Course Description
Overview :
People with disabilities are potential employees, many are already your colleagues. Employees with disabilities can improve your bottom line. While many employers understand about physical accommodations like ramps and wide enough doors, a whole host of other accommodations to hiring websites, screening processes, company practices, web design standards, and other issues are often overlooked. This workshop will cover the full range of physical, visual, hearing, and hidden disabilities like learning disabilities.
People with disabilities are known as loyal employees with lower turnover than people without disabilities. Studies show that their performance meets or exceeds that of employees without disabilities. Yet their employment rate hovers around 34% due to discrimination and failure to provide small, often inexpensive, accommodations
Qualified staff with disabilities run the entire range of skill and education levels, with most disability related issues managed with minor accommodations. While some people may think of people with disabilities as needing help or less capable, most are resilient and creative in finding ways to address the challenges they face
HR screening devices like online aptitude tests often violate the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Retaining your workforce means paying attention to disability. As the workforce ages, more employees develop disabilities. An increasing number of younger employees were diagnosed with disabilities in school and now expect accommodations and supports similar to what they received throughout their education. Successful attention means supporting employees to do their best, as well as addressing potential discrimination or subtle factors that create a hostile work environment that violates the ADA and age discrimination statutes
The biggest retention challenge for employees with disabilities is issues with workplace culture or co-worker bias against them. Understanding how your employees view disability and fostering inclusive environments that accommodate ALL your employees needs, not just those with disabilities, can enhance productivity. Companies find that universal design and other approaches designed for people with disabilities can benefit the entire workforce.
Using examples and concrete successful strategies, the webinar identifies often overlooked issues related to disability and best practices. Starting with the hiring process, the webinar discusses aspects of current hiring practice that could discourage applications from people with disabilities or prejudice review of their applications. Successful strategies to evaluate capabilities and understand experiences for people with non-traditional work histories are outlined. The employment support system for people with disabilities is described, and suggestions given to best use these disability employment professionals to identify potential employees, evaluate qualifications, and clarify needed accommodations. Resources related to hiring and paying for accommodations are identified.
Next, successful strategies for onboarding are discussed. This includes integrating new employees with disabilities into the work team, developing buddy or mentor systems, and explaining accommodations to co-workers as well as effective strategies to identify new employee needs and learning methods to help them understand the specifics of their job, company practices, etc.
Retention issues are covered in the remainder of the workshop. This includes issues of workplace culture, ongoing ways to ensure supports and address issues, and other disability related concerns. The need to pay attention to issues outside of the workplace like transportation and flexible scheduling to address disability related therapies or other needs will be discussed, with ways to identify resources outlined. Strategies for universal design will also be discussed. This section will also address common issues with co-workers and ways to address them.
Why you should Attend
People with disabilities are known as loyal, creative employees with low turnover, yet only 34% are employed. Several aspects of the hiring process can unintentionally discriminate against people with disabilities. Unfamiliarity and misunderstandings about disability can limit employment or lead to concerns with co-workers.
Based on Dr. Schneider's extensive experience with disability workforce development, this workshop provides concrete information and strategies on ways to successfully hire, retain, and support employees with disabilities to add value in the workplace.
Information on resources to provide accommodations will also be provided. Particular attention will be paid to employee retention, advancement and issues related to co-workers.
Areas Covered in the Session
Overview
What do we mean by disability and how are employees with disability identified?
Myths and realities of people with disabilities as employees
Laws, statutes and key resources
Hiring
Common, often overlooked aspects of the hiring process that create challenges to applicants with disabilities
Alternative strategies to evaluate potential, skills, capabilities and credentials
The role and supports available through disability employment services: vocational rehabilitation, VA, developmental disabilities and MH agencies, school or college transition staff
Hiring managers and disabilities
Disclosures, when do they occur, documentation, etc.
Onboarding and Introducing the new employee
Identifying accommodations and ensuring they will be supported
Identifying any needed supports either in the workplace or to maintain work (transportation, schedule, etc.)
Learning the appropriate strategy for this employee to learn workplace culture/rules and the specifics of the job
Introducing the employee to co-workers and facilitating appropriate disclosures
Creating mentoring or buddy systems
Retention
Effective ways to create a positive atmosphere to address any issues related to disabilities and performance
Creating an inclusive environment and addressing co-worker issues
Ensuring employees with disabilities have equal access to challenging assignments and promotion
Identifying and addressing changing disabilities or longer-term employees who develop disabilities
Additional resources and information
Who Will Benefit
CEO/Owners
HR
Managers
Course Audience:
Audience
CEO/Owners
HR
Managers