DO-IT - Veterans Center

How can workplaces be more inclusive of colleagues who are deaf or hard of hearing?

lylac — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 17:36:14 +0000

Much can be done to make a workspace more accessible to and inclusive of colleagues who are deaf or hard of hearing. Universal design can provide a framework for doing so by underpinning practices that can be applied proactively to make a welcoming and environment and to ensure that appropriate accommodations are available specific individuals. Aspects of the work environment to consider are in-person, remote, and hybrid presentations and professional development; in-person and remote meetings and discussions; and conversations and networking.

The Mind Hears offers guidance to employers for making their workplaces more accessible to and inclusive of individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. For a comprehensive list of ideas consult What can you do to improve the academic workplace for your deaf and hard-of-hearing colleagues?

Where can I learn about experiences of individuals with disabilities in their own words?

lylac — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 21:40:36 +0000

There are many ways to learn about the experiences of people with disabilities, even if you do not interact with them directly. Many books and articles offer stories about people with disabilities, but many people with disabilities have also shared their own experiences through books, articles, videos, blog posts, and other sources.

You can locate autobiographies written by people who have disabilities in collections like 8 Memoirs Written by People Living with a Disability and In Their Own Words: Memoirs ��ԭ�� Living With Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses, or by searching at an online bookstore for "autobiographies of people with disabilities."

To find first-person stories that are freely available on the internet you can use general terms like "disability" or more specific ones like "autism" to search in large video collections (e.g., YouTube, TED, TEDx) to locate videos where individuals with disabilities speak for themselves.

You can also find first-person testimonials of people with disabilities in video and written formats in specialized collections, including the following:

What are best practices for recruiting and retaining employees with disabilities?

lylac — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 22:04:50 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

In a study by Erickson, W. A., Schrader, S. von, Bruyère, S. M., & VanLooy, S. A., best practices reported to increase hiring people with disabilities included:

offering internships for people with disabilities
having strong management commitment
including people with disabilities in organizational goals
actively recruiting people with disabilities
including people with disabilities in a diversity plan

If companies recruit and hire people with disabilities, more applicants with disabilities may apply for future jobs. Employees with disabilities can help to recruit people with disabilities, support a disability-focused employee network, and create partnerships with disability-related advocacy organizations. The employer could create a centralized accommodation fund in order to ensure that departments hiring an individual with a disability do not bear the financial burden if accommodations are required. Employers should also provide a formal process for requesting and receiving accommodations, and otherwise ensure an inclusive culture.

Find more information about the study in Erickson, W. A., Schrader, S. von, Bruyère, S. M., & VanLooy, S. A. (2014). The Employment Environment: Employer Perspectives, Policies, and Practices Regarding the Employment of Persons With Disabilities. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin, 57(4), 195–208. https://doi.org/10.1177/0034355213509841

You may also wish to consider reading these related knowledge base articles: What strategies are companies using to recruit employees with autism spectrum disorder? And Why should a company hire a person with a disability?

What barriers exist in recruiting employees and interns with disabilities?

lylac — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 22:02:04 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Employers may encounter a variety of barriers to recruiting interns with disabilities. These include:

Inaccessible websites. If the job application is inaccessible, individuals with disabilities cannot apply. Promoting accessibility within a company can help to prevent such issues.
Difficulty connecting with candidates with disabilities. Companies may find reaching out to disability services offices at universities to be a good way to find students with disabilities interested in applying for jobs and internships. Other sources for candidates include social service agencies such as the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, veterans service offices, and Centers for Independent Living. AccessComputing Industry Partners program, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science EntryPoint! internship program can also help connect employers with students.
Candidates don’t feel welcome during the job application process. Creating an environment that is welcoming and where applicants feel comfortable disclosing their disability can attract more applicants with disabilities to an employer.

For additional resources and information you may also be interested in What strategies are companies using to recruit employees with autism spectrum disorder?, Where can I find interns and employees with disabilities?, and Why should a company hire a person with a disability?

Finding the Right Fit: A Case Study on Researching Colleges

lylac — Tue, 20 Nov 2018 22:17:54 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

Background

My name is Sara. I have a genetic disease called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). EDS is largely an invisible disability. It causes systemic health issues, including gastrointestinal issues, visual impairment, chronic pain, and joint problems that can affect mobility. Rest and self-care are my best options when my symptoms are exacerbated.

Access Issue

I began my postsecondary education at an institution with a high stress culture with a high level expectations regarding the amount of school work to be completed. My accommodations at school included extended time on tests, permission to type exams, and flexibility on deadlines and attendance requirements. I was frequently ill and needed to rest and struggled to get extensions on due dates. My professors and services were not as flexible as I needed them to be.

Solutions

Ultimately, the culture of the institution was not a good fit. I decided to seek out a school that was more welcoming of students with disabilities. I transferred to a community college where my professors and the disability services office have been more supportive and flexible. The expectations placed on me are reasonable and my health has been more stable here. As I prepare to transfer to a four-year school, I am visiting campuses to get a feel for the academic environment and overall attitudes toward disability. I will talk with the staff at accessible technology services and hope to talk to current students with disabilities to hear about their experiences.

Conclusion

Schools vary with regard to their overall cultures and environments for students with disabilities. Students may find that some schools are more welcoming and supportive. Researching schools by visiting and talking to faculty, staff, and students with disabilities can help prospective students with disabilities determine whether the school is a good fit for them.

For more information, read What are typical accommodations for students with health impairments?, How can a student with a health impairment maintain participation in classroom discussions when she is frequently absent?, and AccessCollege: A Promising Practice in Making Postsecondary Institutions Welcoming and Accessible to Students with Disabilities.

What are tips for maximizing the value of a virtual career fair experience?

lylac — Wed, 16 May 2018 22:03:27 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

College students often attend career fairs to prepare for graduation and plan their future in the workforce. Some recruiters set up “virtual job fairs” that take place online rather than in person on a college campus. For students with disabilities, these may provide a way to engage with potential employers without needing to be at a crowded event. But how do they work? Are they beneficial?

Virtual career fairs take place in many different online environments. These could be chat rooms, webinars, webcasts, or other teleconferencing software. There is often a way for job seekers to upload their resumes so that recruiters have access to them.

Here are some tips on maximizing the value of a virtual career fair:

Look for a fair that has a variety of employers present.
Have your resume ready to upload or reference.
Prepare questions to ask the recruiters.
Test your equipment! Technical issues do come up so give yourself extra time to get set up.
Dress appropriately, especially if there is a video component of the fair.
If you require a screen reader to access the fair, contact the host in advance to ask if the program is accessible via your technology or ask for a test run.
Companies usually have specific windows of time that they are available to chat with participants—keep track of who you want to talk to and when.

Virtual fairs work for some people but not for everyone. If you are curious, it never hurts to try. Beginning a job search can be overwhelming, but being open to new ideas and experiences will give you the tools to succeed in getting your dream job.

For additional information and resources explore the Employment Office section of the AccessCollege website. The site helps students with disabilities prepare for careers and includes useful print and video resources.

What language should I use to talk about people with disabilities?

lylac — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 19:25:07 +0000

Date Updated:

04/07/21

Refer to a person's disability only if it is relevant to the conversation. Avoid negative descriptions of a person's disability. For example, "a person who uses a wheelchair" is more appropriate than "a person confined to a wheelchair," which is both inaccurate and negative in tone; people who use wheelchairs are not “confined” to them, they are empowered by them with the gift of mobility.

Many people with disabilities prefer language that mentions the person first and then the disability. They consider, for example "A man who is blind" preferable to "a blind man.”

The Disability Language Style Guide from the National Center on Journalism and Disability (NCJD) at Arizona State University can provide more detailed guidance. The guide covers general terms and words related to specific disabilities. Entries include a definition of the term, background about its use or origin, any guidance on the term that is in The Associated Press Stylebook, and a recommendation from the NCJD, which “strives for accuracy and aims to strike a balance between clarity and sensitivity.”

Find more information about communication with and about individuals with disabilities in What are some hints for communicating with individuals who have disabilities?

What strategies are companies using to recruit employees with autism spectrum disorder?

lylac — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 20:30:05 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

A large portion of individuals with ASD are unemployed although many of them are capable of working. Students with ASD often find it difficult to communicate in a traditional interview format. Some companies, both in the US and abroad, have enacted programs to specifically recruit employees with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Examples of these recruitment efforts and programs include:

Microsoft has launched a program to hire individuals with ASD. Through the program, candidates go through workshop and have access to job coaches.
SAP’s Autism at Work program recruits employees with ASD and works to ensure they have multiple sources of support.
Google has partnered with the Lime Connect network to recruit interns who identify as being on the Autism Spectrum and are interested in a technical internship in Software Engineering.
Autism @ Work Roundtable offers a simple way for candidates to see the type of roles and skill sets each position is hiring for and how to apply. The roles listed are all based in the US and at various locations per company.
Dell Technologies' Neurodiversity Program provides an interview process that is designed for Neurodivergent candidates for both internship and full-time employment.
In the UK, the analytics company SAS offers work experience with ASD. SAS supports interns and employees with ASD by training existing employees, adjusting the interview process, and providing written instructions to interns.
In Australia, Hewlett Packard’s Dandelion program includes an extended interview process, coaching on life skills, and training for hiring managers.

For more information on ASD consult the Knowledge Base articles, What is Asperger's Disorder? and What is Autism?

How can you make your presentation accessible?

lylac — Wed, 18 May 2016 18:59:16 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

It is common to give a presentation at a conference with accompanying visuals. But what if there are individuals in the audience who are blind, have low vision, or are at a great distance from the screen so that they cannot see the visuals clearly or at all? What if there are individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing in the audience and cannot hear your presentation clearly or at all? You can employ presentation practices that ensure that everyone, even those with sensory impairments, can access the content of your presentation.

Several popular presenters suggest strategies for designing an accessible presentation. The following strategies are recommended by Richard Ladner, PI of the AccessComputing Alliance at the ��ԭ��:

Minimize the number of slides. No one wants to be shot with a fire hose while trying to understand your talk.
Use high contrast colors. Audience members with low vision or color blindness will appreciate it.
Do not use color as the only method for distinguishing information.
Use large (at least 24 point), simple, san serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Verdana, Helvetica) that can be easily read by most individuals from the back of a large room.
Minimize the amount of text on slides. When you advance a slide, pause to let people read it before saying anything. This will allow people who are deaf and everyone else in the audience to read the slide before you start talking. Read the text on the slide to make sure people who are blind in the audience know what is on the slide.
Limit the number of visuals on slides. Images that are used should be described so that people who are blind in the audience will know what image is being displayed. Graphs and charts should be described and summarized.
Avoid presenting images of complex charts or tables. Make graphics as simple as possible. No one wants to read a complicated graphic when there are only a few important facts about it. Save the complicated graphic for the paper.
Control the speed of animations so they can be described fully.
Make sure that videos are captioned and audio described. Sometimes it is good to give a brief description of what is in the video before it is played. This will help audience members who are blind to establish context for what they will hear.
Ensure the question and answer period is accessible. If there is a microphone for questioners, make sure they use it. Otherwise, repeat the questions so everyone can hear them.

For more information, consult Making Your Conference Talk Accessible. Additionally, a comprehensive checklist, presented within the universal design framework, is provided by the DO-IT Center. Entitled Equal Access: Universal Design of Your Presentation and authored by Sheryl Burgstahler, the Director of the DO-IT Center and Co-PI of AccessComputing, this publication organizes suggestions under headings of presentation facilities, preparation, presentation materials, presentation handouts, and delivery. It also includes communication tips for communicating with people who have specific types of disabilities.

For more information on how to make your PowerPoint presentation more accessible consult the Knowledge Base article, How do I make my online PowerPoint presentation accessible?

How can I better understand what it’s like to have a learning disability?

lylac — Fri, 02 Oct 2015 19:29:20 +0000

Date Updated:

05/23/22

A learning disability is a neurological disorder resulting from a difference in the way a person’s brain (LD) is wired when compared to most people. Someone with a learning disability may have difficulty reading, writing, spelling, reasoning, recalling, or organizing. LDs cannot be cured or fixed. However, with the right support and intervention, people with LDs can succeed in school and go on to successful careers. People with learning disabilities often think outside of the box, seeing solutions to problems that someone else may not see. People with learning disabilities bring different strengths to the table and diversity in problem solving approaches.

To glimpse into how people with different learning disabilities process the world, try out the exercises from PBS’s Misunderstood Minds.