Transcript ADA and Right to Work Part I. Business Tool Kit

Rhode Island Rep. Jim Langevin (D) presides
over the floor at the House chamber rostrum
on the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
From NBC's Kelly O'Donnell
It is unlawful to discriminate in employment
against a qualified individual with a disability.
Protects the rights of people with disabilities:
– All aspects of employment: hiring
and firing, salaries and promotions,
and training and fringe benefits
– Access of public services and
transportation
– Access in public buildings:
restaurants, stores, hotels
The New Freedom Initiative
• Emphasizes the role telework can have
for expanding employment
opportunities for persons with
disabilities.
• Helps Americans with disabilities
integrate into the workforce.
Goals:
• Increase access to assistive and
universally designed technologies
• Expand educational opportunities
Dispelling Myths: Hiring the Disabled
Myth:
Persons with disabilities will need to be
"protected" from job-related failure.
Fact:
Persons with disabilities have a right to
participate in the full range of human
experiences, including success and
failure.
Myth:
Persons with disabilities might be unable
to meet performance standards, thus
making them a bad employment risk.
Fact:
A survey of 811 employees with disabilities found 90% rated average
or better in job performance compared to 95% for employees without
disabilities. A similar study which involved 2,745 employees with
disabilities found that 92% of employees with disabilities rated average
or better in job performance compared to 90% of employees without
disabilities.
A workplace inclusive of people with disabilities
demonstrates an employer’s commitment
to all residents of the community.
WEBSITES: RESOURCES and INFORMATION
II.
The ADA and Transportation Access
Myth: Persons with disabilities might
have problems getting to
work.
Fact:
Persons with disabilities are
capable of supplying their
own transportation by
choosing to walk, use a car
pool, drive, take public
transportation, or a cab.
The (ADA) has significantly expanded access to service on
publicly funded transit and rail systems for people with
disabilities, making it easier for travelers with a disability to
access work and related destinations.
Paratransit:
• Complementary ADA Paratransit is a federally mandated civil right for
persons with disabilities who cannot ride the accessible public fixed route
buses and trains.
• Paratransit systems offer ondemand call-up door-to-door
service from any origin to
any destination in a service
area.
• Paratransit services are
operated by public transit
agencies, community groups,
not-for-profit organizations,
and for-profit private
companies.
Example: Access Paratransit Los Angeles
•
•
•
•
Operates seven days a week, 24 hours a day in most areas of LA County.
Utilizes a fleet of small buses, mini-vans and taxis
Shared ride service
Curb-to-curb
• Fares are distance-based
• from $2.25 to $3.00 for
each one-way trip
• Personal Care Attendants
may ride with the
qualified rider free
• Most vehicles are
equipped with wheelchair
lifts or ramps
Helping Employees with Disabilities Access Transportation
• Employers can facilitate
opportunities to support
employees who face
challenges in obtaining
dependable transportation
by offering travel
orientation and travel
training seminars.
• An employer can help an
employee develop
confidence to use public
transit.
III.
Reasonable Accommodations
Myth: Considerable expense is necessary
to accommodate workers with
disabilities.
Fact:
Most workers with disabilities
require no special accommodations
and the cost for those who do is
minimal or much lower than many
employers believe.
Reasonable Accommodation: Parking, curbs, walkways
Pathways that allow someone
to cross a drive or street in a
wheelchair
Texture on the path
Slope up to the
edge of the
sidewalk
Reasonable Accommodation: Stairways and Handrails
The handrail extends beyond the last riser the distance of 12” plus
one tread width
Reasonable Accommodation for wheelchair users
Reasonable Accommodation: Visually Impaired
Reasonable Accommodation: Elevator Access
Reasonable Accommodation: Conveniences
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
Tax Credits and Deductions
• To assist businesses with compliance, various sections of
the IRS Code allow a tax credit OR allow a tax
deduction for all businesses.
For Example:
• Tax credit can be used to offset the cost of undertaking
barrier removal, alterations to improve accessibility;
providing accessible formats such as Braille, large print
and audio tape; making available a sign language
interpreter or a reader for customers or employees,
and for purchasing certain adaptive equipment.
• Tax deduction is available to all businesses. There is a
maximum deduction per year.
The Future needs EVERYONE.
Myth: Persons with disabilities are
"inspirational", "courageous", and
"brave" for being able to overcome
their disability.
Fact: Persons with disabilities
are simply carrying on
normal activities of
living when they drive
to work, go grocery
shopping, pay their
bills, or compete in
athletic events.
Resources and References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_.../475623
Credit: ADA National Network by DBTAC (adaanniversary.org)"
U.S. Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy www.dol.gov/odep
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/ada18.html
www.hhs.gov/newfreedom/
http://www.ada.gov/cguide.htm
Gary N. Siperstein, Neil Romanob, Amanda Mohlera and Robin Parkera. A national survey of consumer
attitudes towards companies that hire people with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation 24 (2006)
3–9 3 IOS Press.
www.barrierfreecareers.net/
www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/elevator-wheelchair.html;fotosearch.com/u21770913; wj27990112
http://web1.ctaa.org/webmodules/webarticles
DuPont de Nemours and Company (1993). Equal to the Task II: 1990 DuPont Survey of Employment of
People with Disabilities. Wilmington, DE: DuPont de Nemours and Company.
http://www.ada.gov/adastd94.pdf
http://www.asila.org/home/
http://www.lordarchitecture.com
ADA Standards for Accessible Design, 28 CFR Part 36, Revised as of July 1, 1994 Dept. of Justice
www.shutterstock.com
http://www.access-board.gov/recreation/guides/sports.htm#More Information
http://davidsonnews.net/2010/08/15/ms-wheelchair-america-crown-goes-to-alex-mcarthur