Month: June 2016

Latest Disability Employment Tracker™ Finds 16-Percent of Respondents Have Achieved the Seven-Percent Hiring Goal for People with Disabilities, Up from 2015

NEW YORK (June 23, 2016) – Federal contractors are making steady but incremental progress in achieving new U.S. Labor Department goals for employment of people with disabilities, according to new survey data from the National Organization on Disability (NOD). The 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™ survey shows 16% of respondents have achieved the 7% utilization goal, up from just 9% in 2015. Further, the study reveals that in contrast to previous years, three quarters of 2016 respondents – 78% of which are federal contractors – currently track the number of employees with disabilities that have been hired in the past year.

“While we would love to see a higher number of companies hitting these goals, we all knew back when the Labor Department announced its disability employment targets that this would be a process that would require not just a commitment of resources from these federal contractors, but also some time,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “These Tracker findings show meaningful progress. But now is the time to accelerate our efforts. That’s why NOD is working with employers to analyze and benchmark their Tracker data and help them put a more effective plan into action.”

NOD recently announced the creation of the Disability Inclusion Accelerator™, an interactive briefing giving executives a data-rich view of where their company stands in relation to others – and a customized action plan to advance their disability inclusion efforts, based on Tracker findings. Glazer noted that the Tracker and Accelerator combined can help federal contractors achieve the goals established by the Labor Department.

“I was particularly pleased to see that 20-percent of the companies who took the Tracker are not federal contractors, meaning our new regulations are offering guidance to the non-contractor business community,” said Patricia Shiu, Director of Federal Contract Compliance Programs at the U.S. Department of Labor. “The National Organization on Disability continues to provide valuable data that delivers real insights into how the Section 503 rule change is impacting disability hiring. I thank them for their leadership.”

The Disability Employment Tracker™ represents a diverse cross-section of employers, including representation from finance, manufacturing, healthcare services/pharmaceutical, commercial/professional services, technology and equipment, food/agriculture, and many others. About the respondents:

• 41% are Fortune 500 companies
• 78% are Federal contractors
• Workforce size:
  • 28% > 50,000
  • 34% between 10,000 & 50,000
  • 13% between 1,000 & 10,000
  • 25% < 1,000

More About the Disability Employment Tracker™

The Disability Employment Tracker™ is a free tool for employers to confidentially assess their disability and veteran inclusion practices. Survey respondents receive a free and customized Disability Employment Tracker™ Scorecard that provides key benchmarks and leading practices in disability employment.

The Disability Employment Tracker™ was developed by the National Organization on Disability, in partnership with the National Business and Disability Council at The Viscardi Center and Sirota Consulting, a leading provider of organizational assessments.

The partnering organizations conducted interviews and focus groups with dozens of Fortune 500 companies to develop a tool that is responsive to their needs, concise, and easy to use. The free and confidential Tracker was introduced in 2013, with lead support from the Exelon Foundation and guidance from leading research firm J.D. Power, a business of S&P Global.

For companies interested in participating in the Tracker, simply visit www.NOD.org/Tracker.

Latest Disability Employment Tracker™ Shows 9 in 10 Companies Now Invite Employees to Self-Identify as Having a Disability – a 100% Increase from 2014

NEW YORK  (June 16, 2016) – A new survey from the National Organization on Disability (NOD) finds that employers have taken major strides forward in learning about disability in their own workforce. The 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™ survey shows more than 90-percent of responding companies now invite employees to self-identify as having a disability, a 100% increase since the initial baseline Tracker in 2014 found less than half (44%) asked employees that same question.

“The fact that we have seen this remarkable spike in employer engagement, actually asking their employees about their disability status, is an important step in creating more inclusive workplaces, which will equate to more job opportunities for people with disabilities,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “We created the Disability Employment Tracker three years ago because we know both employers and those who create public-policy look to NOD for trusted data that provides key insights on disability employment. More companies than ever are now taking the Tracker and rely on its findings to help them improve their hiring practices.”

Among other key findings from the 2016 Disability Employment Tracker™:

• There has been a 20-point improvement in the rate of recruiters being trained on disability employment needs (65% vs. 44% in 2014)
• 85% of 2016 respondents have a diversity champion whose responsibilities include driving the organization’s strategy on disability inclusion (up from 76% in 2014)
• While improving, disability still lags behind general diversity initiatives in many areas. For example, there are significantly fewer employee resource groups that target employees with disabilities (58%) vs. other diversity groups (78%)

“What we are seeing is that employers are changing the conversation on disability. While disability has long been a taboo topic, companies are increasingly recognizing that thoughtfully addressing it is to mandatory for success and increasing diversity,” said Glazer. “There is no question the rule changes initiated by the Labor Department have kick-started these conversations inside the HR and compliance departments of many companies.”

The Disability Employment Tracker™ is a free tool for employers to confidentially assess their disability and veteran inclusion practices. Survey respondents receive a free and customized Disability Employment Tracker™ Scorecard that provides key benchmarks and leading practices in disability employment. The Tracker represents a diverse cross-section of employers, including representation from finance, manufacturing, healthcare services/pharmaceutical, commercial/professional services, technology and equipment, food/agriculture, and many others. About the respondents:

• 41% Fortune 500 companies
• 78% Federal contractors
• Workforce size:
  • 28% > 50,000
  • 34% between 10,000 & 50,000
  • 13% between 1,000 & 10,000
  • 25% < 1,000

More About the Disability Employment Tracker™

The Disability Employment Tracker™ was developed by the National Organization on Disability, in partnership with the National Business and Disability Council at The Viscardi Center and Sirota Consulting, a leading provider of organizational assessments.

The partnering organizations conducted interviews and focus groups with dozens of employers, including many Fortune 500 companies, to develop a tool that is responsive to their needs, concise, and easy to use. The Tracker was introduced in 2013, with lead support from the Exelon Foundation and guidance from leading research firm J.D. Power, a business of S&P Global.

Tracker data was used to determine winners of the inaugural NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal, a public, annual recognition designed to both recognize and applaud those companies who are leading the way in disability hiring and to encourage others to consider the many benefits of making an inclusive workforce a priority.  NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal winners were revealed on June 9.

For companies interested in participating in the Tracker, simply visit www.NOD.org/Tracker.

###27 Organizations Recognized for Demonstrating Exemplary Disability Hiring and Employment Practices###

NEW YORK (June 9, 2016) – The National Organization on Disability (NOD) today announced the 27 organizations that have been selected to receive the 2016 Leading Disability Employer Seal™. The Seal is a new effort by NOD to recognize companies that demonstrate exemplary hiring and employment practices for people with disabilities. This public, annual recognition is designed to applaud those organizations that are leading the way in disability hiring and encourage additional companies to tap into the many benefits of hiring talent with disabilities, including strong consumer preference for companies that employ individuals with disabilities and greater employee engagement across the workforce.

The winning organizations were announced via a video message by NOD Chairman Tom Ridge, who congratulated the inaugural Seal winners for learning what he hopes other companies soon will – that people with disabilities make outstanding contributions to the workplace.

“They have seen the untapped potential of this talent pool,” Gov. Ridge said. “They have dedicated resources to welcome individuals with disabilities into their companies. And they are reaping the rewards of a diverse and productive workforce. When he signed the Americans with Disabilities Act into law in 1990, President George H.W. Bush said employers hold the key to unlocking the great potential of the ADA. On behalf of President Bush, who proudly serves as NOD’s Honorary Chairman, let me be the first to congratulate and thank these businesses for leading the way.”

The 2016 NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal winners are:

• Accenture
• Anthem
• Bath Veterans Affairs Medical Center
• The Boeing Company
• Capital One
• Christiana Care Health System
• Colgate-Palmolive
• Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition
• Colorado Spring Utilities
• Comcast NBCUniversal
• CSC
• EMC
• EY
• Exelon Corporation
• General Motors
• The Hartford
• The Hershey Company
• Lockheed Martin 
• Monsanto
• National Grid USA
• New Editions Consulting
• Northrop Grumman
• PwC
• Procter & Gamble
• Prudential Financial
• S&P Global
• Sodexo

The NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal is awarded based on data furnished by companies in response to NOD’s Disability Employment Tracker™, a free, confidential, online assessment and benchmarking of companies’ disability inclusion programs in the following areas:

• Climate and Culture
• Identifying and Sourcing Talent
• Onboarding
• Performance Management
• Tracking and Measurement, including outcomes in the past 12 months and goals for the next 12-18 months

While the Tracker is entirely confidential, organizations may opt to be considered for the NOD Leading Disability Employer Seal. Responses are scored, taking into account both disability employment practices and performance. Scoring prioritizes practices that are associated with increased disability employment outcomes over time, in addition to current performance in disability employment. Respondents also receive points based on the percentage of people with disabilities in their workforce.

The Disability Employment Tracker™was developed by NOD in partnership with the National Business and Disability Council (NBDC) at The Viscardi Center and Sirota Consulting, a leading provider of organizational assessments. The Tracker was introduced in 2013 with lead support from the Exelon Foundation and guidance from leading research firm J.D. Power.

To be considered for the NOD 2017 Leading Disability Employer Seal, companies can sign up for the Disability Employment Tracker.  While companies can use the free Tracker assessment at any time, to be considered for the 2017 Leading Disability Employer Seal submissions must be received during the designated qualifying window, which will open in autumn 2016. Sign up here and NOD will notify you when the 2017 qualifying window opens. 

NEW YORK (June 8, 2016) – National Organization on Disability (NOD) President Carol Glazer today welcomed Susan Meirs as the organization’s new Chief Operating Officer.

“Sue brings to the National Organization on Disability a wealth of leadership experience in the management of operations, strategy development and program management, not to mention a passion for our organizational mission,” said Glazer. “As COO, Sue will oversee our suite of professional services, ensuring delivery of best-in-class disability employment products and services with high impact and exceptional quality to NOD’s corporate clients. We are so pleased to welcome Sue to the NOD team.”

Prior to joining NOD, Meirs was a COO and salesperson at Barclays. Her team created Barclays’ first diversity related investment products, the Return on Disability ETN and the Women in Leadership ETN, translating corporate social responsibility into bottom-line results for investors. Sue was co-head of Reach, Barclays’ disability employee network group, and initiated its disability recruiting efforts. She is a sought-after expert on the intersection between diversity and inclusion and ROI and has provided commentary to major publications including Bloomberg, Money, and The Washington Post, among others.

“I am tremendously excited, after years of focusing on disability employment from the perspective of one employer, to be able to think more broadly and impact a wider variety of employers and workers,” said Meirs. “I believe equal access to employment is, for many people, fundamental to their participation in American culture and critical for allowing economic independence. I’m thrilled to be joining an organization with such a long track record of success creating employment for people with disabilities and look forward to being part of the next stage.”

Learn more about Sue Meirs