Maximizing Productivity: Accomodations for Emergency Preparedness

[Excerpt] Emergency planning is just as critical for the workplace as it is for the home. In recent years, the nation, particularly the federal government, has re-evaluated its approach to emergency preparedness and response. While significant strides have been made, much work remains to be done. Research and anecdotal evidence indicate that such planning, preparedness, response and recovery efforts often overlook the needs and perspectives of people with disabilities

Demystifying the Rehabilitation Act: What Faith-based and Community Organizations Need To Know About Using Federal Financial Assistance to Serve People With Disabilities

[Excerpt] If you represent a faith-based or community-based organization that is • Receiving financial assistance from the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) (e.g., a grant, sub-award, contract, in-kind assistance, etc.), or • Planning to apply for financial assistance from USDOL, or • Partnering with an existing USDOL-supported program, Then, the following information will help you better understand how Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 applies to your organization as you serve people with disabilities

Opening Doors to all Candidates: Tips for Ensuring Access for Applicants with Disabilities

[Excerpt] The goal of the hiring process is to attract and identify the individual who has the best mix of skills and attributes for the job available. Ensuring that all qualified individuals can participate in the process is key to achieving this goal. By examining their hiring procedures and implementing some simple steps, employers can widen their pool of potential talent and ensure that they do not miss out when the best person for the job happens to have a disability

Diverse Perspectives: People With Disabilities Fulfilling Your Business Goals

[Excerpt] By fostering a culture of diversity, or a capacity to appreciate and value individual differences, in all aspects of their operations, employers benefit from varied perspectives on how to confront business challenges and achieve success. Although the term is most often used to refer to differences among individuals such as ethnicity, gender, age and religion, diversity actually encompasses the infinite range of individuals’ unique attributes and experiences. As the nation’s largest minority—comprising almost 50 million individuals—people with disabilities contribute to diversity, and businesses can enhance their competitive edge by taking steps to ensure they are integrated into their workforce and customer base

Circle of Champions: Innovators in Employing All Americans

[Excerpt] The Circle of Champions (CoC) is the distinguished group of U.S. businesses and organizations that have received the Secretary of Labor’s New Freedom Initiative Award for its innovative and proactive efforts to recruit, hire, and promote people with disabilities. The CoC is now working to share its proven strategies with businesses that want to hire and retain talented employees

Strategic Connections: Recruiting Candidates with Disabilities

[Excerpt] Many individuals with disabilities possess precisely these attributes. Yet, as a whole, individuals with disabilities represent one of the largest untapped pools of skills and talent in the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, just over 60 percent of men ages 16 to 65 who have disabilities were working in 2000, compared to 80 percent of men in that age group without disabilities. For women in the same age group, the numbers were 51.4 and 67.3 percent, respectively. Individuals with disabilities have the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to succeed in today’s rapidly changing workplace. From company headquarters to the factory floor, technology continues to drastically alter the way individuals work, helping to level the playing field for individuals with disabilities and expand opportunities for employers to benefit from their capabilities

Investing In People: Job Accommodation Situations and Solutions

[Excerpt] When thinking about accommodations, the focus should not be on the person’s disability but rather on essential job tasks and the physical functions necessary to complete them. Consider a receptionist who cannot answer the phone because he or she cannot grasp the receiver. A handle could be attached to the receiver to enable him or her to balance it on the hand. Or, the receptionist could use a headset, eliminating the need for grasping altogether. The reason the person can’t grasp the receiver is immaterial. With a simple accommodation, the employee can answer the phone

Finding Facts and Figures: Disability Data Resources

[Excerpt] Reliable data on various topics and trends can be critical to making informed decisions and effectively implementing programs and policies. The following are sources of disability-related statistics that may support decision makers in their efforts to improve opportunities for individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life, including employment

Career-focused Mentoring for Youth: The What, Why, and How?

[Excerpt] When asked to describe an ideal employee, attributes such as being a hard worker, a team player, and a good communicator are frequently cited by employers as being even more important than technical expertise. According, however, to a recent survey of 461 employers conducted by the Conference Board, Corporate Voices for Working Families, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, and the Society for Human Resources many new entrants to the workforce lack these important skills. These business leaders reported that while the three R\u27s are still fundamental to every employee\u27s ability to do the job, knowledge of applied skills is even more important. (Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century U.S. Workforce (2006)). One remedy may be found in mentoring. Career-focused mentoring provides young people the opportunity to get a glimpse of the world of work that may not otherwise be available to them. It also allows them to gain and practice skills that are useful in professional and other settings, and to prepare for life as an adult