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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.


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


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.


More importantly, we aim to ensure

that everyone understands why

accessibility and inclusion are

important.


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



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


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


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.

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


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

[email protected]

047 73727

mailto:[email protected]

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXQj9boMXEQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXQj9boMXEQ

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YJYVYYhfI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YJYVYYhfI

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.

http://www.optimisteyes.com/

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

workshop bernie bradley, starting work social inclusion ... · access officer, esb robert forde,...

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