Disability Employment Resources
Workforce Solutions Panhandle links jobseekers to employers in the upper 26 counties of the Texas Panhandle Area. We are a resource to employers and businesses on accessibility. According to the US Census Bureau, approximately 1 in 5 of us has a physical or mental disability and 1 in 3 Americans has a close friend or family member with a disability. This includes employees and customers. Listed below are some resources to assist you on topics ranging from accessibility to workplace success for your employees with disabilities.
- Accessibility Issues
- Recruitment of People with Disabilities for Employment
- Retention of Employees with Disabilities
- Workplace Success for you Employees with Disabilities
- Other Resources
Accessibility Issues (back to top)
Reach a wider customer base by making your products and services more accessible. Find out if you are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act to provide reasonable accommodations and access to your goods and services.
- A Guide to Disability Rights Law:This guide provides an overview of Federal civil rights laws that ensure equal opportunity for people with disabilities. To find out more about how these laws may apply to you, contact the agencies and organizations listed in the guide. http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
- Southwest ADA Center: www.swdbtac.org ; 800-949-4232 –Free ADA hotline for free and confidential guidance on disability rights issues.
- US Department of Justice (DOJ) Website for the Americans with Disabilities Act: www.ada.gov
- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has made available online the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. These standards were adopted as part of the revised regulations for Title II and Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. When the standards go into effect on March 15, 2012, they will set minimum requirements – both scoping and technical – for new construction and alterations of the facilities of more than 80,000 state and local governments and over seven million businesses. DOJ has also posted on the website important guidance about the standards compiled from material in the Title II and Title III regulations. http://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_index.htm
- The U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division (www.ada.gov) has released a new illustrated guide to help small business owners understand the new requirements of the revised Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations that took effect on March 15, 2011. ADA Update: A Primer for Small Businesses, includes information about who is covered by the ADA, communicating with customers with vision, hearing, and speech disabilities, as well as information about the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.
Recruitment of People with Disabilities for Employment (back to top)
Recent studies have shown that having an employee base that reflects your customer base will keep you connected in better serving your customers. When comparing two employee groups (one with disabilities and one without disabilities), employers have reported that the group with disabilities were rated significantly higher in dedication to their job and had significantly less turnover compared to the employees without disabilities (http://www.2010disabilitysurveys.org/octsurvey/presentation.html).
- If your organization does not have a formula to calculate your turnover cost, here is a tool to customize and calculate Employee Turnover from The Center for Community and Economic Development, University of Wisconsin Extension http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cced/economies/turn.cfm
Here are some resources & tips to assist with the recruitment of People with Disabilities:
US Business Leaders Network is a national disability organization representing over 5,000 employers. The USBLN® helps build workplaces, marketplaces, and supply chains where people with disabilities are respected for their talents, while supporting the development and expansion of its BLN affiliates: www.usbln.org
On Campus Recruitment:
- Visit the Disability Services Office as well when you visit the career placement services office.
- Workforce Recruitment Program: www.wrp.gov this program offers a database of college students with disabilities to help federal and private sector employers recruit. Private sector employers can search the database by contact Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) http://www.askearn.com/ or by calling 866-327-6669
Conduct Worksite Tours to people with disabilities that explain the types of jobs that are available and the essential tasks/qualifications for the job.
Partner with Social Security Administration. The SSA has a Ticket to Work program whose goal it is to have people receiving benefits enter and stay in the workforce. Consider becoming an Employment Partner. As an Employment Partner, you can connect with candidates with disabilities. The Ticket to Work Employer Partner Program is a FREE opportunity to market your company to millions of candidates with disabilities by posting your logo and a link to your job listings on the Ticket to Work website: www.cessi.net/ttw/employer/partners.html
Veterans Hiring Initiative—Consider having a Veterans Hiring Initiative for your organization. To help understand the military culture and the challenges that Veterans face in being reintegrated into the workforce please visit the America's Heroes at Work website. www.americasheroesatwork.gov/foremployers/HiringToolkit
Communication and Interview Etiquette—as you attract people with disabilities to apply for jobs with your organization, be familiar with some common courtesies in interacting with a person with a disability. This article by the Office of Disability Employment Policy provides you with some tips on staying accessible to your job applicants http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/opening.htm
Partner with the Vocational Rehabilitation System. Find out more at http://www.dars.state.tx.us/services/servicesforbusiness.shtml
Retention of People with Disabilities in your Workforce (back to top)
Chances are you already have people with disabilities working in your organization but are unaware of it due to the disclosure issue. Don't lose valuable employees and experienced workers because of their disability. There are resources and supports available in figuring out the right accommodation for your employee and incentives to help you defray the cost of being accessible.
- Job Accomodations Network (JAN) study http://askjan.org/media/LowCostHighImpact.doc
- Tax Incentives (for up-to-date info on State incentives please contact Business Services at 806-350-1648)
- Return to work Toolkit: This toolkit helps both employers and employees understand the return-to-work process and provide resources to assist in getting employees back on the job quickly and smoothly. http://www.dol.gov/odep/return-to-work/index.htm
Workplace Success for your Employees with Disabilities (back to top)
Here are some strategies to implement continued success for your Employees with Disabilities in your organization.
- Best Practices
- Make disability part of the diversity spectrum for better outreach and to make people with disabilities feel welcome as an employee.
- Mentorship/Career Advancement
- Offer the same opportunities to workers with disabilities with respect to advancement and professional development.
- Employee Resource Group
- Have a disability/diversity related employee affinity group
Other Resources for Employers (back to top)
- For further assistance or clarifications, please consult your Disability Navigator or Business Services Representative at Workforce Solutions.
- Job Accommodation Network (JAN): www.askjan.org
- Resources for Business and Human Resources http://www.careeronestop.org/audience/businesses/businesses.aspx
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: www.eeoc.gov
- US Department of Justice Website for the Americans with Disabilities Act: www.ada.gov
- To find out if you are complying with the employment provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, call the federally sponsored Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center at 800-949-4232 or visit www.swdbtac.org for free and confidential guidance. Also see their employer portal at http://www.dlrp.org/html/employerportal.htm
- For small businesses, the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Small Business Administration have published the "ADA Guide for Small Businesses," which can be found online at www.ada.gov/smbustxt.htm or www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/publicat.htm.
- Society of Human Resources Management: www.shrm.org
- Disability Employment Resources Page http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/Diversity/Articles/Pages/disability_072110.aspx
- ELaws: employment laws assistance for workers and small businesses: http://www.dol.gov/elaws/
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): www.osha.gov; OSHA's On-site Consultation Program offers free and confidential advice to small and medium-sized businesses in all states across the country, with priority given to high-hazard worksites. On-site Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. Consultants from state agencies or universities work with employers to identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance with OSHA standards, and assist in establishing safety and health management systems.
- OSHA On Site Consultation Directory: http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult_directory_text.html#Texas
- http://www.askearn.org The Employer Assistance & Resource Network (EARN) provides employers with confidential, no-cost consultation, customized technical assistance and resources to support their diversity and inclusion efforts by integrating employees and veterans with disabilities into the workplace.
- Resources for Federal Employers can also be found at http://www.adainfo.org/content/federal-employers
- For more Employer Resources see http://www.disability.gov/employment/employing_people_with_disabilities