State Assembly is considering a bill that would require all new cabs to be accessible in 2014.

Cranky travelers can be powerful agents of change. For years, Yosemite National Park’s waterfalls weren’t accessible to people in wheelchairs. But a steady trickle of individual complaints finally persuaded the park to act. It renovated the trail to Yosemite Falls to the tune of $13.5 million to improve wheelchair access, making the park’s most visited landmark open to all. “It took a lot of persistence on the part of advocates, but the end result was worth it,” says Candy Harrington, a disability travel expert.

Lawsuits work wonders too. Consider what happened when a group of disabled passengers sued Norwegian Cruise Line, complaining that they paid extra for handicapped-accessible cabins and the assistance of crew, and that the cruise line didn’t configure restaurants, elevators, and other facilities in accordance with federal law. (Cruise lines skirt numerous regulations by flying so-called flags of convenience of other countries, even if they cater primarily to American passengers.) The complaint went all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2005 that Title III of the ADA applied to cruise ships too, forcing the industry to stop imposing surcharges on passengers with disabilities.

The beneficiaries of greater accessibility go beyond those on the disability rolls. I’m thinking of my 93-year-old grandmother (“Cookie”), who, thanks to ramps and restrooms equipped with handrails, happily traveled to Palm Springs to attend a wedding. I’m thinking of my recently retired parents, who just finished a month-long driving tour of California, New Mexico, and Arizona and have no intention of slowing down during the best years of their lives. And I’m thinking of my peripatetic family of five, in the middle of the frenzied stroller years, when those ramps and large bathrooms came in handy.

One thing is clear: The travel industry will not reform itself without a push or two. Travelers—boomers or not—need to maintain the positive pressure. Bringing the weight of market forces, government, and a little old-school activism to bear on airlines, cruise lines, and hotels may be the only way to ensure that Cookie, Mom, and Dad will be able to get from points A to B under their own steam, with independence and dignity, for years to come. I hope the boomers succeed so it doesn’t have to fall to my generation—the Gen Xers, also known as the slacker generation—to take up the cause.

Contributing editor Christopher Elliott also addresses readers’ travel problems. E-mail him your story at celliott@ngs.org.

‘R-Word’ PSA Receives YouTube Award

By SHAUN HEASLEY

April 17, 2012Text Size  A  A

A public service announcement featuring “Glee” star Jane Lynch decrying use of the word “retard” is being honored for its fearless take on the issue.

The ad in support of the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign is one of four winners of the YouTube-backed DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards in the “Fearless Video” category, besting over 1,000 entrants for the title.

Dubbed “Not Acceptable,” the PSA includes Lynch alongside her “Glee” co-star Lauren Potter, who has Down syndrome. The two liken use of the r-word to other derogatory terms like “nigger” and “fag.”

“The r-word is the same as every minority slur. Treat it that way and don’t use it,” says Lynch in the PSA, which debuted last spring with spots on network and cable television.

In naming the PSA as one of the top fearless videos of 2011, one of the award sponsors — The Case Foundation — said the ad shows that “sometimes taking big risks and experimenting in filmmaking can lead to big wins.”

The honor comes with a $2,500 prize.

DisAbilityConnect App

NICHCY has just the app for you - DisAbilityConnect! Find contact information for organizations providing information on disabilities, special education, early intervention, support groups, and much more! Download the app for your iPhone (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/disabilityconnect/id510714471?ls=1&mt=8) or Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.amdee.disabilityconnect) today!

Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs

Secretary Sebelius on the Administration for Community Living

All Americans – including people with disabilities and seniors – should be able to live at home with the supports they need, participating in communities that value their contributions – rather than in nursing homes or other institutions.

The Obama administration and my department have long been committed to promoting community living and finding new mechanisms to help ensure that the supports people with disabilities and seniors need to live in the community are accessible. 

Today, with the creation of the new Administration for Community Living (ACL), we are reinforcing this commitment by bringing together key HHS organizations and offices dedicated to improving the lives of those with functional needs into one coordinated, focused and stronger entity.

The Administration for Community Living will bring together the Administration on Aging, the Office on Disability and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities into a single agency that supports both cross-cutting initiatives and efforts focused on the unique needs of individual groups, such as children with developmental disabilities or seniors with dementia. This new agency will work on increasing access to community supports and achieving full community participation for people with disabilities and seniors. 

The Administration on Community Living will seek to enhance and improve the broad range of supports that individuals may need to live with respect and dignity as full members of their communities. These support needs go well beyond health care and include the availability of appropriate housing, employment, education, meaningful relationships and social participation.

Building on President Obama’s Year of Community Living, the ACL will pursue improved opportunities for older Americans and people with disabilities to enjoy the fullest inclusion in the life of our nation.

For more information, please visit http://hhs.gov/acl

$20 million in grants through Disability Employment Initiative

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of approximately $20 million in grants to fund cooperative agreements that will improve educational, training and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

These grants represent the third round of funding through the Disability Employment Initiative, a joint program of the Labor Department's Employment and Training Administration and its Office of Disability Employment Policy.

"These grants are a wise investment in America's greatest resource, our nation's workers," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "The mission of the programs awarded under these grants will be to improve services for people with disabilities so they can more easily and effectively participate in the workforce."

Grants will be awarded to state workforce agencies, which will collaborate with local workforce investment boards. Programs supported by the grants will build upon the Labor Department's Disability Program Navigator Initiative and other models of service delivery strategies. The department anticipates awarding six to 10 grants, ranging from $1.5 to $6 million, to be spent over a three-year period.

The complete solicitation for grant applications is available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm. Prospective applicants are encouraged to view the online tutorial "Grant Applications 101: A Plain English Guide to ETA Competitive Grants" athttp://www.workforce3one.org/page/grants_toolkit.

Benefits Finder at Benefits.gov

Benefits.gov (formerly GovBenefits.gov) was launched in an effort to provide citizens with easy, online access to government benefit and assistance programs. Eight years after its initial launch, GovBenefits.gov underwent a major redesign and became Benefits.gov. However, the program's mission remains the same: reduce the expense and difficulty of interacting with the government while increasing citizen access to government benefit information.

The site's core function is the eligibility prescreening questionnaire or "Benefit Finder." Answers to the questionnaire are used to evaluate a visitor's situation and compare it with the eligibility criteria for more than 1,000 Federally-funded benefit and assistance programs. Each program description provides citizens with the next steps to apply for any benefit program of interest.

At the time of the site's launch in 2002, it featured 55 programs, representing the ten original Federal agency partners. Today, the website now includes over 1,000 programs representing 17 Federal partners. For an in-depth review of our activities, take a look at Benefits.gov: A Progress Report to Citizens (2008), a summary of our mission and efforts to serve citizens.

In 2002, the White House began an intensive effort to build, launch and manage a diverse portfolio of government-to-citizen, government-to-business and government-to-government websites. Operated, managed and supported by Federal agency partnerships, these initiatives provide innovative and economic technology-based solutions such as citizen tax filing, Federal rulemaking, electronic training, and benefit information delivery. The beneficiaries include citizens, businesses and Federal and state government employees.

One of the earliest of these "E-Government" success stories was that of GovBenefits.gov (now Benefits.gov). Prior to the launch of the site, citizens seeking government benefit information had no choice but to search through a complicated and confusing maze of web pages, often unsuccessfully. There was no easy-to-use, single source of benefit information to help citizens understand which benefit programs they may be eligible for, or how to apply. Millions of citizens are leading better lives because of information they obtained on Benefits.gov.

Colleen’s Story: Part III – Retirement & Beyond

This is the final post in a three part series by Colleen M. Feldman, who contracted polio in 1941, just prior to her 13^th birthday. In this post, she reflects on her life with polio and retirement. Mrs. Feldman brings a unique perspective to Disability.Blog, having lived with a disability more than 50 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law. She is also the mother of Disability.gov’s Web Content Manger, Bob Goldstraw.

After I retired in 1993, I began going to Florida for the winters. Swimming was part of my therapy, so by the time I hit 65 and was living part of the year in Florida, I was in and out of the pool in colorful bathing suits and matching visors, not ashamed of my legs at all. During the 90s, I fell and broke my hip, and after much rehabilitation, recovered.  I later fell and broke my knee. From that point on, I was advised to use a wheelchair.  The doctors called me a “fall risk.” I do not feel that I miss out on much by using a wheelchair or scooter.  I have a mobile home in Florida with a ramp that lets me come and go independently.  And my accessible van still gets me to where I need to go to – I run errands, attend church and volunteer.

When I think back over several decades, I realize that while much has changed for the better for people with disabilities, a lot has remain unchanged. I often find comments and questions by older people a great source of irritation to me. I am asked questions such as, “Who dresses you?” ”Can you stand?” “Who takes care of you?,” “How did you ever have babies?,”“How do you possibly manage since your husband died?” (In 2000, I met a wonderful man, fell in love and married him. He passed away in 2008.) Little do these people know that I had lived alone for 20 years before my second marriage, and I have always found creative, new ways to do what I need to do and live independently!

FULL STORY HERE

March 2012 Disability Employment Statistics Released

The U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics has released disability employment statistics for March showing that the percentage of people with disabilities in the labor force was 20.1 percent. The percentage of people with no disability in the labor force was 69.3. The March unemployment rate for people with disabilities was 15.2 percent, and 8.1 percent 
Bureau Of Labor Statistics- FULL REPORT HERE

Depression, Anxiety Tied to Physical Disabilities in Seniors

But exercise may help shield against physical decline, study adds.

THURSDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) -- Seniors with psychological distress such as depression or anxiety are more likely to have physical disabilities, a new Australian study says.

Regular physical activity, however, can protect against such problems.

Researchers examined data from nearly 100,000 Australian men and women, aged 65 and older, and found that 8.4 percent of them were experiencing psychological distress.

Compared to those with no psychological distress, the risk of physical disability was more than four times higher among those with any level of psychological distress and nearly seven times higher among those with moderate levels.

The researchers also found that seniors who were more physically active were less likely to have physical disabilities.

The study appears April 5 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

"Our findings can influence the emphasis that we place on older adults to remain active," study leader Gregory Kolt, dean of the School of Science and Health at the University of Western Sydney, said in a journal news release. "With greater levels of physical activity, more positive health gains can be achieved, and with greater physical function (through physical activity), greater independence can be achieved."

Previous research has linked psychological distress to reduced physical activity and increased physical disability in many age groups.

More information

The U.S. National Institute on Aging has more about physical activity and exercise for seniors .

(SOURCE: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, news release, April 3, 2012)

Judy Heumann on The Morning Show

American disability rights activist Judith Heumann joins The Morning Show to talk about creating inclusive environments, and the power if inclusive thinking.