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Learn About the "A" in DEIA During National Disability Employment
Over the past several years, organizations have increasingly prioritized DEIA. But, quick: can you say what the A stands for? You know D is for diversity, E is for equity, and I is for inclusion. But could you immediately call up “accessibility” for the A? No shame if the answer is no. And no extra points if the answer is yes. We are all learning, and we must all keep learning.
It turns out this is a great time to learn more about accessibility at work because October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM, Pronounced en-deem). The Department of Labor offers excellent ideas and resources to commemorate this month, many of which focus on education and training about disability and accommodation in the workplace. At Careerstone, we’re lucky enough to have among our roster of wonderful, mission-driven clients the National Institute on Aging’s DEIA team. So, we decided to do some learning of our own by interviewing a member of that team: management analyst in reasonable accommodations and accessibility, Kelli Van Zee. Kelli shared a wealth of information and food for thought on creating equitable, inclusive workplaces for employees living and working with disabilities.
Careerstone Group: One of the key things organizations can do during NDEAM is to review their disability policies. What should they look for? What should employers be aware of?
Kelli Van Zee: Approaching reasonable accommodations doesn’t have to be intimidating. It doesn’t have to be a high cost. In some cases, it’s free, like giving someone a flexible work schedule, and in others it’s inexpensive—like a few hundred dollars—for software or other assistive technology. It’s important to know that giving a reasonable accommodation is just a tool to help the employee do their job. It’s not “extra.” Once they have an accommodation that works, they are expected to perform their job duties. It’s not a case of lowering expectations. Providing reasonable accommodations, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) not only helps employees perform, which is good for the company, but also ensures companies follow the law and avoid liability.
CSG: What are the most common questions you get within your organization as you consult on accessibility?
KVZ:There is sometimes a reluctance to provide reasonable accommodations because of the idea that if you provide it to one person, you must provide it to everyone. Reasonable accommodations, however, are not setting the standard for the overall work environment. They are, by definition, a modification to the standard work environment meant only for an individual who has a disability.
People wonder what to do when someone requests an accommodation outside the office policy, for example. If the office doesn’t have a policy for flexible work schedules, an employee with a disability can still be granted a flexible work schedule as an accommodation unless it is a justified undue hardship. Employers also can’t give a flexible work schedule as a reward for performance to someone who is asking for it as a reasonable accommodation. It’s a permanent arrangement, that the person with the accommodation needs to do their job.
CSG: When might a flexible work schedule be called for as a reasonable accommodation?
KVZ: We saw during the pandemic that unemployment rate for people with disabilities lowered significantly, because they could work from home, take breaks when needed, control their environments, and be more productive. In granting accommodations, you need to look at job functions: sitting, standing, seeing, hearing, and other things.
People who have low vision benefit by zooming in on a screen when they view presentations remotely, something they can’t do as easily, if at all, in person. If you are someone whose disability makes it hard or impossible to drive, remote or flexible work is often the answer. Or if you are deaf or hard of hearing, working virtually with cameras on can help, although not all people with hearing impairment can read lips. You must address the person’s individual needs, which requires multiple conversations.
CSG: What about “hidden” or less visible disabilities, like chronic mental health conditions and others?
KVZ: Yes, chronic or long-term mental health conditions come under the ADA. Also, people who are neurodiverse are eligible for reasonable accommodations. It could be as simple as being allowed to decide to turn off your camera when you’re overstimulated. It’s hard to have a blanket policy on the types of reasonable accommodations and when to use them, which can frustrate employers. Managers need to learn to manage teleworking employees with reasonable accommodations. They are subject to the same performance standards as all employees. It’s important to ask the employee if the accommodation they’ve been granted is working—if it has removed the workplace barrier. If the barrier is still there, discuss trying something else. This can take a while. It’s not always an immediate increase in performance initially, because, like learning any new routine or skill, it can take some time to adjust, but it will pay off in the long run.
CSG: What else do you want employers and employees to understand about creating an inclusive, accessible workplace?
KVZ: It can be difficult to request an accommodation (Kelli shared her own personal story of reluctantly having to do this in a prior job at a different organization) but when you don’t have the tools you need to do what’s expected of you, it’s necessary. Employers should understand that the person with a disability is dealing with a very real functional barrier that affects their whole life, not just work.
Right now, at NIH, one of the aspects of accessibility we are looking at procurement. New software must be accessible and 508 compliant. When internet and digital products can be used by people with sensory disabilities this is part of creating a welcoming environment and people with disabilities can receive and share the same information as their non-disabled peers.
CSG: What else would you like to share that I haven’t asked about?
KVG: There’s a general gap between awareness of the medical options for people with disabilities to maintain their health, and knowledge of the life-skill tools they need for getting and maintaining employment. People with newly-developed disabilities, or those who are changing careers, might not know what they need, or have a sense of what is available. Employers might not know about cost-effective options for reasonable accommodations or have a streamlined process to identify the type of accommodation needed and purchase or implement it in a timely manner. It’s often helpful to seek an outside resource like the Job Accommodation Network or the Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability and Inclusion.
CSG: We can’t thank you enough for your time and insight, Kelli!