Twenty four years ago my son, Jacob, was born with hydrocephalus, or water on the brain. After several surgeries, doctors told us Jacob would be living with both physical and intellectual disabilities. They also told us not to expect much of Jacob in terms of his ability to participate in civic life, community life and in work. And they plunged us into what I now call the “The Tyranny of Low Expectations.”
We know that we need to provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities in the application process, but how about accessibility? Is it really necessary to go that far?
Consider the following example. To make a restroom accessible, we would want to make it large enough for a wheelchair and provide handrails. We would adjust the toilet roll holder to the proper height and install automatic flushing. We might even provide a button to the side of door, to make it easier to open.
I had the great opportunity to attend the U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN) national conference, an annual meeting of companies with a demonstrated commitment to a disability-inclusive workplace. As always, the event was a very fitting prelude to National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The following post was authored by Martha C. Artiles and is being shared with permission from our partner, C5 Consulting LLC. This post is the second post of a two-part series focusing on helping employers build a pipeline for talent with disabilities. Click here to...
The following post was authored by Leslie Long and David Kearon and is being shared with permission from our partner, Autism Speaks. This October marks the 70th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), an opportunity for us all to...
The following post was authored by Martha C. Artiles and is being shared with permission from our partner, C5 Consulting LLC. This post is the first post of a two-part series focusing on helping employers build a pipeline for talent with disabilities. We are all in...
In collaboration with its disability partners, DirectEmployers today announced its participation in National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). This annual awareness campaign is led by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy...