south carolina inclusion training

Including Individuals in National and Community Service in

South Carolina

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org

Toll-free hotline: 888-491-0326 (voice/TTY)

National Partnerships

The National Service Inclusion Project partners with the following organizations to further enable all CNCS grantees to collaborate with the disability community. These disability organizations are committed to promoting national service and volunteerism as a valued option for individuals with disabilities to their respective communities.

Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD)

Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD)

National Down Syndrome Congress (NDSC)

National Council on Independent Living (NCIL)

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

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…


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 educations awards


Facilitates (more) inclusion by:– Authorizing a significant increase in the funding

available for disability inclusion activities BUT remember authorization does not equal appropriation

– Authorizing the use of inclusion funds across all national service programs, for e.g.

• Reasonable Accommodations funds are now available for other national service program participants, as applicable

• Training and technical assistance extends to grantees and potential grantees


In Summary…Letter and Spirit of the Serve America Act encourages…

– Partnering/Collaborating– Going outside of our usual comfort zones

… to improve lives and communities through service and volunteering


• What experiences do you have with the inclusion of people with disabilities?

• If you were here for the last training on disability inclusion what was your most important “take away”?

• What are you hoping to learn today?

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:

operation of major bodily functions such as the immune system, normal cell growth and the endocrine system.

http://www.jan.wvu.edu/bulletins/adaaa1.htm

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:

5. Its nature and severity6. How long it will last or is expected to last, and7. Its permanent or long-term impact, or expected

impact

Exclusions from Coverage Defined by the Law

• Current drug use is not protected by the ADA

• Temporary, non-chronic impairments that do not last for a long time and that have little or no long term 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

LanguageWhy should you avoid saying…

- “cripple”?- Derived from an old German term

“kripple” which means “to be without power” which is completely untrue

- “handicapped”?- Comes from a history of people with

disabilities having to beg “cap in hand” because they were not allowed to work

- “wheelchair bound”?- A wheelchair is a means for mobility and

freedom, not something that restricts anyone

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 is Inclusion Important? - What do YOU think is the most important

reason to be more inclusive of people with disabilities?

- Share your reason with your group.

- As a group, combine your reasons to create a 30 second (or less) “sound bite” to explain why disability inclusion is important to national service programs.

Myths and Facts About Disability

Use your “myth” and “fact” cards to indicate if you think the statement is true or false.

“We’d love to be more inclusive, but accommodations are just too

expensive so we can’t afford to have volunteers with disabilities.”

That’s a myth.

Most workers with disabilities require no special accommodations. For those who do, studies by the Job Accommodation Network have shown that 15% of accommodations cost nothing, 51% cost between $1 and $500, 12% cost between $501 and $1,000, and 22% cost more than $1,000.

“I’d like him to join our team because I think people with

disabilities can add to the diversity of our organization.”

That’s a Fact.

People with disabilities, like other members of your organization, have unique experiences and perspectives that can add to the diversity of ideas in your organization.

“The ADA forces programs to include unqualified individuals

with disabilities as members and volunteers.”

That is a myth.

Applicants who are unqualified for a position cannot claim discrimination under the ADA. Under the ADA, to be protected from discrimination in hiring or placing in a service position, an individual with a disability must be qualified, which means he or she must meet all requirements for a position and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

http://www.dol.gov/odep/pubs/fact/ada.htm

“People with disabilities are inspirational and courageous.”

Sometimes that’s true, often it’s a myth.

• People with disabilities are simply carrying on normal activities of living when they work at their jobs, go grocery shopping, pay their bills, or compete in athletic events.

• Of course, people with disabilities who do heroic things are heroes

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, emailed to interested students, read by screen reader programs, etc.

• Have your videos captioned (or caption them yourself in YouTube!)

• http://www.google.com/support/youtube/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=100077

Formats

Inclusive Service Descriptions

• In your group, think of two ways you could change this service description to make it more accessible to candidates with disabilities

• Where might you go to recruit qualified individuals with disabilities for this position?

• What information do you think might be missing from this service description?

Elements of a Service Description

• Service position title• Full or part time• Supervisor/title• Service position

summary• Essential functions• Marginal functions• Working

relationships

• Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Academic qualifications

• Service conditions• Physical, emotional,

intellectual demands • Equipment used

Inclusive Service Descriptions

What is Essential?• Position exists to perform a specific function• Limited number of others who can do the function• Function is specialized; person selected because of

expertise

What is Marginal?• Tasks are preferential or secondary to essential

functions• Can be traded or done by another volunteer

Where can you recruit interested people with disabilities?

• Disability organizations

• College and University Offices for Students with Disabilities

• US Department of Veteran’s Affairs

• State and local Vocational Rehabilitation Agencies

Inclusive Recruitment =

A Larger Pool of Talented Applicants

Inclusive Interviewing and Selection

What is a “Qualified Individual with a Disability”?

• Someone who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without accommodations

• Someone who meets the qualifications/certifications that the program has in place

• Remember, someone may be able to perform an essential function in an unexpected way

Inclusive InterviewingMeet Carrie and Warren…

If you were Carrie what questions would you ask in your interview with Warren?–Using the position description and

what you know about the essential functions of this position work with your table to write at least three interview questions.

Warren arrives for the interview a few minutes early and views the service site. He is amazed at the inclusive space and depictions of people with disabilities participating. A few moments later, Carrie arrives to greet Warren.

"Hello Warren. How are you doing?"

"Hello. I’m fine. And yourself?"

"I’m fine, thanks. My name is Carrie, the service manager with AmeriCorps who spoke with you on the phone. I will be conducting the interview with you today. Please follow me and discuss the position in my office."

"Great. I look forward to learning more about the organization."

"I became interested in service when I was in the library, completing some work of my own, when I saw several service volunteers completing an activity with students. Their position was precisely in line with the kind of work I want to do. After discussing service further with the representative at the career fair and reading through your website, I think providing service to the community while fulfilling my own goals makes this a really good fit.” "That’s great. We like to hear that. With your interest in tutoring and the position you applied for, do you have any experience in this area?" "Right now, my experience has been in the tutoring classroom, working with students on their reading and basic writing. Teaching, especially teaching reading, has always been my passion. Outside of the classroom, I read for pleasure as often as possible."

"First of all, what initially interested you in service?" "I have always been interested in tutoring students. I have always enjoyed the time I spent in the classroom, regardless of whether I am in the learning or teaching position.”

"I can tell you’re very passionate about performing this kind of service. There can be times, however, where any work can be difficult or discouraging. Can you name a situation where you overcame a unique learning challenge with a student?" "I can, actually. I myself have a disability. In part, my own experience has shaped my interest in and dedication to tutoring."

"Your dedication is wonderful to hear. Just to let you know, we are an inclusive organization and provide accommodations for disabilities on request."

"Ok, good. Thanks for telling me."

“Not all students may share your dedication, however, in this area. How would you handle difficult or unruly students in the classroom?” “I think that can be a problem. Sometimes, even the most dedicated students can find the subject material difficult or frustrating. Other times, students are not in the right mindset to want to learn. In order to overcome this, I try to vary my approach with tutoring. You can’t only hang over the student and listen to them trying to read a sentence. You have to engage them with active storytelling, group activities, and even pneumonic devices to help students remember different reading strategies.”

“Great answer. Well, Warren, let me tell you a little more about the program. A position in service will run for a total of 1700 hours over the course of a 10 month period. During this time, you will receive a monthly stipend as well as an educational award for the work completed. At the end of satisfactory service, you can apply for another term. Do you have any questions for me?”

“The only question I have is about the selection process. Where will you go from here?”

“That’s a good question. I’m in the process of interviewing a few more candidates and should have an answer for you within a few days.”

“That’s fine.”

“I also just want to say again how exciting this position sounds and how much I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks for speaking with me today.”

“Thanks for stopping by. We’ll be in touch soon.”

If you agree, hold up a GREEN cardIf you disagree, hold up a RED card

1. “Carrie asked appropriate questions”2. “Warren is a good candidate for this position”3. “I want to know more about Warren’s disability”4. “Warren should not have mentioned his disability

during the interview”5. “The interview went well”

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?

Reasons for not Disclosing

• Culture of program environment– “Gossipy”– Excessively competitive– Racially insensitive

• Fear of potential reactions• Refusal by others to share equipment• Not relevant

• Stigma associated with disability

• Need to disclose to other people outside of service program first

*Information collected by research project at ICI

Impact for not Disclosing• Social isolation

– Did not get close to people for fear of personal questions

• Feel compelled to misrepresent– Explained medical appointments by saying she was part of

nutrition study– One individual told others she had a different diagnosis

• Unable to request accommodations

• Report less support than people who did disclose

• Stress of keeping the secret

*Information collected by research project at ICI

Things to Remember about Disclosure

- It is up to each individual to: - Decide if they wish to disclose their disability- Decide how much information they wish to disclose about their

disability- Decide who has access to information about their disability

• If an individual discloses a disability, that information must be maintained confidentially and cannot be disclosed to others

–May share information regarding disabilities if member provides approval in writing or alternative verifiable method

– HR personnel and supervisors are trained/informed in the confidentiality of medical, disability and accommodation-related information

Interview Inquiries and the Law

• No disability–related questionsverbal or written

• Questions should relate only to position requirements

• No medical examinations prior to offer of position

• Medical examinations allowed after offer of position (only if required of all members)

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

What if…• You have two equally qualified candidates,

one who has a disability and one who does not have a disability? – How would you choose?

– What factors would you consider?

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 #P333A990015. Copyright 2000.

Universal Design in Your Program

• Work with a partner to read through and discuss the questions on the Universal Design handout

• Make a list of three concrete things you can do to make your program more universally accessible.

• At your table compile a tip sheet for applying the principles of Universal Design to trainings for members and volunteers.

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?

Accommodations

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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 availableAdapted from “Five Practical Tips for Providing and Maintaining Effective

Job Accommodations” from the Job Accommodation Network (www.askjan.org)

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Examples of Accommodations “Because I’m blind doesn’t mean that

I’m not intelligent, and it doesn’t mean that I can’t contribute. Because I need some accommodation or help in some areas, doesn’t mean that I don’t have a lot of tools that I can use in general society. I can read and write and think and do physical labor probably as well as the next person given the appropriate tools.”

-Steve Hoad Former AmeriCorps member with Maine

Conservation Corps

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Examples of Accommodations

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“I am considered a low vision person so reading is very difficult for me…I have a special reading glass at home but I wouldn’t bring it in because it’s difficult. I read with one eye. I don’t want the kids to realize that I am that disabled. that’s part of my problem maybe. Because they don't see me as that. I am the grandma that has to be read to. So, they read to me.”

-Ruth KofflerUnion-Snyder Foster Grandparent

Program

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Examples of Accommodations

“I work with AmeriCorps Service for 1 year. I have no interpreter. I only need an interpreter for meetings. I don't need that for work. I just write a note with some members and I taught some members some basic sign language like: "work, breaktime, what, where, why, toilet, see you later, bye, and hi". I can read lips a little bit, not long sentences just two or three words.”

-Kevin PachioHoopa AmeriCorps on Native Lands

Accommodation Case Studies

• Group according to your program’s primary focus

• Discuss each member/volunteer…– What questions would you ask?

– What accommodations might you try?

– Where would you go to get support/assistance?

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Click to edit Master title styleContact Information:

National Service Inclusion Project888.491.0326 [V/TTY]

[email protected]

www.SERVICEandINCLUSION.org

south carolina inclusion training

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