Employers, disabled professionals and the conversation

This is a summary of our November 11 Community Conversation

Question for discussion:

What are the conversations that  need to take place regarding the inclusion of disabled professionals in the workplace—as individuals, as members of various groups and organizations, and as citizens?

• The ADA and employment: How can we move the dialogue regarding the inclusion of disabled professionals in the workplace from the letter of the law to the spirit of the law? It was observed that much of the education employers receive regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act appears to focus on the minimum requirements of employers in order to avoid discrimination claims. Employers are able to make a choice between embracing the spirit of the ADA and moving on to the next job candidate.
• Resources for accommodation: How can employers find resources which will assist them in providing appropriate accommodations for evaluation of a job applicant? In one case a participant described the challenges of finding a sign language interpreter who could provide interpretation services for an individual who was being considered for employment. Another participant shared a story of great perseverance on behalf of both the employer and job candidate in order to fairly evaluate the candidate’s aptitude for the position. This perseverance was laudable but it took over a year before the candidate could be fairly evaluated for the position applied for.
• Shared responsibility: The previous discussion topic raised the issue of shared responsibility between employers and employees. One participant shared the experience of having a very supportive information technology department which proactively ensured the accessibility of software implementations. Another participant maintains a practice of providing his own tools for accommodation to avoid delays in becoming productive in a new work environment.
• Disability status: The ADA prohibits employers from inquiring about the disability status of individuals unless the individual has voluntarily disclosed the presence of a disability. Even after an individual discloses a disability it is unclear as to whether that disclosure will be shared with other participants in the hiring / promotion process. The group concluded it is best that the employment candidate be proactive in ensuring appropriate disclosures are made.
• Collaborative work environment: Even with accommodations there are things some people do more efficiently than others.  While this statement is universally true, the ability to effectively negotiate the division of tasks within a workgroup which includes persons with disabilities may have a higher impact on overall productivity than in other workgroups. In the absence of a collaborative environment there may be an expectation each individual within the workgroup perform the same tasks at the same level of proficiency.
• Fears of hiring authorities: By definition a disability involves the real or perceived inability to perform certain activities. Unless challenges faced by disabled persons can be addressed like other workplace challenges it is often difficult to implement effective solutions.