Ensuring Holiday Gatherings are Enjoyed by All The holidays are often a time when employers gather employees to celebrate the year past and toast to the one ahead. In planning such celebrations, it’s important to take steps to ensure all employees can join in the festivities. For helpful guidance on hosting accessible, inclusive parties – whether during the season or any time of year – the Mid-Atlantic Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center’s “Guide to Accessible Events and Meetings” offers tips that can assist with factors such as site selection, catering, and food allergies and sensitivities.
Policy Brief on Inclusive Apprenticeship NPRM The Employer TA Center/EARN has developed a new policy brief that can assist employers interested in learning more about the U.S. Department of Labor’s recently issued Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on increasing the representation of people with disabilities in other historically under-represented groups in apprenticeship programs. In addition to synopsizing the key provisions in the NPRM applicable to all protected groups, this policy brief provides a brief summary from a disability perspective. Employers and other stakeholders are invited to comment on the NPRM by January 5, 2016.
Partnering to Improve Hospitality for Travelers with Disabilities The U.S. Business Leadership Network, an Employer TA Center/EARN partner, recently teamed up with member Marriott International to improve accessibility and the overall experience for customers with disabilities, whether they are traveling for work or pleasure. As part of this, the two organizations recently hosted a tour and feedback session at Marriot’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md., during which individuals with disabilities met with members of the company’s design team to provide feedback on new concepts for improved room usability and design.
Showcasing Pathways to Employment in Delaware Delaware Governor Jack Markell has long been committed to increasing the employment of people with disabilities, including making it his signature issue during his tenure as chair of the National Governors Association. In continuation of this effort, the state’s Department of Health and Social Services recently produced a new video, titled “Delaware Pathways to Employment,” that helps educate employers and others about the value and talent people with disabilities add to Delaware’s workplaces and economy.
There is still time to apply for “Getting Down to Business”— a new U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)-sponsored pilot program that will provide business associations with customized assistance to develop disability inclusion initiatives. Selected associations will work over a one-year period with an ODEP-funded technical assistance team to help their members create more disability-inclusive workplaces. To apply, associations must have a significant percentage of members that are small businesses.
Understanding Cerebral Palsy in the Workplace
December 15, 2015, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. ET
WEBINAR
Join the DC Metro Business Leadership Network for the final webinar of its 2015 “Disability @ Work” series. The webinar, which is free and open to all who are interested, will be led by O’Ryan Case, Director of Membership and Public Education at United Cerebral Palsy, who will provide a broad overview of cerebral palsy and share perceived and real barriers to employment and retention faced by people with the condition. Attendees will also learn about accommodations and best practices in this open-forum dialog.
Best Practices: Addressing Workplace Harassment – Employer’s Responsibilities
January 12, 2016
Webcast
This Job Accommodation Network (JAN) webcast will address various types of workplace harassment, which can constitute discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws, and the steps employers can take to prevent and rectify it. Speakers include Anne Hirsh, JAN Co-Director; Dr. Jeffrey Daniels, Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology at West Virginia University; and Dexter Brooks, Associate Director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Office of Federal Operations.
Camille’s Sidewalk Café in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is one of several businesses involved in the state’s “Ability for Hire” movement, which provides information and resources to businesses to effectively recruit and retain people with disabilities. As part of this, it was recently featured in a video highlighting the benefits of its disability-inclusive culture, to not only individual employees with disabilities, but the business’s bottom line.
Effective Employment Practices: Expressions of Commitment
One of the easiest and most important ways to foster a disability-inclusive workplace is to publicly express commitment to hiring and retaining qualified people with disabilities. AskEARN.org’s new online toolkit for small businesses provides examples of simple strategies to communicate to employees and potential new hires that your workplace is inclusive and welcoming of all skills and talents.
The Employer Assistance and Resource Network (EARN) is a resource for employers seeking to recruit, hire, retain and advance qualified employees with disabilities. It is a service of the National Employer Policy, Research and Technical Assistance Center for Employers on the Employment of People with Disabilities (Employer TA Center), which is funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy under a cooperative agreement with The Viscardi Center. For more information, visit AskEARN.org
Preparation of this material was funded by the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, Grant No. [OD-26451-14-75-4-36]. This document does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor, nor does the mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
