We know that employers who have not previously employed a person with disabilities have questions
about how the process will work in hiring and managing that resource. We can assure you that many employers have found great success in employing a person with disabilities – from having a dedicated team member filling entry-level positions to helping solve business problems with unique ideas. While you will have questions specific to your business and job openings, we wanted to share five commonly asked questions and answers. Don’t let lack of knowledge or understanding hold you back from looking at a great resource pool to fill your job needs.
- What is the person’s disability?
We are unable to disclose this information. However, our consumers are able to perform many job duties with or without reasonable accommodations. We currently have more than 40 consumers employed at local businesses.
- What accommodations will we have to make for this person?
Depending on the person, our job candidates typically do not require many accommodations, if any. If the consumer does need any accommodations, we (the Supported Employment staff) will help identify and arrange the reasonable accommodations with you. Some that may arise, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, include:
- Reallocation of marginal tasks to another employee
- Modified training on how to do the job, such as instructions at a slow pace, additional time to finish training, description of job tasks in sequential steps and the use of charts, pictures or colors
- Extra training when necessary
- A tape recorder to record directions as a reminder of steps in a task
- Detailed schedule for completing tasks
- A job coach, who can help the employee learn how to do the job; provide intensive monitoring, training, assessment and support; and help developing a healthy working relationship between management and the employee by encouraging appropriate social interaction
- Modified work schedule or a shift change
- Help in understanding job evaluations or disciplinary proceedings
- Acquired or modified equipment
- Reconfigured placement of workstation from a large open area to a quieter part of the office
- Reassignment to a vacant position if the worker no longer can perform his or her duties
- Will the individual with disabilities have to be supervised at all times?
No, our job candidates will have a CWI job coach with them to help learn about their new job duties and responsibilities. A great description of what a job coach does comes from the Job Accommodation Network, or JAN. “Job coaches provide one-on-one training tailored to the needs of the employee. They may first do a job analysis to identify the job duties, followed by developing a specific plan as to how they can best train the employee to work more and more on his or her own until completely self-sufficient and able to perform job duties accurately and effectively without assistance.”
- Will the client do the job or will the job coach do the job?
The job candidate will be the one completing all of the tasks. The job coach may help the job candidate learn the new job duties, but they will not be the one completing the tasks for the candidate.
- How long will the job coach be there with the client?
The job coach will stay with the candidate until both the candidate and employer feel the person does not need the extra support from the job coach for the entire shift. The job coach will continually step back more and more, but will still check in with the consumer and the employer. They help ensure the employee and employer have what they need for continued success. If there is an issue, the job coach works with both parties to resolve the issue.
Have questions? Want to learn more?
We hope this helps to provide a brief understanding of what occurs initially when deciding to employ a person with disabilities. The CWI team, including the Supported Employment staff, is here to help facilitate a win-win scenario for our consumers and local employers. Many of our consumers are eager to gain employment and many employers have found great success in hiring these candidates. We encourage you to contact us if you’re interested in learning more.
