INCREASING THE EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE STATE

Overview of Presentation Who is a Person with a Disability? Why Now – The Governor’s Executive Order The Business Case Best Practices – Creating a Welcoming Environment – Recruiting – Hiring – Retention Partners and Resources

Who is a Person with Disability? ADA definition Physical or mental condition that substantially limits one or more major life activity Person has record of such condition Being “regarded as” having such an condition

Visible and Hidden Disabilities

Why Now?

The number of persons with disabilities in state government has plummeted from 10.1% in 1999 to 3.2 % today and only 1.9% of new hires in 2012

MN Workforce Trends With the aging of talent, we will be facing workforce shortages MN’s workforce is 14.6% persons with disabilities compared to 3.2% of state employees People with disabilities are an untapped source of workers that are needed to respond to workforce needs

State Government Plays a Crucial Role States in their role as employers can pave the way for how to find, hire, retain, and advance employees with disabilities Nationwide, more than 5 million people are employed in state government positions Businesses have told states that they are more likely to hire people with disabilities if state government is doing it successfully

National Priority Unfinished Business, Making the Employment of People With Disability a National Priority, Senator Harkin Chair National Governor’s Association- A Better Bottom Line- Hiring People with Disabilities March 2014, all federal contractors must have a utilization goal of 7% qualified persons with disabilities President Obama’s Executive Order – Increasing Federal Employment of Individuals with Disabilities – Hire an additional 100,000 individuals with disabilities over 5 years

President Obama’s Executive Order Each agency needs to: – Designate a senior-level agency official to be accountable for enhancing employment opportunities – Include performance targets and numerical goals – Provide training of employment process: Schedule A – Increase accommodations and accessibility: physical and virtual – Increase agencies’ retention and return to work for individuals with disabilities and work-related injuries and illnesses OPM’s Website for the Executive Order, supporting model strategies and other related disability employment resources: OPM Disability Employment OPM Disability Employment

Successes of President Obama’s Executive Order People with disabilities are now 15% of the federal workforce – 15.8% of all new hires have a disability Federal government is on the path of increasing the number of people with disabilities by 100,000 – 68,000 people with disabilities have been hired in three years

The Governor’s Executive Order Will be similar to the President’s Order MMB Enterprise HR will track the results Set performance targets and numerical goals – Set 7% for the state Increase accommodations and accessibility, both physical and virtual Will include 700 hour placement Veterans with disability hiring Centralized Accommodation Fund Study

Centralized Accommodations Fund Streamlines the process Prevents unintentional or intentional discrimination on the part of hiring managers Can negotiate better rates when costs are consolidated

The Business Case

A significant portion of the 20% of the population with disabilities remains either unemployed or underemployed. 1 in 5 people have a disability In the 2010 census, 56 million Americans disclosed that they have at least one diagnosable disability The Talent Pool

Growth in Revenue and Market Share Americans who have disabilities represent the third- largest market segment today with annual spending power estimated in the range of $1 trillion 92% of Americans say they have a favorable view of companies that hire people with disabilities 87% of the public say they prefer to support businesses that hire people with disabilities

Studies show workers who have disabilities are consistently rated high in: – Performance, attendance, productivity, task consistency, work quality, and overall proficiency Employees who have disabilities stay in their jobs – Eliminating turnover costs which can be as much as % of the employee’s salary Costs aren’t as high as you think – Reasonable Accommodations and worker’s compensation Return on Investment

Fulfillment of Legal Obligations Rehab Act of 1973 Americans with Disabilities Act Human Rights Act The Governor’s Olmstead Plan – Requires that people with disabilities have the opportunity to live and work in their communities

Disability ≈ Diversity Diversity + Inclusion = Innovation

Best Practices

GraphGraph DEPT. OF COMMERCE

WORK CULTURE Do: – Communicating your commitment to increasing and engaging employees with disabilities – Hold leaders accountable for creating and maintaining a diverse workforce – Train employees on disability awareness, disability etiquette, and unconscious bias – Train supervisors and managers to focus on performance and not disability – Ensure website and physical office accessibility – Implement effective accommodation policies and practices – At the agency level, use a centralized funding model to cover costs of accommodations Do not: – Assume that certain jobs are more suited to persons with disabilities – Assume that a person cannot or does not want a particular job because of an apparent or unapparent disability – Assume a person with a disability does not have the requisite education and training for a job

Etiquette Person first language- person with a disability Don’t use the word impaired Don’t touch a service animal without permission Look directly at a person who is deaf or hard of hearing, not the interpreter Use a chair when communicating with someone in an wheel chair so you are at eye level Make sure the content of a visual presentation is read or described WORK CULTURE

Accommodations Form to request them State has a contract for interpreters and CART STAR Program in the state can assist with assistive technology State Services for the Blind can assist with technology Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services Division can provide technical assistance Development Disabilities Council can help

RECRUITING Job postings and position descriptions – Review essential functions 60% of job descriptions have potentially discriminatory physical or sensory qualifications – Recognize that there are often many ways to accomplish the same task – Include Equal Opportunity Statement on job postings, encouraging individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply and that reasonable accommodations are available Advertise open job positions to job boards and media known to be utilized by persons with disabilities

HIRING & SELECTION Ensure all candidates are offered an equal opportunity to participate – Inform candidates of interview process/format and who to contact if they need a reasonable accommodation – Provide interpreters or CART for candidates who are deaf – Account for delays with interpreters on the phone or speech to text relays for candidates who are deaf and hard of hearing Evaluate each candidate based on job qualifications not on assumptions Be aware of unconscious bias

HIRING & SELECTION Interviewing Do: – Relax and make the applicant feel comfortable – T alk directly to the applicant Do not: – Ask an applicant if he or she has a disability during a job interview.

RETENTION Ensure all aspects of the employment experience are accessible Create mentoring and networking opportunities Conduct engagement surveys Conduct training and development of employees – Ensure individuals with disabilities are included in advancement opportunities Create employee resource groups and have senior level sponsorship Ensure there are no barriers to accommodations Measure and evaluate

Partners and Resources

Empower Minnesotans with disabilities to achieve their goals for employment, independent living and community integration WHO IS VRS?

WHAT VRS OFFERS We offer: – Professional employment services – Help finding skilled, qualified candidates – Access to hundreds of pre-screened applicants – Assistance during the recruitment and hiring process – Help retaining diverse candidates – Providers throughout Minnesota All at no cost.

RESOURCES Accommodations / Technical Guidance – Job Accommodation Network Job Accommodation Network – Agency ADA Coordinator/Designee – State ADA Coordinator: Ann Feaman Disability Recruitment – Statewide Recruiter: Elizabeth Nelson – Vocational Rehabilitation Services: Steve Kuntz

RESOURCES Other Resources – State Disability Agencies – provided in handout – Office of Disability Employment Policy: United States Department of LaborUnited States Department of Labor – Ask EARN: Employer Assistance and Resource NetworkEmployer Assistance and Resource Network States as Model Employer Initiative Resources on workplace accessibility, inclusion, recruitment, supervision, and free training resources

COMMERCE CAN DO THIS!! You are ahead of some other agencies- 4% of your workforce has a disability We are in this together and we will learn from each other