Employers are discovering that government reopening policies can make the workplace less accessible to their employees with disabilities creating the need for new ADA accommodations.
We are also noticing that more employees with disabilities are disclosing that disability due to the need for ADA accommodations related to the pandemic.
As we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the ADA, we are discovering that ADA accommodations can be play an important role in a thoughtful and successful business reopening.
Participants learned how to change your response to such situations from “Oh, I never thought about that” to “I’m glad I thought about that.”
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 – Many Happy Returns”: Using the ADA Interactive Accommodations Process as Part of Your Successful Reopening Strategy
In this webinar we learned about the “Interactive Process” for requesting ADA accommodations and how to use this process and why utilizing it can help you address employee concerns as you reopen your business.
- Step by step instructions for implementing this process.
- How to prepare for increased accommodations requests
- How to use this process as part of a strategy for a “smooth” reopening
- How to include information about ADA accommodations in your employee communications
- How you can use the ADA interactive process to address employee concerns about the reopening of your business
- “Interactive Process” for requesting ADA accommodations, how to use this process and why it can help you address employee concerns as you reopen your business.
Participants learned creative strategy for the “new normal” which can help create a reopening process marked by “many happy returns.”
Tuesday, August 18, 2020 – “Do Virtual Rooms Have Stairs?”: Creating a Barrier Free Virtual Workplace
When our businesses closed in response to the pandemic, we sent our employees home with a laptop and the belief that they would be returning to their offices sooner rather than later. A growing number of businesses have been moving to virtual workplaces and the COVID-19 pandemic is accelerating this trend. This has been driven by the fact that:
- Businesses which moved to a virtual office because of the pandemic have discovered the advantages of a remote workplace.
- Some employees are reluctant to return to the office because of the safety issues caused by the pandemic and others like working from home.
The workplace disruptions caused by the pandemic resulted in accommodations requests being held until there is a return to business as usual. We now realize that it will be a long time, if ever, before we return to business as usual. In addition, many businesses were reluctant to take the time or make the investment in ADA accommodations necessitated by what appeared to be this “temporary” virtual office.
Once we have determined that working from home will become long term policy, how can we ensure that employees with disabilities have the accommodations necessary to fulfill the essential functions of their jobs? Participants learned about accommodations for employee with disabilities who work from home.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020 – Inclusive Virtual Recruiting: How to Ensure that Your Virtual Job Fairs and Recruitment Efforts are Accessible to Job Seekers with Disabilities
The Covid 19 pandemic has resulted the transition of career fairs and other recruiting events to a virtual platform. Join us as we learn how to create virtual career fairs which are accessible to job seekers with disabilities. We will address the use of virtual platforms, setting up virtual interview spaces, virtual “booths” and other strategies for a successful and accessible career fair.
The webinar covered the challenges faced by businesses as they reopen in an environment which can impact ADA accommodations. We will review some of these challenges and share true stories of creative solutions for situations where safety guidelines triggered the need for new ADA accommodations.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 – Inclusive Virtual Recruiting: How to Ensure that Your Virtual Job Fairs and Recruitment Efforts are Accessible to Job Seekers with Disabilities
Recent events have highlighted the fact that we still have a long way to go and lots of room to improve business practices which can increase opportunities for diverse and underrepresented groups including job seekers with disabilities.
In addition, the Covid 19 pandemic has resulted in the transition of all recruiting to a virtual platform. The webinar provided an unprecedented opportunity to create inclusive virtual recruiting tools which will allow you to recruit in a manner which will diversify your workforce. Doing so ensures that your virtual recruiting practices are accessible to job seekers with disabilities, an important part of your Diversity and Inclusion strategy.
Participants learned how to create virtual recruiting tools and career fairs which are accessible to job seekers with disabilities. The session addressed the use of virtual platforms, setting up virtual interview spaces, virtual “booths” and other strategies for a successful individual interviews and creative strategies for accessible career fairs.
This webinar was a great opportunity to ensure that your company is taking advantage of this opportunity to create inclusive virtual recruiting practices designed to assist you in recruiting and hiring the best candidate from a diverse talent pool.
Friday, October 2, 2020 – Connecticut Business Virtual Matchmaker Sponsored by the Entrepreneurial Center of the University of Hartford in partnership with Disability:IN Connecticut.
Wednesday, October 8, 2020 – Webinar: Hosting Accessible and Inclusive Online Meetings Sponsored by Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) a Disability:IN Connecticut allied organization.