Access Quarterly Fall | 2021
In this Issue 01 What we’ve been up to NDEAm 02 Celebrating National Disability 03 Employment Awareness Month 04 All voices Count 05 National Disability Voter Registration week 06 We Need your help! 07 Help us ensure indpendence with our Foundations to Freedom program!
08 Saving lives one smoke detector at a time
forests 09 Food The future of food sustainability?
Creating a Workplace for all National Disability Employment Awareness Month
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ctober will mark the 76th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month. National Disability Employment Awareness Month (also known as NDEAM) is an annual campaign that honors workers with disabilities, promotes businesses that hire and value diversity, and raises awareness about disability employment issues. Each October, the Office of Disability Employment Policy hosts National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM). During this month, our focus is on celebrating the contributions of people with disabilities to the workplace and community and affirming our commitment to creating an inclusive society that’s open to all.
This year NDEAM’s theme is “America’s Recovery: Powered by Inclusion.”The theme is about the importance of inclusive employment following COVID-19 to provide full employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
What can we learn from the history of NDEAM? In 1945, the U.S. Congress recognized the first week in October as “National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week” in honor of people with disabilities.This campaign emphasized the value of job opportunities for people with disabilities and showed that they could make a difference. In 1962, the term “physically” was removed in acknowledgment of the achievements made by individuals with many types of disabilities. In 1988, the U.S. Congress extended the week to what we now know as National Disability Employment Awareness Month to enhance awareness of the employment needs and contributions of people with disabilities.
Why It’s important to hire people with disabilities There are many advantages for employers to hire people with disabilities; some of these benefits include increased knowledge about how to provide services to people with disabilities, increased workplace diversity, new and different perspectives that can be applied to solving problems, and new insight into the needs of customers.
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Every office needs a great employee
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It shows your commitment to diversity.
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In an article published by Forbes, Career Coach John M. O’Conner explains that hiring people with disabilities is a win-win. You can hire an amazing employee when you hire someone with a disability. Additionally, these new recruits can boost team morale by bringing a positive attitude to work that can motivate other employees.
The Forbes article also mentions when a company hires people with disabilities, it shows its dedication to promoting diversity within the organization. In return, employees are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, as it proves to their team that diversity is a valued asset to the company.
A positive work enviroment= Less Turnover This leads to greater loyalty and a more positive connection with the company and its practices. Increasing employee positivity will also reduce turnover rates. Having a lower turnover rate means a company doesn’t have to spend more on training new employees. According to Training Magazine’s 2020 Training Industry Report, the average company spent $1,111 per employee on training in the U.S. this year. A study published by the University of New Hampshire explains that turnover is a concern for business and the turnover rate among people with disabilities is much lower, just 20%, compared to non-disabled coworkers who have a turnover rate of 150%.
There’s a tax incentive! Tax incentives are offered by the government to encourage business owners to hire employees with disabilities. According to Business.com, federal financial incentives include: • Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) • Architectural Barrier Removal Tax Deduction • Disabled Access Credit
All voices count. National Disability Voter Registration Week written by Golda Kelli Ryan Did you know that 17.7 million people with disabilities reported voting in the November 2020 elections. While this number is up significantly compared to the 2018 and 2016 elections, 11% of voters with disabilities had some type of difficulty voting in 2020. This indicates a total of 1.95 million voters with disabilities experienced voting difficulties.
What is national Disability voter registration week? National Disability Voter Registration Week is coordinated by the American Association of People with Disabilities and REV UP which stands for “Register, Educate, Vote, Use your Power!”The REV UP Campaign aims to expand the political force of individuals with disabilities by increasing their political power and sharing educational resources that give them the confidence to register to vote.
Why is it important that people with disabilities vote? According to Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations, “voter turnout surged among citizens with disabilities in 2020. The turnout increased by 5.9 points in comparison to the 2016 general election.” Citizens with disabilities are letting their voices be heard and their determination was recognized in the November 2020 election, when 17.7 million people (about the population of New York) with disabilities casted their vote.
Volunteer Spotlight On Thursday, September 16th we hosted a special event at our Winter Park office in celebration of National Disability Voter Registration Week (September 13-20, 2021.) As a committed partner to disability inclusion in Orange County and the community it serves, the event was co-hosted by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections. The National Disability Voter Registration Week event provided attendees with the opportunity to register to vote, update their voter registration information, and ask questions about voting. As part of our relationship with the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, we offer disability awareness training to all poll workers. These Disability Awareness Trainings ensure that all poll workers in Orange County are educated and trained to interact with voters with disabilities. During the event, Bill Cowles, Orange County Supervisor of Elections, voiced his support for National Disability Voter Registration Week, as well as his commitment to the rights of voters with disabilities. A special appearance was made by Orange County Mayor, Jerry Demings, who proclaimed the month as National Disability Voter Registration Month to highlight the importance of providing equal access to voters with disabilities. During his speech, he stated, “we want to be certain that those who have various disabilities have the type of clarity, the type of communication, and the access that they need when they go to various voting places.” At the event, Danaë Rivera-Marasco, Communications, and Community Outreach Coordinator at the Orange County Supervisor of Elections demonstrated how accessible voting machines are used. These specific pieces of voting equipment are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and allow people with a variety of disabilities to vote efficiently and effectively. In response to a question concerning accessibility to voting machines, she stated that “accessible voting machines are important to ensure every citizen has the opportunity to cast their vote securely and privately. Every voter should be able to feel confident that they can vote.” Want to learn more about ADA accessible voting machines? Check out this walkthrough provided by the Orange County Supervisor of Elections
Bill Cowles and CIL Orange County Supervisor of Elections , er were joined by Pilch any Britt t, men Director of Develop l Disability Voter Mayor Demings who proclaimed Nationapendent Living in Inde for ter Cen the at Registration Week bers attending Winter Park on Thursday. Community memter to vote and regis preto ed help the proclamation were ssible voting. were educated on the opportunity of acce
Ending the year right
We need your help!
Your Investment today leads to someone’s Independence tomorrow.
But there is still a need! Right now we have 212 people on our waiting list in need of a home modification, specifically 66 who need ramps. Our goal is to raise $70,000 before the end of 2021, and we are asking YOU to join us to create these essential Foundations to Freedom.
Your donation will directly go to providing a home modification or piece of assistive equipment to a Central Floridan in need.
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Last year CIL was able to provide 333 home modifications like grab bars, door widenings, and ramps to 224 individuals with disabilities who desperately needed them. In addition, 239 pieces of assistive equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, shower chairs, potty chairs were distributed to keep people living independently and giving them the ability to access their community.
$70,0
What is foundations to freedom? No one should ever feel like a prisoner in their own home. This program provides customized home modification as well as durable medical equipment that ensures safety and accessibility, allowing individuals with disabilities to remain independent in their own home. Services include: • Custom installations of residential wheelchair ramps • Widening of interior doorways • Installation of grab bars • Bathroom & kitchen modifications • Amplified phones • Wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, canes, bath and potty chairs
How does this program change lives? People with disabilities face daily challenges, but their homes should not be one of those challenges. Unfortunately, there are countless individuals with disabilities who live in inaccessible homes- whether it’s an inacessible bathroom, bedroom, or even front door, these seemingly simple issues have a huge impact on a person’s ability to be independent.
Every person deserves independence.
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A 000
$50
provides a grab bar.
$100
provides a walker.
$250
provides a door widening.
$500
provides a wheelchair.
$1,000
Provides a 4’ ramp that allows consumer accessibility in and out of their home.
With your help we can reach our goal! To make a donation that will bring independence to someone right here in your community visit give.cilorlando.org
Saving lives one smoke detector at a time Seminole County Fire Department Provides Deaf & Hard of Hearing residents with unique fire detecting Alarms Did you know that the presence of a working smoke alarm in a home reduces the risk of dying in a fire by 50%? The Deaf community is often forgotten about when it comes to something as simple as a smoke alarm- how are people to be alerted when they are Deaf or hard of hearing? The answer- bed shaker smoke and fire alarms! Even better, the Seminole County Fire Department recently received a grant to install these alarms at the home of residents in Seminole county for free! Our Communications Specialist, Danielle, happens to be a Deaf individual living right in Seminole County and was in need of a bed shaker alarm for her new home! Members of the Seminole County paid Danielle a quick visit and just like that, she got a new bed shaker alarm properly installed so that she can have piece of mind for herself and her family in her home. Are you a Seminole County resident in need of a Deaf/Hard of Hearing bed shaker smoke alarm? Email scsmokealarms@seminolecountyfl.gov for more information.
Members of the Seminole County Fire Department and other community friends came to Danielle’s home to learn more about the free smoke detector program.
Michelle Blake Hector Del Valle Gregory Edwards Tamara Mackroy James Moody Christopher Pruitt Holly Muller Kevin Reynolds Bill Rodriguez Dr. Maxine Ruddock Lavonda Wilder