Bush Labor Nominee Urges Hiring of People with Disabilities
By JOEL DRESANG
Journal Sentinel
Posted: Dec. 12, 2007 President Bush's nominee for assistant secretary of labor doesn't want employers to hire people with disabilities to be charitable but to improve their businesses.Whether plugging high-turnover entry-level jobs or addressing hard-to-fill professional talent shortages, employers need to consider more candidates with disabilities, Neil Romano said in Milwaukee on Wednesday."What's important is people with disabilities have an awful lot to contribute. People with disabilities are part of the diversity of the country, and they are a dynamic part of the diversity of the country," Romano said in an interview.Romano said he was in Wisconsin as president of America's Strength Foundation Inc., a Maryland-based nonprofit campaign promoting the benefits of employing people with disabilities. Last week, Bush asked the Senate to confirm Romano's appointment as assistant secretary of labor in charge of disability employment policy.A public relations consultant, Romano said he has been traveling around the country the past two years making a film about workers with disabilities. He said more employers are realizing the benefits of such employees, who historically have been overlooked."What's happening is we're seeing a major paradigm shift here in America," Romano said after a lunch with Mayor Tom Barrett and a handful of work-force development leaders."We see that people with disabilities are being perceived for what they can bring to the table, for their value. I mean, they have inherent value as human beings, but they're seen as valuable contributors to society, valuable contributors to the work force."Hiring more people with disabilities could help lift employment in Milwaukee, said state Rep. Josh Zepnick (D-Milwaukee), who accompanied Romano as a member of the governor's work-force council. A report released today by the Center for Economic Development at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee shows the City of Milwaukee continues to rank low among the largest cities in job growth among residents."There are clearly any number of areas of Milwaukee, including higher poverty areas, where people have disabilities and other kinds of challenges that are factoring into their options for jobs," Zepnick said. "I will guarantee you that those are issues. Journal Sentinel
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U.S. Labor Department to Profile ‘Faces of Disability Employment Policy
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) will profile on its Web site individuals who have personally benefited from agency-sponsored programs aimed at eliminating the chronic underemployment of people with disabilities, as well as employers and organizations that have successfully implemented strategies to hire, support, empower and otherwise value employees with disabilities.This year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month theme is “Workers with Disabilities: Talent for a Winning Team.” The special Web feature – to be posted at www.dol.gov/odep – is intended to dispel misconceptions about workers with disabilities by showcasing real faces and success stories. Each installment will include the story and photograph of a person whose life has been changed, or an employer or organization that has influenced positive change. The entire montage will include people and efforts from across the nation.“Behind the banner of this awareness month are real people with talent, and others looking for talented employees, who are making a difference in their workplaces year-round,” said Karen M. Czarnecki, acting assistant secretary of labor for disability employment policy. “Our hope is that additional employers, job seekers and service organizations that view these few examples will be inspired to replicate best practices in their communities.”News media are encouraged to use the profiles as a springboard to develop their own coverage about disability employment-related issues. The roots of National Disability Employment Awareness Month go back decades, along with the nationwide crisis of underemployment facing Americans with disabilities. In 1945, Congress enacted a law declaring the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week.” In 1964, the word “physically” was omitted to acknowledge the employment needs and contributions of people with all types of disabilities. In 1988, Congress expanded the week to a month and adopted the current name.ODEP is leading a 21st century federal response to the historic underemployment of people with disabilities. In collaboration with other government agencies, public and private employers, and additional stakeholders, ODEP facilitates the development and implementation of innovative policies and practices necessary to achieve a fully inclusive workplace. ODEP’s work primarily falls into three categories: employers and the workplace; workforce systems; and employment-related supports, which include education and training, health care, reliable transportation, affordable housing and assistive technology. dol.gov/compliance
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The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has a fact sheet for employers who are considering allowing an individual with disability to telework as a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The fact sheet, using a step-by-step approach, explains the ways that employers may allow an individual to work at home as a reasonable accommodation. The full text of the document is available at EEOC.GOV . Telework is a key component in the Freedom Initiative's strategy for increasing the employment of people with disabilities.
The ADA requires employers to provide "reasonable accommodations" to the physical and mental limitations created by a disability. Employers can utilize existing telework programs to meet this obligation. However, the employer may have to waive certain eligibility requirements, such as rules requiring employees to work for one year before applying to the program, or otherwise modify its telework program for someone with a disability who needs to work at home. Additionally, employers that do not have telework programs may still need to allow an individual employee with a disability to telecommute as a reasonable accommodation.
After an employee requests telework, the employer and employee should discuss why the employee needs telework because of a disability, and whether all or some of the job tasks can be performed from the employee's home. This step is referred to as the "interactive process" under the ADA. Other considerations to explore during this process may include:
• how to supervise an employee who works at home;
• whether there is a need for face-to-face interaction, or whether telephone, fax, and e-mail can suffice to ensure timely communication with other employees, outside colleagues, customers, or clients; and
• whether the work requires immediate access to documents or other information located only in the workplace.Vocational
