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ADA Restoration

ADA Restoration Headed to House Markup on Wednesday 
ADA Restoration Moves Forward in the House 
Disability, civil rights and employer groups are working hard to secure support for the negotiated legislated language that has been circulated on JFA and now has the support of more than 50 national and 60 state and local disability groups, the US Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Management, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Human Resource Policy Association, and a growing list of companies, including McDonalds, General Motors and Honeywell. Lobbying on the House side for this negotiated deal began in earnest yesterday, focused on the members of the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Judiciary Committee (which also plans to mark up the bill next Wednesday).

To avoid confusion with the bill that was introduced last July, we have begun referring to the negotiated legislation as the ADA Amendments Act. In anticipation of next week's markup, we are working to counter any efforts in either committee to attach an ADA notification requirement to the bill, a cause that was championed in prior Congresses by Representative Mark Foley of Florida and that is strongly opposed by the disability-civil rights employer coalition working to enact the ADA Amendments Act. We are also working hard to secure White House and Senate Republican support for the negotiated bill.

:::TAKE ACTION:::
At this point, it looks like the bill will receive strong bipartisan support in the committee markups in
the House. We have included a list of the members of the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Judiciary Committee below. 

·      Contact Members on the House Education & Labor Committee and the House Judiciary Committee between now and Wednesday morning and urge them to support the bipartisan negotiated language that will become the Chairman's mark in both committees. The names are below.

Locate the Members' contact information online, or call the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-1904 (V) / (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and ask to be connected to their offices by name. 

·      If you haven't already, consider having your organization "sign on" to the proposed deal language by sending an email to Anne Sommers, JFA Moderator, at [email protected]. Support of the deal language means you not only approve of its language and terms, but that you also agree to defend it against all attempts by Members of Congress to amend it--unless both sides agree to the amendments.

We will continue to share the list of organizational support with Members of Congress as ADA Restoration moves forward in both the House and Senate in coming weeks. 

·      Attend the markup! The House Education and Labor Markup is scheduled for Wednesday, June 18th, at 10:00 in the Rayburn building, Room 2175. Advocates are encouraged to show their support through numbers. The accessible entrance to the building is the main entrance with the horseshoe drive off South Capitol Street.

U.S. Federal Government Hiring

Buzzing in the Workplace
By: Rob Roy

Note to Readers: Article below focuses on U.S. Federal Government hiring of people with disabilities. If you are a reader from outside the U.S. and have interesting information to share regarding your government’s hiring of people with disabilities, please feel free to contact me.

In January 2008, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a report on the federal employment of people with disabilities*. Overall, the EEOC concluded that the federal government employs fewer people with disabilities now than it has at any point during the last 20 years. The EEOC’s finding is troubling for the following reasons:

·  The federal government has a mandate to be a model employer in the hiring and advancing individuals with disabilities.
·  During the past 20 years, significant technological advancements afford people with disabilities a greater opportunity to work.
·  The Office of Disability Employment Policy, a division of the U.S. Labor Department, indicates that roughly half of individuals with disabilities in the United States are unemployed (note: the office cautions the statistic may vary based on definition of disability and data source).

The EEOC made several recommendations for improving efforts to hire and retain individuals with disabilities. These recommendations include:

·  Establishment of numerical goals for hiring individuals with disabilities on an annual basis.
·  Ensuring procedures that make agencies and officials accountable for reaching goals and verifying that goals are obtained.

The initial implication of the EEOC’s findings has been a surge in commitment among federal government leaders to re-focus efforts on hiring people with disabilities. While a commitment from leaders is a great start, a push from our community will help.

If you are seeking employment, consider reaching out to your local congressional representative about potential opportunities.
·   If you aren’t sure who your Senator is, click on the following link: http://www.senate.gov/. On the top right side of your browsers select your state.
·   If you aren’t sure who serves your district in the House of Representatives, click on the following link: http://www.house.gov/. On the top left side of your browser, type in your zip code and click “search”.

When contacting your local representative about potential employment opportunities, be sure to mention in the course of your conversation the EEOC’s report on federal hiring of people with disabilities. By networking with your representatives now, you may be able to reap the benefits of future efforts by the federal government to hire people with disabilities.

Feel free to contact me with your questions or thoughts…[email protected].

Rob

* The Federal Government defines people with disabilities per codes on the Office of Personnel Management’s Standard Form. The coded disabilities are as follows: deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of limb and/or spine.
** Sources: http://www.dol.gov/odep/faqs/working.htm, http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/report/pwtd.html.

NextStep Recycling: Making a Difference in More Ways Than One

"I want to give every disadvantaged child a computer - to show them how brilliant they can be."

-- Lorraine Kerwood, Founder, NextStep Recycling

After having been diagnosed with autism in her 20's, Lorraine Kerwood enrolled at the University of Oregon, purchased a used desktop computer, learned how to fix it, then graduated magna cum laude. 

Realizing she had a knack for repairing and refurbishing used electronics, Lorraine established a non-profit computer & electronic device recycling business that is flourishing  in more ways than one.  She has recently been named a finalist for the Volvo for Life Awards, in the "environment" category, and for very good reasons. 

Learn more...

Mr. Brad Saul, a Wise Man

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds.

                                                - Francis Bacon

[with]tv has had the good fortune of connecting with Mr. Brad Saul, a very wise man judging from the number of opportunities he's "made".  We've not yet had the pleasure of meeting in person, although we look forward to the day.

Perhaps you would like to "meet" him too, via the following introduction by Crain Communications Inc.  Do so and you'll learn about multiple "opportunities" Mr. Saul has "made" on behalf of people with disabilities.

The ADA Restoration Act: What We All Need to Know

News From the Front

Written by: Stephen Kuusisto
Cross-posted on Planet of the Blind

The attack is on and the fight is fierce. The ADA Restoration Act is currently being debated in Washington and the proposed legislation which is designed to restore the employment protections that were crafted as part of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act is now under attack from groups that want to severely limit  the kinds of work place accommodations that employees can and should receive in order to remain gainfully employed.

Because the hosts of this blog are advocates for the full employment of people with disabilities and because the high rate of unemployment among the blind and visually impaired remains at catastrophic levels we want to alert our readers to the fact that the Society for Human Resource Management (a “Management” oriented group) has issued a call to arms urging its membership to fight against this crucial disability oriented legislation. Their tactic? They tell their membership that if the ADA Restoration Act is adopted employers will have to make accommodations for people with minor headaches or disfiguring scars—that is, the SHRM has argued to its membership that under the proposed act, the definition of disability is so broad that “virtually every employee” will be disabled and will require some kind of accommodation. This is absolute nonsense and the sophistry and misrepresentation of both the ADA and the ADA Restoration Act that are utilized in the service of this disinformation is really shameful. But to paraphrase Lou Reed (who said “you can’t always trust your mother”)—“you can’t always trust human resource management”.

My friend and former colleague Scott Lissner (who is the superb ADA Coordinator for The Ohio State University) has written the following altogether cogent summary of the ADA Restoration Act and this is, in our view, the most accurate and succinct summary of the proposed legislation. Please read on.

A True Commitment to Hiring people with Disabilities

"Buzzing in the Workplace"
By Rob Roy

Most companies in corporate America have statements regarding their equal employment policy. It often goes something like this:

“Our Equal Employment policy is to identify, attract, retain, and advance the most qualified persons, without regard to their race, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, national origin, or veteran's status.”

While most companies have policies such as the one above, not all demonstrate a commitment to hiring people with disabilities. From my professional experience, I have yet to meet another individual in the consulting industry who has a visible disability (with the exception of people who wear glasses). This is within my firm and well as within several major Fortune 500 corporations (but bear in mind I haven’t met everyone in the firm).

Why is hiring and retaining people with disabilities so important for a company?

Diversity contributes to a company’s strength. The combination of unique skills, abilities, experiences and backgrounds creates an environment that produces extraordinary results. People with disabilities are an important component of fostering diversity and often bring an outside of the box thinking with them to their job since it is a way of thinking necessary for living with a disability every day.

How do I know if a company is committed to hiring people with disabilities?

When evaluating if a company is committed to hiring people with disabilities, consider the following:

·    Does the company partner with organizations focusing on disability? Relationships with organizations focusing on disability are a clear indication that a company is interested in recruiting people with disabilities. Partnerships serve as an avenue for a corporation to recruit talent within a pool of people with disabilities.

·    Does the company offer disability training and resources? Sensitizing employees to the capabilities of people with disabilities and the issues they face is critical. A company that offers employees diversity training on how to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities typically indicates a company’s commitment to ensure employment for people with disabilities is successful.

·    Does the firm have an Employee Resources Group or Task-Force geared specifically for people with disabilities?  An Employee Resource Groups and/or a Task-Force facilitate and improve employee engagement on disability issues. Employee groups for employees with disabilities can help a company provide amenities to make people with disabilities feel welcome. These groups exist to help employees maximize opportunities to network and develop their careers, and to strengthen the company’s recruitment, retention, leadership development, and outreach for people with disabilities.

If you are a person with a disability, consider evaluating companies based on the above when exploring employment opportunities. If you are a supporter of people with disabilities and are currently employed, consider evaluating whether or not your firm does any of the above.  If your firm doesn’t, consider challenging your firm to demonstrate its true commitment to hiring people with disabilities.

Feel free to email me with your thoughts or questions … [email protected].

The International Day of Disabled Persons needs to be recognized and celebrated.

Thank you, Valerie Brew-Parrish, for this link to your article in the Chicago Herald News Online titled "Shed barriers and give employment opportunities to disabled".

The International Day of Disabled Persons was celebrated Dec. 3. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities under Article 27 emphasizes the right of people with disabilities to be employed on an equal basis with others. Approximately 10 percent (600 million) of the 6 billion people who inhabit this planet live with a disability. People with disabilities are the world's largest minority.

Sadly, in the majority of countries, a whopping 80 percent of people with disabilities of working age are unemployed. The main culprits to lack of employment are the universal problem of denial of opportunities and attitudinal barriers. 

[with]tv Opportunities

[with]tv seeks talented individuals from a variety of backgrounds to work with us as we develop the company. To find out more and to submit your resume please visit our Employment Page.

Chamber of Commerce for Persons with Disabilities, Inc.

A Chamber of Commerce for Persons with Disabilities has been launched as of June this year. 

"The Chamber’s mission is to help persons with disabilities and their direct caregivers to form and grow businesses" through networking opportunities, links and resources, and programs and services.

Chairman Peter Schoemann leads the Board of Directors, all of whom are committed to people with disabilities and as volunteers, receive no compensation for their services.  Clearly, this is a very passionate group of people devoted to what, in their view, is "a way to help the disability community help itself".

For more information and an application, visit www.disabilitychamber.org.

 

Naysayers

Naysayers by Jennifer Justice
Cross-posted on Pedestrian Hostile

"Ernesto" runs the cafe at the agency where I work. I noticed that my colleagues weren't encouraging E to do his job independently. I'd had some prior experience teaching cooking classes to blind teens, so I began working with him on grinding and brewing the coffee using non-visual techniques. It's been a couple of months and he's completed training. He no longer needs our assistance to do his job. In fact, he's really great at it. He's a natural salesman, which I really envy.

My colleagues have responded to all this not with encouragement as you would think but by grumbling about his "non- compliant behavior" which I translate to mean that: they (the sighted staff) are made uncomfortable by the fact that Ernesto is doing his job independently- why? because said job involves handling hot liquids? And in what bizarre universe does wanting to do your job on schedule mark you as non- compliant?

Ernesto has come to me complaining about how these same staff members continue to tell him how to do his job. I suggested that he could go on strike on the days these folk's interference becomes too much, but he has chosen to take the high road and negotiate, calling on a winning combination of charm and humor in dealing with these naysayers.

I really don't care what they think. Ernesto loves his job and does it well. His social skills are better than mine. End of story.