What is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)?
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). It is held each year to commemorate the many and varied contributions of people with disabilities to America’s workplaces and economy. And it is a good time for companies to think about their disability inclusion training and approach.
Before considering a training plan, it is helpful to read a full overview of disabilities as defined under The Americans with Disabilities Act. It is a reminder that disabilities can be both visible and invisible, ranging from physical disabilities like blindness, to mental disabilities like learning disorders, to chronic diseases like cancer.
Disability inclusion is good for business.
According to 2020 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29% of the employment-population with disabilities are employed, vs 70% employment for the employment-population without disabilities.
The opportunity for companies to create more disability inclusion is huge. Not only is it the right thing to do, it makes a lot of business sense. The third largest market segment in the U.S. is people with disabilities. As with any customer segment, the best way for a company to tap into it is to ensure that segment is represented in its workforce.
The third largest market segment in the U.S. is people with disabilities.
Where to start with disability inclusion.
NDEAM is a good time to consider how our companies approach disability inclusion. Understood, a non-profit that helps people who learn and think differently be understood, provided these 5 steps to build an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities. The first step is implementing company-wide training for leadership, supervisors and co-workers.
We asked Dr. Gina Hinrichs, Director of Consulting Operations at Perspectives, to share best practices to consider when implementing new company-wide training. Her answer: ADDIE.
An overview of ADDIE.
ADDIE is a framework that many training developers use to develop courses. It stands for:
- Assessment – Identify gaps between where you are and where you want to be.
- Design – An initial overview of your program that includes course goals, content plans, delivery method and implementation strategy.
- Development – Create, find or modify a course that meets the design you designed.
- Implementation – Begin delivering the program, which includes scheduling, preparing the learning environment, doing a pilot program and making initial adjustments.
- Evaluation – Review the results against original goals identified in the design phase. This includes feedback from participants and noting changes in behavior.
ADDIE is a clear framework for introducing new training.
According to Dr. Hinrichs, following a process like ADDIE ensures that trainings address the company’s greatest need and the training effectiveness can be tracked. As your workforce evolves and learns from the training, you can use the ADDIE process to continue to evolve and improve the training.
Powered by Inclusion.
The theme for NDEAM 2021, “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion,” reflects the importance of ensuring that people with disabilities have full access to employment and community involvement during the national recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. NDEAM is a chance for each of us to assess the disability inclusion in our companies. If your company is looking for a first step, consider disability inclusion training.
Learn more about Perspectives Organizational Consulting & Training
If you are interested in working with Perspectives contact to Jonathan Eisler, VP of Business Development & Organizational Consulting at JEisler@PerspectivesLtd.com
About Gina Hinrichs, Ph.D., CCMP, Prosci, DISC
Dr. Hinrichs is a certified Change Management lead and NeuroLeadership coach. Gina has a BA, BS, MBA, MOB, and a PhD in Organization Development. She has guided global for-profit and non-profit organizations to realize their strategic initiatives through leadership performance, process improvement, project management, and team building. She is an adjunct professor of Strategy and Organization Development courses for Benedictine University.
