Successful Disability Employment: ROI Strategies for Business

1. Successful Disability Employment: ROI Strategies for Business Presented by Debra Ruh TecAccess President and CEO

2. Agenda • Introductions/Who is TecAccess • How including employees with disabilities impacts return on investment • How disability employment can provide an advantage over your competition • Strategies for accommodations, retention, and company-wide success • Best Practices: The businesses that are currently recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities

3. Who is TecAccess? • The TecAccess Story • 60 employees with disabilities, including disabled veterans • An experienced accessibility solutions provider that helps agencies and educational institutions plan, implement, and manage accessibility • Accessibility services that save money and time and meet the governing standards

4. Consulting Services Technical & Testing Solutions Professional Placement Marketing & Research Solutions TecAccess is an international leader in Accessibility Solutions. Our complete suite of services enables our clients to: Long & Short Term Staff Augmentation Targeted Training and Employment Placement Disabled & Mature Employee Staffing Programs Research and Marketing Solutions for Targeted Demographics Information Portals, Stats, and Reporting for Disabled and Aging Markets Global Policy Tracking & Documentation Accessibility Program Planning, Execution, and Management Legislation, Laws & Guidelines Interpretation Subject Matter Expertise and Consulting Testing, Audits & Remediation (508,W3C, ADA & Usability) Training Classes (Online & Classroom) Website, Portal, Software Application & E-Learning Development • Increase their ROI • Meet social and legal responsibility goals • Differentiate themselves from competition • Expand existing and new markets in the US and Internationally "TecAccess offers practical solutions every step of the way." 

5. 3 to 5% 6 to 10% 11 to 15% 15 to 20% Before We Move Forward, Consider this Question… What percentage of the US population do you think has a disability?

6. Before We Move Forward, Consider this Question… What percentage of the U.S. population do you think has a disability or limitation? There are more than 750 million people with physical or sensory limitations worldwide. Approximately 60 million of these people live in the United States. Recent reports indicate these numbers are rising – and are trending upwards to 20%. 3 to 5% 6 to 10% 11 to 15% 15 to 20%

7. The Numbers • One in three households affected • People with disabilities are one of the largest and fastest growing minority groups in the world • A largely untapped market • Represents over $220 billion in discretionary income in the US alone

8. The Impact • Larger than any single ethnic, racial, or cultural group • $3 Trillion in discretionary spending worldwide • An untapped spending, buying, voting, and employment power • Source: National Organization on Disability 2005

9. Impact is Increasing • The world’s population is aging, and an increasing number of people are acquiring disabilities for the first time in their lives • As we all know, an increasing number of disabilities and impairments are associated with the aging process • In other words, having a disability is no longer confined to traditional definitions anymore

10. Numbers Rising • The Administration on Aging is projecting that we will see a dramatic leap in the number of people developing disabilities for the first time in their lives • The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy indicates that as the population ages, approximately 40% of those over 65 will likely acquire a disability • With the numbers identified, I think we’ll all agree – there is certainly a challenge before us; yet within this challenge lies an opportunity

11. Why Care? Because there is a Business Case for Disability Employment! • Disability employment enables businesses to recruit and hire from an untapped qualified labor pool • Economists indicate that due to the retirement of baby boomers there will be a serious shortage of qualified employees in the near future; persons with disabilities can fill this gap • Employers will gain loyalty of users and positive brand recognition • Increase sales • Leverage a new market segment • Increase public image

12. Reasons for Investing in Employees with Disabilities Disability employment research proves that: • There is no significant difference between the productivity of people with disabilities and people without disabilities, particularly in knowledge-related business

13. Despite the Facts, There are Still Misperceptions Before we review how to maximize the many benefits of hiring employees with disabilities, it is crucial to first understand that misperceptions are still present! Studies show that employers still mistakenly perceive people with disabilities as: • less productive than equally qualified individuals without disabilities • more costly than workers without disabilities • they need special accommodations • they might be heavy users of health care benefits • they might have a negative impact on customers

14. To prove such perceptions untrue, take TecAccess, a business that primarily hires people with disabilities, for example. Associates with disabilities have ensured that TecAccess’ revenue steadily grows. TecAccess associates with disabilities have led the company to international recognition, multiple awards in private industry, and invitations to speak all over the world. Debunking the Myth

15. More Challenges • The cost of accommodations is often cited as a reason not to hire a person with a disability

16. Debunking the Myth • In reality though, the cost is usually very minimal • The Able Trust Employer Attitude Study demonstrated: • 73% of businesses reported that their employees with disabilities did not require accommodations • 61% said that average costs of accommodation were $500 or less • 29% said $100 or less

17. Even More Challenges • There is also a lack of knowledge among employers, both about disability issues and the disability resources available to businesses • On average, two-thirds of employers are not highly aware of disability issues; half have no formal policy for hiring individuals with disabilities; only 25% feel they are recruiting well; and only 35% have disability training programs • The majority of employers lack familiarity with agencies and programs related to individuals with disabilities (especially those that provide financial assistance)

18. In Reality Though… • In the afore mentioned cases, the common theme is lack of awareness • In reality, study after study demonstrates that businesses that actually employ individuals with disabilities have positive attitudes towards such employees • The Able Trust Study of Employer Attitudes demonstrates that businesses with formal disability policies also tend to have more positive attitudes towards individuals with disabilities

19. In Reality Though…(continued) • A recent study in the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation found that nearly all the employers (97%) who had hired someone with a disability in the past indicated they would hire an individual with a disability again in the future • Conversely, The Able Trust Study shows that businesses with no employees with disabilities and businesses with no formal disability policies tend to have more negative attitudes toward individuals with disabilities

20. How About Consumer Views? • As demonstrated, employers’ negative attitudes and fears have long been a barrier to the employment of individuals with disabilities • Accordingly, attitude literature and studies on the employment of people with disabilities has almost always focused exclusively on employers • However, due to their influence over business practices, the successful employment of people with disabilities is also contingent on the views of the consumer

21. Consumer Attitudes • America’s Strength Foundation and the University of Massachusetts recently released a national survey of consumer attitudes towards companies that hire people with disabilities which stated: ”The public, across all ages and education, views companies that hire people with disabilities as favorably as they do companies that provide healthcare to all workers and actively protect the environment.” ”Companies are aware of the public’s concern over health and environmental issues. What they need to be more aware of is that hiring people with disabilities falls under the umbrella of corporate social responsibility and is an important building block in creating a reputable image.”

22. Consumer Attitudes (continued) The results of the America’s Strength survey proved: • The public views hiring a person with a disability as the socially responsible thing to do • Businesses that have actually hired employees with disabilities view hiring a person with a disability as a gainful business practice • It is therefore important that companies not only hire people with disabilities, but also communicate this practice to the consumer

23. The End Result The America’s Strength survey concluded: “Companies will be able to strengthen their workforce with employees that are found to be reliable, committed and hardworking while also benefiting from consumer enthusiasm, appreciation and support for their company and its brand.”

24. Reaching Employees with Disabilities • Now that disability employment is evolving into a sound business practice, how does one define this employee base, and most important – how do you reach this untapped workforce?

25. First: Analyze the NeedUnderstanding the Needs of People with Disabilities Consider this question: • What types of limitations or disabilities could affect an employee’s ability to work, interact, and excel at your place of business?

26. Analyzing the NeedUnderstanding the Needs of People with Disabilities Types of Disabilities • Blindness and visual limitations • Deafness and hearing limitations • Speech limitations • Mobility limitations • Multiple limitations

27. Second: Understand Common Problems For this presentation today, TecAccess facilitated a short survey to sample the opinions of employees with disabilities about the workplace, a sample of the responses included: • “General lack of awareness about disabilities and associated limitations” • “Little knowledge about how to communicate effectively to people with disabilities” • “Documentation in an inaccessible format” • “Deficient in knowledge about assistive technologies” • “Some businesses do not know how to use accessibility features/functions” • “Lack of patience in interacting with people with disabilities” • “Deficient in employee training with regard to disability awareness”

28. Third: Understand Accommodations We can approve the above responses by understanding proper accommodations: • Braille displays, large computer screens, and clear displays without flashing lights or images help the visually impaired make sense of what they see • Accommodations for deaf/hearing-impaired • Accommodations for speech impairments

29. Further Accommodations • Telecommuting allows associates with limited mobility to work effectively from home • Assistive technology provides employees with disabilities ways to manipulate their environments: • Voice recognition software • Head pointers • Word boards • Environmental Control Units

30. Further Accommodations (continued) Types of Assistive Technologies Used by People with Disabilities • Augmented Output Devices • Visualrepresentation of auditory information for hearing impaired • Augmented Input Devices

31. Other Accommodations • People with cognitive disabilities need clear work instructions with plenty of visual illustration to support them • Employees with emotional/psychiatric disabilities often work well in more flexible schedules: • Flex hours in the office • Laptops to take home for work at night

32. Other Accommodations (continued) • Disability awareness training and etiquette • Improved communication • Ask for employee feedback on how you’re doing

33. Easy To Implement Supports • Develop a “best in class” disability employment team that is easy to implement: • -Support centers and company policy • -Communication channels and formats • -Documentation and signage • -Training • -Support specific disabilities • -Assitive technology

34. Customer Support Centers • A Clear Company Policy • Create a dedicated section on disabilities • Meet expectations and maintain a level of consistency • Create guidelines on accessibility

35. Disability Employment Policy • Encourage employees to inform their supervisors of their individual requirements • Policies and procedures to handle complaints • Range of access methods to register complaints effectively

36. Support Center Measurements • Analyze and measure employee information requirements: -Contextual inquiry -Focus groups -Usability testing -Employee surveys • Develop performance measures • Host an accessible customer support session • Online support communities

37. Communication Channels and Formats Information can be accessed by multiple communication channels: • Face to face (Brick and Mortar) • Telephone • Email • Documentation • TTY/TDD • Telecommunications Relay Service • Speech recognition • Chat applications • Instant Messaging • Interpreter

38. Communication Channels and Formats (continued) • Some communication channels work better for people with disabilities than others • Select the “best” communication channel or format for each situation

39. Communication Channels and Formats (continued) • Documentation in multiple formats • Document lessons learned • Promote your accessible support efforts: • Braille/Large print documentation • TTY telephone line • Interpreters

40. Other Examples • TTY Line • Telecommunications Relay Service, also known as TRS • Staff and supervisors that understand how to use the specific technology

41. Documentation and Signage Documentation: • Electronic format that can be read by screen readers • Braille Documentation • Large Print Documentation • Audiotapes Signage: • eye symbol • wheelchair symbol • include these symbols on manuals, employee materials, and HR documents

42. Training • Understanding the different types of disabilities • Be aware of hardware and software (assistive technologies) • Understand system requirements and configuration • Provide general usage and terminology of assistive technologies • Present troubleshooting tips, checklists, and processes for problem escalation • Simulation exercises

43. Your Plan In Action: People with Visual Impairments • Printed documentation • No “one size fits all” • Anything in print – such as your employee policies, expectations or contact info -- can cause problems for people with visual impairments

44. Printed Publications • This means clear layout and type faces • Consider using 14pt as a general standard or greater • Time to read and some may use special equipment • Provide different formats for those who cannot read print” • -Braille, audio tape, large print and computer disc.

45. Employees who are Deaf /Hard of Hearing • Hearing loss and the use of telephones • Sign language is often the first language • Some people also use other systems of communication

46. Deaf / Hard of Hearing Tips • Support for Telecommunication Relay Services • Call steering system – allow for a live person • Transcripts • Text Phones

47. Speech, Language and Communication Impairments • Employees who are physically unable to speak

48. Communication Tips Telephone • Concentrate on what is said, rather than how it is being said. • Talk in a relaxed and natural way. • Allow plenty of time and never rush. • Do not shout. • Do not assume that you know what the person you are talking to wants to say. • Ask the person if they would like you to finish sentences for them. • Introduce one idea at a time; keep words simple and sentences short. • Confirm that you understand what they want to say. • Recap to sum up as the interaction closes. • Finally, check that you both understand. Face to Face • Do not talk to an employee’s companion/assistant as if the person were not there. • Draw or write if needed. • Give a written record of any important information discussed.

49. Disability Employment Leaders • IBM • Canon USA • United States Postal Service The ones doing it right….

50. Best Practice: IBM • IBM's focus on disability employment stems from a simple belief that business must operate to reflect the diverse and changing needs of clients and employees • As a result, employees with disabilities working for IBM have offered tremendous new business opportunities due to IBM’s holistic, end-to-end approach