The National Organization on Disability and Bridges to Business

National Organization on Disability: A 29 year-old, non-profit organization with a focus on increasing employment outcomes for people with disabilities

It’s ability, not disability, that counts

Mission: Expand the participation and contribution of America’s 54 million men, women and children with disabilities in all aspects of life.

Focus: Increase employment opportunity and economic self-sufficiency for the 33 million working-aged Americans with disabilities.

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NOD’s Innovative Approaches to Disability Employment

59%

33%

25%

12%

Diversity Policy DiversityProgram

Disability Policy DisabilityProgram

2010 Kessler Foundation/NOD/Harris Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities

Q710: Does your company have a policy or program for employing a diverse workforce?

Q820: Does your company have a policy or program specifically designed for the hiring

of people with disabilities?

Key: Indicates responses about diversity policies and programs

Indicates responses about disability policies and programs

23%

8%

25%

56%

5%

15%

Yes, has both a policy and a

program

No, has no policy or program

Not sure

Q700: Which of the following best describes your Company’s plans for your workforce over the next 12 months?

We plan tosignificantlyincrease thesize of ourworkforce

We plan tosomewhat

increase thesize of ourworkforce

We have noplans to

increase ordecrease the

size of ourworkforce

We plan tosomewhatreduce thesize of ourworkforce

We plan tosignificantlyreduce thesize of ourworkforce

4%

37%

45%

12%2%

Q840: What is the reason you have not hired people with disabilities in the last three years?

69%66%

39%

23%

2010 Kessler Foundation/NOD/Harris Survey of Employment of Americans with Disabilities

NOD’s Bridges to BusinessDisability Employment Initiative

Bridges Goal NOD Role

1. Increase the number of new hires with disabilities

Establish annual hiring targets with employers (e.g. 10% of all new hires will be people with disabilities)

Identify, screen and establish partnerships with local service providers

Create or enhance processes for obtaining accommodations Deliver NOD training to managers and staff Establish metrics and measure success (cost/benefit analysis)

2.Retention practices of employees with disabilities is equal to non-disabled colleagues

Define training needed to ensure success of disability candidates

Utilize job coaches to assist with employer culture and standards

Utilize employer systems to track success of employees Measure success as above

3.Ensure that employees with disabilities receive advancement opportunities

Establish or enhance mentoring programs to ensure ongoing success

Provide advancement training opportunities with senior staff

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Key Partnership Elements

Training & Education

Creating Effective

Partnerships

Intended Outcomes

• Understanding business drivers that enable hiring activity in order to effectively and efficiently respond to the needs of the business

• Understand performance standards and metrics to ensure effective recruiting of qualified talent

• Identified key local partners that align with NJ employers business drivers and the elements needed for a national demonstration

• Monitor ongoing progress of all partnership elements and ensure business drivers remain paramount

• Understand training needs of the partnership; Develop/design training programs that will create an effective environment for integrating people with disabilities into the organization

Business Drivers

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NOD’s Bridges to BusinessDisability Employment Initiative

NOD’s Bridges to BusinessDisability Employment Initiative

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NJ Bridges is funded by the NJ Medicaid Infrastructure Grant - DiscoverAbility

Bridges to Business

• Lowes/NOD Bridges Partnership– Lowes Distribution Centers

• Statesville, NC• Finley, OH• Rockford, IL

– Provider Partners– Set Backs & Successes

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NJ Bridges to Business

• Employer Partnerships– Sodexo– ADP– Aetna

• Assess employers’ diversity and inclusion needs• Identify current and projected recruitment and hiring

practices– Professional versus Non-Professional Positions

• Outline process for communication/sharing of job openings

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NJ Bridges to Business• Provider Partnerships

– Roles & Responsibilities• Potential Partners

– State Agency (e.g., DVRS)– Local supported employment provider agency

• Assessing employers’ diversity and inclusion needs• Identifying current and projected recruitment and

hiring practices• Outline process for communication/sharing of job

openings

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• Seek input from all parties• Create partner agreements that meet

everyone's expectations• Rather than a single provider identify regional

provider partners for Bridges employers• Create similar partnerships between post-

secondary institutions and employers (e.g., 2yr and 4yr colleges and universities, professional and trade schools)

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NJ Bridges to Business:Solutions to Success

• Expand NJ Bridges employer partnerships• Include diversity of key NJ industries

– Bio/Pharmaceuticals and Life Sciences – Transportation, Logistics, Distribution– Finance Industry– Advanced Manufacturing– Health Care– Technology– Leisure, Hospitality and Retail

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NJ Bridges to Business:Solutions to Success

Characteristics ofDisability Friendly Employers

• Actively recruit, hire, and retain people with disabilities• Employees with disabilities are involved in business making

decisions (e.g., workplace committees to P&P)

• Supplier-diversity initiatives aimed at businesses owned by people with disabilities

• Presence of one or more disability employer resource groups (ERG’s) and/or affinity groups (e.g., Sodexo’s SOAR group)

• Workplace Accessibility (e.g., physical, oral and written communication)

• Promotional opportunities for employees with disabilities• Measurable business diversity and inclusion practices, policies,

and procedures

14Please refer to the Ernst Young and USBLN handouts for more information on Disability Friendly Employers/Practices.

2011 Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities

(Source-www.diversityinc.com)

1. IBM2. KPMG3. Kaiser Permanente4. Aetna5. Ernst & Young6. Procter & Gamble7. Merck & Co.8. Deloitte9. Sodexo10. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

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It’s Ability, Not Disability that Counts.

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www.NOD.org