In Return to Campuses, Students with Disabilities Fear They’re Being ‘Left Behind’
Many are having to press their universities for accommodations — or drop classes entirely Stephanie Lai | November 1st, 2021 at 6:00 a.m. EDT Jessica Chaikof, 29, and her service dog, Jigg, are seen on campus at American University in D.C. on Oct. 19. Chaikof, who has Usher syndrome, is a master’s student in sociology. […]
Return to the workplace highlights accessibility concerns for disabled employees
“We often talk about how resilient people with disabilities are, that they’re problem solvers,” Catherine said. “The pandemic was a great example of that.”
Catherine, the associate director of special projects at the National Organization on Disability, is one of about 61 million disabled Americans who had to adjust to a world with COVID-19, according to numbers from the Department of Labor.
How Remote Work Changed Our Lives — and Our Health
Ideally, the 2020 pivot to work-from-home means remote work will extend beyond the pandemic. Charles Catherine, the associate director at the National Organization on Disability, thinks that knowing remote work is possible might encourage more companies to hire people with disabilities — in 2020, the unemployment rate for those with disabilities was 12.6 percent but 7.9 percent for those without disabilities.
NPR Planet Money Podast Interviews NOD President Carol Glazer: “The Old Rules Were Dumb Anyway”
When the pandemic hit, the old rules went out the window. What rules will stay broken when things go back to normal? NPR’s Planet Money asked NOD President Carol Glazer to weigh in. In this podcast, Glazer shares how employees with disabilities were among the first to get laid off when the pandemic hit the U.S. – in fact, more than one million lost their jobs. But, Glazer shares how the wave of companies implementing remote work is dispelling many of the myths that kept those with disabilities out of the workplace.
Has the Great WFH Experiment Delivered for Workers with Disabilities?
“As businesses undergo a period of unprecedented economic and social change, hiring managers would be wise to team up with people [with disabilities] who are much better at dealing with fear and uncertainty. People who are great problem solvers, who are undaunted by challenges,” Glazer said.
This Year’s ADA Anniversary Marks A Time to Make Certain We Are Not Losing Ground | Blog by Merrill Friedman, Sr. Director, Disability Policy Engagement, Anthem
My hope is that we continue to build on the knowledge and practice gained during this time of crisis and consider when recruiting people with disabilities that they know how to adapt to different work environments effectively with the right supports. Let’s not lose what we have learned as we have navigated the pandemic so we can continue to level the playing field toward true inclusive employment, realizing the promise of the ADA. If that happens, we will all have reason to pause and celebrate this year.
Outreach Campaign Encourages People to Overcome Hospital Fears
Posted on August 5th, 2020 | By Mike Moen A new study says since the start of the pandemic, 911 calls for emergency medical services in the United States have dropped by 26% compared with the past two years. RICHMOND, Va. — New coronavirus cases are climbing in states such as Virginia, but concerns persist […]
AT&T Survey: 70% of Large Businesses Think Remote Working Makes Them More Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Mike Robuck According to new research from AT&T, businesses are understandably skittish in regards to remote workers being exposed to more cyberattacks. AT&T’s survey found that 70% of the large business felt remote working made them more vulnerable to cyberattacks. AT&T’s study of 800 cybersecurity professionals across the […]
Pandemic May Move Companies to Fix Gender and Other Inequalities, Says PwC
Report reflects marked gender inequality in corporate sector, with only 6% of listed companies having female CEOs Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Ntando Thukwana The Covid-19 pandemic, which has prompted companies to place greater emphasis on their social responsibilities, may give companies the impetus to address gender and other inequalities, reports advisory firm […]
Advocates Seek Increase to Supplemental Security Income to Benefit People with Disabilities
People receiving the maximum SSI live on $783 a month. The Chicago Disability Activism Collective is proposing an additional $266 per month. Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Clare Proctor With the coronavirus heightening challenges already faced by people with disabilities, activists are calling for an increase monthly Supplemental Security Income. The SSI […]
‘It’s Like Having No Testing’: Coronavirus Test Results Are Still Delayed
A shortage of chemicals needed to test for the virus is part of what is slowing turnaround times. Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Sarah Mervosh and Manny Fernandez Frustrated by a nationwide testing backlog, the governors of six states took the unusual step of banding together on Tuesday to reduce the turnaround […]
L’Oreal USA Could Require Employees to Hand Over Their Medical History to Continue Working From Home — and it May Be a Sign of What’s to Come
Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Shoshy Ciment and Amanda Krause L’Oréal US employees who want to work from home are being required to give the company access to their medical history, two current L’Oreal employees confirmed. Beauty watchdog Instagram account esteelaundry shared a photo of the form employees must sign that releases “information […]
Many Parents May Have To Stop Working Entirely If Schools Don’t Reopen, Goldman Sachs Says
Posted on August 4th, 2020 | By Anneken Tappe New York (CNN Business) The new school year is just around the corner and parents and teachers are fretting about returning to the classroom during the pandemic. Economists are worried, too, because a lack of childcare could damage America’s recovery. Single parents, parents with young […]
McDonald’s, Marriott franchises didn’t pay COVID-19 sick leave. That was illegal. – Center for Public Integrity
Posted on August 3rd | By Alexia Fernández Campbell Lucie Joseph started to feel sick on April 28 as she rang up customers at a Shell gas station in Delray Beach, Florida. Joseph said her boss wouldn’t give her time off without a doctor’s note. But the owner of the gas station, Sun Gas Marketing and […]
How Return-to-Office Mandates Could Affect Workers with Disabilities
As companies continue to roll out return-to-office (RTO) mandates, advocates have expressed concern about what those policies could mean for employees with disabilities who were previously working remotely.
Employment Among People with Disabilities Hits Post-Pandemic High
While the remote work boom helped some workers find additional flexibility, it has also eliminated longstanding obstacles for one vulnerable community…
Long Covid is a Disability. Here’s How to Ask for Workplace Accommodations.
New studies offer clues about who may be more susceptible to long Covid, a term for lingering Covid-19 symptoms. WSJ breaks down the science of long Covid and the state of treatment.
Focus Atlanta – Hiring Diversity
In a recent interview with Focus Atlanta, NOD Chairman Luke Visconti discusses the increase in employment of people with disabilities during the Pandemic and the tapering off of that success as the Pandemic has eased.
Gov. Ridge + Judy Heumann: A Civil Rights Win for People with Disabilities to Land a Job
“COVID or not, an increase in HCBS funding is long overdue and should go beyond the one-year limit included in the American Rescue Plan. This is a lifechanging program for people with disabilities who are tired of being left behind.”
VIDEO: Breaking Down COVID Barriers for People with Disabilities
Carol Glazer joined Spectrum NY1’s In Focus with Cheryl Wills to talk about the reasons why unemployment has hit this community so hard: they often work in low-paying, low-skilled jobs and are, as she says, the last to be hired and the first to be let go in difficult financial times.
Statement on Violence against Asian Americans from NOD’s Chairman Gov. Ridge and President Carol Glazer
“We do ourselves a disservice when we equivocate – when we do anything less than condemn racially based violence in the strongest terms possible. All of us must be unyielding when it comes to racism. It is the most American thing we can do.”
NOD Policy Update: Priorities of the Biden Administration, Executive Orders, Appointees and Nominations
Congress is currently working on negotiating another COVID-19 package based on the provisions outlined in President Biden’s COVID-19 plan. Among his other priorities, President Biden also released a disability platform during his campaign. He is working to ensure that this platform is executed throughout his time in office.
COVID-19 update: New counselling service launched to manage mental health
A new on-site counseling service has launched for 6000 Sodexo healthcare employees to help them deal with the pressures of working through the COVID-19 pandemic. The service has been designed to support frontline keyworkers, predominantly based at acute hospitals, and improve their quality of life. Posted on August 3rd, 2020 | By Neil Nixon It […]
The Only One in the Room
On Wall Street, being Black often means being alone, held back, deprived of the best opportunities. Here, Black men and women tell their stories. Posted August 3rd, 2020 | By Max Abelson, Sonali Basak, Kelsey Butler, Matthew Leising, Jenny Surane, and Gillian Tan. Illustration by Alexis Eke It might seem impossible to tell the […]
Debate Begins for Who’s First in Line for COVID-19 Vaccine
Posted on August 2, 2020 | By Lauran Neergaard (AP) — Who gets to be first in line for a COVID-19 vaccine? U.S. health authorities hope by late next month to have some draft guidance on how to ration initial doses, but it’s a vexing decision. “Not everybody’s going to like the answer,” Dr. Francis […]
IKEA Donates 100 Gift Boxes to Senior Centers During Pandemic
Posted on August 2nd, 2020 | By Arabella Thornhill IKEA in Woodbridge donated 100 gift boxes to area senior care centers with residents affected by the coronavirus pandemic. More in a press release: “IKEA Woodbridge is excited to share the “Christmas in July” donation for residence at the Envoy of Woodbridge-Consulate Health Care. IKEA is […]
CDC Tool Helps Parents Weigh Risks of Returning Kids to School Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
It’s a tough and unprecedented decision for any guardian at this time, deciding if it’s safe for students to return to the classroom despite the virus risk. Posted on August 2nd, 2020 | By Douglas Jones WASHINGTON — The decision to return children to school has been a contentious one with state, local and federal […]
People with disabilities see huge job losses; will pandemic roll back ADA gains?
Posted on July 22nd, 2020 | By Gov. Tom Ridge and Ted Kennedy Jr. Thirty years ago, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law, giving people with disabilities their hard-fought civil rights — the first comprehensive law addressing the needs of people with disabilities. President George H.W. Bush once confided it was among his […]
The Pandemic Isn’t Bringing Back Factory Jobs, at Least Not Yet
Posted Jul 22, 2020 | By Ana Swanson and Jim Tankersley It’s a moment of reckoning for global supply chains. But that doesn’t mean companies are flocking back to the United States. WASHINGTON — For companies with supply chains that snake around the globe, the crises have just kept coming: First the prolonged and […]
4 Ways Telehealth Is Changing Healthcare Consumer Behavior for the Better
Virtual care has the potential to address inequities, inconveniences and public health risks if access continues to grow and evolve, a PwC study finds. Posted July 21st, 2020 | By Brian Eastwood Data from the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic shows that U.S. consumers made a massive shift to telehealth. What’s more, a […]
NIH Project Homes in on COVID Racial Disparities
July 21st, 2020 | Ashley Gold, Kaiser Health News While the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black and Hispanic Americans is no secret, federal officials have launched studies of the disparity that they hope will better prepare the country for the next great epidemic. The National Institutes of Health began the ambitious “All of Us” research […]
Companies Give Back to Communities, Employees in COVID-19
Posted July 21st | By Charlotte Atchley When the coronavirus (COVID-19) reached the United States, many companies that promote social responsibility quickly extended their efforts into supporting employees and communities through the many challenges the pandemic brought. For employee support, that meant incentivizing them to come to work by providing a safe environment and […]
Protesting AT&T Workers Question Company’s Commitment to Racial Equality
Posted on July 21st, 2020 | By Edward Ongweso Jr On Monday, Memphis AT&T workers and members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) held protests in solidarity with the national Strike for Black Lives. Workers at the company’s Memphis call center, warehouse, and retail stores hoped to call attention to the contradiction […]
‘Fight the virus’: Ad Council tackles antisocial behaviour against Asian community
Posted Jul 21, 2020 | By Imogen Watson To draw attention to the antisocial and racist treatment of members of the Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community since the outbreak of Covid-19, the Ad Council has unveiled ‘Fight the Virus, Fight the Bias’ as part of its ‘Love Has No Labels’ campaign. Donald Trump […]
PBS Newshour: NOD Chairman Gov. Tom Ridge and Actor Danny Woodburn Push for More Pandemic Support for American with Disabilities
Nearly one in four Americans lives with a disability. For some, that means a compromised immune system and greater risk for the coronavirus. Advocates are sounding the alarm that Congress needs to do more to help this population of society’s most vulnerable.
How COVID-19 Can Help Us Beat Impostor Syndrome | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
“The pandemic has made the world stand still; it forces us to show another side of our personality to our colleagues and will change tomorrow’s professional environment. When we leave the imposter idea behind, we have a chance to open up to our coworkers, be more vulnerable than we would otherwise be.”
Learning to Recognize and Talk About Mental Health Challenges | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
COVID-19, and its uncertainty, hurts my ability to find balance and causes confusion as we all try and adapt to a ‘new normal.’ For people like me who deal with mental health issues, it is particularly hard. If we work together, be patient and understand how to label symptoms and feelings, we can come out of this pandemic with a new way to look at mental health challenges.
Empathy Helps Employees Struggling with Mental Illness to Thrive | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
With COVID we need to be even more cognizant of employees facing mental health challenges. Because of the economic trials, fears of a life-threatening illness and continuing isolation, people have no lack of stressors.
Finding Resilience and Peace During a Pandemic | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
If this crisis has taught us one thing it is that we are all connected. We are in this together and we will get through this together. Every one of us has the capacity for resilience. This is a trait that people with disabilities use every single day to navigate a world that was not built for them. This is also something that businesses need in abundance right now.
NOD Joins Ascend Consortium of 9 Nonprofits and 80+ Companies to Address Social & Economic Impacts on Vulnerable Communities during Covid-19 Pandemic
Today, we collectively affirm the 5-Point Action Agenda: Promote Inclusion: Advocate for a diverse and inclusive workplace and society; Raise Awareness: Highlight the unique impacts of COVID-19 on vulnerable groups; Denounce Bias: Encourage individuals to report virus-linked discriminatory acts against Pan-Asians and other targeted groups and communities in the workplace and in public; Support Communities: Contribute time, knowledge and / or other resources to aid frontline workers, COVID-19 victims and families; Give Donations: Provide funds and / or other resources to support vulnerable populations of people and impacted businesses.
NOD Corporate Leadership Council Members Address Mental Health In The Workplace During The COVID-19 Pandemic
“The National Organization on Disability works alongside global corporate leaders to create diverse and inclusive workplaces, including breaking down the mental health stigma,” said NOD President Carol Glazer. “This unprecedented health crisis requires us to collectively take action and openly talk about mental health disabilities. If employers fail to create more inclusive cultures that allow employees to feel comfortable asking for accommodations and supports as they cope with this pandemic, they will be doing a disservice to their workforce and to their brand more broadly.”
Telework Is an Opportunity for Americans, Including People with Disabilities | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
Because of COVID-19, we are truly immersed in a forced experiment of telework: working from home by using electronic devices and Internet communications. This is something that people with disabilities have known for some time: with the proper work accommodations at home, employees can be successful. In some respects there is frustration as they see employees getting the kinds of tools and equipment they have said for years would allow them to be valuable assets to businesses.
Living with a Visual Disability during the Coronavirus Pandemic | The COVID-19 Experience from the NOD Team
I’m only 31 years old, but I have already dealt with my own finitude, I lost my sight about 10 years ago. Around 57 million Americans live with a disability, that’s about 20 percent of the population. But even during this crisis, people with disabilities still get out of bed and move through life despite new and unpredictable threats to our health. In many ways, to us, nothing has changed.
Response to COVID-19/Coronavirus
The National Organization on Disability is closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19/Coronavirus. During this time, we remain committed to ensuring the well-being of everyone in our community and are therefore taking immediate measures to safeguard all our clients, funders, partners and staff members.
NOD Leadership Council Member Content
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