Access to Good Jobs for All
Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, Taryn M. Williams, announced that this year’s theme for National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) is “Access to Good Jobs for All”. NDEAM is celebrated every year during the month of October.
She went on to explain that “Good jobs change lives and all workers — including disabled people — deserve the opportunity to prepare for success in high-quality, good-paying jobs in workplaces free of discrimination.”
Watch her full announcement here.
Increasing Awareness
The Office of Disability Employment Policy offers 31 ways to celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Let’s go through our 5 favorite ways to recognize this month.
1. Review Company Policies
This month would be a good time to check that your company policies foster an inclusive culture for people with disabilities. Check out the Inclusion@Work: A Framework for Building a Disability-Inclusive Organization for additional guidance.
2. Train Supervisors
Your front line workers deal with their supervisors on a regular basis. It’s important that these supervisors are trained to understand how to use their role to create an inclusive workplace culture. There are many training modules available, including the one offered by the Job Accommodation Network.
3. Educate Employees
Now that your policies and supervisors are in line with an inclusive workplace culture, be sure to let your employees know what their rights are when it comes to working in an environment that fosters collaboration and does not discriminate against them if they have a disability. The Job Accommodation Network also provides guidance on Disability Etiquette when it comes to recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities.
4. Participate in Disability Mentoring Day
Consider hosting a Disability Mentoring Day which officially launches on the third Wednesday in October. The American Association of People with Disabilities spearheads this program to provide an opportunity for “career development for students and job seekers with disabilities through career exploration and ongoing mentoring relationships”.
5. Access eRecruiting Accessibility
As the job application and onboarding process has gone digital, it’s important that employers ensure job seekers with disabilities can also get through the “virtual door”. This month, consider doing an assessment of all electronic tools and platforms used to engage with job seekers and employees. The Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology (PEAT) created TalentWorks, a free tool to help employers and HR professionals make their electronic recruiting tools and platforms accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Job Success at KenCCID
For us here at KenCCID, we’re not only invested in housing and care for individuals with disabilities. Moreover, we wholeheartedly support their right to work and earn a living.
We develop an Individualized Work Assessment that explores what a person likes to do, with what they’re good at doing and what they want to do. Then, we match them up to jobs that align with all three.
We also offer job search assistance on site or electronically so that our individuals with disabilities are aware of the many jobs available in our local community.
Our job coaches are trained to assist individuals who have obtained jobs become successful in the long term. Our coaches identify workplace support and facilitate the right type and intensity of support to help them enjoy their job over the long term.
We’re proud to say that we’ve placed individuals with disabilities in 40 jobs over the years.
Looking Ahead
We’re proud of our accomplishments thus far in helping so many individuals with disabilities secure gainful employment. But as you know, our work is never done.
Consider making a donation to support the work that we do to support individuals with disabilities. Every penny counts.