Disability Friendly Business Certification Program

Disability Friendly Business Certification Program

Presenters: Chris Oakley, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jacksonville Branch

Margaret Downey, CSX John Wagner and Ang Pracher, Florida Blue

Facilitator: Leslie Wilson, Wilson Resources, Inc.

Would you hire these people?

Stephen Hawking Catherine Zeta Jones Bruce Springsteen Buzz Aldrin Temple Grandin, Ph.D.

People with disabilities are one of America’s largest minority

groups. There are an estimated 56.7 million Americans with a disability,

18.7% of the population; 29 million of working age, 16.6%.

For businesses/employers that equals untapped employees and

customers.Source: U.S. Census Report: Americans with Disabilities 2010

Employer Attitudes

The 2007, 2008 and 2009 surveys conducted by Wilson Resources, Inc. of 351 Florida BLN

employers found that the number one impediment to the employment of people with disabilities, at all corporate levels, was:

“Attitudes”

The 2008 and 2009 Florida BLN surveys highlighted “hiring managers” &“front-line staff” as most concerned about hiring

workers with disabilities.

“Millions of dollars are spent preparing job seekers with disabilities to work but there is no investment in preparing the workplace for a diverse workforce that

includes people with disabilities.”

-- John Wagner

Senior Director Medicare, Florida Blue, Chair United States Business Leadership Network Corporate Advisory Board, Immediate Past President Florida & First Coast Business

Leadership Networks, Board Member First Coast BLN

The World is Changing“The Hidden ‘D ’ in Diversity is Disability”

•Trends indicate that the labor market will look much

different tomorrow than it did in the past.

•Our ability to recruit, retain, and engage our

employees will be affected by how well we

anticipate and adapt to this new workforce.

•The workforce is aging; five generations are

represented.

The World is Changing“The Hidden ‘D’ in Diversity is Disability”

--Ron Parker, SVP, Global Diversity, Pepsico

The number of people with disabilities is on the rise due to many factors, including an aging population. There are 77 million baby boomers – it is estimated that 52% of the boomers will become disabled.

•The global population of people with disabilities is 1.1 billion -- and rising. As a comparison, China’s population is 1.3 billion.


•Technological advances give people with disabilities more access to a fuller life and that includes work.

•Like other aspects of diversity, employers can benefit from insuring talented people with disabilities are represented in the workforce.

The World is Changing“ The Hidden ‘D’ in Diversity is Disability”

•Americans with disabilities have an estimated combined income of over $1 trillion with more than $200 billion in discretionary income.

•Adjusted by population, state income, and disability prevalence, Floridians with disabilities are estimated to have a combined income of $59 billion with $13 billion in discretionary income.

•Employers who understand the needs and purchasing habits of people with disabilities will be able to tap into their consumer spending.


Nearly a quarter of Americans work for a federal contractor. In December 2011, the U.S. DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) announced proposed revisions to the Section 503 rule. The proposed rule would require federal contractors and subcontractors with $50,000 or more in federal contracts & 50+ employees to set a hiring goal of having 7% of their workforces be people with disabilities across job groups. The final rule is expected later

this year.

The Business Case The DiversityInc.Top 10 Companies for

People with Disabilities 1 Ernst & Young2 IBM3 Procter & Gamble4 Merck & Co.5 Sodexo6 Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide7 Prudential Financial8 KPMG9 Rockwell Collins10 AT&T

To see the top 50 Companies for Diversity from DiversityInc Magazine, click here The 2012 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity Announced

http://diversityinc.com/diversity-events/2012-diversityinc-top50-announcement/?utm_source=Genius&utm_campaign=newsletterLuke&utm_medium=DI&utm_content=2012-03-14&mgs1=98db7Ifrz2

Disability Friendly Business Certification

Is Your Company Disability Friendly?

Bringing Disability to the Forefront of Diversity

www.NationalCTC.com

Supported By:


Developed by Business for Business

A Cooperative Project of the First Coast Business Leadership Network (BLN) and the National Certification and Training Center, A Division of Wilson Resources, Inc. (WRI)

The purpose of the Disability Friendly Business Certification Program is to assist businesses to

become “disability friendly” and recognize businesses for their outstanding efforts to include and meet the needs of employees and

customers with disabilities.

Companies that Participated in Developing the Certification Program: Florida Blue Federal Reserve Bank of

Atlanta, Jacksonville Branch

Holland and Knight Law Firm

Great Florida Bank Baptist Health South

Florida Merrill Lynch Citigroup Home Depot SunTrust Bank Wilson Resources, Inc.


“In the process of completing the Disability Friendly Certification Program Application, and taking a very close look at the required dimensions, we saw that there were a number of areas where we could really improve…We also increased our education efforts and conducted more training on disability etiquette for our workforce.”

Margaret Downey CSX, International Transportation Co. Board Member, First Coast BLN


Benefits to Employers Bringing Disability to the Forefront of Diversity

www.NationalCTC.com

Assure your company is “disability friendly” Assist your company in identifying strengths & weaknesses Assist federal contractors to meet OFCCP’s Section 503

Affirmative Action requirements Promote your company as “disability-friendly” and attract

the attention one of the largest minority groups in the country

Internally and externally promote your company’s commitment to diversity and a positive work environment


Benefits to Employers Bringing Disability to the Forefront of Diversity

www.NationalCTC.com

Certified Businesses Receive: A framed certificate and the Disability Friendly Business logo to be posted on

the business’ website, emails, stationery and other corporate printed materials. Certification is good for 2 years.

Disability Friendly Business window stickers

Posting of the names of all the Certified Disability Friendly Businesses on the National Certification and Training Center website: www.NationalCTC.com


Description of the Disability Friendly Business Certification Assessment Tool

Leadership: Assesses the C-suite’s commitment to the employment of people with disabilities by taking actions to include them in the organization’s workforce

Programs: Assesses the company’s commitment to recruitment and mentoring

Cultural Readiness: Assesses the creation of an inclusive and welcoming environment for workers, customers/clients/constituents, business partners and visitors with disabilities

Physical & Technological Environment: Assesses whether the environment is friendly to people with disabilities Recommendations to Improve the Company’s Commitment to a Diverse Workforce That Includes People with Disabilities


How it Works Bringing Disability to the Forefront of Diversity

www.NationalCTC.com The Certification is good for two years. Access the assessment tool at www.nationalctc.com – you

have 90 days to access the tool electronically or WRI will offer a paper version. The cost to access the tool is $300.

Go through the tool’s five domains (see previous slide) – the results are confidential to your company unless you want to share them with WRI and request assistance

Companies meeting 80% of the criteria become certified WRI receives an email notifying it that your company met

80% of the criteria

http://www.nationalctc.com/


COST of CERTIFICATIONBringing Disability to the Forefront of Diversity

www.NationalCTC.com

The fee structure* (fee for 2 years) for companies with one location is:Under 100 employees and/or a nonprofit - $500101 - 499 employees - $1,000500+ employees - $1,500

The fee structure* (fee for 2 years) for companies with multiple

locations: A flat fee of $2,500 will cover 4 locations. A $100 fee can be paid for each additional location (beyond the original 4).

*The $300 paid to access the assessment tool is deducted from the certification fee, if your company becomes certified.

Companies that Have Become Certified Thus Far:

Amerigroup 15 locations around the country

CSX 5 Locations in Jacksonville, FL Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta:

Home Office & Jacksonville, Miami, Birmingham Branches

Florida Blue Victoria and Associates Miami Dade College OhioHealth


“The process of evaluating my organization’s progress toward being a “disability friendly business” was extremely valuable. The assessment in and of itself provides critical insight into successes and opportunities for improvement. We found that most “tweaks” to the environment were valued by our entire workforce.”

Chris OakleyVice President and Regional Executive Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, Jacksonville BranchPresident, First Coast BLN

Recommendations to Help Your Company Become “Disability Friendly”

1. Be Proactive – Become a “Certified” Disability Friendly business.

2. Become a member of the state/local Business Leadership Network.

3. Update your company’s Diversity Plan to include people with disabilities as part of your diverse workforce, and announce the company’s efforts so that employees with disabilities feel comfortable revealing their disabilities.

4. Ensure your company has an annually revised Affirmative Action Plan and Diversity Statement that include people with disabilities. Ask for input from your employees.

Recommendations to Help Your Company Become Disability Friendly…continued

5. Train mid-level managers, supervisors and front-line staff to successfully work with people with disabilities by allaying concerns and dispelling myths.

6. Organize an Employee Resource Group for People with Disabilities, or if your company has limited ERGs or a Diversity Committee, be sure to include people with disabilities.

7. Create a centralized budget for accommodations so that unit budgets are not affected.

8. Maintain an Accommodations Log.

9. Serve on an employment service provider’s Employer Advisory Committee or Board of Directors.

Recommendations to Help Your Company Become Disability Friendly…continued

10. Create relationships with organizations assisting people with disabilities to become employed, e.g., Vocational Rehabilitation, service providers, school transition programs

11. Participate in Disability Mentoring Day or other mentoring programs, and more formal Internship Programs – excellent, no-risk opportunities to source qualified candidates

12. Create an internal marketing piece that shows the company is proactive in recruiting people with disabilities.

13. Talk openly with all candidates about the company’s efforts to recruit people with disabilities.

14. Be Proactive – Become a “Certified” Disability Friendly business.

“I want to challenge every employer here to hire a person with disabilities

this year -- and another one next year, and the year after that. This

effort isn’t charity or good corporate citizenship –

it’s just smart business.”

-- Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Contact InformationLeslie Wilson, M.S.President/CEOWilson Resources, Inc./National Certification & Training Center1747 Amberwynd Circle WestPalmetto, FL 34221Phone: 941/729-9673Email: [email protected]: www.wilres.com & www.NationalCTC.com

Documents

Disability Friendly Business Certification Program