“Renewing Our Spirit through Creating and Sharing Practices of Inclusion” 2014 CANAR Mid-Year Training Conference "Renewing Our Spirit" April 22-24, 2014 Albuquerque, New Mexico

Go to the JAN Landing page! You will find: This PowerPoint (in formats of ppt. text, large print) "A Roadmap to Creating a Culture of Inclusion in Your Workplace” -PowerPoint & Toolkit (in formats of ppt. text, large print) Other very helpful publications, videos and resources 2

“Renewing Our Spirit through Creating and Sharing Practices of Inclusion” Presented by: Louis Orslene, Co-Director JAN - Job Accommodation Network Vinh Nguyen, Program Director Southwest ADA Center Julie Ballinger, Disability Rights & Issues Consultant Southwest ADA Center Regional Affiliate

Presentation Overview Facilitating our communities towards a more inclusive future Federal disability discrimination laws and how they apply to American Indian Tribes Roadmap to creating a culture of inclusion in your workplace Resources 4

5 We All Belong To The Earth Chimney Rock, Northern New Mexico

In facilitating our communities towards this more inclusive future, we must be able and willing to:  Debunk the myths about disability  Make the business case  Teach people about communicating that their doors are open to people with disabilities  Teach people about communicating with people with varying abilities  Show people how to create an inclusive school, workplace, and communities  Let people know that there are resources to support them every step of the way 6

One of the most important things we can do is to help schools, workplaces, and businesses to develop a culture of inclusion and to communicate this. Four Signs the Doors are Open  Accessible buildings, technology  Inclusive ethos - particularly language  Inclusive policies and practices  Inclusive public relations and marketing  Developing external partnerships with disability related services such as vocational rehabilitation 7

Federal Disability Discrimination Laws Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Does not apply to Tribal Employers (Title I) Does not apply to Tribal Govt Programs and Services (Title II) Applies to Tribal Places of Public Accommodation (Title III) Rehabilitation Act (including Section 504) Applies to Tribal Agencies if they provide VR services Applies to Federal Agencies providing the funding to Tribes 8

Other laws: Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Architectural Barriers Act Fair Housing Act 9

Tribal Sovereign Immunity Plaintiffs can not sue tribes in federal court without their consent Does not mean that the law does not apply What Then? Utilize Tribal Court System Complain to the federal government 10

Roadmap to Creating a Culture of Inclusion in Your Workplace An individualized employer and business tactical planning tool. It is designed to help employers and businesses strategically plan and implement a successful accessible and inclusive work and market place. The plan includes: – 20 comprehensive road map inclusion goals, – identifying possible challenges that may need to be addressed in order to achieve the access goals, – example action steps under each goal, and – the inclusion of partnerships/collaborations/resources to help the employer identify and implement their action steps. 11

12 1. Identify internal champions. 2. Dispel disability-related myths and barriers. 3. Understand how disability employment and becoming "disability friendly" gives the organization a business advantage. 4. Ensure our Diversity strategy includes Disability. 5. Develop policies, procedures, practices, and training related to the employee life cycle which includes the natural occurrence of acquiring disability. 6. Develop or adapt a proactive, open and defensible interactive process for successfully accommodating employees with disabilities. 7. Make “stay-at-work” or “return-to-work” policies and practices an ideal of your workplace towards retaining talent. Break down the workers compensation, short term disability, and long term disability departmental silos.

13 8. Know the legal obligations of your organization, including the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the Family Medical Leave Act, as well as State Family Medical Leave and workers compensation laws. 9. Conduct a physical site accessibility audit of our facility. 10. Conduct an accessibility audit of corporate communication technologies, including the company’s website and intranet. 11. Conduct an accessibility audit of all of your hiring processes including your applicant tracking system. 12. Become knowledgeable about assistive technologies. 13. Develop collaborations with organizations to build our recruiting pipeline. 14. Develop a recruiting strategy for Wounded Warriors.

Collaborate with local, regional, and national programs to assist in meeting recruitment targets and hiring people with disabilities. 16. Capitalize on the market segment of people with disabilities by developing products and services for this segment. 17. Develop and implement a marketing plan inclusive of people with disabilities. 18. Develop a comprehensive internal communication strategy to institute and maintain a Culture of Inclusion. 19. Join local Business Leadership Network and the US Business Leadership Network to learn of leading best practices in hiring, advancing, and retaining people with disabilities. 20. Develop accountability mechanisms and continuous improvement strategies for our Culture of Inclusion.

Select Resources: Building accessibility - Access Board Accessibility of Technology - International Association of Accessibility Professionals Hardware/Software/Website Accessibility Issues - SSB BART Group Inc. - WebAim - Leaders in Inclusive Workplaces - US Business Leadership Network / National Business and Disability Council Guidance, Publications, & Research ADA National Network SHRM Disability Resources Diversity Inc.(Disability page) 15

Job Accommodation Network (JAN) (Voice) / (TTY) The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues. National ADA Network Voice or TTY The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), tailored to meet the needs of business, government and individuals at local, regional and national levels. 16