Including Individuals with Disabilities in National and Community Service “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Toll-free hotline: (voice/TTY)

Sampling of Training and Technical Assistance Topics: Values That Guide and Current Best Practices on Inclusion Disclosure Outreach, Recruitment, and Retention Legal Responsibilities Reasonable Accommodations Accessibility and Universal Design Specialized Topics Developing a Collaborative Action Plan for Inclusion The History of the Independent Living Movement Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities Disability Inclusion in Culturally Diverse Communities Tips and Tools to Assist Senior Citizens to Live Independently

Introduction to “disability”

How do you define “disability”?

“ Disability” as Defined by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act & The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities A history or record of such an impairment Being regarded as having such an impairment, even when no limitations exist Someone who has an association with someone with a disability

“Major Life Activity” is Anything an Average Person Can Do with Little or No Difficulty Major life activities include, but are not limited to: - caring for oneself - manual tasks - walking - seeing - hearing - speaking - breathing - learning - working - sitting - standing - lifting - reaching - sleeping - thinking - concentrating - interacting with others

operation of major bodily functions such as the immune system, normal cell growth and the endocrine system. ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) Additions:

“Substantially limits” …unable to perform, or significantly limited in the ability to perform, an activity as compared with an average person. Factors to be considered are: 1.Its nature and severity 2.How long it will last or is expected to last, and 3.Its permanent or long-term impact, or expected impact

Disability Facts According to the 2000 Census there are over 50 million Americans with Disabilities. The United Nations estimates that 10% of the world population has a disability. Many people have disabilities that may not be readily apparent

People First Language The key is to use “person first” language because people with disabilities are human first and have a disability second For example… –“A person who is blind” instead of a “a blind person” –“A student with epilepsy” instead of “an epileptic” –“A boy who has Down’s Syndrome” instead of “a retarded child”

Most often, it’s best to call someone by name, not by a label.

Why do we need to work at creating inclusive service environments?

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 & the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ensures non-discrimination against people with disability Ensures equal access and opportunity

March 31, 2009 House of Representatives passed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. April 21, 2009 President Obama signed the bill into law. Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

The Serve America Act… Emphasizes a commitment to the inclusion of people with disabilities as active participants in national service… Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Disability Inclusion Increases money for outreach and placement Expands to all national service grant programs Allows members to serve up to the equivalent of 2 full-time education awards Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act

Why do you think inclusion is important? Think beyond legislation. How will you communicate to your members/volunteers and colleagues the importance of inclusion? Directions for interactive activity

How can we make programs more inclusive?

Recruitment and Outreach

Images Words Formats Recruiting a diverse pool of volunteers Think about what you say in your recruiting materials Think about the images you use in your recruiting materials Think about what formats you use to recruit your volunteers

What you say “Qualified individuals with disabilities and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. We provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals and conduct all activities in fully accessible settings.” “We are an equal opportunity program or organization.” Words

The images you use Include pictures of people with disabilities in your recruitment materials Communicate to students with disabilities that they will be valued members of your team Communicate to others that your organization values the contribution of all volunteers. Images

The formats you use Ensure that your materials can be accessed by individuals with a varied array of abilities Electronic files can be printed larger, ed to interested students, read by screen reader programs, etc. Have your videos captioned (or caption them yourself in YouTube!) &answer= Formats

How can you make your outreach materials more inclusive? Think about your program. What steps can you take to make your outreach materials more inclusive? What resources do you need to help you make your materials more inclusive?

Inclusive Interviewing

Interview Questions that are OK Are you able to perform the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodations? Can you describe how you would perform the following job functions (followed by a list of service duties)? Ask: –How would you? –What would you do if? –How long would it take to?

Interview Questions that are NOT OK Do you have a disability? Do you have any physical or mental impairments which might limit you in performing this job? Have you ever collected workers’ compensation? What medical conditions do you have? What information can you tell me about your disability?

More Hints on Interviewing...  Offer the availability of accommodations prior to the interview  If someone discloses a disability, offer the availability of and process for acquiring accommodations  Do not ask for details about a requested accommodation during the interview  Not everyone with a disability needs an accommodation  Ask (and document) the same questions of everyone  Ask how the person would accomplish concrete tasks

Access and Accommodation Universal Design, Building Inclusive Teams and Determining Reasonable Accommodation

Access vs. Accommodation What is access? What is accommodation? What is the difference?

What is Access? There are five different types of Access programs should think about… Architectural Programmatic Technology Communication Alternate formats Think outside the box…

What is Universal Design? Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design For example… Curb cuts: used by people using wheelchairs, but also parents pushing strollers, bicycles, travelers with rolling luggage. Closed-captioned television: initially developed for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, but found in gyms, sports bars, and for watching T.V. at home. Curriculum Transformation and Disability. Funded by U.S. Department of Education. Project #P333A Copyright 2000.

Accommodations

38 Accommodations “Accommodations” are technology, services, and changes in policy, procedures, and the built environment that enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions or to equally participate in events and programs - According to the Job Accommodation Network approximately 80% of accommodations cost less than $600 and more than 50% of reported accommodations cost nothing.

Think About Accommodations for… Interviews – Discuss only accommodations the candidate will need to participate in the interview Performing the essential functions of the position – After you offer the position – When someone discloses their disability – Possibly when the member/volunteer has a performance issue. Participating in other program or team-related activities

Tips for Providing Successful Accommodations Develop Written Policies and Procedures Train all staff to recognize and respond to an accommodation request Have a process for Determining Effective Accommodations (and community resources to help) Monitor and Update Accommodations Make sure volunteers know accommodations are available Adapted from “Five Practical Tips for Providing and Maintaining Effective Job Accommodations” from the Job Accommodation Network ( 40

Building an Inclusive Team Environment

How do we create inclusive teams? What shared values make a team inclusive? How can we foster those values on our teams of volunteers? How do you get “buy-in” from all volunteers?

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Contact Information: National Service Inclusion Project [V/TTY] Tom Wirtz: Chad Gobert: