December 2020 Newsletter
Indiana’s “Work to Include” Coalition
Advancing Employment for Individuals with Disabilities
“Talent with Disabilities Make the Workplace Better” – Disability IN
The Indiana Disability Employment Awareness Campaign: Everyone Wins When Everyone’s IN
We at Work to Include want to congratulate all the communities that held National Disability Employment Month campaigns. Thousands of people learned about the value of hiring talent with disabilities and the resources that are available to them to help. We know that given our distribution of materials, billboards, virtual and face-to-face events, and media coverage we were able to get the message out across the state. This would not have been possible without the generous support of the Indiana Governor’s Council for People with Disabilities and local sponsors in each of the six communities below. You can check out our sponsors and materials on the worktoinclude.org website. Here are a few of the events and links to more information where available:
Clarksville WTI presentation to Metro Manufacturers Alliance
Please help us keep the message going by following us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked IN. Join a local Coalition group and you can help us to plan a bigger and better campaign next year. Thanks to the following Team Leaders for conducting campaigns in their areas and to sponsors they enlisted to help. WE NEED YOU! Sponsors and emails for Team Leaders are listed on the worktoinclude.org.
Chris Baskins, Bloomington
Mark Hublar, Clarksville
Bonnie Bomer, Indianapolis
Zully JF Alvarado, Gary
Jared Price, Terre Haute
Jeffrey Scherer, Fort Wayne
Accommodations Survey 2020. Re-printed from Business Sense, a Publication of the US Department of Labor
Even in uncertain times, there’s one business cost holding steady—the typically low cost of providing workplace accommodations. Accommodations are modifications or adjustments to a job or work environment that enable a qualified person with a disability to apply for or perform a job. Although employers are required to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, many employers prefer to think of them simply as “productivity enhancements” since they help employees work to their fullest potential. The Job Accommodation Network’s (JAN) ongoing study on the topic underscores the high return on investment for these valuable workplace tools.
The JAN survey is called Accommodations and Compliance: Low Cost, High Impact, and since it began in 2004, it has consistently shown that the benefits employers receive from making workplace accommodations far outweigh the cost, which is typically low. This year’s results again indicate that most (56%) of accommodations for employees with disabilities cost nothing to implement, while the rest have a median cost of $500.
Other highlights from the latest survey include the following:
Employers want to provide accommodations so they can retain valued and qualified employees. Eighty-two percent of respondents were seeking accommodation information and solutions to retain or promote a current employee.
Employers report accommodations are effective. The majority of respondents (75%) said that the accommodations they implemented were either very effective or extremely effective.
Employers experience multiple direct and indirect benefits after making accommodations. The most frequently mentioned direct benefits were allowing the company to retain a valued employee, increasing the employee’s productivity, and eliminating training a new employee. The most widely mentioned indirect benefits employers received were improved interactions with co-workers and increased overall company morale and productivity.
Employers find JAN helpful during the accommodation process. Ninety-eight percent reported that JAN understood their needs, 94% stated the information JAN sent them met their needs, and 100% of employers said they would use JAN again.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, JAN is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. JAN provides assistance via phone at 1-800-526-7234 (voice) or 1-877-781-9403 (TTY)
Old National Bank Mentoring Program
The Old National Bank Achieve Ability program is a 10-month mentorship opportunity for aspiring professionals with disabilities to connect and interact with executive leaders at Old National. The goal is to develop and foster a relationship where both mentor and mentee learn and gain from one another.
Ben Trockman, Old National’s D and I Outreach Specialist writes,
When I joined Old National Bank in 2014 with the mission to improve our disability inclusion efforts, we weren’t quite sure where to start, or what format would work best for our company and our leaders. We researched some of the best practices of other companies committed to disability inclusion but were still unclear of the best commitment to make the most impact. But when we took a hard look inside our company culture, the answer came easy. Mentorship. Mentoring is embedded in our DNA at ONB. We jump at the opportunity to help others build their experiences, their confidence, and their professional network. At the same time, our leaders, who serve as mentors, seemingly always end up learning more from their mentees than they would have ever expected!
“Why do we mentor? Because we live, we learn, and become better versions of ourselves. One company, one person, one relationship at a time, together, we can make an impact!”
Old National’s first effort at creating a more inclusive culture for people with disabilities started with a mentorship program, Achieve Ability. Over the last six years, the program has had a total of 57 mentees participate. Seven have been hired and six have received internships at ONB. Of the other mentees, several are still in school while approximately 28 have secured full-time employment. Quite an accomplishment for a new initiative. Best of all ONB leaders have learned firsthand the challenges and opportunities that individuals with a variety of abilities face each day. Through Achieve Ability, ONB mentors have the opportunity to build relationships with mentees. As a company fostering a culture of inclusion and promoting best practices, building relationships with aspiring young professionals with disabilities fits with the company’s commitment to helping people learn, grow and succeed in the communities we serve.
Jasmine (picture) is just one example, she is putting her talent and experience to work at Old National Bank. She is a recent grad, a community volunteer, and an Army veteran. Now, as part of our Achieve Ability mentoring program, she and her mentor Nashelle are working to take her career to the next level. As they explain, “At Old National, we’re serious about diversity and inclusion. Through Achieve Ability and the Inclusive Evansville internship initiative with the University of Evansville, University of Southern Indiana, and Ivy Tech Community College, we’re working to create opportunities to build confidence, enhance networking and enable career readiness.”
#INCLUSIONWORKS
Indiana Career Ready Website
The Indiana Career Ready website is a single source providing the tools needed to prepare and find high-demand and high-wage jobs needed now and in the future. The website features resources of the Department of Workforce Development including Education, Training, and Job Openings. Check out INDemand Jobs high-demand, high-wage jobs for today and tomorrow. The demand indicator used is based on a methodology that ranks all Indiana jobs based on future growth and wages. Whether you are searching for your first job, changing jobs, re-entering the workforce or planning a career change the INDemand Jobs could help focus your efforts.
CHECK US OUT…
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HAVE AN EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS STORY YOU ARE WANTING TO SHARE?EMAIL SRINNE60@GMAIL.COM. SHORT, SWEET AND A PICTURE WOULD BE WONDERFUL!
Thank you!
For more information please contact our Co-Directors,
Pat Rogan, Professor, IUPUI School of Education at progan@iupui.edu
or
Susan Rinne, MPA at srinne60@gmail.com
