Window Detail, Brooklyn College Library
Earlier this year, revised regulations on employment of individuals with disabilities took effect (Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).
In the 24 years since the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) there have been many improvements in the areas of accessibility and accommodation, but the unemployment rate with individuals with disabilities remains disproportionally high (as of this writing, 14.5% versus 6.5% for the general population).
The revised regulations aim to promote employment of persons with disabilities by creating a 7% utilization goal for Federal contractors for hiring qualified individuals with disabilities, and establishing requirements such as:
- Updating applicant notices on commitments to equal employment opportunity for individuals with disabilities
- Inviting job applicants to self-identify as having a disability
- Including outreach to relevant outside organizations into recruitment programs
- Analyzing actions and results in Affirmative Action Plans.
At our CUNY Recruiters’ meeting last May, we had two engaging presentations. Mavis Hall, Chief Diversity Officer at Queensborough Community College provided an overview and shared resources for a variety of campus audiences. Roberta Adelman and Barbara Bookman of the CUNY LEADS program introduced LEADS, a program providing support to CUNY students with disabilities to improve their employment outcomes.
To build on our discussion, check out the excellent resources below and let us know what works for you.
IN THE HR RECRUITING NETWORK “FILES” SECTION
CUNY LEADS Materials and Brochure. CUNY LEADS Coordinators, HR managers and Chief Diversity Officers should explore how to take advantage of this unique opportunity; LEADS campus contacts are provided here.
Disability Outreach Resources. Mavis Hall provided an excellent overview of resources available at the CUNY, City, State, and National levels, including materials that may be shared with Search Committee members.
“Business Strategies that Work: Hiring Individuals with Disabilities” (by the US Office of Disability Employment Policy/ODEP) – a selection of suggestions for recruiting and hiring programs. The “Resources” document (a separate file) has a very comprehensive list of Internet resources and sources of information on current regulations and practices.
“Interviewing Individuals with Disabilities” (by the Employer Assistance and Resource Network/EARN). This brief guide to interviewing includes a good list of “can ask” and “can’t ask” questions and is appropriate to share with Search Committee members or incorporate into training presentations.
USEFUL WEB LINKS (see the resources listed above for additional links)
EARN has an easy-to-navigate on-line resource on recruiting and hiring: http://www.askearn.org .
ODEP also has great employer resources: http://www.dol.gov/odep/topics/Employers.htm
CUNY LEADS program: http://www.cuny.edu/about/administration/offices/sa/services/disabilities/LEADS.html
New York Makes Work Pay provides New York State resources: http://www.nymakesworkpay.org/
CUNY.jobs provides CUNY job listings in an accessible format with simple navigation: http://cuny.jobs
