Ms. Bartlett’s disability is mostly an awkward gait and slurred speech but says that her main source of anxiety is not the strain of steps and crowds in the subway but rather the inappropriate and downright mean comments people make to her.  She has been referred to as mentally backward by a fellow bus rider, a retard by someone in a club and waitresses routinely ask her companion what she wants to order.  She says that she has even been brushed off by police when reporting suspicious behavior like nearly being attacked by a homeless man.

Ms. Bartlett believes that since most people have no experience with successful people with disabilities, they are left to rely on stereotypes and in doing so, have no tact.  She wonders if these people think she cannot hear or can’t process their comments.  She states, “Sometimes I feel like screaming: Hello!  There’s a human being in here and she is registering your stupidity”.

I thought I would share this with Springboard’s friends to illustrate yet another illustration of the importance of disability etiquette & awareness training when and wherever possible.

 Nadine

Paul established a samba school for people with disabilities following his own experience with a hernia in 2006 which left him unable to participate in Rio’s carnival. In 2008, his samba students, all of whom have disabilities ranging from physical disabilities that require the use of a wheelchair to students who are deaf, blind and have Down Syndrome. 

This year, Volkswagen backed the students’ entry, allowing them to have a float and costumes for the very first time.  What a wonderful celebration!  For those who are not familiar with Brazil, there are approximately 30 million adults with disabilities living in the country.

When my girls were younger I can recall many an instance where friends of ours who had children with special needs were at a complete loss when their children would reach their lifetime health benefits by their first or second birthday.  This will certainly make a difference to families in those situations.

Nadine

Shelley

If you are a federal government employee and would like to get involved with this consortium, visit www.fdwc.wordpress.com.

Nadine

This law is enforced by OFCCP within the U.S. Department of Labor.

Shelley

The award recognizes and honors the outstanding contributions and achievements of the nation’s Top 25 diversity council groups that lead diversity processes in their organizations and have demonstrated results in their workforce, workplace and marketplace.  

What I found to be very interesting was the fact that four of this year’s winners have also been Disability Matters award winners.  A coincidence?  I doubt it.

Springboard would like to congratulate Cisco, Kaiser Permanente, Prudential Financial and McDonalds for their ongoing leadership in disability and diversity.

Nadine

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) in order to invite the general public to provide input on how OFCCP can strengthen the affirmative action requirements of, the regulations implementing Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Section 503).

The Section 503 ANPRM was published in the Federal Register on July 23, 2010. All comments must be received on or before September 21, 2010.

An ANPRM is a formal notice to the general public by a government agency that they intend to create new regulations or modify existing regulations.  Read more at www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/sec503/sec503_frequently_asked_questions.htm

Shelley

 So what’s a company to do?  Make sure all call center staff are trained on disability etiquette & awareness, ensure all of the computer systems meet current accessibility guidelines and make sure the reps know how to use the systems to ensure accessibility for all who need it.  Also, remember to include an option of speaking to an operator in the initial voice response menu but allow for the system to automatically transfer the caller to the operator if no option is chosen.

At the end of the day, it’s about good business.  The disability community is the largest and fastest growing minority market in the world, in the U.S., surpassing the Hispanic population by 5%.  As the population gets older and more veterans return home with service related disabilities, these numbers are only going to grow.  These individuals have interests in your products and services, have money to spend but will not do so if they are not treated appropriately.

Nadine

Do you agree?  I can tell you that my older daughter, an American adult with disabilities who is completing her freshman year of college, certainly does.  If you do agree, what do you think colleges and companies should be doing to positively reinforce this belief?  Do you know of colleges and companies who are already doing great things in this arena?  Let us know.

Nadine