W. Roy Grizzard, Jr.
Assistant Secretary, U. S. Department of Labor
Office of Disability Employment Policy
Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation (CANAR) Washington, DC
February 20, 2007
I am pleased to join this distinguished panel of friends and federal colleagues to discuss ways to increase and enhance the quality of services that result in positive outcomes for Native American persons with disabilities.
This morning I’m going to tell you a little about what ODEP is doing and then I’m going to tell you about two sessions that occur later in the program that are presented by organizations funded by ODEP.
I commend the Consortia of Administrators for Native American Rehabilitation for serving as the official voice of Native American rehabilitation programs. Over the past fourteen years, through collaboration, cooperation and research demonstration, your efforts have resulted in increased gainful employment of Native American consumers with disabilities.
As a policy office with no regulatory authority, ODEP also engages in collaboration and research demonstration projects to achieve its goals. ODEP’s mission is to provide national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practices affecting the employment of people with disabilities. Evidence-based policies and practices that are developed are being readily adopted by Federal, state, and local service delivery systems and their partners, including public and private employers.
In the brief time that I have with you this morning, I would like to call your attention to three ODEP approaches that you can readily adopt to enhance the services you are currently providing to Native American consumers with disabilities.
First, I would like to stress the importance of applying the principals of universal design in service delivery. When we speak of universal design in the context of workforce development, we must strive to ensure that our programs, services, and activities are designed from the outset to be useable to the greatest extent possible by all job seekers.
Achieving universal design within the workforce development system may involve changes in four areas: policy, the physical environment, program design, and practices. Making these changes will create an environment for maximum inclusion of all people—particularly those with multiple barriers to employment.
Second, ODEP offers a new competitive edge for those with multiple employment barriers through a Customized Employment approach. Let’s face it, everybody begins to customize their jobs after being hired, reflecting personal preferences, contributions, or strengths. Negotiating job responsibilities as well as employer expectations results in a good fit between job seeker and employer. I brought samples of several new publications on Customized Employment with me today for you to take a look at after this session if you have the time, but please visit ODEP’s Web site at www.dol.gov/odep to review all our new publications.
And lastly, because ODEP receives so many inquiries about how to build relationships with employers, I would like to share with you three findings from ODEP’s employer research that support a strong Business Case for Hiring People with Disabilities that you can use.
Employers’ top concern is finding qualified employees. Faced with a continuing labor shortage, employers are seeking yet untapped resources. When employers found out that more and more young people with disabilities are graduating from high school and college, and that people who experience a disability have creative problem solving skills, employers recognized that many candidates with disabilities do have the talents, skills, and experiences that they are recruiting for.
Employers are concerned with performance and retention. When employers learn that workers with disabilities have comparable performance and retention ratings as employees without disabilities, they see that hiring, retaining and promoting people with disabilities positively impacts their bottom line.
And third, employers say accommodations are costly. When employers hear that almost half of the accommodations that are needed actually cost nothing, and that the typical cost for an accommodation is $600, then they see that accommodations can be made cost effectively.
This business case demonstrates that investing in workers with disabilities is a sound investment—and believe me, that will get you the employer’s attention!
Finally, I would like to mention the free services offered by ODEP’s Job Accommodation Network or JAN as you may know it. With a 25-year history, JAN has emerged as the nation’s premier source for information on job accommodations. In fact, in 2006, JAN responded to record breaking demand: more than 29,000 callers and more than 4,500 inquiries by e-mail. Staffed by skilled and experienced professionals, JAN’s consultants provide technical assistance on workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act, plus expert guidance if you are in the process of exploring self employment options. You can contact them for assistance at any stage of the employment process at 1-800-526-7234.
I am also very pleased to see that Curtis Richards will be holding a breakout session today at 2:30 p.m. on “Competencies for Working with Youth”—the results of a research study conducted by the National Collaborative on Workforce & Disability for Youth funded by ODEP. Curtis’s breakout will describe the knowledge, skills and abilities that are important for those who work with young people, both with and without disabilities.
Improving the competencies of youth service practitioners through ongoing professional development is critical to shaping tomorrow’s workforce. Ensuring that these workers have the skills they need to do their job well, will lead to better practices with youth, which in turn will produce positive youth outcomes such as staying in school, graduating from high school, seeking an advanced degree or getting a job. This is particularly important in light of a recent report by leaders from a consortium of business research organizations. The report, Are They Really Ready to Work? Employers’ Perspectives on the Basic Knowledge and Applied Skills of New Entrants to the 21st Century Workforce, released October 2, 2006, found that new entrants to the workforce were severely lacking in applied skills such as teamwork, collaboration and critical thinking.
By visiting the Collaborative’s Web site you will also find A Guide to Career-focused Mentoring for Youth with Disabilities, also funded by ODEP. This guide fills a gap in existing research by providing valuable information on structuring a mentoring program to support career exploration, encourage work-based learning, and foster leadership development of youth with disabilities. It also provides an extensive listing of resources.
The other breakout session I would like to call your attention to before I end my remarks, starts at 3:45 p.m. today and is entitled, “A Comprehensive Model for Transition Service”. The successful transition to adulthood and a productive, independent, self-sufficient life demands coordination and collaboration across multiple systems and agencies.
This breakout session will highlight the national High School/High Tech program model, which was also developed through ODEP funding. HS/HT programs expose youth with disabilities (ages of 14 and 22) to comprehensive transition services incorporating The Guideposts to Success. Developed jointly by ODEP and the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, the Guideposts reflect key educational, youth development, and career development interventions which research indicates, all youth, including those with disabilities, need to succeed in post-secondary education and/or employment. The High School/High Tech programs being implemented in the Hannahville Indian Community and Menominee County, Michigan will be showcased. I urge you to take an opportunity to learn about the Guideposts and the High School/High Tech initiative.
In closing, as you embrace opportunities of transition and change, please visit ODEP’s Web site, www.dol.gov/odep and DisabilityInfo.gov, to tap the many resources that support your efforts to make life better, one individual at a time.
Thank you very much.
