In January 2019, Getting Hired partnered with the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) to host a webinar on how to support individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process, from interviewing and pre-employment activities to onboarding. JAN is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and related legislation, and disability employment issues. They are funded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP).
Our webinar was moderated by Sarah Pullano, Sr. Account Manager at Getting Hired and was presented by Lou Orslene, Co-Director of JAN.
Lou provided a general overview of the ADA as relates to employment (Title I) and shared practical, actionable tips to support talent acquisition professionals seeking to improve their disability inclusion efforts throughout the hiring process. Here is a recap of the webinar:
The ADA and Employment
The ADA was originally passed in 1990 and was amended in 2008. It covers five areas, known as “Titles,” and our webinar focused on Title I, the “Employment Title.” The goals of Title I of the ADA, as amended in 2008, are to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities and provide equal opportunity through the reasonable accommodation process. Employer representatives in talent acquisition are obligated to create a level playing field, where equal opportunity to succeed is provided to applicants, candidates, and new hires by adjusting a job and employment practice or work environment.
It’s important to know that the amendments to the ADA in 2008 broadened the legislation’s coverage by clarifying the definition of disability. Now the law more broadly covers individuals with a diagnosed/recorded impairment that substantially limits at least one major life activity. This means many more people are covered by the ADA. A diagnosed impairment is not limited to a medical doctors’ diagnosis, but can include verification from other professionals, including licensed counselors, rehab counselors, occupational and physical therapists, independent living specialists, and others.
An Accommodation Primer
Before diving into tips on supporting individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process, Lou laid out an “Accommodation Primer” to help establish an understanding of reasonable accommodations for employers. He shared three key points:
Tips to Support Individuals with Disabilities throughout the Hiring Process
The remainder of the webinar focused on providing tips to help talent acquisition professionals understand and implement an effective reasonable accommodations process; host an inclusive interview process; conduct inclusive pre-employment testing; and incorporate reasonable accommodations into the onboarding process. Key insights included:
Watch the playback of the webinar for the full overview of these topics, along with answers to talent acquisition professionals’ most commonly asked questions about disability inclusive hiring. For more on supporting individuals with disabilities throughout the hiring process, you can contact the contact the Getting Hired team.
Contributions to this blog were made by Andraéa LaVant of Solutions Marketing Group.