Understanding Corporate Disability Inclusion Practices: A Service Provider Training (6 hours/in-person or 4 hours/virtual*)

This interactive workshop prepares attendees to increase their comfort level and expertise with disability. Attendees will come away from this training with the knowledge on how to effectively engage with and educate job seekers with disabilities around corporate disability inclusion practices, characteristics of disability inclusive employers and navigating self-identification and disclosure during the interview process. The workshop is best suited for staff of universities and community colleges, one stop career centers, state agencies, and community-based organizations that provide job search support and placement assistance services to job and intern seeking students and adults with disabilities.

Topics covered include disability awareness, disability etiquette, disability sensitivity (for in-person only), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, self-identification, disclosure and interviewing, leading recruitment practices used by employers, and the value proposition for employers to include individuals with disabilities in their recruitment and workforce development strategies.

After completing this training, participants will be able to:

  • Challenge personal and public stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions that surround persons with disabilities and employment
  • Articulate the importance of and difference between ‘person-first’ and ‘identity-first’ language
  • Describe basic norms for interacting with individuals with specific types of disabilities including apparent disabilities such as vision, hearing and mobility impairments as well as mental health, learning and other non-apparent disabilities
  • Explain why disability is important to business and identify at least 3 benefits to including persons with disabilities in the workplace
  • Differentiate between self-identification and disclosure and counsel job seekers on if, when, and how to share this information with an employer
  • Identify at least 3 characteristics of a disability inclusive employer
  • Coach job seekers on successful interviewing techniques to increase focus on their ability, not their disability

* The virtual training is slightly condensed and delivered at an accelerated pace.