Summer 2005
In This Issue:
- Virginians with Disabilities Act Marks 20th Anniversary
- Two Richmond Businesses Receive Freedom Initiative Award
- A Sign of the Times
- New Video Helps Employers Understand ADA
- Workforce Recruitment Program Announces New Batch of Pre-screened Job Seekers
"Virginians with Disabilities Act" Marks 20th Anniversary
Twenty years ago, sixty-four disability organizations formed a coalition known as INVEST (INsure Virginians Equal Status Today) to accomplish passage of the Virginians with Disabilities Act(VDA). This landmark civil rights legislation declared the state's commitment to support and encourage persons with disabilities to participate fully in the social and economic life of the Commonwealth. It preceded the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by five years.
To mark the occasion, the Department of Rehabilitative Services, along with other state and non-state partners, will host the 20th Anniversary VDA Symposium on June 28 th at the Holiday Inn, Koger Center South, in Richmond, Virginia. This event will bring together statewide disability advocacy groups, service organizations and others involved in the 1985 passage of the VDA. It will be a time to reflect and celebrate Virginia's accomplishments since the passage of the Act. Groups will also meet to identify and discuss the challenges still facing Virginians with disabilities, and set the pace for the future. A reception will follow.
Two Richmond Businesses Receive the New Freedom Initiative Award
Positive Vibe Cafe and Imperial Plaza took home the New Freedom Initiative Award at the 2005 All-Star Awards breakfast, which took place at the Richmond Convention Center on Wednesday, May 4, 2005. Hosted by the Richmond Human Resource Management Association and the Greater Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the All-Star Awards recognizes Richmond-area employers that are truly committed to their employees and have programs in place to demonstrate that commitment. The New Freedom Award specifically recognizes businesses for their efforts to expand opportunities for persons with disabilities.
Click on the links below to read more about Positive Vibe Cafe and Imperial Plaza:
Positive Vibe Cafe
Imperial Plaza
A Sign of the Times
Abingdon, Virginia -- If the hiring managers at Bristol Compressors ever need to find good workers, they know who to call: Gene Williams, Counselor for the Deaf at the Department of Rehabilitative Services in Abingdon, Virginia. Williams, who helped Bristol Compressors employ a number of deaf workers, is considered a vital resource for hiring and accommodating people with disabilities in the workplace.
Over the last five years, Williams has been working with the Human Resource Director and the Plant Safety Coordinator to create a more disability-friendly environment at Bristol Compressors. He helped the company address accessibility and safety issues, and assisted them in identifying positions that would make the best match for employees with hearing impairments. Currently, Williams is working with Bristol Compressors to develop communication guides for supervisors and employees to communicate more effectively with workers who are deaf and hard of hearing. Plans include the development of laminated sheets containing a list of terminology commonly used in each work area, depicted into sign language. These sheets will be posted at stations where employees with hearing impairments are working.
"Bristol Compressors is an excellent example of a business who understands the value in supporting their employees," says Williams. "It's no longer me telling them what they should do; it is them asking me what more can they do."
"It is exciting to see this kind of employer partnership between business and agency," says Jim Rothrock, Commissioner of the Department of Rehabilitative Services. "It is a win-win situation for everyone involved."
New Video Helps Employers Understand ADA
"Ten Small Business Mistakes" -- This FREE video identifies common mistakes that small businesses make when trying to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The film runs 13-minutes, featuring statements by store owners expressing their misunderstandings about the ADA, followed by responses from Assistant Attorney General R. Alexander Acosta and other Department employees explaining the law in easy, common sense terms.
To view this video online, go to the U.S. Department of Justice's ADA website at http://www.ada.gov/videogallery.htm. The video, as well as the re-release video of the "ADA Signing Ceremony", is also available on DVD and can be ordered free of charge by calling the Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY). All versions have captioning for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing and audio-description for people who are blind or have low vision.
Workforce Recruitment Program: A New Batch of Pre-screened Job Seekers
Just in time for the summer hiring season, the 2005 Workforce Recruitment Program database containing profiles of 1,913 job candidates is now available! Fill your summer or permanent hiring needs with talented college students with disabilities. These candidates, from more than 200 colleges and universities, represent all majors, and range from college freshmen to graduate students and law students. To request a free copy of the entire WRP database on CD-ROM, send your name, company name and mailing address to wrp@dol.gov. (Please note: if you represent a federal agency, email kravitz.betsy@dol.gov for information on access to the WRP.)
For more information on the Workforce Recruitment Program, please visit: http://www.dol.gov/odep/programs/workforc.htm
