There are 58 million people with disabilities in the U.S., making them the nations largest minority.

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• There are 58 million people with disabilities in
  the U.S., making them the nations largest
  minority.

2

• Only 1/4 of working age people with disabilities
  say they need special accommodations to do their
  jobs.

3
Workplace Etiquette

• Remember that a person with a disability is a
  person like anyone else. Make the effort to
  discover the persons abilities and
  accomplishments.
• Relax. If you dont know what to do or say,
  allow the person who has a disability to guide
  you.

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Workplace Etiquette

• Offer assistance if asked or if the need seems
  obvious, but dont overdo it or insist on it.
  Respect the persons independence.
• Dont assume the disabled person cant perform a
  certain task. Ask the person how it can be
  accomplished.

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Workplace Etiquette

• Be considerate of the extra time it might take
  for a person with a disability to get things said
  or done. Let the person set the pace in walking
  or talking. Dont finish the sentence for a
  person with speech problem.

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Workplace Etiquette

• Speak directly to a person who has a disability.
  Dont consider a companion or assistant to be a
  conversation go-between.
• Dont move a wheelchair or crutches without
  asking first.
• Dont lean on a persons wheelchair when talking.

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Workplace Etiquette

• When pushing a wheelchair around obstructions,
  ask the person how he/she wants you to proceed.
• When guiding a blind person, describe the path
  and possible obstructions.

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Workplace Etiquette

• Speak slowly and distinctly to a person who has a
  hearing problem or other difficulty
  understanding. Speaking louder generally does
  not help.

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Workplace Etiquette

• Dont refer to the disability directly unless it
  comes up naturally in the conversation. On the
  other hand, it is not necessary to avoid common
  expressions because the person has a disability.
  Its okay to say Have you heard. to a deaf
  person., or You can see that to a blind
  person.

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Language Guide

• The accepted term for a person with a disability
  is disabled. The term handicap should only
  be used in reference to legally defined
  accommodations such as parking spaces or ramps.

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Language Guide

• Able bodied is the preferred term for
  describing persons without disabilities. The word
  normal should only be used to refer to
  statistical norms and averages.

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Language Guide

• Visually impaired is the preferred general term
  for a person with vision loss. Blind is only
  used in describing a specific condition.
• Deaf or hard of hearing are the preferred
  terms for individuals with hearing loss. Hearing
  impaired is not appropriate.

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Language Guide

• Mobility impaired is the correct term for a
  person with loss of use of the lower limbs.
  Paraplegia and quadriplegia are specific
  conditions.

14
Language Guide

• Mental disorder is the preferred term for
  describing a wide variety of psychological/psychia
  tric disorders. Terms such as neurotic,
  psychopathic, and schizophrenic refer to
  conditions, not people.

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Language Guide

• Seizure is correctly used to describe an
  involuntary muscular contraction symptomatic of
  the brain disorder epilepsy.
• Spastic describes a muscle with abnormal
  involuntary spasms. It is not appropriate for
  describing a person with cerebral palsy.

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Language Guide

• The term special is generally considered
  condescending to use in referring to a person
  with a disability.
• An individual who has a mobility impairment
  uses a wheelchair.

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Language Guide

• A person with a disability should not be
  describes as afflicted with, suffering from,
  or a victim of the disability.
• Avoid implying sickness when discussing disabling
  conditions. A disability itself is not a disease
  nor is the person necessarily chronically ill.

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Job Placement

• Focus on ability
• Use an applicant-directed process for career
  choice
• Use multiple assessment techniques
• Break down jobs into required tasks and essential
  skills
• Analyze the work environment, tasks and culture

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Job Placement

• Concentrate on the job-match process
• Provide training for new career opportunities and
  advancement
• Treat employees and host company as customers.

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Phone Calls to ODEP

• Understanding the ADA 34
• Impact of Accommodation 13
• Conflict between Employer/
• Employee 13
• Cost of Accommodation 3
• Concerns related to Federal and State
  Agencies 6
• Other 31

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Accommodation Costs

• No cost 19
• Between 1 and 500 50
• Between 501 and 1,000 12
• Between 1,001 and 2,000 7
• Between 2,001 and 5,000 9
• Greater than 5,000 3

Inquiries handled by ODEP
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Company Savings

• Value unknown 4
• Between 1 and 5,000 34
• Between 5,001 and 10,000 16
• Between 10,001 and 20,000 19
• Between 20,001 and 100,000 25
• Greater than 100,000 2

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General Tips

• Don't assume a person cannot perform a certain
  task. With the right accommodations and support,
  anyone can be productive. In terms of
  accommodation, the person with the disability
  knows best what he or she needs.

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General Tips

• Keep hallways and office spaces clear from excess
  clutter that may make it difficult for people to
  maneuver around or reach equipment such as fax
  machines, copiers, printers, etc.

25
General Tips

• Disseminate company information, announcements or
  events through various methods of communication
  such as email, voicemail, flyers, brochure, etc.

26
General Tips

• Provide accessible restrooms, drinking fountains
  and telephones. If such facilities are not
  available, be ready to offer alternatives, such
  as a private or employee restroom, a glass of
  water, or a desk phone.

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General Tips

• When planning a meeting or other event, try to
  anticipate specific accommodations that a person
  with a disability might need. If a barrier cannot
  be avoided let the person know ahead of time.

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General Tips

• Transportation is often a major issue for those
  who have to depend on others to get them to and
  from work. Offering flexible work schedules is a
  way to accommodate transportation needs.

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General Tips

• Be prepared. Encourage fellow employees to learn
  how to assist persons with disabilities in cases
  of emergency including proper evacuation
  procedures and medical emergencies.

30
General Tips

• Help encourage interaction between employees with
  disabilities and their co-workers. Include
  employees with disabilities in group activities,
  meetings, and social gatherings. Forming
  workgroups or teams with interdependent tasks are
  an excellent way to enhance employee relations.

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General Tips

• Be approachable. Saying "If you need anything,
  just ask," speaks volumes in terms of reassuring
  the person with a disability that you are willing
  to help.

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• Situation
• A production worker with mental retardation, who
  has limited fine motor dexterity, must use
  tweezers and a magnifying glass to perform the
  job. The worker had difficulty holding the
  tweezers.

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• Solution
• Giant tweezers were purchased. Cost 5.

34

• Situation
• A teacher with bipolar disorder, who works in a
  home-based instruction program, experienced
  reduced concentration, short term memory, and
  task sequencing problems.

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• Solution
• Employee and supervisor jointly developed a check
  list showing both the week's work and the
  following week's activities. Forms were adapted
  so that they would be easy to complete, and
  structured steps were developed so that paper
  work could be completed at the end of each
  teaching session. An unintended bonus to the
  company was the value of the weekly check-off
  forms in training new staff. Cost 0.

36

• Situation A garage mechanic with epilepsy was
  unable to drive vehicles.

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• Solution The employer negotiated with the
  employee's union and reached an agreement that
  any qualified employee, regardless of job held,
  could drive the vehicles to the mechanic's work
  station. Cost 0.

38

• Situation An individual with a neck injury, who
  worked in a lab, had difficulty bending his neck
  to use the microscope.

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• Solution A periscope was attached to the
  microscope.
• Cost 2,400.

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• Situation A catalog salesperson, who had a
  spinal cord injury, had problems using the
  catalog due to difficulty with finger dexterity.

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• Solution The employer purchased a motorized
  catalog rack, controlled by a single switch via
  the mouthstick, and provided an angled computer
  keyboard stand for better accessibility. Cost
  1,500.

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• Situation A field geologist who was deaf and
  worked alone in remote areas was unable to use
  two-way radio communication to report his
  findings.

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• Solution Text telephone technology was used to
  allow the geologist to communicate using a
  cellular telephone. Cost 400 plus monthly
  service fee for the phone.

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• Situation A saw operator with a learning
  disability had difficulty measuring to the
  fraction of an inch.

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• Solution The employee was provided with a
  wallet-sized card on which the fractions were
  listed on an enlarged picture of an inch. This
  allowed the employee to compare the card with the
  location on the ruler to identify the correct
  fraction. Cost 5.

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•   Situation  An office manager who had been
  treated for stress and depression was
  experiencing difficulty maintaining her
  concentration when trying to complete assignments
  and meet critical deadlines.

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•   Solution  Discussed performance problems with
  her supervisor.  The employer allowed her to
  organize her time by scheduling "off" times
  during the week where she could work without
  interruptions.  She was also placed on a flexible
  schedule that gave her more time for counseling
  and exercise.  The supervisor trained co-workers
  on stress management and provided the office
  manager with information about the employee
  assistance program. 

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• Situation An accountant with HIV was
  experiencing sensitivity to fluorescent light. As
  a result, she was not able to see her computer
  screen or written materials clearly.

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• Solution The employer lowered the wattage in
  overhead lights, provided task lighting and a
  computer screen glare guard. Cost 80.

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Resources

• Job Accommodation Network (JAN)
• 1-800-526-7234,
• http//janweb.icdi.wvu.edu
• VCU, RRTC on Workplace Supports (804)
• 828-1851 (Voice), [phone] (TTY),
• http//www.worksupport.com
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity
• Commission 1-800-800-3302 (TTY),
• http//www.eeoc.gov

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• U.S. Department of Labor (written materials)
• 1-800-959-3652 (Voice), 1-800-326-2577 (TTY),
• to ask questions [phone] (Voice)
• ADA Disability and Business Technical
• Assistance Centers (DBTACs) 1-800-949-4232
• (Voice/TTY), http//www.adata.org/dbtac.htm
• Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (301)
• 608-0050 (Voice/TTY), http//www.rid.org

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• Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North
• America Technical Assistance Project (703)
• 524-6686 (Voice), [phone] (TTY),
• http//www.resna.org/hometa1.html

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• Internal Revenue Service [phone] (Voice),
  http//www.irs.ustreas.gov
• Rehabilitation Services Administration
• (RSA) http//www.ed.gov