June 2008
Monthly Archive
Disability Resource – American’s with Disabilities Act
admin 27 Jun 2008 | : ADA Amendment Act, Resources
I wanted to share this resource with you. It’s a blog written by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) that has all of the latest information and news about the ADA Restoration Act of 2008. For businesses, service agencies, and people with disabilities – this has been a HOT topic. The site also has a great overview of the act that I’ve attached here. It’s 4-pages long and much easier to read than some of the other documents I’ve ran across.
Here is the link to the blog: http://adarestoration.blogspot.com/. I’ve also included it in on the Blog Roll.
Disability Testing & Evaluation: How to Reduce Customer Anxiety
admin 17 Jun 2008 | : Testing & Evaluation
Many workforce development agencies provide some sort of assessment to measure their customer’s reading and math skills. In most cases, this is done to determine the need for basic skills assistance or to qualify the customer for other services. Many of you have probably already witnessed that using the word “test” often raises the anxiety level of a person just by its mentioning. The following are a few tips you can use to explain the need for this type of assessment without having your customer exit out through the back door before they’ve even started.
You should always:
- Clearly explain the reason why you’re giving the assessment (don’t call it a test). There is often a fear of failure associated with tests. Spell it out in simple terms, but more importantly, let your customers know that the purpose of the assessment is to qualify them for services NOT to screen them out.
- If your customer was referred by another agency, always check to see if similar tests were given somewhere else. There is no reason to re-administer an assessment if current results from an acceptable tool already exist.
- Know how to provide testing accommodations if they are requested. A word of caution…make sure if you make any alterations to the assessment yourself, you don’t invalidate the results. For example, if you have a customer that is unable to read the assessment due to a visual impairment, it may be okay to read the math portion of the assessment, but certainly not okay to read the reading portion.
You should be able to find helpful testing accommodation suggestions for most assessments on the publisher’s website. For the CASAS or the Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System, you can call (800) 255-1036 or visit: http://snipurl.com/2tpyh.
Disability & Reasonable Accommodations: Every Agency Needs a Policy
admin 13 Jun 2008 | : Reasonable Accommodations
I’ve worked with a large number of One-Stop agencies across the state of California. As part of my technical assistance and training, we often engage staff in a conversation around the agency’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy. I’m often surprised at the number of staff that are either unaware of whether they actually have a policy (most do) or what exactly the policy says. Now, we all know if you haven’t had to use certain information, what often happens is that you hear it once, you store the information away somewhere, and you move on to issues that are more pressing. If you don’t use it, you lose it. Right?
As a good rule of thumb, I’d like to suggest the following…and I’m saying this from the perspective of a consultant who has seen what can happen when you don’t do these things…First, locate your policy. As I mentioned before, most of you will find that you DO have one. If the policy is more than two years old, review it for accuracy and make sure that the contact information and instructions still make sense. Next, get your staff together and share and discuss the policy with EVERYONE. Interestingly, I’ve found that for some reason, the person who answers the phones or sits at the front desk isn’t included in the EVERYONE. In a Secret Shopper survey we conducted, I can tell you that excluding administrative staff in this discussion led to a significant amount of misinformation going to the public. These are your gatekeepers! If anyone needs to be trained on your policies and procedures, it’s the person or persons who interact most with your customers. Lastly, put a 20 minute placeholder for policy review on your staff meeting agenda every quarter. With staff turnover and the many other things that fill our days, a review of the information will make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Disability & Accessibility: Where Does it Begin?
admin 10 Jun 2008 | : Accessibility
I’m often asked the question by One-Stops and other public agencies providing community services: Where does accessibility begin? My response: Accessibility begins at the first point of contact for your customer. Whether that’s over the phone, at the bus stop, or through your outreach materials, as providers, your responsibility is to ensure that all points of entry are welcoming, safe, and accessible.
If it’s over the phone, be sure to mention that reasonable accommodations are available for customers with disabilities. If customers travel to your location via public transportation, don’t forget that they should be able to safely get to your front door. This is often referred to as the “path of travel.” As a public service provider, how a customer gets to your agency is just as important as what happens when they get inside. Last, but not least, don’t forget to include disability-related information in your outreach materials. If you are a federally funded agency, in addition to your Equal Opportunity taglines, you also need to include a TTY or Telecommunication Relay Service number if you include your phone number. This is for your customers that may need an alternate way to get in touch with you. More tips to come!
Disability Interview Strategies – Tip #5
admin 06 Jun 2008 | : Interview Strategies
Tip #5: Practice, practice, practice! Don’t go to a job interview thinking you will be able to “wing it,” especially as it relates to addressing your disability. Often, when we’re nervous, we will either say too much or too little. It’s always best to script out what you will say, anticipate possible questions, and then practice your response. Get the advice of a trusted friend or colleague. Go in prepared to dazzle them!
Disability Interview Strategies – Tip #4
admin 03 Jun 2008 | : Interview Strategies
Tip #4: Don’t let your disability define you. You are a combination of many wonderful skills and abilities. The more positive you are, the more an employer will focus on your attributes. Remember – you are a job candidate that just happens to have a disability. Keep the focus on YOU!
