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A Roadmap To Creating A Culture of Inclusion In Your Workplace

16th Annual Texas Workforce Conference

Texas Workforce Solutions: The Challenge of Change November 28 - 30, 2012

Gaylord Texan Hotel and Convention Center, Grapevine, Texas

Presented by Julie Ballinger, M.A., Disability Rights & Issues Consultant, StarReach

Enterprises and Southwest ADA Center Regional Affiliate

Louis E. Orslene, MPIA, MSW, Co-Director, Job Accommodation Network

Co Sponsored by

Southwest ADA Center and Job Accommodation Network

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Developed by

Julie Ballinger, Disability Rights and Issues Consultant

StarReach Enterprises in conjunction with

DBTAC Southwest ADA Center

Louis Orslene, Co-Director

Job Accommodation Network

Leah Rhule, Executive Director and

Tessah Latson Garcia, Program Director

New Mexico Business Leadership Network

When you use or train the Roadmap to Creating a Culture of Inclusion please give due credit.

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The ADA Network

The Leading Resource on

-ADA & ADAAA

- Other Disability Related Laws such as IDEA

- Making Information Technology Accessible

Services a wide range of audiences including employers businesses government agencies WIA Workforce System schools people with disabilities

Expert staff are available to provide training, publications and respond to your inquiries.

Hot Line: 1-800-949-4232 Web Site: www.southwestADA.org Podcast:

www.DisabilityLawLowdown.com

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Job Accommodation Network 800-526-7234 (V/TTY)

http://askjan.org

A free consulting service designed to increase the employability of people with disabilities

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JANLouis Orslene, Co-DirectorPO Box 6080, Morgantown, WV 26506800-526-7234 (Voice) 877-781-9403 (TTY)orslene@jan.wvu.edu

  NMBLN  Leah Rhule, Director505-379-6533 (Voice and Text) leahrhule@newmexicobln.comTessah Latson Garcia, Director505-379-0572 (Voice and Text)tessah@newmexicobln.comNMBLN c/o Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce1309 4th Street SWAlbuquerque, NM 87102

StarReach EnterprisesJulie Ballinger, Disability Rights and Issues Consultant 5901-J Wyoming Blvd. NE, PMB 175Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109505-797-8612 (Voice)Use Relay (TTY) Julieb4@flash.net

Southwest ADA Center2323 S. Shepherd, #1000Houston, TX 77019 www.southwestADA.org 1-800-949-4ADA

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Creating a Culture of Inclusion Overview Benefits to Workforce Solutions Staff and Management Disability is Now the Norm and Natural The Roadmap Toolkit Why Create a Culture of Inclusion?

Making the Employment and Business Case Debunking the Myths Communicating that the Doors are Open Work & Market Place Accommodations including Accessible

Technologies to Enhance Productivity

Please join in on the discussion as we train. Given our time restraints we probably won’t complete the

PowerPoint but we wanted to make sure that you leave with all pertinent information.

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Benefits to Workforce Solutions Staff and Management

Guide to making sure that your own work environment is an inclusive and accessible culture which in turn becomes a role model for other

government agencies and private employers

Management who hold the key to creating and implementing the budget will see the MACRO picture of why it is important to allocate resources to creating a culture of inclusion so that everyone benefits

Many parts of the Roadmap Toolkit can be applied to assure quality services to your customers

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Benefits to Workforce Solutions Staff and Management

The Roadmap Toolkit can be shared with your customers and the potential employers of your customers

Use the Roadmap Toolkit to help your partners (such as  SNAP, TANF, childcare) be aware of how accessible their services are and how accessible their work place is or is not to their own employees

EVERYONE will leave with the understanding on how to use the Roadmap or, at the very least, use parts of the Roadmap to benefit what they are trying to achieved and EVERYONE will leave with a wide variety of great resources that they can select to meet their particular technical assistance needs

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Disability is Natural

Most everyone has or will

experience some form of disability

during their lifetime

More than 50 million Americans (18% to 20% of our population) have

disabilities

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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. *Center on an Aging Society.

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Starting the Journey

20 Roadmap Goals

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Roadmap to Creating a Culture of Inclusion in Your Workplace

An individualized employer and business tactical planning tool.  It is designed to help employers and businesses strategically plan and implement a successful accessible and inclusive work and market place. 

The plan includes: 20 comprehensive road map inclusion goals, identifying possible challenges that may need to be

addressed in order to achieve the access goals, example action steps under each goal, and the inclusion of partnerships/collaborations/resources

to help the employer identify and implement their action steps.

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Encountering, Identifying, and Meeting Challenges

o As you work towards creating, implementing and maintaining a Workplace Culture of Inclusion

o Consider the following possible challenges that may need to be addressed in order to achieve your inclusion road map goals.

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CHALLENGES:• Are we motivated and committed to create and maintain a

Workplace Culture of Inclusion?• If needed, we will do the following to become motivated and

committed.

• Do we need knowledge and technical assistance to create and maintain a Workplace Culture of Inclusion?• We will seek answers and technical assistance to our following

questions.

• Do our present practices, policies, and systems accommodate and promote the creation and maintenance of a Workplace Culture of Inclusion?• The following practices, policies and systems need to be adjusted or

changed.

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1. Identify internal champions. A senior executive with clout can legitimize the program and help to break down barriers to implementation. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN OUR ORGANIZATION? 

Action Step ExamplesWe will work to identify a senior executive who has experience with disability such as having a disability him/herself or who has a family member with a disability and/or who has an understanding of the employment barriers faced by people with disabilities.  We will request that the senior executive assist in internally communicating and promoting the launch of the development and implementation of our Culture of Inclusion Roadmap.

ACTION STEPS TIME LINE1.   

 Partnerships / Collaborations / Resources to help identify and implement action steps

 

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2. Dispel disability-related myths and barriers. Ensure everyone in the organization has the latest factual information about disability in the workplace.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN OUR ORGANIZATION? Action Step ExamplesWe will research and have the facts about people with disabilities to counter the many myths. Facts would include employees with disabilities do not drive up insurance rates, do not increase workplace risk, and do not cost too much to accommodation.  

We will work to integrate the Culture of Inclusion into the organization in order to advance business goals by challenging negative attitudes and stereotypes about people with disabilities.

  ACTION STEPS TIME LINE1. 

2.

3. Continued……..

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Partnerships / Collaborations / Resources to help identify and implement action steps

U.S. Chamber of Commerce “Disability: Dispelling the Myths How People With Disabilities Can Meet Employer Needs” at http://AskJAN.org/landingpage/NM_BLN/index.html

 JAN’s “Low Cost, High Impact” publication at http://askjan.org/media/lowcosthighimpact.html

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. Think Beyond the Label at www.thinkbeyondthelabel.com

A public-private partnership that delivers information, outreach and resources to businesses, job seekers and the public workforce system to ensure greater recruiting and hiring opportunities for job candidates with disabilities. Campaign for Disability Employment at www.whatcanyoudocampaign.org

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.

 

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3. Understand how disability employment and becoming "disability friendly" gives the organization a business advantage. Know our business case.

4. Ensure our Diversity strategy includes Disability. Disability is the largest minority group with more than 54 million members. Disability crosses all other diversity categories.

5. Develop policies, procedures, practices, and training related to the employee life cycle which includes the natural occurrence of acquiring disability.

6. Develop or adapt a proactive, open and defensible interactive process for successfully accommodating employees with disabilities.

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7. Make “stay-at-work” or “return-to-work” policies and practices an ideal of your workplace towards retaining talent. Break down the workers compensation, short term disability, and long term disability departmental silos.

8. Know the legal obligations of your organization, including the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act, as well as state Family Medical Leave and workers compensation laws.

 

If you are a federal contractor: Develop a collaboration with our compliance officer and understand disability related legal obligations under Section 508 and Section 503.

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9. Conduct a physical site accessibility audit of our facility.

10. Conduct an accessibility audit of corporate communication technologies, including the company’s website, and intranet.

11. Conduct an accessibility audit of all of your hiringprocesses including your applicant tracking system.

12. Become knowledgeable about assistive technologies.

13. Develop collaborations with organizations to build ourrecruiting pipeline.

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14. Develop a recruiting strategy for Wounded Warriors.

15. Collaborate with local, regional, and national programs to assist in meeting recruitment targets and hiring people with disabilities.

16. Capitalize on the market segment of people with disabilities by developing products and services for this segment. Ensure our business is accessible and associates understand effective communication with people with disabilities.

17. Develop and implement a marketing plan inclusive of people with disabilities.

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18. Develop a comprehensive internal communication strategy to institute and maintain a Culture of Inclusion.

19. Join our local Business Leadership Network and the US Business Leadership Network to learn of leading best practices in hiring, advancing, and retaining people with disabilities.

20. Develop accountability mechanisms and continuous improvement strategies for our Culture of Inclusion.

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http://askjan.org/landingpage/TxWorkforce2012/  

You will find

“A Roadmap to Creating a Culture of Inclusion in

Your Workplace” toolkit (includes beneficial Tech Assist resources)

This PowerPoint

and

Other Very Helpful Information Materials and Videos

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WHY Create a Culture of Inclusion?

Making the Case

• 18% to 20% of Americans have a disability.

• Disability does not discriminate!

• The largest percentage (70%) of disabilities are those that are

hidden. What are they?

• Broadening of who is covered under the ADA

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Making the Case

Who is Disabled?

o “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 UniversityData from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, from the National Health Survey.

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Making the Case

Aging of the U.S. workforce and accompanying rise of disability 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.*

With the Great Recession and retirement shortfalls,

many other Baby Boomer employees will need to age

in place.**

Workplace flexibility will be essential to retain the knowledge and skills of these older workers.  

*Pew Research Center http://pewresearch.org/databank/dailynumber/?NumberID=1150

**CNN Money, “43 percent have less than $10k for retirement” By Chavon Sutton,

staff reporter, March 9, 2010: 8:21 AM ET

http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/09/pf/retirement_confidence/index.htm)

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Making the Case

Increase of qualified youth with disabilities entering the workforce

In the 2010 Harris poll sponsored by the National Organization on Disability “83% of working-age people with disabilities have high school diplomas or a higher education.” This is up more than 20% from 1986 when only 61% had high school diplomas or higher education.

There are other studies now saying that 11% of students at colleges and universities have a disability and will be entering the workforce.

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It is a New World of Youth Disability Pride!

Youth and workplace / marketplace EXPECTATIONS:

Let’s talk about the youth-lead National Youth Leadership Network(www.nyln.org)

Build power among people with disabilities between the ages of 16- 28 years old.

Support young people in their role as the next generation of leadership in the Disability Rights Movement.

Promote youth leadership development, values inclusion, interdependent support systems, and disability pride

Connect youth leaders with opportunities to serve and be active members of their communities

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It is a New World of Disability Pride!

The NYLN offers what they call “Popular Education” which is a teaching philosophy that has grown out of social change movements where people needed to get others to think critically about what was unfair about the way their community was being treated.

It is fueled by people power which believes people are the experts of their experience. Popular educators facilitate a space where youth are thinking about things and teaching themselves.

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It is a New World of Disability Pride!

A few of NYLN’s Popular Workshops include

Tiny Tim and Jerry’s Kid Walked Into a Bar…: Navigating the Mainstream Disability

Story

Getting at the Roots: Understanding the Way Ableism Impacts People with

Disabilities

Get Free: Self Determination and Me

The Revolution Will Be Tweeted and Livestreamed: Using Independent Media to

Speak Truth to Power

College Bound: Preparing for Education After High School

The Cripple and the Blind Man: Disabled People of Color Organizing For Themselves

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Making the CaseWhat 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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Disability is

Diversity

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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Disability and the Marketplace Creating a Culture of Inclusion

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Who are those potential customers that a business must have to be successful?

Disability is the largest minority group with more than 58 million members who, many times, are an untapped consumer market.

An untapped consumer market with over $200 billion per year in disposable income (twice the teen market) If families of people with disabilities are included then this

number is 1 trillion dollars. (National Organization on Disability)

Approximately 71.5 million baby boomers will be over age 65 by the year 2030 and will be demanding products, services, and environments that meet their age-related physical and mental needs.

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According to a General Accounting Office report, implementing the access provisions of the ADA has increased revenues in the hotel and hospitality industry by 12 percent.

Companies marketing to people with disabilities can reach as many as 4 in every 10 consumers. (SMG)

The Market

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Can your business afford to neglect

such a large consumer market?

Make your business more accessible and attractive to customers with disabilities.

Ensure that your products and services are accessible and usable across a broad spectrum of customer needs-from your website to your front door.

Understand the cost benefits of universal accessibility, including tax and hiring incentives.

Easily and successfully implement ADA policies to enhance customer relationships and employment outcomes.

Create environments that meet their age-related physical needs

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Creating a Culture of Inclusion

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

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

o 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.

o 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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Creating a Culture of Inclusion

Communicating the Doors are Open

Five Signs the Doors are Open 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

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”

How employees may disclose Verbally or in writing Supervisor HR Representative Disability Coordinator Other person stipulated by policy

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Work and Market Place Technology

Opening the Doors to Talent and Profit

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What is Universal Design? Creation or adaptation of environments, programs and products to be

usable by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. For example, ramps and automatic door openers benefit individuals

using walkers and wheelchairs, but also benefit elderly people, mothers with baby strollers, or business people with rolling briefcases.

If television displays in public areas are captioned, programming is accessible to people who are deaf and everyone else who cannot hear the audio in noisy areas.

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What is Universal Design?

Universal design goes beyond minimum codes and standards to create designs that serve the broadest public (including people with disabilities) throughout their life spans.

A universal design approach to service delivery holds the promise of creating more inclusive environments, alleviating the need for some individual accommodations and creating a more collaborative, wide-reaching role for employers and businesses.

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Assistive Technology

In addition, even with UD built in, some equipment may not be usable by employees or customers with disabilities and AT may be the answer

AT is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.

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Equipment Purchasing A key consideration, especially electronic and information systems,

with UD features is the concept of interoperability.

Interoperability means that the system is compatible with other technologies and has features that support the integration of AT.

Without interoperability, it may be very difficult and time consuming to make changes, increase accessibility, or integrate AT.

Working to make interoperability a part of the initial purchasing phase can help eliminate these problems.

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Touch Points for Accessibility

• Online HR Systems

• Intranets

• Equipment Procurement

• Customers & Employees – Universal Design and Assistive Technology

• Products and Services including Internet, Communications & Technology (ICT) must be designed and developed to provide equal access and usability to every member of your target

• Work with JAN and the Southwest ADA Center on solutions that integrates the business and technical aspects of complying with regulations such as the ADA, Section 508 accessibility standards*, and WCAG**

• * Section 508 at www.access-board.gov/gs.htm

• **Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20

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