Initiated in 2002, the Secretary of Labor's New Freedom Initiative
Awards encourage the use of public-private partnerships to increase employment
opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities. Secretary Chao has said,
"Workers with disabilities represent an under-utilized pool of talent. We
need that talent today more than ever."
Awards are presented annually to individuals, non-profit
organizations, and corporations that have, through programs or activities,
demonstrated exemplary and innovative efforts in furthering the employment
objectives of President George W. Bush's New Freedom Initiative.
Non-Profit Organizations Corporations Individual
Non-Profit Organizations
Abilities, Inc. Albertson, New York
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Edmund
L. Cortez, President/CEO, Abilities, Inc., and Francine M. Tishman, Executive
Director/COO, Abilities, Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
For 50 years, Abilities, Inc. has been providing occupational
training and placement services for youth and adults with disabilities,
assessing, training and placing more than 5,000 persons each year through its
local and national programs.
Abilities, Inc. has created and implemented a comprehensive and
multi-faceted service delivery model (The Abilities Service Paradigm),
comprising three interrelated and interdependent components: assessment,
training, and placement. Assistive Technology is a critical part of each
component.
Assistive Technology, Vocational, Job Readiness, and Support
assessments are the foundations of the assessment component. Microsoft Office
Specialist Training, Business Skills Training, Laboratory Assistant Training,
Adult Basic Education, Adapted Driver Education, and the Steps Toward
Employment Program (STEP, for consumers with limited cognitive ability)
comprise the training component. Finally, the placement component is built from
Pre-Employment and Employment Services to Post-Employment Services and Support
Services.
Through private funding Abilities, Inc. has established a Center
for Assistive Technology, comprising an impressive array of assistive devices.
These assistive devices are available to job seekers with disabilities both
during training and (on a loan basis) during their work experience. The
organizations inventory of Assistive Technology equipment is extensive,
including the most advanced and widely used array of assistive devices.
Abilities, Inc. makes business needs and marketing to the business
community a priority. The organization has established a corporate service arm,
the National Business & Disability Council), which consists of federal
agencies and more than 200 Fortune 1000 companies
Seventy-two percent of the people with disabilities who
participate in Abilities training programs are being hired immediately
after completing the program. The employees are realizing an average weekly
increase in wages of $256 and experiencing promotions that rival peers without
disabilities.
Courage Center Minneapolis,
Minnesota
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Eric
Stevens, CEO, Courage Center. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Courage Center, a rehabilitation center for people with
disabilities, is a leader and innovator in the disability field with services,
expertise, advocacy and partnerships that promote quality of life, independence
and community integration for individuals with physical disabilities and their
families. Its staff includes 530 regular employees, 1,000 seasonal employees,
and 2,300 volunteers. The Courage Center is being recognized for two programs:
Vocational and Community-Based Services and the Assistive Technology
Program
The Vocational and Community-Based Services program partners
with people having moderate to severe disabilities to evaluate work strengths
and challenges, explore work directions, develop new skills, find meaningful
work, and keep a current job. Clients, typically aged 35 to 54, have a recently
acquired disability or have a disability that has exacerbated and resulted in
at least three functional limitations. These clients find they must begin again
in the job market.
This program provides individualized counseling to clients,
including assessment, training, and placement. The service works closely with a
Business Advisory Council and area businesses to develop its computer
curriculum, based on business requirements.
The Assistive Technology Program serves as a resource for
consumers and health care professional on the latest assistive technology
information, equipment and services. This program partnered with Habitat for
Humanity to build the first Habitat homes that incorporates affordability,
accessibility and assistive technology features. A CD-ROM virtual tour that
highlights the nearly 100 access features of the first home was distributed to
500 architects, builders, consumers and therapists, 150 of whom have
disabilities.
All Courage Center programs and services rely on the this program.
The Assistive Technology Program has also created an extensive assistive
technology resource on the Courage Centers web site, offering information
on products, vendors, service providers, software and hard ware.
Central to the program is the assistive technology lab, which is
used by five to ten persons per day. The lab has helped identify what people
with disabilities want to use and what problems or challenges may exist. .
The Vocational and Community-Based Services program client numbers
are significantly increasing from the 490 total in 2002. The first quarter of
2003 served 169 clients (extrapolates to 676 per annum). From 2001 to 2002,
this program increased its placements from 56 to 69 all at competitive
wages. In 2002, 72 percent of those actively seeking jobs were placed as
compared to 47 percent in 2001. The number of those enjoying fringe benefits
doubled, from 21 to 41 from 2001 to 2002. The assistive technology lab has seen
a 200 percent user increase since opening.
Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce
Salisbury, Maryland
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to
Stephanie T. Willey, President-elect, Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce. (DOL
Photo/Shawn Moore) |
The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce is the first local Chamber
of Commerce to sponsor a Business Leadership Network in order to advance
employment of people with disabilities. The Chamber has used its existing
resources to work closely with the local One-Stop Career Center and the
Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services to influence training programs and
communicate the needs of business, ultimately providing linkages with its
business members
To accomplish this, the Chamber embarked upon a coordinated and
well-executed plan that addressed six specific areas: business buy-in, private
partnerships, public-private partnerships, access to workers, myths and
attitudes, and transportation. The Chamber focused on training, placement and
resources.
The Chamber achieved business buy-in by changing the local
perception of the Business Leadership Network from a nonprofit or a state
agency to a business strategy to deal with a declining population of potential
employees over the next decade. It achieved private partnerships by recognizing
that regional interests trumped parochial interests, and worked with
neighboring Chambers to establish a regional Business Leadership Network. The
public-private partnerships initiative recognized that the Chamber could
be instrumental in motivating the Division of Rehabilitation Services to
partner with the One-Stop, and ultimately collocate with it.
Addressing access to workers resulted in a Web site that links
candidates to employers, based on the business location and the
candidates availability. The Chamber tackled myths and attitudes with
locally aired public service videos, collateral materials, and a Diversity
Conference. Transportation issues were mitigated through disability-awareness
training for drivers.
The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce initiatives research member
needs, promote assistive technologies to the Division of Rehabilitation
Services and other entities, provide on-site training programs, share
innovative programs and raise public awareness.
Successful competitive employment outcomes with the Division of
Rehabilitation Services rose to 247 in 2002, from 182 in 1998. The retention
rate is 85 percent. A nonprofit community rehabilitation program, Lower Shore
Enterprise, reported an increase in placements from 32 in 1998 to 84 in 2002.
The employment success of former Rehabilitation Services customers has
caused a dramatic increase in referrals from school systems to the state
agency. On occasion, the Division of Rehabilitation Services aggressively
recruited persons with disabilities because there have been more jobs than
available workers.
Sensory Access Foundation Sunnyvale,
California
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Diana
L. Drews, Executive Director, Sensory Access Foundation. (DOL Photo/Shawn
Moore) |
Founded in 1973, the Sensory Access Foundation provides
comprehensive and innovative approaches to place and retain people who are
blind or visually impaired into competitive employment. The Foundation aims to
provide the highest quality service with the goal of achieving 100 percent job
retention.
Recognizing that technology is the equalizer that allows a person
who is blind or visually impaired to work competitively, Sensory Access
Foundations Employment Preparation, Job Development and Placement Program
provides access to technology evaluation and training, job preparation, and
placement/retention services, as well as on-site technology training, if
necessary. Part of the job development package includes Project Open
Doors, where staff break down every aspect of a job including
accessibility of the technology involved, ergonomics, lighting and other
aspects of the work. A complete evaluation of job accessibility makes
placements more expedient because job developers can concentrate on the exact
skills required by the job and can pre-screen candidates more thoroughly.
If the Foundation does not have a qualified candidate for a
particular position, the organization shares the position information with a
network of community rehabilitation providers. Its Business Advisory Council,
composed of representatives from business, labor, and service organizations,
supports the Foundation in meeting its goals.
The Foundations services have expanded to Santa Rosa, and
plans are underway for further expansion to San Francisco. The organization
also hopes to add a virtual office component in order to serve more
clients, using cell phones, lap top computers and remote Internet access cards
for computers and printers.
Over 60 percent of the individuals the Sensory Access Foundation
serves are Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) recipients. The
organizations average Return-on-Investment (ROI) for fiscal year 2002 is
140 percent. The ROI is based on the comparison between the cost of the
organizations employment program and the total savings in reduced
disability benefits, plus federal and state taxes paid by the same people.
The Sensory Access Foundation is one of only a handful of agencies
in the United States addressing the technology issues of blind and visually
impaired individuals. Since 1995, 1,819 individuals have received services: 447
received access technology evaluations, 362 received training, and 1,052 were
placed or retained in competitive employment, with a 97 percent retention rate.
Positions filled range from court reporter to electrical engineer.
Corporations
Booz Allen Hamilton McLean,
Virginia
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Dr.
Ralph Shrader, CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore)
|
Booz Allen Hamilton is a leading management and technology
consulting firm with more than 12,000 employees in 100 offices worldwide. Among
its services, Booz Allen Hamilton offers clients guidance in creating workplace
environments that support employment of persons with disabilities. Further, the
company strives to be an Employer of Choice for job seekers with
disabilities. Booz Allen Hamilton recognizes the power of daily interactions
among employees with and without disabilities in building a strong corporate
workforce built on diversity and respect. Booz Allen focuses on
initiatives to improve and increase employment opportunities for individuals.
Top management staff serve on boards of disability community-based
organizations. Recruiters seek opportunities to enhance their disability
awareness skills. The company has a full-time interpreter on staff and holds a
quarterly Disability Forum to provide an exchange of information and assess
disability needs. Efforts to target job candidates with disabilities include
advertising on select web sites such as Ability Forum and the ARIS Job Board
Directory, hosting disability-related events, and partnering with universities.
A central accommodations fund absorbs the cost of reasonable accommodations for
employees.
An in-house Systems Resource Center provides a state of the art
technology environment for Booz Allen clients and users to demonstrate and test
accessibility and assistive technology. The companys web sites are
accessible to individuals with disabilities. Computer-Based Disabilities
Training is available to all staff. Topics includes accommodations, workplace
etiquette and recruiting candidates with disabilities, plus a module targeted
to team supervisors and managers on ways to integrate workers with
disabilities. A weekly electronic newsletter includes disability-related
announcements.
Booz Allen Hamilton recognizes the achievements of employees with
disabilities and actively participates in community events during National
Disability Employment Awareness Month. The company also sponsors disability
programs in the community.
In October 1995, as part of its Disability Employment Awareness
Month recognition, the company launched the Emerging Leaders Program.
This program offers area youth with disabilities a two-month paid summer
internship designed to provide a meaningful work experience and an opportunity
to develop leadership skills. Two out of seven 2002 interns in this program
accepted full time offers of employment following graduation. Twelve students
participated in the 2003 program.
Cingular Wireless Atlanta,
Georgia
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Mark
Feidler, COO, Cingular Wireless. (DOL Photo/Shawn Moore) |
Cingular Wireless is the second largest wireless company in the
United States. The company serves more than 22 million voice and data
customers, provides service in 43 of the top 50 markets, recorded 2002 annual
revenues of more than $14.7 billion, and employs more than 33,500 people.
Cingular has taken a unique interdisciplinary approach through its
Disability-Inclusive Policy to support full inclusion, employment, and career
advancement opportunities for people with disabilities. Cingular worked to
dispel myths about disabilities through innovative advertising, education and
community outreach; developed tools to improve communication; encouraged
employment and career advancement opportunities through collaborative efforts
including dynamic public/private partnerships; created a disability friendly
environment and mentoring opportunities; and leveraged the full benefit of
employing people with disabilities to better address the needs of its customers
and communities. The most public example has been the memorable 2000 Super Bowl
ad that featured a critically acclaimed artist with a disability.
Cingular sponsors various organizations and initiatives, locally and
nationally, that advance the employment of persons with disabilities, including
National Disability Mentoring Day. The company has hosted three Ticket to
Work forums that were attended by over 100 national companies. Employees
sit on advisory committees for three of the Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Centers and on the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training
Center. Cngular also created a national Wireless Access Task Force comprised of
national disability leaders to ensure greater access to wireless technology.
Internally, Cingular seeks to ensure that people with disabilities
are aware of company-wide opportunities. Job announcements are posted with
Career Builder and jobacccess.org, which targets the disability community. All
employees are required to complete web-based training on disability, and the
company has developed disability etiquette training materials for manager.
Recruiters at the National Call Center are made aware of the importance of
developing relationships with local disability organizations. In its
effort to ensure that its stores are accessible, Cingular's corporate real
estate intranet contains information and links that inform personnel about all
the issues. Cingular educates vendors on disability issues and provides billing
and product information in accessible formats. Recognizing its market
demographics, Cingular provides dedicated TTY lines for its customers' care,
offers bills in Braille and other alternate formats, and offers the Voice
Connect Disability Exemption Program that waives the monthly service charge of
this voice-activated dialing program.
Giant Eagle, Inc. Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Dale
Giovengo, Human Resources Director, Giant Eagle, Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn
Moore) |
Giant Eagle, a privately owned retail grocery chain, with 200
stores operating in four states and 35,000 employees, has developed a unique
school-to-work program for people with disabilities, called Project
Opportunity. Initiated in 1991, the goal of Project
Opportunity is to give students with disabilities (ages 16-21) realistic
employment targets, independence, self-confidence and ultimately a permanent
job with Giant Eagle. Working through more than 30 community-based
organizations, including Pittsburgh Vision Services, Office of Vocational
Rehabilitation, Conroy Education Center and The Pittsburgh Public Schools,
Giant Eagle mentors students with disabilities through three training phases
that lead to permanent employment.
The first phase, education, applies both to the students and their
teachers. Teachers are paired with students and work with them for 20 days on
job readiness skills, such as attendance, appearance and attitude.
Concurrently, Giant Eagle staff train the teachers in learning the tasks and
jobs their students will be assigned. The second phase brings students to a
centrally located Giant Eagle to work in selected departments for three to four
weeks. Students are then evaluated, and if successful, they are assigned to a
position in a Giant Eagle close to home. In the final phase the students, with
the assistance of a job coach, become permanent employees. Giant Eagle works
closely with the job coach to ensure that employees maintain performance
levels, and provides retraining or reassignment if necessary.
Giant Eagle has modified its hiring process to accommodate people
with disabilities, including those with sight, hearing, mobility and learning
disabilities. The company also provides workplace accommodations, including
assistive technology, to assist employees in performing their job tasks
effectively. Every two years, Giant Eagle provides intensive Disability
Awareness training for its human resource managers by inviting non-profit
agencies to conduct sensitivity training in day camp workshops. The workshops
provide an Americans with Disabilities Act review by law professionals,
guidance on interviewing techniques for hiring people with disabilities, and
disability simulation experiences for the managers. The workshops also directly
address misperceptions and attitudinal barriers.
Giant Eagle has hired hundreds of people with disabilities in
positions ranging from lot attendant to baker, from customer service clerk to
meat cutter, from playroom attendant to human resource manager. Employees who
work in these positions have various disabilities, including deafness and
hearing impairment, blindness and vision impairment, mental retardation,
psychiatric and learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, spina bifida
and paraplegia. Of 315 employees with disabilities currently on the Giant Eagle
payroll, 56 have been with the company between 10 and 34 years, and 79 have
been on the job between 5 and 9 years.
IBM Armonk, New York
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Diane
J. Gherson, Vice President, Compensation and Benefits, IBM. (DOL Photo/Shawn
Moore) |
IBM, which uses advanced information technology to provide
customer solutions, operates in more than 160 countries worldwide and derives
more than half of its revenues from sales outside the United States. It employs
145,705 in the United States alone.
IBM has a 100-year heritage of commitment to persons with
disabilities that permeates the organization. IBMs 39 most senior
executives are involved with the companys Executive Diversity Task
Forces. Four of these executives lead the Global Executive Task Force for
People with Disabilities.
The list of products IBM has developed for persons with
disabilities is exhaustive, including the first powered Braille typewriter, the
Screen reader, Voicetype Dictation, Speech Recognition, the
Trackpoint computer-pointing device, and the Home Page Reader.
In 1914, IBM hired its first person with a disability. In 1985,
IBM established the National Support Center for People with Disabilities to
provide information and awareness about technologies that could be used by
people with disabilities. In 1995, it created eight Executive Diversity Task
Forces (including one for persons with disabilities). The task force for
persons with disabilities has three vital work areas: Accommodations,
Accessibility and Attitude. The company has created 11 Diversity Network Groups
to support persons with disabilities. IBM also has Blind/Visually Impaired and
Deaf/Hard of Hearing Forums.
In 1997, IBM partnered with the American Association for the
Advancement of Science to establish a summer/internship program for
college/university students. This program has exposed a steady stream of highly
talented interns to IBM employment. To attract middle/high school students, it
has initiated five separate programs.
Since 2000, IBM has in place a Corporate Instruction
issued by the Chief Executive Officer that all products and services are to be
accessible to all. In the same year, it established the Global Accessibility
Center. In 2002, IBM issued its U.S. and Global Diversity Policy Letter that
includes persons with disabilities.
IBMs recruiting and hiring programs are exemplary. For
example, the Line Champions program identifies managers who have experience
hiring and working with people with disabilities. These Line Champions are
available to assist other managers through the process of hiring persons with
disabilities. Forty-seven percent of IBMs employees with disabilities are
in key skill jobs (Software Engineer, IT Support, Development Engineer, Sales,
IT Architect, Technician, Marketing) in the United States. Since the
implementation of the intern and Champions programs, 236 people with
disabilities have been hired, and 137 students have participated
summer/internship programs, of whom 29 were hired to full time employment.
IBM has established corporate financing for making workplace
accommodations for people with disabilities, thus relieving managers of the
financial responsibility. Since 1999, the company has spent $3.6 million on
accommodations.
Manpower, Inc. Milwaukee,
Wisconsin
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Millie
Hewett, Business Development Manager, Manpower, Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn
Moore) |
The worlds largest employer, Manpower, Inc. is a Fortune 500
company that annually places almost two million workers in jobs through 3,200
offices in 52 countries. Manpower, Inc. has achieved success accommodating,
recruiting, hiring, retaining and advancing individuals with disabilities.
Manpower, Inc. has a multi-faceted program that includes an
internal Internet system devoted to worksite accommodations for specific
disabilities as they relate to the application, interview and assessment
process in order to ensure that candidates with disabilities are not screened
out of the process. Recognizing that its corporate assessment tools are not
compatible with JAWS software, Manpower is working with the Virginia Department
for the Blind and Visually Impaired to find a solution. Manpower does a Work
Environment Service Call to gather information on business customers
building accessibility and workplace accommodations available to workers with
disabilities; once an applicant is matched to a customer site, the company will
purchase assistive technology if necessary. Manpower staff are trained in
disability awareness, and the company actively develops relationships with
Community Rehabilitation Providers around the country to recruit individuals
with disabilities.
Manpower staff use zoom-screen technology to evaluate and train
applicants with visual disabilities. Communications with deaf applicants are
facilitated by sign language interpreters provided through state rehabilitation
agencies. Telecommunications devices are provided for deaf individuals, and a
special call-in number is available to applicants with speech or hearing
impairments. Manpowers Internet training site, the Global Learning Center
allows applicants and employees to gain new skills in order to maintain
competitive skills.
In June 2002, Manpower formed a partnership with Virginia
Commonwealth Universitys Rehabilitation Research & Training Center to
develop a model project that would ultimately increase the employment of people
with disabilities. Of 98 individuals referred to this program, 25 individuals
with a wide range of disabilities have been placed into competitive employment.
All of the referred individuals have received soft skills training, and 15
percent have signed on to the Global Learning Center. Manpower has been 100
percent successful in matching employment goals and placements.
Manpower has made accommodations in its application, interview and
assessment process by segmenting the process to allow persons with disabilities
the time and ease by which their talents can be properly determined. In
addition, the company recognized that candidates with disabilities have a lower
rate of computer access than does the general population It, therefore, offers
the services of its Help Desk to provide detailed and personal assistance so
that those individuals can fully avail themselves of the Global Learning Center
resources.
Individual
Joyce A. Bender Chief Executive Officer
and President Bender Consulting Services, Inc. Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania
|
Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao (L) and
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy Roy Grizzard (R)
present a 2003 Secretary of Labors New Freedom Initiative Award to Joyce
A. Bender of Bender and Associates International, Inc. (DOL Photo/Shawn
Moore) |
In 1995, Joyce A. Bender, a successful entrepreneur with epilepsy
and hearing loss, incorporated Bender Consulting Services, Inc. in order to
move Americans with disabilities, including minorities with disabilities, into
full-time competitive career opportunities. Bender Consulting is a technology
consulting company that provides assistive technology services to its
customers, and training on employment of people with disabilities to
corporations and government agencies.
Bender Consulting submits qualified candidates with disabilities
to a customer with an identified full-time position. When approved by the
customer after the interview process, Bender hires the candidate as a
consultant. Prior to beginning the assignment with the customer, the consultant
goes through a Career Reality Training Program, which covers a range of topics
including work ethics, assertiveness and accountability. Bender Consulting
provides all necessary accommodations and assistive technology solutions. After
6-9 months on the job, following a positive performance review, the Bender
consultant becomes a direct employee of the customer. Bender Consulting
monitors progress and supports the consultant to ensure retention and career
growth.
Ms. Bender set up her company to be a model employer. Therefore,
Bender Consulting Services provides the following benefits to its
employees:
- Competitive wages.
- 100% premium paid benefits for employee and family including
health, dental, short-term disability, long-term disability, life insurance,
and a 401(k) package with matching contribution.
- Training and employee development (e.g., leadership training
program). Five employees with disabilities have completed the leadership
training program and are serving in leadership positions within the Bender
organization.
More than 100 people with disabilities have been employed in a
range of professional fields including computer programming, project office
support, technical writing, network support, help-desk administration and
finance. Over 95 percent of the consultants were hired by Bender Consulting
Services customers, which include Bayer Corporation, Highmark, Inc.,
Computer Sciences Corporation, Alcoa, FedEx Ground, the Federal Government and
Mellon Financial.
Ms. Bender speaks nationally to employers to educate them on the
business benefits to hiring people with disabilities. She also participates in
many state and national disability initiatives. Ms. Benders demonstrated
success and enthusiasm have inspired other business leaders to hire people with
disabilities.
2003 Secretary of Labor's NFI Awards
Secretary Chao's
Speech
Assistant Secretary
Grizzard's Remarks |