March 2006                                                                            www.floridabln.org

Florida BLN Steering Committee
  
CHAIR
Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR
ITM Group, Inc.
  
VICE CHAIR
Sue Moore
Walt Disney World Co.
  
PAST CHAIR
Rita Barreto Craig
The Craig Group
  
VR LIAISON
Eladio Amores
Division of Vocational Rehabilitation
  
BIG BEND BLN CHAIR
Sarah Butters
Holland & Knight
  
BREVARD BLN CHAIR
Douglas Barclay
Mercedes Homes, Inc.
  
FIRST COAST BLN CHAIR
Ira Wittenstein
Merrill Lynch

MIAMI-DADE BLN CHAIR
Bob Bromberg
Bromberg & Associates
  
PANHANDLE BLN CO-CHAIRS
Lara Burnside
The Studer Group

Jennifer Grove 
Gulf Power 

POLK COUNTY BLN CO-CHAIRS
Julie Hansen
Holland & Knight
  
Vivian Campbell-Williams
Polk Works
  
AT-LARGE MEMBERS
Cassandra Black
NASA
  
Steve Eisenhardt
Walt Disney World Co.
  
Christi Sutherland
Walt Disney World Co.

About the Florida BLN
 
The Florida Business Leadership Network is a peer-to-peer membership group of employers seeking resources to recruit, hire and market to persons with disabilities. Members include small and large businesses who recognize that success in the 21st century hinges on a diverse workforce that includes employees with disabilities.
 
For more information about the Florida BLN, visit www.floridabln.org.
 
To suggest an article or upcoming event to be included in this newsletter, e-mail the editor at kristen@abletrust.org.


 

  
Message from the Chair

 

Last month the Florida BLN held an informative and engaging annual meeting with local BLN chapter chairpersons and staff liaisons. Hosted by the Walt Disney World Co., more than 20 dedicated volunteers attended the event to learn more about the ongoing activities of the Florida BLN in relation to the emergence of local chapters. Katherine McCary, USBLN president, was also in attendance and shared updates from the national perspective with the group, including enhancements to the national website to better serve employers seeking disability hiring information.

Additionally, the Florida BLN will work with local chapter representatives to implement a statewide branding campaign, which will include the development of a BLN logo and tagline, additions to the floridabln.org website about local chapter activities, and key message development for marketing the BLN and the services it offers to help employers create a more inclusive workplace the includes persons with disabilities. As we undergo this process, look for updates each month in your Connections newsletter.

Each month we bring you information about upcoming events and web resources that are available free or for a nominal cost to help you improve your disability employment practices. The Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium agenda continues to develop with an exciting list of presenters, and thanks to the support of HR Florida, human resource professionals can earn continuing education credits toward their PHR or SPHR designation by attending this event. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, which will enable your business to showcase its products and services as well as your commitment to employing people with disabilities. For details on sponsorships please contact Kristen Knapp at Kristen@abletrust.org or toll-free at 888.838.2253.

 

We hope you take advantage of the many resources we have shared with you this month and appreciate your continued support of the Florida BLN and the employment of people with disabilities. Please remember to check the website regularly for all your disability employment-related tips at www.floridabln.org.
ADA Resources Available to Employers

Southeast Disability and Business and Technical Assistance Center (Southeast DBTAC) has developed a service called Tidbits, which provides employers with information and insight regarding the ADA and disability-related issues addressed in the workplace.  The Florida BLN has received permission from Southeast DBTAC to reprint Tidbits and will be including portions of them in your monthly Connections newsletter. 

The ADA is a landmark federal law that protects the rights of people with disabilities by eliminating barriers to their participation in many aspects of living and working in America. In particular, the ADA prohibits covered employers from discriminating against people with disabilities in the full range of employment-related activities, from recruitment to advancement, to pay and benefits. The foundation for the ADA is America's promise of equal access to opportunity for all citizens. Being inclusive of people with disabilities-in recruitment, retention, promotion, and providing an accessible environment-gives businesses a competitive edge. Below are two common myths about how the ADA affects employers and research and facts that negate them.

Myth: The ADA forces employers to hire unqualified individuals with disabilities.

Fact: Applicants who are unqualified for a job cannot claim discrimination under the ADA. Under the ADA, to be protected from discrimination in hiring, an individual with a disability must be qualified, which means he or she must meet all requirements for a job and be able to perform its essential functions with or without reasonable accommodations.

Myth: Under the ADA, an employer cannot fire and employee who has a disability.

Fact: Employers can fire workers with disabilities under three conditions:  the termination is unrelated to the disability, the employee does not meet legitimate requirements for the job, such as performance or production standards, with or without a reasonable accommodation, or because of the employee's disability, he or she poses a direct threat to health or safety in the workplace.

A number of resources are available to assist employers in understanding their responsibilities under the ADA. First, the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is a free, confidential service from the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) that provides individualized accommodation solutions and technical assistance on the ADA. Among the areas that JAN can address are accommodation options and low-cost solutions, hiring, retaining and promoting qualified employees with disabilities, employer responsibilities under the ADA, reducing workers' compensation and other insurance costs, and addressing accessibility issues. For more information about JAN, visit http://www.jan.wvu.edu/ or call 1-800-526-7234 (V/TTY).

Another resource is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC enforces the ADA's employment provisions. The section of its Web site titled "Disability Discrimination" provides access to numerous publications, including several specifically designed to answer employer questions and concerns.  For more information regarding the EEOC, visit http://www.eeoc.gov/ or call 1-800-669-4000 (V); or 1-800-669-6820 (TTY).

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ADA Home Page includes many excellent resources for employers. The "ADA Business Connection" section of the site includes business briefs and tax incentive information. The ADA Home Page is located at http://www.ada.gov/.

Ten regional ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers, which are sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, provide ADA information, training and technical assistance across the nation. For more information about the ADA & IT Technical Assistance Centers visit http://www.adata.org/ or call 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY).

For more information about the Americans with Disabilities Act or accessible information technology, contact the Southeast DBTAC at 1-800-949-4232 (V/TTY).





Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium

Save the Date: August 18, 2006   

The Able Trust will host the first Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium on Friday, August 18, 2006, in Tampa, FL. The Symposium will provide employers with information on successful accommodation strategies, tax incentives, marketing to consumers with disabilities and other topics. Service providers in attendance will find out more about funding opportunities and employer relations.   

The Symposium will also feature The Able Trust's 10th annual Ability Awards luncheon. Keynote speaker Alex Valdez, one of the first comedians with a disability to gain national recognition, will be speaking at the luncheon. Valdez's messages combine life experiences and years of diversity and disability training. Corporations, associations, government agencies and college campuses have all invited Alex to be part of their diversity, disabilities awareness, and human resource programs. The Ability Awards recognizes employers, service providers, media professionals, entrepreneurs and young adults with disabilities who have promoted employment opportunities for Floridians with disabilities.   

For more information about the Florida BLN EmployAbility Symposium visit http://www.abletrust.org/bln/bln_events.shtml.   
  
Upcoming Local BLN Chapter News
  
The next meeting of the Miami-Dade Business Leadership Network will be held Tuesday, March 28, 2006, from 8:30 - 10:00 AM at Aon Consulting, Inc. For more information, contact Debbie Courtney at 850-386-2022 or email MiamiDadeBLN@wilres.com.

The Turning Diversity into Dollars training presented by the Big Bend Business Leadership Network and the Big Bend Society of Human Resource Management will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2006, 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM. To register and for more information, Contact Debbie Courtney by email, bbbusinessleadershipnetwork@wilres.com or at 850-386-2022.

The Miami-Dade Business Leadership Network Training, Turning Diversity into Dollars, will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, from 8:00 - 10:00 AM at the Hilton Miami Airport. For more information and to register, contact Debbie Courtney by email at MiamiDadeBLN@wilres.com, call 850-386-2022, or fax 850-386-2812. 

Upcoming Events

Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series
The Job Accomodation Network (JAN) has created an Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series. This series provides a convenient opportunity for professionals to discover ways to enhance an organization's ability to accommodate and employ people with disabilities.

Currently scheduled events include:

EEOC on Job Accommodation Issues. An audio conference featuring Sharon Rennert, Attorney Advisor, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Tuesday, May 2, 2006, The ADA at 16: Trends and Developments. An audio conference featuring Naomi Levin, US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Tuesday, July 11, 2006, Strategies for Recruiting and Accommodating in the Health Care Industry. An audio conference featuring Corey Turner, Employee Engagement Service Manager, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, on Tuesday, August 8, 2006, CAP and JAN: Successful Accommodation Strategies. A Webcast featuring Dinah Cohen, Director, Computer/Electronics Accommodation Program (CAP). Tuesday, November 14, 2006.

For more information on the Accommodation and Compliance Audio/Web Training Series, visit training@jan.wvu.edu or call 800-526-7234 (V/TTY).

Community Employment Conference
Join Florida Association of Rehabilitation Facilities (Florida ARF) on March 29-30, 2006 for their conference, Community Employment: From Theory to Practice. The conference will bring together experts and practitioners interested in working together to overcome employment barriers and challenges to people with disabilities. 

The Conference will include "Roll up your Sleeves" sessions on community employment issues such as solving the supported employment gap , school transition barriers, and much more.

Visit http://www.floridaarf.org/ and click on Meetings and Events for more information.

Lawyers with Disabilities Hold First National Conference

The first National Conference on the Employment of Lawyers with Disabilities will be held May 22- 23, 2006 at the Renaissance Washington Hotel, in Washington, D.C. This conference is the first of its kind and is sponsored by the American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law, in collaboration with the ABA President's Office and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The registration materials for the Conference are now available on the ABA website at http://www.abanet.org/disability/events/06/nationalconference/home.html  

USBLN Conference Scheduled for October

The Minnesota Business Leadership Network has been selected by the USBLN to host the 2006 USBLN annual conference. The conference will be held October 4-6, 2006 at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center in Minneapolis. Information is available at the USBLN's website at http://www.usbln.com/.

Web Resources

EARN Can Help Employers Recruit Workers

Employer Assistance & Recruiting Network (EARN) is a nationwide cost free recruiting and consultation service that provides employers with workforce solutions. EARN connects employers to a national network of service providers with access to job candidates. For more information about EARN, visit http://www.earnworks.com/.
 
Making Microsoft PowerPoint Presentations Accessible

The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) has created a fact sheet that is designed to help employers understand the accessibility features and challenges of PowerPoint. It addresses how to increase the native accessibility of a PowerPoint presentation and how to create an accessible HTML version of a PowerPoint file.  For more information visit: http://ncdae.org/tools/factsheets/powerpoint.cfm

Job Accommodations for Light Duty and Return to Work

The Job Accommodation Network recently released their latest Consultant's Corner document, Accommodations, ADA, and Light Duty. Included in this release is an excellent new fact sheet on accommodations for Return to Work. http://www.jan.wvu.edu/corner/index.htm