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Achieving Equality at Work Reasonable Accommodation in Practice
WorkshopStarting Work
Bernie Bradley,Social Inclusion Officer, Monaghan County Council
Caroline McGrotty,Co-ordinator
Lorraine Gallagher,Information and Training Officer, WAM Programme, AHEAD
Niall O’Hanlon,Access Officer, ESB
Robert Forde,Electric Ireland, Santry
Chair:
Dr. John Bosco Conama, Director, Centre for Deaf Studies, Trinity College Dublin
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Bernie Bradley
Monaghan County Council
Monaghan County Council and
inclusion? National Equality Legislation
Equal status act
Employment Equality Act
Human Rights & Equality Commission Act
Disability Act
Local Government Act
Local focus
Awareness raising
Policy development
Communication
Customer services
What is Equality?
Equality gives everyone the same opportunityto participate in society, not everyone willwant to participate but everyone should havethe opportunity.
Equality doesn’t mean treating everyone the same.
Equality recognises that some people need different supports in order to participate in society in the same way as others.
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Our work in accessibility is focused on four
clearly defined areas of accessibility:
Attitudinal Accessibility
Accessible services and information
Accessibility of the Built
Environment
Accessibility of External Environment
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Our approach is to ensure that
accessibility and inclusion is everyone’s
responsibility.
We work to ensure that Elected members,
Management and staff understand what
accessibility is, what inclusion is and what
is means to be inclusive as an organisation.
Creating a culture of Inclusion
More importantly, we aim to ensure
that everyone understands why
accessibility and inclusion are
important.
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Why the policy is in place?
How the policy relates to their
day to day work.
Who does this policy impact on?
People effect change quicker than
policies!
Public Sector Duty –Pilot
Irish Human Rights & Equality Commission Act 2014
Protect Human Rights
Eliminate discrimination
Promote equality
Monaghan County Council – National pilot
Linked in with Dept to ensure the duty is reflected in the new
Corporate planning guidelines.
Monaghan County Council Case study
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Policy Development
Inclusive customer service
Key areas for consideration when we plan the delivery of services.
Physical mobility
Literacy skills
Sensory impairments
Language barriers
Privacy
Personal support
Cognitive function
Cultural norms
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Set outs the steps to be
taken to ensure everyone in
the community has the
opportunity to participate
in a public consultation
process.
Inclusive Consultation policy
Creating a culture of Inclusion
Step by step approach to plan,
design and development playground
with integrated play opportunities
for all children together
Winner of 2018 Excellence in Local
Government award
Inclusive Playground policy
Employment of People with Disabilities
2016 census, there are more than
640,000 people with disabilities in
Ireland.
71% of the people with a disability
are out of work,
26.3% being estimated as living in
consistent poverty.
Currently there are in excess of
250,000 students in higher
education, of whom less than 6% are
people with a disability who require
support.
Employment of People with Disabilities
Strategic priorities
1. Build skills, capacity and independence
2. Provide bridges and supports into work
3. Make work pay
4. Promote job retention and re-entry to
work
5. Provide coordinated and seamless
support
6. Engage employers
People with disabilities can get a job and enjoy a rewarding career
Employment of People with Disabilities
Inclusive Education
The phase of denial and
neglect
The Special School phase
The phase of
integration/inclusion
Inclusive Education
‘It is in every way undesirable that mentally deficient
children, even of the higher grade, should be placed with
normal children. Such children are a burden to their
teachers, a handicap to other children, and, being unable to
keep up with their class, their condition tends to become
worse.‘
(Commission of Inquiry into Reformatory and Industrial Schools 1936).
“The record level of investment in special education and
SNAs reflects the focus of this Government on children who
will flourish and reach their potential when extra support
is provided.
(Joe Mc Hugh TD Minister for Education and Skills 2019)
The Inclusive Education Model
September 2019 there were 15,822
SNA posts employed across the
country
Almost 60,000 children receiving
support to participate in education
€1.9 Billion investment in special
educational needs.
Integrated and individualised
approach to supporting each
student to participate.
Inclusive Employment?
The phase of denial and neglect
The “Special” phase ?
The phase of integration/inclusion
Inclusive Employment?
Create awareness of disability
through people not policies
Focus on ability
Seek out champions in your
workforce
Ask the experts how you can help!
Tell the experts what help you need
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zY2
8jVfl4E
Bernie Bradley
Social Inclusion
Monaghan County Council
Glen road
Monaghan
Bbradley@monaghancoco.ie
047 73727
IHREC Conference Reasonable Accommodation & Work
Caroline McGrotty | Lorraine Gallagher| 7th October 2019
Vision Shaping a future where students with disabilities can succeed
Mission To empower more students to succeed in education and employment
3608
4853
63216932
7957
90829694
1077311224
12630
14720
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020
Nu
mb
ers
of
Stu
den
ts w
ith
Dis
abili
ties
Number of Students with Disabilities6.2% of Total
Student Population in 2017/18
3.2% of Total Student Population 2006/07
Census 2016 – Employment
• 13.5% of the Irish population* have a disability
• 22.3% of these are at work (130,067 people)
• This equates to 6.5% of the workforce who have some form of disability
• People with disabilities are less than half as likely to be employed• 22.3% vs 53.4% of general population
*of working age – 15 and over
HALF AS LIKELY
People with disabilities of working age are
to be in employment as those with no disability.
ESRI, 2017
Willing, Able, Mentoring…ensuring employers understand disability
Widen access to employment
To create attitudinal change
Opportunities for further employment
Mainstream inclusive practices and policies
Better understanding of barriers in employment
Minimum 6 months paid, work experience
Mentoring to enable career development
Learning from the placement experience
Statistics to date…
Since 2005
• Over 440+ placements secured
The last 5 years…
- 4 out of 5 applicants do not require any accommodations at interview
- Over two-thirds of workplace supports do not incur a cost to the employer
77% secure full-time work within 12 months
Employment Equality Legalisation
• The 9 grounds of discrimination • You cannot treat someone less favourably because of their
status/membership to any of these groups
• Disability is one of them.
• An employer shall do all that is reasonable to accommodate the needs of a person who has a disability
• Unless the measures would impose a disproportionate burden on the employer.
Employment Equality Legalisation
• An employer is obliged to take appropriate measures to enable a person with a disability;
• to have access to employment• All stages of recruitment including job advertisements, applications, interview processes
• to participate or advance in employment
• to undergo training• All aspects of career development and retention - salary, promotion, terms & conditions
etc.
Reasonable Accommodation – The Law
• Reasonable accommodation is to ensure equality of opportunity in the recruitment, selection and employment of all job applicants and staff members.• effective and practical measures
• adaptation of premises and equipment
• patterns of working time
• distribution of tasks
• provision of training or integration resources
Assume there is a way around any issue with appropriate supports
Disclosure Question!
Why Disclose?
Accommodating in the Workplace
Disability
Reasonable Accommodation
Task +
How do I know what type of supports a person needs?
• Ask the person!
• Liaise with the designated Access Officer if there is one
• Have a structured conversation in relation to the CORE job tasks
• Use job descriptions as a guide only
• Seek assistance from external organisation if necessary
Core Competencies
• Identify the absolute essential elements of the job
• Can a portion of these tasks be reallocated?
• Is there technology available?
• Alternative methods of instruction/communication
Work Environment
• Assessing the work environment
• Moving around the building
• What alternative arrangements can be put in place?
• Health and safety considerations
Niall O’Hanlon, ESB Access Officer
Robert Forde – ESB Electric Ireland
Creating a Brighter Future Today by Leading the Transition
to a Low-Carbon World
Niall O’Hanlon
I am the ESB Access Officer and my role is to help customers and staff, with disabilities, to easily access ESB services and information.
ESB was one of the first public bodies to appoint an Access Officer.
I ensure compliance with the Disability Act 2005 by addressing barriers to access for customers and staff
Responsibilities include Promoting accessibility best practice in:• Communications, • Customer Service, • Information Technologies, • Buildings • Procurement
Name – JohnDisability - Non-Verbal (although he can hear perfectly)
John was in an accident and as a result he injured his vocal chords, which prevents him from speaking, and he also has some dexterity issues with his hands.John is a qualified Accountant.
John joined ESB in 2014 in an Accountancy role. John’s role was expanded which required him to attend meetings and collaborate with colleagues outside of his own team.
John was struggling with communicating in his new role and was unable to write responses quick enough to keep up with the speed of the project.
John, however, had reasonably good typing speeds on a keyboard and was able to use his smartphone as a means to communicate short messages.
ESB Case Study
Challenges
In discussion with John, he explained the difficulties he was having and that he felt that he would have to go back to his old role unless a solution could be found (please note discussion was via email).
The Line Manager was very supportive of John and really wanted him to stay in the role as his experience was vital but he was also realising that the communication issue was becoming more difficult.
ESB Case Study
Outcome/Solution
Equipment required: iPad and mini keyboard (both small and portable) and load some free speech enabled software to the iPad.
This equipment allowed John to type his answers or questions on to the iPad which in turn spoke the words using the Speech enabled software.
It was now not necessary to pass around the note of what John had to say, the iPad was doing it all. Initially it was a bit slow until John’s colleagues become accustomed
John’s typing skills continue to improve and he is able to use the word predictor with far greater accuracy.
John even has his own special voice now giving him a feeling of individuality.
ESB Case Study
ESB Case Study
Just to give you some idea how John can use his AT device. See the YouTube video of “Lost Voice Guy” who won “Britain’s Got Talent”.
Lost Voice Guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YJYVYYhfI
ESB Case Study
Just to give you some idea how John can use his AT device. See the YouTube video of “Lost Voice Guy” who won “Britain’s Got Talent”.
Lost Voice Guy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YJYVYYhfI
Robert Forde
He joined ESB in 2006 and is presently based in Electric Ireland
He is a visually impaired, motivational speaker from Swords, Dublin.
He travels around Ireland sharing his experience of becoming blind at a young age, and how he has overcome his disability to do the things most important to him, in life.
He has developed his own website, www.optimisteyes.com
Robert was asked “So, how do you view the world?” and in Roberts own determined manner, he replied:
"Initially I had doubts I would get a job or be able to move on in life after being left blind but I proved that attitude wrong. Instead of learning to live with blindness, I made the blindness learn to live with me! I was going to succeed and that was all that mattered."
Robert tells his story of losing his sight, from when he was young to the present day, in a very entertaining and upbeat way.
Workplace Supports – The WAM Programme
66%
7%
13%
11%3%
Work Tasks
AT - Software
Hardware
Medical Appointments
Other
Two-thirds of accommodations do not incur a cost to the employer
Things to Remember
• You cannot always see a person’s disability
• Assess and analyse the core competencies
• Assume there is a way around any issue with theappropriate supports
...the biggest barrier is perception.
(WAM Manager)
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Achieving Equality at Work Reasonable Accommodation in Practice
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