Author: Amber Cecil

NOD Chairman Tom Ridge Receives AUCD Award for Leading the Way toward Inclusion and Opportunity for Americans with Disabilities

Posted on by Amber Cecil

Honor Marks Second National Disability Award Gov. Ridge has Received this Month

Washington, D.C. – (March 20, 2019) – The Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) last night honored National Organization on Disability (NOD) Chairman Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, with the AUCD Leadership for All Award. Governor Ridge was honored for his many years of leadership in civil rights and honorable service on behalf of the disability community – most notably his work with NOD to raise the issue of disability employment and to find opportunities for the 20 million Americans with disabilities who are ready to work.

NOD Chair, Gov. Tom Ridge gesturing while speaking
“The search for justice for people with disabilities is not over.” – AUCD honoree + NOD Chair Gov. Tom Ridge

Claudia Gordon, a former colleague at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and herself a noted advocate for people with disabilities, presented Governor Ridge with the leadership award at AUCD’s annual celebration, which brings together leaders from all sectors who are tireless advocates for disability rights and social justice for all.

Claudia Gordon of Sprint speaking at podium and projected on screen
Claudia Gordon of Sprint: “I am here as a disability civil rights leader. And one who has had the privilege of working with Governor Ridge.”

“Governor Ridge has been a champion for disability rights for decades, going back to when he began his career in public service,” said Andrew Imparato, executive director of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities.  “Our network of centers and programs and the communities we serve are deeply grateful for his principled leadership, and we are delighted to have this opportunity to celebrate his contributions to our movement.”

Gov. Ridge last week received the National Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD).

Gov. Ridge became the NOD Chairman soon after his appointment by President George W. Bush as Homeland Security Advisor in 2006. Under his leadership as U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, DHS implemented an impactful program to hire people with disabilities.

He also partnered with NOD’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative for the first-ever conference on Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities. For more than a decade as NOD Chairman, the organization has adopted a strategic focus on training corporations and organizations to help hire people with disabilities in our country today.

Most recently, Governor Ridge led the charge to launch Look Closer, a national awareness campaign by NOD to encourage hiring managers to consider this diverse, capable, and largely untapped talent pool and put more Americans with disabilities to work. He also has convened a group of twelve disability organizations from across the country, including AAPD and AUCD, to focus attention on the critical issue of employment for people with disabilities.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities network leaders Jack Brandt and Donna Gilles from the Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with #Disabilities
Association of University Centers on Disabilities leaders Jack Brandt and Donna Gilles from the Virginia Commonwealth University Partnership for People with Disabilities.

“I am truly honored to receive this award and accept it on behalf of the 57 million Americans with disabilities,” said Governor Ridge. “I was so pleased that this year’s theme for AUCD’s gala was ‘Celebrating Leadership in Civil Rights’. The core civil rights vision of the ADA and other disability rights laws inform the approach we take to improving the lives of children and adults with disabilities.

“For the 25th anniversary of the ADA civil rights legislation, I had the good fortune and privilege to sit with and interview one of my heroes, and the man whose signature is forever affixed to that legislation. President George H.W. Bush told me on that day from his office in Houston, that among all his many remarkable accomplishments as president, working in bipartisan fashion to pass the ADA was perhaps his proudest moment. Think of that. That’s quite a statement considering all he was able to achieve from his years in the White House.

“Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege to meet with many of the largest, most politically influential and most effective disability organizations in America today.  We’ve put aside our disparate agendas and individual priorities and found common cause.  We recognize that collectively, we represent a powerful political constituency numbering in the scores of millions of people.  And we’re using that power to talk to others in power, especially the appointed and elected officials here in Washington that we put there to work for us.

“The collective voice of the disability community is one that can no longer be ignored, especially if we stay together. Put aside our individual differences, pick the few issues we agree on, and join forces.  Let’s all get behind a bipartisan agenda to bring more workers with disabilities into the competitive labor market with fair wages.”

Looking Closer: Raising Expectations of People with Disabilities Helps Us All Move Forward

Posted on by Amber Cecil

The Campaign for Disability Employment: Blog by Carol Glazer

March 18, 2019 | Carol Glazer is the president of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), a Campaign for Disability Employment member organization.

Carol Glazer hugging her son Jacob
Carol Glazer hugging her son Jacob

It is not unusual for waiters and waitresses to look only briefly at my son Jacob before turning to ask me what he would like to eat. With a shrug, I almost always say the same thing: Ask him.

Jacob, 26, has apparent physical and cognitive disabilities. His arms sometimes hang awkwardly, and his eyes can wander. His speech isn’t always fluid. To many, it is the appearance of someone lacking agency—someone who needs help. It’s an appearance that belies a keen sense of observation, strong personal desires and a quick wit. Jacob knows what he wants. Ask, and he’ll tell you.

When meeting him, even people who interact regularly with people with disabilities tend to speak at enhanced volumes and reduced speeds. When this happens, Jacob will ask them why, and, ironically, check that they are okay (his emotional intelligence and sense of humor have always outpaced those of others his age). These exchanges are mostly innocuous and even funny, if not a bit awkward for the would-be do-gooders. But they reveal a worrisome truth about our society.

The term “stigma” is often used in the context of discrimination. And although stigma is certainly problematic, it is not always actively pernicious. Those waiters are not avoiding Jacob to be insulting. They are trying to spare him embarrassment—and perhaps themselves some discomfort. But in doing so, they rob him of his voice and his volition. For whom is that good?

Society has certain expectations of people: expectations of education, of employment, of contributions to the common good. But, for totally outdated and cynical reasons, those expectations do not typically extend to those with disabilities, especially when it comes to work. Rather, it’s seen as a miracle that they get out of bed in the morning.

Smart people—and smart businesses—do not subscribe to this tyranny of low expectations, however. Rather, they know that including people from all walks of life, with different perspectives and experiences, is the key to success. People with disabilities are above all problem solvers; in the workplace, this translates into innovative thinking. It’s no coincidence that businesses that excel at disability inclusion—for instance, those recognized as National Organization on Disability (NOD) Leading Disability Employers™—are among the nation’s, and in fact world’s, most successful organizations.

As president of NOD, I have the privilege of working with these companies, as well as those at different points in their disability inclusion journeys. Those more towards the beginning often have the same question: What kinds of jobs can people with disabilities do?

There are more than 50 million Americans with disabilities in the United States today, constituting a remarkably diverse group that includes people with Autism, asthma and arthritis, as well as cancer, depression, dyslexia and myriad other conditions. They are black and white, young and old; they live in Brooklyn, San Francisco and Iowa City. No two people have the same talents or interests—regardless of disability status. So, what kind of jobs can people with disabilities do? Any jobs that people can do.

The frequency with which this question is asked was a significant driver for NOD in launching the Look Closer campaign, as well as joining the Campaign for Disability Employment. Through these initiatives, we are working to recast Americans with disabilities as a capable, untapped workforce, with new terminology and new archetypes. The key is sharing their stories. Some of the individuals featured in our Look Closer campaign are low-skilled, hourly workers. Others are senior managers and C-level leaders. In almost every case, the individual’s disability played either no role in their career whatsoever or created competitive advantages. It turns out, disability has very little to do with ability.

So, have people with disabilities failed to exceed the low bar set for them? Or has society failed to set the bar high enough? It’s time for us all to look closer at our beliefs, expectations, and yes, our stereotypes.

For more information about the Look Closer campaign and how individuals and employers can get involved, visit nod.org/lookcloser.

 Read on What Can You Do? The Campaign for Disability Employmemt

 

NOD Chairman Tom Ridge Receives Distinguished AAPD Leadership Award for Commitment to Disability Employment

Posted on by Amber Cecil

Washington, D.C. – (March 13, 2019) –The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) has recognized National Organization on Disability (NOD) Chairman Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania, with the AAPD Leadership Award. Gov. Ridge was honored for his many years of distinguished service on behalf of the disability community, particularly his work with NOD to raise the issue of disability employment and to find opportunities for the 20 million Americans with disabilities who are ready to work. Last evening, AAPD President and CEO Helena Berger and Ted Kennedy, Jr. presented Gov. Ridge with the award at AAPD’s annual gala, which provides an opportunity for partners and supporters, as well as business and government leaders, to convene to show their support of disability rights and inclusion for all Americans with disabilities.

Gov. Ridge standing behind a podium with arms outstretched

“We are honored to present Governor Ridge with the AAPD Leadership Award,” said Helena Berger, President & CEO of the American Association of People with Disabilities. “AAPD is recognizing him for his tireless advocacy and outstanding leadership in advancing employment opportunities for all Americans with disabilities.  We know that disability inclusion only enhances our nation’s economy and workplaces, so thank you Governor Ridge for all you have done to show how people with disabilities strengthen our workforce, communities, and country.”

Gov. Ridge became the NOD Chairman soon after his appointment by President George W. Bush as Homeland Security Advisor in 2006. Under his leadership as U.S. Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, DHS implemented an impactful program to hire people with disabilities. He also partnered with NOD’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative for the first-ever conference on Emergency Preparedness for Individuals with Disabilities. For more than a decade as NOD Chairman, the organization has adopted a strategic focus on training corporations and organizations to help hire people with disabilities in our country today.

Most recently, Governor Ridge led the charge to launch Look Closer, a national awareness campaign by NOD to encourage hiring managers to consider this diverse, capable, and largely untapped talent pool and put more Americans with disabilities to work. He also has convened a group of fifteen disability organizations from across the country, including AAPD, to focus attention on the critical issue of employment for people with disabilities.

“In accepting the AAPD Leadership Award, I stand before you to represent not only the National Organization on Disability, but also the 57 million people with disabilities in America, their family and their friends,” said Gov. Ridge. “I accept this award for all people who value humanness, fairness and democracy.

“NOD and AAPD are very close in age. For the longest time ours were the only two cross-disability organizations, and we have toiled away at our work now for nearly four decades. So we know that the ADA, its precursors, and laws that followed, have done much to change that view of disability as something to be cured.  Or feared.  Or used as a reason to exclude people from communities, from civic life and from the workforce. And in many ways our circumstances have improved.

Carol Glazer, Ted Kennedy, Jr., Tom Ridge and Helena Berger

“But make no mistake. The numbers on workforce participation have not changed appreciably since the end of WW II.  Not in the 28 years since the ADA; not in this age where technology has leveled the playing field for all of us. Not even now, in the tightest labor market in half a century.

“There is, however, a good news side to this story. In an era where rancor dominates the mood everywhere and especially in Washington, our issue cuts across party lines. It cuts across race lines, gender lines, and even class lines.  The issues of who participates in our workforce, our communities, and our society, are not partisan issues.  In an era of identity politics, our identity is the most cross cutting there is. At the end of the day, that’s power.

“The collective voice of the disability community is one that can no longer be ignored, especially if we stay together. Put aside our individual differences, pick the few issues we agree on, and join forces.”

In April and October 2018, NOD convened these disability organizations in a “Disability Employment Roundtable.” The coalition collectively identified two policy priorities to work on together: (1) eliminating “14C” certificates, which allow employers to pay workers with disabilities sub-minimum wage; and (2) to bear down on enforcing the 503-rule change for federal contractors. The groups met earlier this month in Washington to brief elected officials at the U.S. Capitol.

Luke Visconti Who Suffered a Stroke Works on Behalf on People with Disabilities

Posted on by Amber Cecil

National Organization on Disability Board Vice Chair and Palm Beach resident Luke Visconti speaks in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. By Olivia Feldman | Posted Mar 5, 2019 at 4:46 PM

One in five people in the U.S. have disabilities, making up 54 million people in the U.S. Palm Beach resident Luke Visconti advocates for this group as vice chair of the National Organization on Disability (NOD), which aims to help people with disabilities find employment.

In 1997, Visconti founded the online publication DiversityInc., which focuses on diversity and inclusion in the workplace. His life took a turn after suffering a stroke four years ago at the age of 54, leading him to gear his efforts toward working with NOD. On behalf of the organization, he took part in a meeting last week in Washington, D.C. with 12 national disability organizations and U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) to advocate for increased employment for people with disabilities.

Visconti recently spoke to the Daily News about his work with the NOD and how he has progressed since his stroke.

How long have you lived in Palm Beach?

I moved here full-time last year but had been wintering here for the past four years while living in Princeton, New Jersey.

How did you get involved with the National Organization on Disability?

I’ve known (NOD President) Carol Glazer for well over a decade. After my stroke, she got out to me quickly. NOD has been able to put all of these groups together so we can advocate for our collective best interests. Our mission is to get people to work.

What are your responsibilities as vice chair of the NOD board?

The board keeps strategic direction. We discuss initiatives and opportunities that will help people get employment, and that’s what we spend the most time on. We evaluate Carol Glazer’s performance on a regular basis.

How did your stroke happen?

I was at home in Princeton, New Jersey. I woke up having trouble walking; I felt strange. At first I brushed it off, but then I woke up my wife. I made two big mistakes: I didn’t call 911 and I had her drive me to the hospital, which was the wrong one. They misdiagnosed me and I didn’t get a tPA (tissue plasminogen activator). There was no neurologist or cardiologist on staff. Instead of sending me away, they took my insurance money and left me there. If I had been treated properly, I wouldn’t be paralyzed.

How do you function since your stroke?

I was paralyzed on my left side, and I still do rehab every day to get myself basically functional. We moved here because the cold stiffens up my affected side. I can walk, but it’s not pleasant; I have to focus on every step. I am effectively one-handed. I really would like my left hand and left arm back, it just takes work. I do Pilates once or twice a week at the Royal Poinciana Plaza.

What should readers know about people with disabilities?

People with disabilities deserve the ability to go to work. They have plenty to contribute. From a pragmatic point of view, you get the best people when you select from the widest possible pool. We can increase the country’s GDP by having people work to the best of their ability.

Read on The Palm Beach Daily News

Statement on Walmart’s Employment of People with Disabilities from NOD President Carol Glazer

Posted on by Amber Cecil

Walmart’s decision to change the responsibilities of its store greeters, who are largely represented by people with disabilities, is profoundly disturbing. As a mother of a child with intellectual disabilities, I can say that my family has always loved shopping at Walmart because my son sees greeters that remind him of himself, and who are role models for him.

But we have to keep this in perspective: Jobs are not entitlements. As a retailer competing with tech sector companies who can get merchandise directly to their customers’ doors, Walmart has to evolve its business model and its workforce.  It’s inevitable there will be winners and losers. Walmart has pledged to help those who may be displaced by the change in store greeters’ job descriptions. We hope this means people with physical and mental disabilities. Walmart would be wise to consider their many customers with disabilities, along with family and friends, who are counting on them to do the right thing.

Walmart’s solid track record in employing people with disabilities and veterans has earned it the right to make good on its promises. We in the disability community should watch closely, but give the company a chance – not only to preserve jobs for store greeters, but up and down the managerial chain of command. Corporate America needs to remember there are 20 million Americans with disabilities who are ready to work, and to contribute meaningfully to earn a paycheck.

Carol Glazer
President
National Organization on Disability

 

Disability Groups Gather in Washington, D.C. for a Common Purpose

Posted on by Amber Cecil

“Let’s Elevate the Dialogue” Around Disability Employment in America

Today in our nation’s capital, the National Organization on Disability joins with a fifteen leading disability organizations from across the country to focus attention on the critical issue of employment for people with disabilities.

Sponsored by United States Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and featuring special guests, NOD Chairman Tom Ridge and National Council on Disability Chairman Neil Romano, the gathering represents the third time these disability organizations have come together at the request of Gov. Ridge.

NOD's Charles Catherine, Carol Glazer, Rep. Jim Langevin and Gov. Tom Ridge

In April and October 2018, NOD convened these organizations in a “Disability Employment Roundtable.” The coalition collectively identified two policy priorities to work on together: (1) eliminating “14C” certificates, which allow employers to pay workers with disabilities sub-minimum wage; and (2) to bear down on enforcing the 503-rule change for federal contractors.

“When this coalition of disability organizations recently met with the U.S. Labor Secretary, he notably didn’t ask about political affiliations. He understands, as we do, that our issue cuts across party lines,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “The most important social and economic issues all do. Employment is one of the most vexing challenges facing the disability community today. Gatherings like these elevate the dialogue and ensure policymakers have a better understanding of what needs to be done.”

Today at the U.S. Capitol, the coalition is briefing elected officials at a Congressional Reception sponsored by these nine coalition members, DiversityInc and The Hershey Company. The group anticipates reconvening twice more in 2019.

The sponsoring organizations are:

  • American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)
  • Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)
  • Autism Speaks
  • Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
  • DiversityInc
  • National Center for Learning Disabilities
  • National Council on Disability (NCD)
  • National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS)
  • National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
  • National Organization on Disability (NOD)
  • Ridge Policy Group

Additional coalition members include:

  • The Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)
  • Disability:IN
  • Judy Heumann
  • National Association of the Deaf (NAD)
  • National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

 

Gov. Tom Ridge
Gov. Tom Ridge
Sen. Bob Casey
Sen. Bob Casey
Alicia Petross, Senior Director Global Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, and Engagement, The Hershey Company
Alicia Petross, Senior Director Global Culture, Diversity and Inclusion, and Engagement, The Hershey Company
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland
Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland
Lance Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging; Administrator for the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Lance Robertson, Assistant Secretary for Aging; Administrator for the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Neil Romano, Chairman, National Council on Disability
Neil Romano, Chairman, National Council on Disability
DiversityInc CEO + NOD Vice Chair, Luke Visconti
DiversityInc CEO + NOD Vice Chair, Luke Visconti
The Hershey Company was represented by Alicia Petross, Ipalla Cooke, Joanna Turner, Ken Woodruff, Lisa Slater, Lorie Sedlmyer, Marc Rinaldi, Tim Daniels, and Tim Hinegardner
The Hershey Company was represented by Alicia Petross, Ipalla Cooke, Joanna Turner, Ken Woodruff, Lisa Slater, Lorie Sedlmyer, Marc Rinaldi, Tim Daniels, and Tim Hinegardner
JPMorgan Chase + Co's Jim Sinocchi with Gov. Tom Ridge
JPMorgan Chase + Co’s Jim Sinocchi with Gov. Tom Ridge
Judy Heumann, Joyce Bender, Carol Glazer, Gov. Tom Ridge and Candace Cable
Judy Heumann, Joyce Bender, Carol Glazer, Gov. Tom Ridge and Candace Cable

4 Ways to Expand Inclusion of People with Disabilities

Posted on by Amber Cecil

February 21, 2019, Deborah Stadtler

As companies face a war for talent and a lack of qualified workers in many fields, individuals with disabilities are being recognized as a source of engaged, committed employees. According to the 2017 Disability Statistics Report from the Institute on Disability, nearly one in eight people in the U.S. has a disability and that number is rising annually.

Companies that succeed in incorporating candidates with disabilities have seen 28 percent higher revenue and two times higher net income, according to a 2018 whitepaper on accessibility from Accenture. Workplace Initiative, a network of companies, nonprofits, and government agencies working to remove barriers for those with disabilities, reports that those companies also experienced reduced turnover, lower recruiting costs, increased productivity and improved customer outreach.

“The most immediate challenge for many companies looking to advance disability inclusion in their workforce is knowing where to start. Topics like digital accessibility, Section 503 compliance, or self-ID surveys may be new territory,” said Felicia Nurmsen, Managing Director of Employer Services at the National Organization on Disability (NOD). “A good first step is to establish your baseline, so you can prioritize goals, strategically allocate resources, and track year-over-year progress. One tool is NOD’s Disability Employment Tracker, which offers essential data to benchmark your employment practices and performance against other companies.”

Companies looking to recruit and hire those with disabilities can leverage many of the practices developed for their diversity & inclusion programs. A 2017 Kessler Foundation National Employment and Disability Survey showed that while 57 percent of respondents had diversity hiring goals, only 28 percent had disability goals.

Consider the following four ways of building inclusion:

1. Create an inclusive culture. 

Companies that are inclusive of those with disabilities manage their culture in various ways. Some survey employee attitudes and invite employees to self-identify; others nominate a diversity champion and support disability specific resource groups. Including senior leadership in messaging and awareness efforts helps underscore the importance of inclusion.

General Motors extends their culture of inclusion by partnering with outside groups, such as a pilot program with the Michigan Alliance on Autism, as well as internal special interest groups (SIGs), such as the GM Able employee resource group. “Further, we have a Disability Advisory Council that meets quarterly to focus on specific issues for the constituency,” said Ken Barrett, Global Chief Diversity Officer for General Motors.

“Marriott has created Talent Network Teams (TNTs) that were designed to bring associates together to ideate, collaborate and build relationships,” said David Rodriquez, Executive Vice President & Global Chief Human Resources Officer at Marriott International. “We created a TNT on improving the guest experience for Travelers With Disabilities, which generated tangible and actionable outcomes and engaged our associates.”

“We feel strongly that creating an inclusive culture where people with different abilities are present, welcome and accommodated is the best approach,” said Julia Trujillo, Senior Vice President of Global Talent and Workforce Development at MetLife. “We have taken steps to raise awareness and develop skills with our employees, as well as to ensure our processes and systems are inclusive of all abilities.”

2. Broaden your talent practices. 

Companies should examine practices at all stages of talent management, from recruiting and benefits to retention and advancement, when attempting to recruit and hire those with disabilities.

“Inclusion is a deeply ingrained aspect of our company culture dating back to the company’s origin as a family business,” said Rodriquez. “Marriott has a longstanding commitment to hiring and supporting people with different abilities in the workplace. Our hiring initiatives focus on partnerships with community-based organizations, ensuring our locations are trained on laws related to disability, and regular disability awareness communications.”

“In many of our markets, we have partnered with external organizations to help us hire talent that is differently abled, “said Trujillo. “For example, our recruiters have been trained to maximize engagement opportunities with, and accommodations for, candidates of all abilities. We’ve also trained our recruiters to ensure they know how to engage with candidates who have unique needs.”

3. Foster wider awareness. 
“A new disability inclusion effort will fall flat without building trust among employees,” said Nurmsen at NOD. “Raising awareness is an important step to combat stigma and lend authenticity to your message, and representation and storytelling are powerful tactics that bring your corporate values to life.” Many companies celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month, benchmark their progress with tools from non-profit organizations, and feature employees with disabilities in branding materials.

“Our culture of inclusion is strengthened by TakeCare, Marriott’s global employee well-being program, “ said Rodriquez. “We cultivate and celebrate our shared responsibility to maintain an environment where every associate feels they belong and can freely express their ideas and talents. A few years ago, we launched the Ability to Succeed campaign with a video that highlighted a number of associates whose journeys include a variety of disabilities both visible and non-visible. The campaign kicked off a series of events, communications and enhanced training that led to increased self-disclosure of disability status in our workforce.”

“We have long had an employee resource group to support our employees who are differently abled or are caregivers,” said Trujilo. “This group has done a tremendous amount to raise awareness with our employees.”

4. Prioritize access for all. 

Providing access goes beyond just physical structures to resources, electronic and digital access, and inclusive design. Accenture, a company that has won accolades for its inclusion of people with disabilities, includes job skills training, accessible software design and artificial intelligence solutions as part of their strategy.

Prioritizing accessibility and accommodation is a critical area in meeting inclusion goals. GM’s Disability Advisory Council is a cross-functional team of executives and employee resource group member focusing on improving inclusion of those with disabilities. The council has championed captioned broadcasts, improved processes for requesting accommodations, generated better lead resourcing for talent acquisition and hosted educational lunches and articles.

Organizations that carefully examine and enhance these four areas will be well on the way to improving their inclusion of individuals with disabilities. Building a more diverse workforce will not only boost the bottom line, but increase productivity, reduce turnover and create a better brand image.

Read on HR People +Strategy

 

HR’s Guide to Interacting with Employees of All Abilities

Posted on by Amber Cecil

“It’s a matter of becoming more aware of the people you’re with,” Felicia Nursmen of the National Organization on Disability said during a webinar.

AUTHOR Katie Clarey | PUBLISHED Feb. 13, 2019

Humans tend to form perceptions about people with disabilities based on their interactions with others who have disabilities, according to Felicia Nursmen, managing director of employer services at the National Organization on Disability. While experience can sometimes lend wisdom later on, it can also feed unconscious biases, Nursmen told attendees listening to a webinar she hosted Tuesday afternoon. Once those biases are in place, they may complicate relationships between people with and without disabilities, specifically in a professional context.

For the 96% of attendees who said they know someone who has a disability, this means they may have a little work to do in identifying their prejudices and correcting any misinformation. Most of the workforce in the U.S. will be in need of this, too, if that statistic holds up among the general population. To deal with these biases, it’s best to take a three-pronged approach, Nursmen recommended. “Recognize your own bias. Focus on people. And increase your exposure to bias,” she said. “What’s most important is that we ask the right questions and that we’re having the right conversations.”

Nursmen proposed anyone interacting with colleagues with disabilities take up an attitude of learning. “Don’t stop interacting with people because you’ve made a mistake or because you fear you’re going to make a mistake,” she said. “Learn from it.” From there, professionals can adhere to a couple key rules, add respectful language to their vocabularies and, finally, familiarize themselves with the best ways to interact with people according to the kind of disability they have.

The golden rules

There is one guideline everyone can follow when interacting with a person with a disability, regardless of what kind of disability the person may have: “Always ask before you assist and take the answer,” Nursmen said. “You do need to follow their lead and follow their wishes.” Nursmen said she was walking once with a colleague who had a mobility impairment and he tripped and fell. He said no when she asked if she could help him up, and for good reason — he knew how to get up without hurting himself, something she would have done had she grabbed his arm and tried to tug him up.

People shouldn’t assume they know how to help someone with a disability. They shouldn’t assume they understand someone’s disability, either, Nursmen cautioned attendees. “Never make assumptions,” she said. “It’s never appropriate in the workforce to ask if someone has a disability. It really isn’t our business in the workforce, in the workplace, what is happening with someone personally.”

In terms of compliance, this suggestion takes on more nuance. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an employer generally cannot ask someone whether they have a disability or inquire about the nature or severity of a disability. An employer can ask, however, if a person can perform the duties of a job with or without an accommodation and ask him or her to describe or how he or she would do the job.

Watch your language

When talking about about a person with a disability, it’s important not to define them by their disability. “What we tend to focus on now, and this really has been in the last five or 10 years, is using person-first language, which means the person comes before the disability in the description,” Nursmen said. Instead of calling someone a disabled person, say that he or she is a person with a disability.

There are a few exceptions to this rule. In general, people on the autism spectrum prefer identity-first language, according to Nursmen. This is true for people in the Deaf community as well. “We have a very strong and very proud Deaf culture in our country,” Nursmen said. “It is just important to be aware of that and be respectful.”

Nursmen allowed that there are some who will disagree with these guidelines. “We don’t want people to get caught up in the language of it,” she said. What’s more important is to know what not to say. “I don’t know of anyone who has ever had a positive experience being called retarded or a retard. We do not use that language any longer. It really is not acceptable.”

She noted a few more words and phrases to avoid. People have physical disabilities — they’re not “handicapped.” “This one can potentially be one of the most difficult because we still see the handicapped placard and handicapped signs,” she said. In the same vein, people are not “wheelchair-bound” — people use wheelchairs or are wheelchair users. Lastly, people have psychiatric disabilities, not mental illnesses, according to Nursmen.

Learning how to best interact with people with specific disabilities

Many people have difficulty interacting with someone with a disability because of fear, Nursmen said. Knowledge will allow people to overcome that fear. “It’s a matter of becoming more aware of the people you’re with,” Nursmen said. That said, people need to understand how to behave around people who have an array of disabilities. Here are Nursmen’s best tips to interacting with people who are deaf, who are blind, who have mobility impairments, speech impairments and cognitive disabilities or different learning styles.

  • When getting the attention of someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, tap the person on the shoulder, look them in the eye and speak clearly. Keep your hands away from your mouth as you talk. If the person is working with an interpreter, be sure to speak to the person and not the interpreter. If you’re having trouble communicating with someone and no interpreter is available, you can ask to use your phone as a temporary solution.
  • When approaching a person who is blind or visually impaired, make sure to speak as you approach. “Say your name, speaking in a normal tone,” Nursmen said. “If the person has a service dog, allow the dog to do its job.” When walking with that person, you can ask if he or she would like to take your arm. From there, that person will take the lead — follow as directed and give verbal alerts as to obstacles coming your way.
  • When working with someone who has a mobility impairment, make sure to think about accessibility when planning work outings, conference attendances and any other activities. And, Nursmen noted, if a colleague uses a wheelchair, never push it before asking or being asked to do so.
  • When interacting with someone who has a speech impairment, prioritize your own understanding. It may sound counterintuitive, but it’s respectful to the person speaking. “If you do not understand that person, make sure that you ask them to repeat themselves,” Nursmen said. This request communicates to the person that you value what he or she has to say.
  • When collaborating with someone who has a cognitive disability, have patience and be prepared to repeat information you may have already given out. “When completing forms or doing projects or working together on things, be patient, flexible and supportive,” Nursmen said. Try to think of different ways you can communicate, Nursmen suggested. Some people with cognitive disabilities will have no problem completing a task once given instructions depicted by pictures rather than written down on a piece of paper.

Bring NOD’s best-in-class Disability Etiquette and Awareness Training to your workplace. Just contact our Professional Services team at services@nod.org. 

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NOD’s ‘Look Closer’ Campaign Featured in NYC Taxi Cabs and Bus Shelters

Posted on by Amber Cecil

Campaign Urges Corporate America to ‘Look Closer’ and Rethink Hiring Practices

Photo of NYC bus shelter with Look Closer posters under plexiglass.

NEW YORK (February 15, 2019) – The National Organization on Disability (NOD) and the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) today announced a partnership that will allow NOD’s new Look Closer public-awareness campaign to be featured in New York City taxi cabs and on 50 bus shelters across the city. As part of the partnership, PSAs featuring messages that urge U.S. employers and job recruiters to think differently about people with disabilities when they seek to add new talent are running on New York City Public Access and Taxi TV.

“Led by the outstanding work of Commissioner Victor Calise, MOPD has long been a proponent of employment for the city’s disabled population,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “We are grateful to MOPD for helping us to extend the message of the Look Closer campaign to thousands of New York commuters and visitors so that we can expose them to this important message.”

Nine companies with a combined U.S. workforce of more than one million people and annual revenues upwards of $250 billion have joined forces with NOD to support this movement, and pledged their commitments to disability inclusion. They include: Anthem Inc., ConantLeadership, DiversityInc., EY, The Hershey Company, Prudential Financial, PwC, Spectrum and UPS. And thanks to the generosity of Morgan Stanley, whose “Lights on Broadway” initiative provides donated ad space to nonprofits, the Look Closer campaign was featured prominently in Times Square during October for National Disability Employment Awareness Month.

“It’s a privilege to work with the National Organization on Disability to help amplify their Look Closer campaign,” said NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Commissioner Victor Calise. “It’s good business to hire people with disabilities since they are our largest untapped talent pool. In a society that unfortunately still has barriers to full inclusion, people with disabilities have often become accustomed to working harder to reach their goals. We hope this campaign will lead to more business owners looking to diversify their workplace by employing more people with disabilities.”

In addition to supporting the Look Closer campaign, MOPD has established NYC: ATWORK, the first business driven, public-private partnership for employment for New Yorkers with disabilities. This collaboration with business, colleges, vocational rehabilitation and non-profits agencies and city government is connecting NYC: ATWORK participants who are unemployed or underemployed to meaningful, living wage jobs across the city’s five boroughs.

Look Closer PSAs ran on donated space within NYC taxicabs during the busy holiday season in December 2018 and will resume next week. The bus shelter PSAs will run from February 11 through March 11 at 50 locations citywide.

Today’s strong economy is forcing employers to consider talent that they might previously have overlooked, including individuals with disabilities. It is in this context that Look Closer urges hiring and recruiting managers to seriously consider this largely untapped talent pool, highlighting the oft-unrecognized abilities and workplace contributions of unique individuals across the country. In a time of near-full employment, 80% of Americans with disabilities should not be out of work.

To learn more about what employers and the general public can do to increase employment for people with disabilities, including downloadable resources, visit www.NOD.org/lookcloser. Visitors to the website also can find more details about the campaign’s partner companies and read inspiring employee stories.

 

About NOD

The National Organization on Disability (NOD) is a private, non-profit organization that seeks to increase employment opportunities for the 80-percent of working age Americans with disabilities who are not employed. To achieve this goal, NOD offers a suite of employment solutions, tailored to meet leading companies’ workforce needs. NOD has helped some of the world’s most recognized brands be more competitive in today’s global economy by building or enriching their disability inclusion programs. For more information about NOD and how its professional services, Corporate Leadership Council and Disability Employment Tracker™ can help your business, visit www.NOD.org.

About the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD)

Operating since 1973, the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) is the liaison between New York City government and the disability community. In partnership with all City offices and agencies, MOPD consistently ensures that the rights and concerns of the disability community are included in all City initiatives and that City programs and policies address the needs of people with disabilities. Through its work and advocacy, MOPD has steadily improved services and programs for the over 885,000 New Yorkers who self-identify as people who are living with a disability as well as the approximately six million annual visitors to the city who have disabilities in all facets of life including transportation, employment, healthcare, housing, education, access to City services, and financial empowerment. Working to make New York the most accessible city in the world, the office regularly engages in advocacy and policymaking at the local, state, national, and international levels to make certain that accessibility and full inclusion are key priorities for all public and private stakeholders alike. Learn more about MOPD by visiting nyc.gov/disability.

Webinar Recording: A Look Inside 2019 Disability Employment Tracker + Leading Disability Employer Seal

Posted on by Amber Cecil

Watch the 2019 Tracker Preview Webinar:

January, 24, 2019

Felicia Nurmsen, Managing Director, Professional Services, NOD

Watch the recorded webinar to take a dive deep into NOD’s free and confidential corporate assessment, the Disability Employment Tracker™. You’ll learn about:

  • Challenging questions—and how to answer them accurately
  • Which practices are key to earning a top score and being named a Leading Disability Employer
  • How to use the free Tracker Scorecard, benchmarking your company’s performance against all other participants, to inform your D&I agenda

Plus, find out how to become a 2019 NOD Leading Disability Employer™ and qualify for the DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity.

To qualify, just submit the Tracker by the March 1st deadline! Complete the webform and gain instant access to begin.

Downloads: