Disability Awareness

1. Disability Awareness Fear/Stigma Training Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

2. Myths, Facts, & Fears Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

3. True or false? Directions: Decide whether each statement is true or false. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

4. There are nearly 153,000 people with disabilities in the United States.False. There are over 49.7 million—21.3 million of working age! Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

5. A total of 37% of people with severe disabilities are unemployed.False. Most experts place the number between 66% and 73%. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

6. Hiring people with disabilities tends to drive up insurance and medical costs.False. Dole Foundation, DuPont, and Chicago Business Leadership studies all concluded that insurance and medical costs do NOT rise. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

7. Employees with disabilities have 2.4% more absences than other employees.False. A 30-year DuPont study showed that workers with disabilities had fewer absences. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

8. People with disabilities have lower turnover rates than their non-disabled coworkers.True. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

9. Aggregate annual income of people with disabilities is $1 trillion. True. And $220 billion goes toward discretionary spending. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

10. Workers with disabilities don’t perform as well as their non-disabled coworkers.False. A 30-year DuPont study concluded workers with disabilities tended to have above-average performance. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

11. Fears on the TableA “Time to Talk” Activity Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

12. Business-Disability Community Partnerships Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

13. Hiring people with disabilities makes good business sense! • Large, untapped labor pool • Lower turnover • Reduced recruiting costs • Fewer absences • Good performance • Good safety record • No impact on medical & insurance costs • An ethical, socially responsible thing to do Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

14. Biz Benefits • Reduced Recruiting Costs • Reduced Training Costs • Reduced Turnover • Tax Credits • Other Incentives • Increased Diversity • New Customer Niche Group • Increased Brand Loyalty • Improved Community Relations • Risk Reduction/ADA Compliance Support Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

15. Business “New World” “Brand Partners”—Walgreens, CVS, Best Buy, TIAA-CREF, Hyatt, Starbucks, Bank of America Labor Market Realities Diversity Niche Market Customer Niche Market Staffing Industry We got “next” Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

16. Discussing the Disability Community Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

17. Disability Types • Physical Disability • Cognitive Disability • Intellectual/Developmental Disability • Sensory Disability • Psychiatric Disability • Acquired Disability (TBI/SCI) Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

18. Disability Etiquette Smile and be friendly. Use a normal tone of voice. Talk to the person with the disability—NOT to his aide, coach, or sign language interpreter. If talking with a person in a wheelchair, sit or kneel to be at eye level. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

19. Disability Etiquette, cont. Do not refer to a person's disability unless it is relevant. Use "disability" rather than "handicap" to refer to a person's disability. When referring to a person's disability, try to use "people first" language. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

20. Disability Etiquette, cont. • Avoid referring to people with disabilities as "the disabled, the blind, the epileptics, the retarded, a quadriplegic," • Avoid negative or sensational descriptions of a person's disability. • Don't portray people with disabilities as overly courageous, brave, special, or superhuman. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

21. Disability Etiquette, cont. Don't use "normal" to describe people who don't have disabilities. Never say "wheelchair-bound" or "confined to a wheelchair." Never assume that a person with a communication disorder (speech impediment, hearing loss, motor impairment) also has a cognitive disability, such as mental retardation. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

22. Supporting the Interview • Visual supports • Social stories • Talk less • Give wait time (use silence) • Keep it concrete and straightforward Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

23. Interview Tips A handshake is NOT a standard greeting for everyone. When in doubt, ASK the person whether he or she would like to shake hands with you. A smile, along with a spoken greeting, is always appropriate. Speak directly to the person with a disability, not just to the ones accompanying him or her. Don't mention the person's disability, unless he or she talks about it or it is relevant to the conversation. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

24. Interview Tips, cont. • Treat adults as adults. Don't patronize or talk down to people with disabilities. • Be patient and give your undivided attention. especially with someone who speaks slowly or with great effort. • Never pretend to understand what a person is saying. Ask the person to repeat or rephrase, or offer him or her a pen and paper. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

25. Interview Tips, cont. Relax. Anyone can make mistakes. Offer an apology if you forget some courtesy. Keep a sense of humor and a willingness to communicate. Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

26. Interview Process • Use visuals • Develop a mini-schedule for the flow of the interview • Ensure clear beginnings and endings • Attempt to block out environmental distracters Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

27. Theory of Mind What if I don’t know that you have a mind separate and different from my own? What if I don’t realize that you are a unique individual in your own right? What if I don’t realize that you have my interests at heart and want to offer me the benefits of your own experiences and thinking and ability? What if I don’t know that you experience things differently from me? Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

28. David Letterman's Top Ten Natural Supports 10. Support Theory of Mind (difficulty with perspective taking) 9. Talk to the employee Support "sins of the system" (helping employees learn informal rules) 7. Mentor 6. Provide clear feedback Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

29. David Letterman's Top Ten Natural Supports, cont. 5.Give clear directions 4. Ensure employees know how to ask for "help" 3. Model (demonstrate how to do tasks) 2. Use "silence"--don't verbally overwhelm during training 1. Use visual supports Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

30. Natural Supports Websites VCU Rehabilitation Training & Support www.worksupport.com Job Accommodation Network www.askjan.org Griffin Hammis www.griffinhammis.com Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services

31. Typical Supervisor Concerns Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Additional supervision Loss of productivity What if it doesn’t work out? Am I stuck forever paying a sub-standard employee? How do I effectively communicate with an employee who has a disability?

32. Supervision Strategies Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Not required to lower quality or standards for any employee Communicate your expectations with all employees Workers with disabilities need feedback just like other employees UPS 3-Year Study of Employees with Disabilities

33. Supporting New Hire Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Help the person learn about personalities Provide pointers about informal rules such as breaks, dress, and coffee Teach special work language Check to make sure person understood; ask them to repeat instructions Be yourself

34. Supporting New Hires Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Introduce yourself and make the person feel welcome Introduce new employee to co-workers Show the individual where things are located & review policies/procedures Invite the person to join you and others for breaks and lunch

35. Emotions Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Be consistent with your interactions Help to discriminate between good-natured teasing and when someone is angry or upset Explain expectations for jobs or routines Help the individual, and yourself, not to overreact to a situation Criticize privately Ask person what you can do to help; suggest a break

36. Creating Mutual Respect Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Encourage co-workers to respect the skills and abilities of all employees. Remember that the new person was hired because he or she has the skills to do the job

37. Social Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Work is also an important social enterprise It is important to form valued relationships Establish informal employee mentors Theory of Mind

38. Learning & Remembering Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Act as a peer on an adult-to-adult level Use straightforward and concrete language Allow extra time to learn procedures Teach multi-step tasks one step at a time Provide reminders (checklists, symbols, color codes) Simplify task by modifying procedures or equipment

39. Communicating with Placement Agencies Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Inform the Employee Be PROACTIVE Take advantage of your resources Keep the employee involved

40. Strategies Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services What has worked in the past? What hasn’t? How are the same issues handled with other employees?

41. Common Concerns Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Medications Difficult to understand person Harassment by other employees When to seek help from Agency

42. Employees with Cognitive Disabilities Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services A cognitive disability is any disability affecting mental processes. People with cognitive disabilities do not necessarily have decreased levels of work skills, abilities, or intellectual functioning. Possible accommodations: job coaching, structured breaks, checklists & time tables, clear and concise directions/instructions.

43. Employees with Psychiatric Disabilities Employment Services & Innovations Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services Psychiatric disabilities are disorders of the brain that may disrupt a person’s feelings, moods, and abilities to relate to others. Possible Accommodations: job coaching, structured breaks, checklists & time tables, contingency plans to deal with stress.