National Organization on Disability and the Bridges to Business Program
- 1. The National Organization on Disability and Bridges to Business
- 2. National Organization on Disability: A 29 year-old, non-profit organization with a focus on increasing employment outcomes for people with disabilities Mission: Expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life. Focus: Increase employment opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for the 33 million working-aged Americans with disabilities. It’sability, not disability, that counts 2
- 3. NOD’s Innovative Approaches to Disability Employment Wounded Warrior Careers: Helping severely injured veterans transition into work Start on Success: Career opportunities for high school students with disabilities Kessler / NOD Surveys, by Harris Interactive: Delivering data on disability CEO Council: A forum for corporate leaders seeking to diversify their workforce Bridges to Business: Helping companies build an inclusive workforce 3
- 4. 2010 Kessler Foundation/NOD/Harris Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities Q710: Does your company have a policy or program for employing a diverse workforce? Q820: Does your company have a policy or program specifically designed for the hiring of people with disabilities? 59% 56% 33% 25% 25% 23% 15% 12% 8% 5% Yes, has both No, has no Not sure Diversity Policy Diversity Disability Policy Disability a policy and a policy or Program Program program program Key: Indicates responses about diversity policies and programs Indicates responses about disability policies and programs
- 5. 2010 Kessler Foundation/NOD/Harris Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities Q700: Which of the following best describes your Q840: What is the reason you have not hired Company’s plans for your workforce over the people with disabilities in the last three years? next 12 months? 69% 66% 45% 39% 37% 23% 12% 2% 4% We plan to We plan to We have no We plan to We plan to significantly somewhat plans to somewhat significantly increase the increase the increase or reduce the reduce the size of our size of our decrease the size of our size of our workforce workforce size of our workforce workforce workforce
- 6. NOD’s Bridges to Business Disability Employment Initiative Bridges Goal NOD Role 1. Increase the number of Establish annual hiring targets with employers (e.g. 10% of all new hires with new hires will be people with disabilities) disabilities Identify, screen and establish partnerships with local service providers Create or enhance processes for obtaining accommodations Deliver NOD training to managers and staff Establish metrics and measure success (cost/benefit analysis) 2. Retention practices of Define training needed to ensure success of disability employees with candidates disabilities is equal to Utilize job coaches to assist with employer culture and non-disabled colleagues standards Utilize employer systems to track success of employees Measure success as above 3. Ensure that employees Establish or enhance mentoring programs to ensure ongoing with disabilities receive success advancement Provide advancement training opportunities with senior staff opportunities 6
- 7. NOD’s Bridges to Business Disability Employment Initiative Key Partnership Intended Outcomes Elements • Understanding business drivers that enable hiring 1 Business activity in order to effectively and efficiently respond to Drivers the needs of the business • Understand performance standards and metrics to ensure effective recruiting of qualified talent • Identified key local partners that align with NJ employers 2 Creating business drivers and the elements needed for a national Effective demonstration Partnerships • Monitor ongoing progress of all partnership elements and ensure business drivers remain paramount 3 Training & • Understand training needs of the partnership; Develop/design training programs that will create an Education effective environment for integrating people with disabilities into the organization 7
- 8. NOD’s Bridges to Business Disability Employment Initiative NJ Bridges is funded by the NJ Medicaid Infrastructure Grant - DiscoverAbility Partner with select employers for participation in NOD’s Bridges to Business Assess current Assess outcomes- disability provide training and employment technical support recruitment, hiring, a as needed nd retention practices Interview and broker arrangement with local Discuss areas in need of state agencies and improvement. Identify community service current and projected providers for purposes hiring targets and required of job candidate skill sets sourcing 8
- 9. Bridges to Business • Lowes/NOD Bridges Partnership – Lowes Distribution Centers • Statesville, NC • Finley, OH • Rockford, IL – Provider Partners – Set Backs & Successes 9
- 10. NJ Bridges to Business • Employer Partnerships – Sodexo – ADP – Aetna • Assess employers’ diversity and inclusion needs • Identify current and projected recruitment and hiring practices – Professional versus Non-Professional Positions • Outline process for communication/sharing of job openings 10
- 11. NJ Bridges to Business • Provider Partnerships – Roles & Responsibilities • Potential Partners – State Agency (e.g., DVRS) – Local supported employment provider agency • Assessing employers’ diversity and inclusion needs • Identifying current and projected recruitment and hiring practices • Outline process for communication/sharing of job openings 11
- 12. NJ Bridges to Business: Solutions to Success • Seek input from all parties • Create partner agreements that meet everyone's expectations • Rather than a single provider identify regional provider partners for Bridges employers • Create similar partnerships between post- secondary institutions and employers (e.g., 2yr and 4yr colleges and universities, professional and trade schools) 12
- 13. NJ Bridges to Business: Solutions to Success • Expand NJ Bridges employer partnerships • Include diversity of key NJ industries – Bio/Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences – Transportation, Logistics, Distribution – Finance Industry – Advanced Manufacturing – Health Care – Technology – Leisure, Hospitality and Retail 13
- 14. Characteristics of Disability Friendly Employers • Actively recruit, hire, and retain people with disabilities • Employees with disabilities are involved in business making decisions (e.g., workplace committees to P&P) • Supplier-diversity initiatives aimed at businesses owned by people with disabilities • Presence of one or more disability employer resource groups (ERG’s) and/or affinity groups (e.g., Sodexo’s SOAR group) • Workplace Accessibility (e.g., physical, oral and written communication) • Promotional opportunities for employees with disabilities • Measurable business diversity and inclusion practices, policies, and procedures Please refer to the Ernst Young and USBLN handouts for more information on Disability Friendly Employers/Practices. 14
- 15. 2011 Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities (Source-www.diversityinc.com) 1. IBM 2. KPMG 3. Kaiser Permanente 4. Aetna 5. Ernst &Young 6. Procter &Gamble 7. Merck & Co. 8. Deloitte 9. Sodexo 10. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide 15
- 16. It’s Ability, Not Disability that Counts. www.NOD.org 16