Northeast ADA Center Cornell University

Providing technical assistance, training and information about the Americans with Disabilities Act

1.800.949.4232

Leadership in a Disability Inclusive Workforce:

The Just-in-Time Program

In a nutshell…

Five trends

impacting diversity

and disability

inclusiveness

efforts

1. The need for talent will increase

2. People with disabilities are a

significant source of untapped

talent, being nearly at par on levels

of education

3. Only about one-third of

diversity/inclusion initiatives

meaningfully include disability

4. Returning veterans

5. Federal contractor guidelines –

Greater accountability for disability

inclusive workplace.

In a nutshell…

What do we wish to

accomplish with

this program?

As a result of this program,

organizations will enhance competitive

advantage by…

•Expanding current and future access to

talent

•Improving productivity and performance

•Retaining talent and preventing turnover

•Reducing off-work time

•Being better able to reach and serve

customers with disabilities

•Renewing a commitment to diversity

•Enhancing corporate citizenship

In a nutshell…

What does research

tell us about effective

diversity & disability

inclusive practices?

Successful approaches to enhance

disability inclusiveness…

•Go beyond “one-shot deal” training

sessions to provide on-going support when

and where it’s needed

•Go beyond simple legal compliance to

make the business case

•Go beyond the HR office to engage key

players: face-to-face leaders—managers &

supervisors

•Go beyond complex manuals & rules to

provide sustained, just-in-time tools: job

aids and as-needed coaching

In a nutshell…

How will this be

accomplished?

Two Step Process:

1. Affinity group or Core Group

2. Managers’ Just-in-Time (JIT)

Toolkit

The Model: A Cascaded Approach

Affinity Group/

Core group

Consists of anyone in

organization who has a

personal or professional

interest in disability or

diversity

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability inclusiveness

practices on the floor/in the field

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability

inclusiveness practices on the

floor/in the field

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability

inclusiveness practices on the

floor/in the field

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability

inclusiveness practices on the

floor/in the field

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability

inclusiveness practices on the

floor/in the field

The Model: A Cascaded Approach

Affinity Group/

Core group

•Builds awareness in

organization

•Build awareness of JIT

tools

•Disseminate JIT tools

Managers/

Supervisors Key players in disability inclusiveness

practices on the floor/in the field

Managers/

Supervisors

Using JIT Tools, be effective in

leading people with disabilities

Managers/

Supervisors

Using JIT Tools, be effective in

leading people with disabilities

Managers/

Supervisors

Using JIT Tools, be effective in

leading people with disabilities

Managers/

Supervisors

Using JIT Tools, be effective in

leading people with disabilities

Program steps…

1.

Affinity Group/

Core Group Workshop

•Two or three hours

•Interactive

•Can be Customized

Two objectives: A. Build awareness of disability

inclusiveness in the workplace

B. Promote distribution of the JIT Toolkit

among managers/supervisors

Suggested modules: 1. It’s about talent

2. Disability, workplace & business

trends

3. The return on investment

4. Legal updates

5. Strategies & practices for disability

inclusive workplaces

6. Real-life scenarios around disability

inclusiveness in the workplace

7. The JIT Toolkit: Introduction &

dissemination

Program steps…

2.

The Just-in-Time

Toolkit for Managers

Why managers/

supervisors? • Key gatekeepers and players in

making decision and setting

“lived culture” of the workplace

• Often over-looked

• Difficult to reach

• Just-in-Time approach is needed

• Make or break diversity/disability

inclusiveness initiatives

Program steps…

2.

The Just-in-Time

Toolkit for Managers

About the JIT Toolkit • Ten tools

• Core part of each tool used in 10

min or less

• Based on situations/dilemmas

manager likely to encounter

• Tool #10 is organization-specific

• Other Tools have points of

customization

• NOT meant to replace a call to HR!

• Each Tool consists of: Core points

Test yourself

Print & Go

Want to know more?

1.

Disability IS DiversityThe business case for disability

inclusiveness

2.

Disability in the

workplaceWhat’s true; what’s not

3.

Let’s talkInteracting with

employees who have

disabilities

4.

About hiringSeeing the many

faces of talentLeadership and the

Disability Inclusive

Workforce:

The Manager’s Just-

in-Time Toolkit 5.

An employee just told

me about a disability What do I do now? 6.

Having an

accommodation

discussionIt’s about the 3 P’s—

Performance, Productivity

& Preventing Turnover

7.

Accommodation

optionsWhat works; what

doesn’t?

8.

A performance issue might

be due to a disabilityAddressing the situation

9.

An employee might have a

mental illness or addiction

problemThinking it through

10.

Finding out more: Further resources in your

organization

Program steps…

Program evaluation &

feedback

Confidential

Anonymous

Focuses on our program, not

on organization

A brief pre-/post-test survey for

core group session

Short optional online survey

(immediately after and 4 – 6

months later) for managers

who have used the JIT Toolkit

Employment and Disability Institute

School of Industrial and Labor Relations

Cornell University

201 Dolgen Hall

Ithaca, NY 14853

800.949.4232 in NY, NJ, PR and the U.S. VI

607.255.6686

northeastada@cornell.edu

www.northeastada.org