BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP NOVEMBER 10 - NOVEMBER 16, 2017 17
WHY AREN’T WE HIRING THE
DIFFERENTLY ABLED?
There’s no time. I can’t train
them. It’s too costly.
These are all myths about hiring
people with different abilities.
Even though the Americans with
Disabilities Act was passed nearly
30 years ago, many adults with
intellectual and developmental
disabilities face
discrimination in the
general workforce.
Many employers
are not even willing
to consider people
with I/DD, despite the
competitive skills
they have to offer.
According to the U.S.
Department of Labor,
the national unemployment rate is
double for folks with any kind of
disability.
We are calling upon businesses,
schools and other community
organizations to become more
engaged with the idea of inclusive
hiring practices. At HeartShare
Human Services, we have a Pre-Vocational
and Employment Program
creating a pipeline of highly qualified
workers with I/DD.
First, our individuals receive
extensive training. Before the
date of hire, they have a work
try-out with the prospective employer.
HeartShare job coaches
shadow that new employee until
he or she is able to fulfill his or her
responsibilities without on-site
support.
Secondly, the majority of
reasonable accommodations are
minimal. In fact, nearly 60 percent
of accommodations cost absolutely
nothing. “No tech” or “low tech”
support might include extra
preparation time to complete a
task, or labeling an item for
easier recognition.
Lastly, our punctual
and hardworking
employees typically
take care of what
your current employees
don’t have the time
for—keeping tables
clean in a college
cafeteria or serving
as a greeter (and theft
deterrent) at a retail store.
Whether they’re working at
a college or a Modell’s Sporting
Goods retail store, these workers
are creating a more efficient, seamless
workplace for everyone.
At the end of the day, it’s not
costly to hire people who are differently
abled.
Will you debunk this myth or
perpetuate it?
Linda Tempel, MBA, MSW, is
executive director of developmental
disabilities services at HeartShare
Human Services of New York which
nurtures and empowers more than
34,000 vulnerable New Yorkers
each year. If you’d like to become an
employment partner, please reach
out to us at joshua.skolnick@heartshare.
org or 646-483-8910.
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GUEST OP-ED
THE HOT TOPIC
STORY: Permit or no, Dyker Lights will go on
SUMMARY: After over 100 Dyker Heights residents packed a Monday, October
30 meeting regarding the outcome of the community’s recent push to permit
the famous Dyker Heights Lights to gain access to better resources, citywide
news outlets reported that the storied spectacular might be in trouble. However,
despite the tradition’s fair share of contention, the reality is quite the opposite.
It is growing, just without the means to help control it. Our readers -- some of
them from Dyker Heights -- weighed in on the issue.
REACH: 8,504 (as of 11/6/17)
BY LINDA TEMPEL
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V I S IT
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