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Routes to Employment: Strategies to Improve Integrated Service Delivery to People with Disabilities
from the Institute for Community Inclusion
Download a copy of the this report: Report
on Strategies to Improve Integrated Service Delivery to People with Disabilities
In this report, researchers from the Institute for Community Inclusion/University of Massachusetts Boston and City University London examine the experiences of the public employment services in the United States and United Kingdom in developing effective strategies for providing integrated service delivery. Funded by the IBM Center for the Business of Government, the research focused on what works and what doesn't work, providing a roadmap to improving services for individuals with disabilities.
The report identifies 12 strategies to strengthen integrated service delivery systems and to assist individuals with disabilities in gaining and maintaining productive employment. Implementing these strategies can benefit individuals with disabilities, who have the opportunity to realize their potential more fully; the taxpayer, who is paying less for disability assistance; and society at large, which gains the productive skill of talented individuals. However, the overall effectiveness of the employment services in the two countries for people with disabilities remains uncertain, and there are many challenges to be overcome.
A Positive Strategy for Expanding Market Share
From the Office of Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
What's the third largest market segment in the United States? The answer might surprise you. It's not a particular ethnicity, gender or age group. It's people with disabilities. The size of this population—54 million strong—surpasses Hispanics, African Americans and Asian Americans, as well as Generation X and teens. Add in their families, friends and associates, and you get a trillion dollars in purchasing power.
Want a slice? Any smart business owner would. As with any customer segment, one of the best ways to tap into the disability market is to ensure it's represented in your workforce. Employees with disabilities can help businesses understand and meet the needs of this important and expanding customer base. What's more, research shows that consumers both with and without disabilities favor businesses that employ people with disabilities. Find out more about strategies for expanding your market to include people with disabilities.
Article: Proving Diversity Is Good Business
9/27/08
TheStar.com
Lime's approach? "Simple," Donovan says. "Kill the current brand with quality." Get the message out that "people with disabilities can, and will, deliver." For companies, he has a few added thoughts. Give disability its rightful place when it comes to diversity recruiting. Remember that the world market represented by disabled people is 1.2 billion, roughly the size of China. Hiring employees who represent major markets is good business, particularly when employers are expected to face a shortage of skilled workers by 2020. Read more of article "Proving diversity is good business".
Planning Accessible Meetings
The US Department of Justice has issued a new publication in their "Expanding Your Market" series titled: "Accessible Information Exchange: Meeting on a Level Playing Field". This publication focuses on planning and conducting meetings and events that are accessible to people with disabilities. This publication is available on-line at: http://www.ada.gov/business/accessiblemtg.htm
Report on Employer Hiring Actions and Attitudes
January 13, 2008: The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released findings of the most extensive survey in history of employers' actions and attitudes toward employing people with disabilities. The report is available at www.dol.gov/odep.
CESSI, a division of Axiom Resource Management Inc., conducted the survey of 3,797 companies, which statistically represent more than 2.4 million companies nationwide. This survey found that a majority of large businesses are hiring people with disabilities and discovering that costs for accommodations differ very little from those for the general employee population. Additionally, the survey showed that once an employer hires one person with a disability, it is much more likely that employer will hire other people with disabilities.
ADA In The Headlines:
In the Headlines is a site dedicated to using technically advanced news agents to search for the latest news stories from several credible and well respected publications. The articles posted will cover a variety of topics related to the Americans with Disabilities Act. We update our news stories multiple times daily and post the 5 most recently published stories on a per state basis. Please keep in the mind that the site is as up to date as new stories are published.
ADA Business Connections Website
The U.S. Department of Justice has posted a new fact sheet to the ADA Business Connections portion of its web site. The document titled, "Expanding Your Market: Accessibility Benefits Older Adult Customers," outlines how compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes good business sense. The new fact sheet highlights the benefits of increasing accessibility in order to meet the needs of individuals who are aging. For more information go to http://www.ada.gov/business.htm.
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Funded
by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, Medicaid Infrastructure Grant, CFDA
No. 93.786, Wisconsin Department of Health Services/Pathways to Independence.