This 90-minute session is an interactive training designed to educate professionals on how to effectively communicate and feel comfortable while interacting with customers and staff who have disabilities. Also includes need-to-know ADA info for employers.

1. Disability
Awareness
at Work
Joe Chiappetta

2. Disability
"Ah-Ha"
Moment
• Everyone
needs an "AhHa" moment
• Have you had
yours yet?

4. King Kong of Minority

5. Disability Population
• 56.7 million in US have
disability
(US Census Bureau 2010)
• About 1 out of 5 have
disability in US (19%)
• Largest US minority
population
• Over 1 billion worldwide
(World Health Organization
2011)

6. 20%
Percent
of Labor
Force
Total
Disability
Population
15%
10%
Working
with
Disability
5%
0%
US Population with
Disabilities
• 19% of US population has disability
• Yet only 6% are working
Source: 2013 US Census Bureau
analysis of 2010 data

7. Fun with Disability Spending

8. WHY Disability Awareness Training?
• Discretionary spending = $220
billion (US Census Bureau 2002)
• Cuts through all races
• Your customers and co-workers
• You (accidents and sudden illness)
• Your children

9. Customer Views on Disability at Work
(University of Massachusetts 2005)
• 87% prefer to give business to
companies that employ people with
disabilities.
• 98% of those served by a worker with a
disability were very satisfied or satisfied
with service received.

10. Companies who have Employee Resource
Groups (ERGs) on Disability
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Deloitte
Ernst & Young
IBM
KPMG
PepsiCo
Sodexo
Walgreens

11. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) on
Disability
Help Companies to...
1. Market products/services to people with
disabilities
2. Review policies/processes that impact people
with disabilities
3. Increase accessibility of technology, physical
space, and overall work environment
4. Raise awareness of workplace issues
affecting people with disabilities
5. Recruit/hire/promote employees with
disabilities

12. Disability History
Crash Course
• 1400 BC: First disability law:
"Do not curse the deaf..."
• 1700s England: Work or whipping
• 1918 Smith-Sears Act: Help US vets
with disabilities get jobs
• 1973 Rehabilitation Act (US):
No discrimination in federal programs
• 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act
(Civil rights to stop discrimination)

13. Americans with Disabilities Act
• Law passed in 1990 (ADA)
• Amended in 2008 (ADAAA)
• Employers with 15 or more employees
must comply
• ADA Title 1 (employment) enforced by
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC)
• Job Accommodation Network: free
technical assistance www.askjan.org

14. QUIZ: Disability
Definition under ADA
(choose best answer)
(A) a physical or mental impairment
that substantially limits one or more
of the major life activities of such
individual;
(B) a record of such an impairment; or
(C) being regarded as having such an
impairment.
(D) All of the above

15. Major Life Activities (ADAAA)
Includes, but not limited to...
• Caring for self, performing manual
tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleepin
g, walking, standing, lifting, bending, s
peaking, breathing, learning, reading,
concentrating, thinking, communicatin
g, working
• Major bodily functions of immune
system, normal cell
growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neu
rological, brain, respiratory, circulator
y, endocrine, reproductive functions

16. ADA Legal Requirements
• Makes employer job discrimination
against people with disabilities illegal
• Covers
recruitment, pay, hiring, firing, promotion, j
ob assignments, training, leave, layoff, benefits, all other employment related
activities
• Person with disability must be qualified to
perform essential functions of job with
or without reasonable accommodation
• Not a Transitory Impairment (expected to

17. Disability Documentation
• Medical documentation may
be needed to determine
what, if any, reasonable
accommodations are
needed.
• Entire medical history is not
needed.
• Manager should work
closely with HR to ensure
that all aspects of the policy
and law are complied with.
Is
documentation
needed here?

18. People First Language

19. People First Language Quiz
Pick the right terms. "I see that he is..."
1. A mentally retarded person.
2. One of those slow people.
3. A person with an intellectual
disability.
4. A Cripple.
5. Confined to a wheelchair.
6. A handicapped person.
7. A person who uses a
wheelchair.

20. More People First Examples
• People with disabilities,
not "disabled people"
• Person with a visual
impairment
• Person with hearing loss
• Person with mental
illness
• Person with epilepsy
• Person with arthritis

21. Emphasize
Abilities
• Would you like to be known for your
strengths or your worst fault?
• Living with a disability can increase
adaptability.
• Diverse abilities and backgrounds
broaden company viewpoints.

22. Polio Chronicle 1933
• Like being
known for
strengths or
worst fault?
• Living with
disability can
increase
adaptability.
• Diverse abilities
and backgrounds
broaden
company
viewpoints.

23. A leader who "gets it."

24. ??? Is it OK to say...
1. "Let's take a walk," to someone who
uses a wheelchair?
2. "I'd like to shake hands," to
someone who is blind?
3. "I'll see you later," to someone who
is blind?
4. "Here doggie, doggie," to someone
with a service animal?

25. Eye Level Equality
When talking with
person who uses
wheelchair or person
of short stature...
• Sit down if possible.
• Then continue
talking.
• If no chair is
available, those able
to get on one knee
can do so.

26. Fatigue Factor
Who gives 100% every single
day? Capabilities vary based on health
and life circumstances--for everyone.
Factors include:
• Stress
• Weather
(extreme heat/cold)
• Change in medication

27. Non-Apparent Disabilities

28. Non-Apparent (Invisible) Disabilities
• Not always evident that person has
disability. 33 million in US
(Johns Hopkins U. 2001)
• Diabetes, Learning
Disability, Multiple
Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, Mental
Illness
• If co-worker questions
accommodation, say, "What we're
doing is consistent with
business necessity."

29. Deaf Awareness Quiz (True/False)
1. Lip reading typically yields 95%
accuracy?
2. Tapping on shoulder to get
attention is appropriate?
3. Flicking light switch is OK to get
attention?
4. Look at sign language
interpreter when talking to
person who is deaf?
5. Captioning videos is important?

30. Visual Impairment Quiz (True/False)
1. Eye contact is not important?
2. Grabbing someone's white
cane is OK when escorting
them?
3. Pointing for directions works
best?
4. Images in documents and on
your website need no extra
coding to be accessed?

31. Wheelchair
Wisdom

32. Wheelchair Quiz (True/False)
• If a stroller can get up a
ramp or through an
aisle, then so can a
wheelchair?
• Resting your arm on
another's wheelchair is a
sign of trust?
• Pushing someone in a
wheelchair is always
considerate?

33. Mental Illness Quiz
(True/False)
1. Only doctors know how to best
reduce workplace stress?
2. If someone is on
medication, they're not workready?
3. Not interviewing well is a strong
indication of low skills?
4. Having a single contact person
for accommodations is best?

34. Developmental Disabilities and Social Skills

35. Developmental Disability and
Learning Disability Quiz (True/False)
1. Being direct is best? (Tell me
what I'm doing right/wrong.)
2. Visual learners can't keep up?
3. Quiet environments are best to
communicate?
4. Repetition is very helpful?
5. Explaining what happens during
a work break would be helpful?

36. Reasonable
Accommodation
Crash Course
(ADA Title 1)

37. Reasonable Accommodation is for...
• Employers of 15 or more employees
• All state/local government employers
• Person who is qualified (with or
without accommodation)
Reasonable Accommodation is...
Change to job or workplace allowing
person to:
• Participate in job app process
• Perform essential functions of job

38. Reasonable Accommodation is NOT
• Tolerating violent or abusive
behaviors
• Non-adherence to fundamental
policies and procedures
• Personal services
(toileting, feeding, medications, wheel
chairs)
• Undue hardship: Significant admin or
financial burden

39. Cost of
Accommodations
• 57% of accommodations cost
absolutely nothing to make.
• The rest typically cost only $500.
• Source: Job Accommodation Network
in survey of 590 employers
(2011 “Low Cost, High Impact” study)

40. Reasonable Accommodation Prep:
Does your company have...
• Reasonable accommodation
policy?
• Centralized reasonable
accommodations fund?
• Central staff point of contact on
disability issues?
• Familiarity with accommodation
resources like http://askjan.org ?

41. Employee Accommodation Steps
1.Employee makes request
2.Manager writes it (or ask employee to)
3.Health info: Keep confidential!
4.Is more info needed on medical
condition or accommodation?
5.If request isn’t reasonable, enter
interactive process
6.Both parties explore effective
accommodation options
7.Start accommodation
8.Follow up to ensure success

42. The Request
Includes...
• Nature of disability
• Reason for request
• Specific accommodation requested
• Medical info if necessary
Request doesn't have to be in writing
but having it written, dated, and signed
establishes clarity.

43. Disability Awareness:
From Triple Play to Home Run
1) Annual disability training for staff
2) People with disabilities are hired and
retained by your company.
3) Customers with disabilities seek
YOUR business because of your
disability-friendly culture.
4) Your company becomes an industry
leader, which leads to national publicity
(and world domination).