NDEAM 2023
Employer Resources
Inclusive apprenticeship programs help employers access a wider talent pool. Learn how to start or expand an #apprenticeship program: dol.gov/agencies/
The Job Accommodation Network helps employers increase access and opportunity for #PWD, during National Disability Employment Awareness Month and all year long: AskJAN #NDEAM @JANatJAN
Want to cast a wide net when hiring? Make sure you’re not omitting qualified applicants with disabilities. @AskEARN can help employers increase access and opportunity for disabled people AskEARN #NDEAM
Want to hire a diverse, talented workforce? Check out this free online toolkit from @JANatJAN with tools to create a more disability-inclusive and compliant workplace: AskJAN.org/toolkit
Employers: Are you using accessible technology to increase access and opportunity for people with disabilities? The Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology can help: PEATWorks.org #NDEAM @PEATWorks
Learn how @USDOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy helps increase access and opportunity for America’s workers with disabilities and ensure they’re part of our national recovery: dol.gov/agencies/
The Campaign for Disability Employment, an initiative of @USDOL’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, offers PSAs and more that employers can incorporate into National Disability Employment Awareness Month celebrations: WhatCanYouDoCamp
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Are You An Employer Interested in Disability Employment Solutions?
What is JAN?
The Job Accommodations Network, or JAN, is a free online service of the U.S. Department of Labor that helps employers and the community in general to recognize and appreciate the talents and contributions that individuals with disabilities bring to the workplace. JAN offers guidance and technical assistance to employers, individuals with disabilities, and professionals/service providers on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), reasonable accommodations, and everything else pertaining to disability employment. JAN’s full resources can be found on www.askjan.org.
Reasonable Accommodations: Scenarios and Solutions
If you don’t quite have enough time on your hands right now to peruse JAN’s comprehensive website but are interested in learning about some suggested solutions to actual scenarios that employers have brought to JAN’s attention, then this resource was designed with you in mind. Below are some examples by the type of disability.
Intellectual Disability:
A store clerk with an intellectual disability had limited reading skills, making it difficult to return items to the shelf. JAN recommended making picture labels for cases that matched shelf display boxes. This allowed the employee to match pictures, not words, when returning items to the shelf.
Learning Disability:
An employee who had expressive language disorder had difficulty communicating with the supervisor. This employee preferred to read communication, then respond in writing. The supervisor adjusted the method of supervision, whereby communication with this employee occurred through email instead of face to face.
Depression:
An employee returning to work after a stroke was dealing with depression. As a result, the employee’s performance was impaired and the previous supervisory method was no longer effective. The supervisor agreed to meet with the employee weekly to discuss performance and conduct issues that were becoming problematic, as well as put accommodations into place. Among the accommodations: a flexible schedule for health care appointments, a diagram to help with the flow of duties, templates to assist in report writing, and a move to an area with more natural lighting.
Diabetes:
A cafeteria worker with diabetes had difficulty standing in one place for long periods of time. Accommodations included anti-fatigue mats, sit/stand/lean stool, and flexible rest breaks.
Respiratory Impairment:
A hospital worker with COPD had difficulty walking from the employee lot to the work-site. The parking lot was very large and employees parked on a first-come, first-serve basis. JAN suggested providing a reserved parking space close to the work-site.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:
A delivery person with ADHD had difficulty with time management. She spent excessive time making deliveries and would forget to return to the warehouse between daily runs. The employer provided a personal organizer watch that could be programmed to beep and display a written message many times throughout the day. This auditory and written prompt helped the employee move quicker from task to task, and helped remind her to return to the warehouse to gather her next load.
Schizophrenia:
Shirley, a clerical employee with schizophrenia who sat in the middle of a rather large office, was in constant turmoil because she believed her coworkers were plotting behind her back. Although the employer could find no evidence to support this claim, it was very real to Shirley. She was having difficulty functioning as the office centerpiece. The employer could get no medical information because Shirley didn’t believe she had a disability or medical condition, nor did she feel that she had any issues. The employer moved Shirley to a location on the outside perimeter of the large circular office area where she could have her back to the wall and face the other employees. This helped Shirley tremendously in getting her work completed.
Autism Spectrum Disorder:
A new hire at a fast food restaurant is on the autism spectrum. He completed his new job tasks quickly and efficiently but then remained idle until someone told him the next task to perform. The manager complained that the employee “just stands around” and “looks bored.” JAN suggested the use of a job coach to help learn the job and how to stay occupied during down time. JAN also suggested using a pocket-sized flowchart of work tasks that can be done when the employee is at a standstill.
Epilepsy/Seizure Disorder:
An educational consultant with epilepsy had driving restrictions. JAN suggested allowing another team member to drive to site-visit locations and telework whereby she could communicate via e-mail and submit paperwork electronically.
Brain Injury:
A therapist who had short-term memory deficits had difficulty writing case notes from counseling sessions. Accommodation suggestions included: allowing the therapist to tape record sessions and replay them before dictating notes, scheduling 15 minutes at the end of each session to write up hand written notes, and scheduling fewer counseling sessions per day.
Cancer:
A customer service representative recovering from colon cancer had a colostomy bag, which often smelled of feces. When confronted about this problem, the employee said she had been embarrassed about cleaning the bag in the employee restroom so she had not been cleaning it enough. She was provided with a private area to clean her bag.
Paraplegia:
A florist with paraplegia needed a table top that permitted her wheelchair to fit under. The employer purchased her an accessible workstation which enabled her to arrange flowers efficiently.
Heart Condition:
A supervisor with heart disease was limited in the level of physical activity he could exert. The individual was relieved of marginal functions involving manual labor.
Notes:
- Above are real-life scenarios and solutions made by JAN
- Accommodations are on a case by case basis and may not be effective for every
- Aside from the scenarios and solutions, JAN also provides information about:
- Conditions and the ADA,
- Questions that might be considered,
- Key accommodations, and
- Accommodations ideas
JAN Contact Information:
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askjan.org
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(800) 526-7234 (Voice)
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(877) 781-9403 (TTY)
How to Help Employees With Disabilities Thrive | The Way We Work, a TED series
Ability Magazine: Dr. Caren Sax
General
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! Learn more at dol.gov/NDEAM. #NDEAM
Recognizing the importance of ensuring all people have equal opportunity to contribute their skills and talents, this year’s National Disability Employment Awareness Month (#NDEAM) theme is “Advancing Access and Equity.” Learn more at dol.gov/NDEAM.
How are you observing National Disability Employment Awareness Month? dol.gov/NDEAM #NDEAM
What does workplace inclusion look like? Share your images during National Disability Employment Awareness Month. dol.gov/NDEAM #NDEAM
Order your free National Disability Employment Awareness Month poster at dol.gov/NDEAM. #NDEAM
Despite significant job gains over the past two years, many workers are facing higher levels of unemployment. As America’s economy continues to recover, inclusion is key to our success. dol.gov/agencies/odep
Accessibility Tips
As you promote NDEAM through your channels, here are a few tips to help you ensure that your posts are accessible to everyone. For more detailed guidance, visit DigitalGov's social media accessibility toolkit.
- Make sure your profile page includes alternative contact options, like an accessible "contact us" form or toll-free phone number, or an email link to somebody who can assist people with questions.
- Write social media posts informally and in plain language. Avoid abbreviations and spell out acronyms.
- Use @mentions to tag other organizations on social media and use relevant hashtags on keywords and phrases to categorize posts.
- For multi-word hashtags, capitalize the first letters of each section of a compound word (#LikeThisExample).
- Provide closed captioning for YouTube videos. You can do this automatically, or you can add and edit captions manually.
- Add captions to Facebook video posts. Make sure captions are turned on for live videos.
- Link to pages with full captions or transcripts of photos, videos or audio.
- Avoid using emojis, or at least refrain from using excessive emojis in posts.
- Describe your photos in the caption of social media posts on Instagram.
- Turn on image description settings in Twitter and compose descriptive text to make images accessible. Note that this setting doesn’t work for GIFs.
- Add and edit alternative text descriptions to images posted on Facebook.
- If possible, test your tweet with assistive technology before posting it.
For additional resources regarding social media accessibility, visit the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology at PEATworks.org.