Business and Vocational Rehabilitation Partnerships

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Business and Vocational Rehabilitation
Partnerships
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Leah Lobato Employer Relations SpecialistUtah
State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR)

• 1-800-473-7530
• 801-538-7964
• 250 E. 500 S./P.O. Box 144200
• Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200
• leahlobato_at_utah.gov
• www.usor.utah.gov

Work Ability Utah Medicaid Infrastructure Grant
1QACMS030319
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Resources

• Vocational Rehabilitation (VR)
  www.usor.utah.gov
• Help people with disabilities prepare for work
  and find a job so they can live more
  independently.
• Possible services
• Counseling and Guidance
• Medical Services and Treatment
• Assistive Technology (AT)
• Training and Education
• Job Placement
• Follow-up Services
• ETC.

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www.usor.utah.gov
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Who May Be Eligible for VR Services?

• A person who has a verifiable physical, mental,
  or psychological disability, AND
• The Disability creates problems with getting or
  keeping a job, AND
• The person can benefit from services in terms of
  an employment outcome, AND
• The person requires VR services in order to be
  successfully employed.

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Resources

• Work Ability Utah www.workabilityutah.org

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Resources

• Work Ability CD

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Resources

• Department of Labor In Utah, The Department of
  Workforce Services (DWS) www.jobs.utah.gov
• We provide employment and support services for
  our customers to improve their economic
  opportunities

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Resources

• Choose To Work
• A service to employers individuals with
  disabilities provided cooperatively between The
  Utah State Office of Rehabilitation and The
  Department of Workforce Services.
• Provided through Employment Specialists working
  to connect employers with job opportunities to
  job ready individuals with disabilities

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Employment NetworksPeople with Disabilities
Network PWDNET

• Active business connections built through
  relationships with employers.
• Employers who have made a commitment to hiring
  and retaining people with disabilities.
• They are aware of USOR/VR services and the
  supports we can provide on both the business side
  and client side.

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Utahs Employer Network

• GENERAL POPULATION
• PWDNET (People With Disabilities Network) is a
  resource available for employers to post job
  openings and for job seekers to find those job
  openings. The purpose of this network is to link
  employers and job seekers who have disabilities.
• Network employers have training and supports to
  understand how to recruit, hire and retain
  individuals with disabilities. They are
  dedicated to this qualified workforce. Job
  Seekers can be confident the employers have
  knowledge about disability issues and understand
  accommodations within the entire employment
  process.
• For further information, contact Leah Lobato at
  [phone] or at leahlobato_at_utah.gov.

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Ways to participate

• Disability Mentoring
• Promotes career development for students and job
  seekers with disabilities through job shadowing
  and hands-on career exploration .
• Creates a pipeline of qualified workers from
  which employers can recruit.
• Employers have an opportunity, as volunteer
  mentors, to learn more about the experience of
  disability, assist students and job seekers to
  make career choices and offer internships.

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Ways to participate

• Bi-Annual Employer Workshops
• March and September
• Career Preparation and Job Fairs
• April and October
• Work Ability Career Preparation and Job Fair
• Sanderson Center of the Deaf and Hard of
  Hearing5709 South 1500 West Taylorsville, UT
  84123
• Please Contact  Leah LobatoEmployer Relations
  Specialist(801) 538-7964 or email
  leahlobato_at_utah.gov

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Disability Etiquette in the Workplace

• DBTAC Rocky Mountain ADA Center
• Serving CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
• 800/949-4232 (V, TTY) www.adainformation.org

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Disclaimer

• Information, materials, and/or technical
  assistance are intended solely as informal
  guidance, and are neither a determination of your
  legal rights or responsibilities under the ADA,
  nor binding on any agency with enforcement
  responsibility under the ADA.
• DBTAC authorized by NIDRR to provide information,
  materials, and technical assistance to
  individuals and entities that are covered by the
  ADA.

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The Vital Role of Disability Etiquette in the
Workplace

• Business benefits of effective interaction
• Significance of disability focus

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Importance of Etiquette

• Makes good business sense
• Employees, clients, and customers with
  disabilities are more comfortable
• Basic human courtesy
• Employees work more productively
• Huge source of new clients, customers, and
  employees

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Disability Statistics

• 54 million Americans with disabilities
• 50 Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• 25 Mental Disabilities
• 2 Wheelchair users
• Aging Population
• 30 of families with one or more member with a
  disability

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Etiquette Basics

• General strategies for practicing good disability
  etiquette at work

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The Basics

• Put the person first their disability second
• Dont make assumptions about needs, abilities, or
  limitations
• Varying levels of abilities and limitations
• Create environment that permits people with
  hidden disabilities to disclose if necessary

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More Basics

• Always ask before helping
• Treat adults as adults
• Be sensitive about physical contact
• Use common sense
• Apply basic courtesies to ALL people
• Relax!

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Workplace Situations

• Etiquette strategies for specific workplace
  settings

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Recruitment Etiquette

• Advertise job openings in disability-related
  publications
• Include details of job location
• Indicate flexible working conditions, if
  available
• Require equal credentials of all applicants
• Include EEO statement in postings

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Reception Etiquette

• Know location of accessible restrooms, drinking
  fountains, and telephones
• Use normal tone of voice when welcoming
• Introduce yourself
• Offer to shake hands, if appropriate

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Interview Scheduling Etiquette

• Ensure that interview location is accessible
• Be familiar with travel directions to location
• Offer expected duration and end time if asked

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Interviewing Etiquette

• Conduct emphasizing abilities, achievements, and
  individual qualities
• Ask questions used with all applicants
• Ask How would you perform the essential
  functions of this job?
• Be patient when speaking listening
• Use location with good lighting

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Work Environment

• Review physical features of workplace and make
  adjustments if necessary
• Consider assistive technology available to
  increase accessibility
• Make employment-related materials accessible
• Prepare co-workers for adjustments and changes
• Allow flexible scheduling, if possible

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Specific Disabilities

• Etiquette for interacting with individuals with
  various disabilities

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Mobility Impairments

• Mobility devices are part of personal space
• Never lean on or push wheelchairs
• Accessible paths of travel around workspace
• Adjust equipment and supplies to fit within reach
  ranges
• When conversing, bring yourself down to eye level
• Remove clutter to avoid falls

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Vision Loss

• Identify yourself when interacting
• Notify is stepping away/leaving
• Offer tour of workplace and allow time to orient
  to space
• Provide all print materials in alternate format
  of choice
• Offer arm/Dont grab his
• Let her know about physical changes to facilities
  or layout

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Service Animal Users

• Modify no pets policy to allow service animals
  in workplace
• Ask before touching the animal
• Generally, do not pet or distract a working
  animal
• Do not offer food or treats to the animal

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Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing

• Different modes of communication (sign language,
  lip reading, etc.)
• Ask individual preferred mode
• Always get attention
• Face person and offer unobstructed view of mouth
• Maintain eye contact
• Use facial expressions and body language to
  convey tone
• Develop comfort in using TTY and Relay Service
• Consider having staff learn some basic sign
  language

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TTYs Relay Services

• Learn to recognize incoming TTY calls
• Identify yourself when you pick up
• TTY calls can take longer than standard calls
• Dont be nervous. Its just a phone!

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Speech Difficulties

• Give person your full attention
• Dont complete sentences
• Ask to repeat/Repeat for verification
• Ask to write down
• Minimize distractions and background noise
• Never tease or laugh

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Mental Health Issues

• Again, different psychiatric conditions
• Try to maintain manageable stress levels
• Eliminate stigma in the workplace through
  education
• Minimize distractions

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Learning Disabilities

• People with LD have average or above-average IQs
• Minimize distractions
• Allow extra time for reading, training, writing,
  etc.
• Ask best way to relay information
• Provide written instructions/information
• Provide technologies that support learning
  strengths

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Respiratory Disabilities

• Maintain good ventilation and indoor air quality
• Follow and enforce no-smoking regulations
• Limit the use of strong fragranced body-care
  products and cleaning products

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Developmental Disabilities

• Use clear sentences and concrete concepts
• Treat as adult and allow to make decisions
• Be patient
• Allow adequate time to complete tasks and make
  decisions
• Provide pictograms
• Allow time to adjust to change in environment or
  routine

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Hidden Disabilities

• Not all disabilities are apparent
• Behaviors may seem strange, but are related to
  disabilities
• Even if hidden, the disability is real
• Respect the persons needs and requests when
  possible

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Emergency Evacuation Procedures

• Compile list of people with disabilities who use
  your facility and update periodically
• Interview each person and get feedback on best
  practices in case of emergency
• Develop plan for individuals who may visit
• Practice
• Keep plans up-to-date

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Etiquette Resources

• Publications, websites, and organizations

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Publications

• Disability Etiquette
• Etiquette Tip Cards
• Guidelines for Reporting and Writing About People
  with Disabilities
• ADA Quiz Book, 3rd Edition
• Disability Etiquette Poster

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Websites

• United Spinal Association www.unitedspinal.org
• National Organization on Disability www.nod.org
• ADA Document Portal www.adaportal.org

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DBTAC

• One of ten regional centers funded by the US
  Department of Education
• Mission
• Provide technical assistance on the ADA
• Materials, training, and direct technical
  assistance
• Contact information
• Toll free hot line - 800-949-4232 (V/TTY)
• Web site www.adainformation.org

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Utahs One Point of Contact

• Leah Lobato
• Employer Relations Specialist
• Utah State Office of Rehabilitation (USOR)
• 250 E. 500 S./ PO Box 144200
• Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4200
• 801-538-7964
• leahlobato_at_utah.gov
• www.usor.utah.gov

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• Questions???
• Thanks for your time