|
|
|
Management Concerns
Concerned about special issues that relate to workers with disabilities?
Here's a quick review on promotion, training and disciplinary concerns--as
well as a reminder about good business etiquette.
Promotion and training
Disciplinary issues & grievance concerns
Business etiquette
PROMOTION AND TRAINING
You should assume
that an employee with a disability has the same career aspirations as
other employees and provide training. That means providing the same opportunities
for learning and taking on new challenges. If this means attending out-of-town
courses, speaking at professional conferences, or training new workers,
encourage these activities!
- training locations:
Ensure these are amenable to those with visual or hearing disabilities.
Provide interpreters or real-time captioning, make sure lighting is appropriate
and that seating is optimal. Plan these accommodations with the employee.
- training materials:
Both handouts and audiovisual presentations need to be accessible. Provide
materials in alternate formats, and provide materials and agenda in advance,
if possible. (Consult with employee on appropriate formats.)
- web sites and information
delivery via internet:
If you use a web site, in-house intranet or even e-mail, you need to make
certain information is accessible to everyone. For example, you should make
certain your web site is accessible to software readers for the visually
disabled, that all images include visual descriptions and any sound files
offer alternate text that can be read. (To run your web site through a fast
check, go to http://www.cast.org/bobby.)
- performance appraisals: Appraise
employee performance with accomodations in place. Conduct appraisals using
the same criteria as with other employees.
- job reviews: Allow
the employee the accommodations necessary for the review process, such as
a reader for written reviews or an interpreter for face-to-face meetings.
- adaptive tools: On
a regular basis, review any adaptive equipment to be sure it is working
well--and determine if it needs upgrading to keep the employee competitive.
- equal opportunity: Assist
all employees in planning for the next step in their careers. Promote qualified
people who have disabilities using the same criteria as others. Do not deny
promotion to an individual with a disability to avoid making accommodations
for the new position.
- awareness: Be sure that supervisors and managers who make promotion decisions
are aware of the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Details
available in the section on What the Law Says.)
[BACK TO TOP]
DISCIPLINARY
ISSUES AND GRIEVANCE CONCERNS
It should go
without saying that equal treatment of employees regardless of disabilitiy
is expected.
- performance expectations: Be sure all employees understand performance expectations. Provide
praise and constructive feedback. If a problem arises, deal with it
openly and do not assume automatically that it is disability related.
- identical standards:
When considering
essential job functions, you can hold employees with disabilities
to the same standards of production or performance as other similar
employees without disabilities.
- accommodation tools: You
may not evaluate an individual who requires an accommodation
to perform job duties on his or her ability to perform the function
WITHOUT the accommodation.
- feedback: Do
not avoid giving feedback--all employees want to know when they are
performing well and when they need to do things differently. If a
person with a disability is not performing well, you may make job-related
medical or professional inquiries to determine if the disability is
causing the poor performance. (Ask whether any additional accommodation
is needed.)
- termination or disciplinary action: Never
fire an employee without first providing feedback on what the problem
is! If an employee asks for--but is not granted--a reasonable accommodation,
you may not then discipline or terminate the employee, if the
reason for unsatisfactory job performance is the request for accommodation.
[BACK TO TOP]
BUSINESS
ETIQUETTE
Need a general refresher on good rules of business etiquette for
persons with visual and hearing disabilities? For starters, remember to direct
your conversation to the person with the disability. And if the person uses
a communication aid of some kind, don't play with it or try it . These
aids are considered an extension of an individual's "personal space"
and should be respected as such. Here are a few more do's and don'ts:
People with Visual Disabilities:
-
Offer
the use of your arm (but don't clutch the other person's arm). Walk as you
normally would.
-
Don't
be offended if
your offer to assist is declined.
-
Don't try to
steer the cane of a
visually impaired person.
- Don't try to seat the person;
instead, describe its location or place the person's hand on the chair-back.
- Identify yourself verbally
when you enter the room.
-
Describe the surroundings when entering a new environment: e.g. "There is a table in the
middle of the room, about six feet in front of you," or "There
is a coffee table on the left side of the door as you enter."
-
Use descriptive phrases that relate to sound, smell, and distance.
-
Don't
treat guide dogs as pets; don't
give them instructions or play with them.
-
Direct your comments, questions, and concerns to the person with the visual impairment,
not to his or her companion.
-
Always ask what format the person would like information in--e.g. Braille, large
print, audiotape. Don't assume what format the individual prefers.
(Not all blind people read Braille, for example--and there is more
than one type of Braille.)
-
Reading information aloud? First describe the information to be read. Use a normal speaking voice
and don't skip unless requested to do so.
People who are Deaf or
Hard of Hearing
- Always ask what
the preferred communication method is--there are many types of hearing disabilities
and a variety of communication methods.
-
Look directly at
the person.
-
Don't obscure your face or mouth with your hand, facial hair, microphone, or other distractions.
-
Be aware
of the environment.
Large and crowded rooms and hallways can be very difficult for persons
with some hearing impairments. Bright sunlight and shadows can also present
barriers to people who read lips.
-
To get the
attention of a deaf or hard of hearing person,
first call his or her name. If there's no response, touch them lightly
on the arm or shoulder.
-
Speak clearly and evenly. Don't exaggerate your speech.
-
Try rephrasing
your sentence if
you are asked to repeat yourself several times.
- Detailed information that
involves a number or address might better be provided through an alternate
means of communication. Writing, faxing, or e-mailing are great ways to
ensure accuracy and decrease frustration.
- Don't change topics in
a conversation without warning. Use transitional phrases such as, "Okay,
we need to discuss..."
- Never say, "Just forget
it." If you're
experiencing extreme difficulty communicating orally, ask if you can write.
Keep messages simple and direct.
- Communicating through an interpreter? Don't say, "Tell her that..." Don't speak to the interpreter
nor try to involve him/her in the conversation. Focus on the deaf individual.
- Communicating through a telephone relay service? Direct your conversation to the user, not the relay agent. Wait for
the "Go ahead" cue before speaking--and remember to use that same
cue when you're finished speaking. Allow extra time for phone calls: relay
service conversations do take longer.
[BACK TO TOP]
|
Search Cornell
