PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
INTRODUCTION
You have just been diagnosed with a chronic disease/illness ; but, you still need to work. What are you going to do? How can you even begin to focus on what this diagnosis means to you, to your family and to your job? What do you do first? Do you focus on learning about your illness? On what this illness will mean for you long term? On the impact this illness will have on your family and friends? When do you begin focusing on what this illness will mean to your job? How long will you have before you need to tell your Employer about your diagnoses?
These, and the myriad of others that come to mind, are very important, and need to be answered. However, the good news is that the process for you to use when you answer these questions is the same:
WHAT IS YOUR:
¢ CURRENT SITUATION
¢ DESIRED SITUATION
WHAT ARE YOUR "HOW-TO" STEPS TO GET FROM YOUR CURRENT SITUATION TO YOUR DESIRED ONE?
If your immediate needs focus on learning about your chronic illness, or about your symptoms, or about acquiring medical and/or disability insurance for which you are entitled, please refer to the other site locations within this website. Also, the Disabilitykey Workbook offered for sale at a minimal price at this website contains detailed How To steps for you to follow in documenting your chronic illness symptoms; and, in applying for and qualifying for disability insurances for which you are entitled.
If, however, your immediate needs focus on continuing to work while disabled, and/or, continuing to work while on your first year of LTD (Long Term Disability ), this is the appropriate site within this website for you.
DISABILILTY AND WORKING - GENERAL
First and foremost, it is better to complete all of this work early, before the symptoms of your chronic illness keeps you from performing the essential functions of your job.
The general steps that you will need to follow in continuing to work while disabled, when your disability symptoms impair you from performing the "essential functions" of your job are as follows.
- ¢ DO NOT TELL YOUR SUPERVISOR AND/OR HR ABOUT YOUR ILLNESS/IMPAIRMENT UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK and have a plan to offer them.
- ¢ Identify your symptoms; complete your symptom impairment matrix; document what you can and can't do; document your peak "energy" times in the day; verify your information with your doctor; get your Doctor to complete an accurate PCE (Physical Capacity Evaluation) form on you. *
- ¢ Refer to JAN (Job Analysis Network) for information about your disease; print out your disease and your example workplace modifications based on your disease. *
- ¢ Obtain a copy of your job description.
- ¢ If your job description does not contain the physical and mental expectations of the job's essential functions, get HR to rewrite the job descriptions to include them; or, we can do it for you for a $25.00 consulting fee. *
- ¢ NOW is the time to discuss your situation with your Supervisor and HR. THIS is the time to ask your Supervisor and HR about other jobs that could be options for you to perform. *
- ¢ Between you and your Doctor, decide what you can do, and what you cannot do; and, what you can do with modifications. Again, use the PCE form. Also, compare what you can do with the job descriptions that you receive from HR. Be sure to compare what you can do to the JAN examples. *
- ¢ With your Dr's input, decide how long you will be able to work. Decide whether to accept another job and continue working, or whether to trigger LTD and continue working. *
DISABILITY AND WORKING - SPECIFIC
If you decide that you need/want specific instructions and guides to follow during this process, we have prepared an "e-book" that provides examples of actual documents, blank forms, and specific "How-To" instructions for each general point where you see the "*" above.
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Disability Employment Mentoring Day
I have been silent for a few days - moving is always hard! Then, to get a bad cold that turns into Bronchitis - what can I say. But, I'm getting better, and wanted to continue sharing information with all of you.Today, October 19th, is Disability Employment Mentoring Day. Here is the email that I received announcing what our government is doing to assist people with disabilities learn about and access employment opportunities. As I am plugged in to the disability empllyment activities, I wanted to share information that I receive with you."An Important Message from W. Roy Grizzard, Jr., Ed.D., Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy, U.S. Department of Labor
Dear Colleague:
Today, Disability Mentoring Day: Career Development for the 21st Century, thousands of young people with disabilities around the country are being brought together with employers from the public and private sectors for a day of job shadowing and hands-on career exploration. Disability Mentoring Day began in 1999 with fewer than three-dozen student participants. Last year, 9,000 youth with disabilities participated along with over 2500 employer mentors.
Held on the third Wednesday of October each year, this day provides young people with disabilities on-the-job experiences about the many career options available to them. Disability Mentoring Day also serves to increase awareness among employers and the general public about people with disabilities as a highly talented and largely untapped source of skilled, dedicated employees.
Though Disability Mentoring Day takes place on this one day each year, the experiences of these young people with disabilities, and their employer mentors, is lasting. In offering first-hand experiences of potential career paths, Disability Mentoring Day benefits not only the young people who are mentored, but employers as well, providing them with recruitment opportunities, and an understanding of the great potential of youth with disabilities as active participants in the 21st century workforce.
Under the leadership of U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) continues its work in developing and influencing policies and practices that directly impact the participation of people with disabilities in the workforce. As we take part in Disability Mentoring Day 2005, we acknowledge the contributions of people with disabilities in the workplace, and reaffirm our commitment to the goals of the President's New Freedom Initiative—the full integration and participation of people with disabilities in the workforce and in their communities."Look at the second, red, high-lighted information above:
"...increasing awareness amont employeers and the general public about people with disabilities as a highly talented and largely untapped source of skilled, dedicated employees."
The other blog about disabilities in the www.disabilitykey.com website focuses on helping people with disabilities obtain all of the benefits to which they are entitled! This blog focuses on the positive; what we can do, and how to focus those talents in the workforce.
Yes, people with disabilities are highly talented; we are a largely untapped source of skilled, dedicated employees! Some of us can only assis voluntarily to help others, as I do. Some of us want and need employment. This blog offers tools, ideas, website links, and any other information that I can come up with, to help those who want to work, get and maintain that job!
Stay tuned. And, if you have questions or ideas, please comment on these blogs.
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