2. The DARS Team
• Business Development Managers
• Placement Counselors
• Vocational Evaluators
• Rehabilitation Engineers
• Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors
• Program Support Technicians
3. Helping Business Grow
• We work with businesses to address employment and
training needs with the goal of strengthening the
Capital Region’s economy.
• We offer employee recruiting, training, retention and
consulting services to local employers at no cost.
• We free employers from the hassle of identifying and
connecting with local resources, so that they can focus
on their businesses.
4. Tailored Menu of Services
Recruiting and Screening
• Advertise Job Openings
• Screen Applicants
• Conduct Recruitments
• Conduct Targeted Recruitments/Job Fairs
Employee Development/Retention
• Provide Training
• Provide Assessment
Consulting & Planning
• Provide Labor Market Information Research
• Consultative Services
5. What YOU need to KNOW…
• Definition of Disability.
• Types of disability and the affects
• Hidden Disabilities
• Attitudes, Opinions and Assumptions
• Creating an Inclusive Workforce
• Communication, Communication, and
more …
6. The facts and just the facts plz!
5% of children ages 5-17 have a disabilities.
10% of people 18-64 have disabilities.
37% of adults 65 and older have disabilities.
36 million people have at least one disability
(About 12% of the non-institutionalized population).
6.5 million – Vision disabilities
10.2 million – Hearing disabilities (58 – 65 and older)
19.4 million - Mobility disabilities
13.5% - Cognitive disabilities
Information provided by U.S. Census Bureau - 2011
8. Definition of Disability
A person who has a physical or intellectual impairment
that substantially limits one or more major life activities
such as:
- WALKING - HEARING
- STANDING - BREATHING
- SEEING - SELF CARE
- SPEAKING - LEARNING
and WORKING
10. Types and effects of disability
Paralysis Mobility
Epilepsy Manual Dexterity
Intellectual Physical Coordination
Blindness or low vision Ability to lift
Deafness or diminished Speech
Hearing Sight
Memory loss Learning
Birth defects Decision making
and many more…
11. Remember
• Not all disabilities are obvious and/or visible.
• Not all disabilities exhibit the same symptoms
and/or behaviors.
• Not all disabilities are present from birth
12. Hidden Disabilities
MYTH: “If you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist.”
• Fear of Being Isolated
• Fear of reactions
• Fear of Stereotyping
• Not knowing how to request the type of
accommodation that will be best and
whether it will be provided.
Why
would an
individual
with a
hidden
disability
choose not
to disclose
???
13. Hidden Disabilities
• Those disabilities that can’t be noticed by the outward
appearance
●No mobility aid (wheelchair, walker, crutches).
●No “blacked-out” glasses.
●No hearing aids.
You don’t “see” a hidden disability often until you start to try
to communicate!
14. I can “hear” your ATTITUDE
Negative Connotations: Inference :
– Handicapped -I can’t do much
– Crippled -I look different
– Retarded -I can’t Interact
– Invalid -I don’t have a place in
society
– Bound – “wheelchair bound” -I am restricted by my
mobility aide
– Sufferer -I am in constant pain
and my life is less
enjoyable than others
15. So…what should you do?
Use “person first” language!
Address the PERSON first
then the disability (if it is relevant):
A person who uses a mobility aid.
Sharon has a physical disability.
rather than…
Wheelchair patient.
That Blind Guy.
16. Common Sense or Not???
• Don’t be patronizing.
• Respect differences in personalities.
• Don’t treat PWD like children.
• PWD don’t want to be held to a higher standard than everyone else.
• Respect Personal Space and Boundaries.
• Emotional Acceptance:
– Dignity, Respect and Kindness.
– Patience.
– Be considerate, not overbearing.
– Avoidance leads to isolation.
– Get to know the person.
– Ask before assisting
17. Maintain eye contact:
●Try to sit down when talking with a person who uses a mobility aid.
●Back away from the person to reach a comfortable viewing distance.
●Never lean, hang onto, or play with the mobility aid.
●Remember a mobility aid is an extension of one’s personal space.
●Never move a mobility aid without permission
18. What is the Disability?
• Remember that disability does not
discriminate based on race, religion, or sex.
• Most of us are “TABED”
• Next we are going to look at some folks that
have various disabilities…Guess what they are.
20. CLEFT PALATE
• Arguably one of the best NFL quarterbacks of all
time, Peyton Manning was born with a cleft
palate. Bullied as a child, Manning encountered
many challenges and ultimately underwent two
surgeries to surgically repair the roof of his
mouth. Today Manning has started a children’s
hospital is serves as an advocate for individuals
with disabilities (A&E Television, 2014).
22. BIPOLAR DISORDER
• Overcoming a difficult childhood, Norma Jeane
Mortensen grew to become one of the biggest sex
symbols of all time. Despite initial questions about her
ability to become a star actress, Monroe became one
of the most iconic movie stars of all time. Dealing with
untreated issues associated with Bipolar Disorder,
Monroe, ultimately took her life at the age of 36 (A&E
Television, 2014).
24. CLUBBED FEET
• U.S. Figure Skater and Gold Medalist, Kristi Yamaguchi,
has been inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of
Fame, World Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and Olympic
Figure Skating Hall of Fame. Yamaguchi was born with
clubbed feet and took on skating as a form of physical
therapy. Following her skating success, Yamaguchi
went on to be a children’s author. She also founded the
“Always Dream Foundation” where she advocates for
individuals with disabilities (A&E Television, 2014)
26. EPILEPSY, POLIO, AND DIABETES
• A Canadian singer-songwriter, Neil Young has been
inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with hits
such as “Old Man” and “Harvest Moon.” As a child,
Young was one of the last Canadians to be diagnosed
with polio. During this time, Young also began to
experience seizures and was ultimately diagnosed with
epilepsy. At the age of six, Young was also diagnosed
with diabetes (A&E Television, 2014).
28. SCHIZOPHRENIA
• An American mathematician, John Nash was
awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1994
for his work on the mathematics of game theory.
He also did ground breaking work in algebraic
geometry. At the age of 31, Nash was diagnosed
with Paranoid Schizophrenia. His life was loosely
documented in the movie, “A Beautiful Mind”
(A&E Television, 2014).
30. BLIND
• Andrea Bocelli, a law school graduate, is more
well-known for his musical abilities, specifically
his voice. Bocelli became a world-wide sensation
after performing with Luciano Pavarotti in 1992
and is also known for hits spanning the genres of
classical, pop, and opera. Born with poor
eyesight, Bocelli became blind at the age of 12
after a soccer accident (A&E Television, 2014)
32. BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
• Brandon Marshall is a current NFL player with the Chicago
Bears. Drafted by the Denver Broncos in 2006, Marshall
played for the Miami Dolphins prior to landing himself in
Chicago. A wide receiver, Marshall holds several records
including most catches in a game with 21 (A&E
Entertainment, 2014). In 2011, after several brush ins with
the law, Marshall revealed that he had been living with
Borderline Personality Disorder. He credited treatment with
allowing him to enjoy his success and family.
34. • A member of the British Royal Family, Princess Diana gained
fame for her fund-raising efforts with multiple international
charities and philanthropic work. Following her marriage to
Prince Charles, it was reported that Diana experienced
numerous bouts of depression and bulimia which were
withheld from the public due to the royal image (A&E
Television, 2014). Princess Diana ultimately died in a car
crash 1997. The circumstances surrounding the crash are
still highly debated
36. AUTISM AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE
• American actress and music perform, Courtney fell into
the spotlight with her marriage to Kurt Cobain.
Following his death, Love continued to perform.
Battling a drug addiction, Love quickly became the
poster child for drugs and plastic surgery (A&E
Television, 2014). In a biography written about Love, it
was also identified that she had been diagnosed with
autism at the age of three.
38. DYSLEXIA
• An American comedian, actor, and television
host, Jay Leno is most known for hosting the “The
Tonight Show” from 2002 to 2009 and again from
2010 to 2014 when he was replaced by fellow
comedian Jimmy Falon. Diagnosed with dyslexia
as a child, Leno reports that it was comedy and
creativity which allowed him to be successful in
school (A&E Television, 2014).
39. We can ALL become ADVOCATES
• Educate and Advocate
– Educate yourself and others
– Advocate to bring about awareness.
– Advocate for Compliance.
– Advocate for positive change.
– Broaden the scope of those effected by inclusive environments.
DARS partners with employers across Virginia to provide them with qualified, dependable employees. Between 3,000-4,000 DARS clients become successfully employed each year.
DARS offers no-cost services to employers across Virginia to help with their employee recruiting, screening, training and retention efforts. You gain dedicated employees, enhance your workplace’s diversity and talent, and lower your hiring and training costs.
What do YOU need to know about PWD. Here is a basic outline of what I expect to share with you today. But, before I begin, I’d like to poll the audience to test your current awareness of the population. What percentage of the population is considered disabled? What percentage of Virginians? What percentage of PWD live below the poverty level?
One important thing to mention aside from all of the statistics…….is that we are all TABBED (temporarily able bodied).
We are going to get started with a video that I think shows how disability my be awkward for some people.
So, exactly who are we talking about when we say “people with disabilities.? The legal definition is:
This little diagram illustrates some different types of disabilities. Obviously, some are visible, however, many are not so obvious? Many individuals can have a combination of visible and hidden disabilities.
How are people effected by their disabilities?
It is so important that we not make assumptions about the reality of a disability just because we may not see it. Even though we may be aware of the disability is doesn’t always manifest the same symptoms. For example: You may have met someone who has M.S. Last week when you saw them they were walking, today they are using a walker or wheelchair.
Often times people who have a disability which is not obvious experience a tremendous amount of discrimination and may not wish to subject themselves by disclosing the disability. What do they have to fear?
Here are just a few examples of hidden disabilities (certainly not an exhaustive listing) with some suggestions for effective communication.
It is true that PWD can “sense” your attitude by what you say (the terminology) your body language( how you react) and you level of awareness (by your actions). We try very hard to avoid the words on the left because of what they communicate (on the right).
So about now you might be asking so what can I say? Well, the most important thing to remember is that PWD are just PEOPLE! Try not to put the disability first, but rather the person.
So it seems like common sense so far right? Well, maybe or maybe not. Patronizing… Most of us know better than to pat a person with a disability on the head, however, some of the ways we react and the words we use can make a PWD feel very “childlike”
