Employer Services

Training and education

We provide customized disability inclusion training sessions for various organizational roles, including leadership, managers, staff, human resource professionals, DEI specialists and talent acquisition partners. Training topics include:

• Foundation Building: High-level overview of definitions, terms and statistics to understand the who, what, when, why and how of disability. 
• Language, Etiquette and Accessibility: Increases knowledge and skills to enhance awareness, effectiveness, and comfort when communicating with, and about, people with disabilities. Understanding language, etiquette and accessibility resources enables companies to create an inclusive and supportive environment, avoiding assumptions that may limit opportunities for both the employer and the employee.
• Tips for Improving Hiring & Retention Efforts: A deeper exploration of the intersection between workforce and disability inclusion, focusing on both recruitment and retention strategies. Participants will acquire practical skills to establish a safe and inclusive work environment for people with disabilities - benefiting everyone in the process.
• Accommodations & the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): An overview of the ADA's relevance to employees and employers, understanding reasonable accommodations, disclosure, and confidentiality. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the ADA's application in the workplace and learn tools and skills to navigate and support reasonable accommodations effectively.

Education and training can be customized to meet the needs and interests of various audiences. Training courses range from 1 to 1.5 hours and can be virtual or in-person.

• Sample agenda for a 1^st training session:

1. Part 1: 20-30 minutes
   1. Foundations Building
      1. High overview of definitions, terms, and statistics.
2. Part 2: 40-60 minutes
   1. Selection of one of the following topics:
      1. Language, Etiquette, and Accessibility
      2. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Reasonable Accommodations
      3. Tips for Building a More Inclusive Culture and Advancing Hiring Practices

Training modules are also available for purchase as a comprehensive four-part DEI training option, specifically designed to be extended to all employees within your organization. Please contact susan.gatti@mainehealth.org for additional information.

Workforce recruitment

Our team also supports job seekers on their vocational journey. People seeking employment opportunities are referred to us by various community agencies. Our dedicated team works in collaboration with business leaders, hiring managers, human resource representatives, and talent acquisition partners to facilitate workforce recruitment and identify meaningful matches that bring value to both businesses and job seekers. Please contact susan.gatti@mainehealth.org for additional information.

Additional services

In addition to our core offerings, our team provides:

• Review of application, interview and on-boarding processes
• Incorporating disability inclusion within a comprehensive DEI strategy
• Assistance with developing an employee resource group (ERG) specific to disability
• Review of business policies and procedures to identify opportunities to improve disability inclusion
• Providing suggestions on how to build an inclusive culture to ensure people with disabilities can bring their best selves to work
• Assessing compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as it relates to reassignment and the accommodation process

Implementing a disability inclusion (DI) strategy yields many benefits and plays a crucial role in cultivating a positive and inclusive workplace culture. It can also positively influence a company's bottom line. Businesses that embrace a DI strategy often report:

• Reduced costs
• Increased productivity and profits
• Improved employee retention

Financial benefits

• Cost Reduction
  • Reduced Turnover: Turnover can be reduced by 20-30% compared to other labor pools; when costs associated with turnover are decreased, productivity and efficiency benefit.
  • Recruiting/HR Costs: By using state-funded community organizations and resources, companies can reduce their costs for recruiting and ensure a pipeline of qualified, vetted and supported job candidates.
• Improved Market Share
  • People with disabilities represent a large portion of the consumer market. This market share grows if their family members, caregivers, friends and other connections are taken into account. Increased awareness can help boost sales and revenue.
• Tax Credits & Incentives
  • Companies may be eligible for Work Opportunities Tax Credits (WOTC). They can also use state and local resources to access low-cost/free training programs.

Other Benefits

• Enhanced Reputation
  • Increased awareness by stakeholders and consumers can build brand loyalty and ultimately create a competitive advantage in the market.
• Increased Innovation
  • People with disabilities have to be creative to adapt to the world around them. This helps them develop skills in problem solving, persistence, agility, etc. All of these skills can help boost innovation at their workplace.

For support related to a specific employee associated with MaineHealth Vocational Services Portland, please contact the employee’s Employment Specialist or Job Coach. For all other questions, please contact susan.gatti@mainehealth.org

Resources to Advance Disability Inclusion

• Disability Employment and Inclusion: Your Guide to Success
• ODEP | U.S. Department of Labor (dol.gov)
• Building an Inclusive Workforce (dol.gov)
• Steps to Get Started with Disability Inclusion
• DI-Quick-Start-Guide-Full.pdf (workplaceinitiative.org)
• EmployerGuide.pdf (maine.gov)

The Business Case

• Getting to Equal: The Disability Inclusion Advantage | Accenture

Accessibility

• Maine CITE
• Accessibility (askjan.org)
• MDOL: Accessibility Guide (maine.gov)
• Office Accessibility Center - Resources for people with disabilities (microsoft.com)

Accommodations

• JAN - Job Accommodation Network (askjan.org)
• Applying Performance and Conduct Standards to Employees with Disabilities | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (eeoc.gov)
• Accommodation_and_Compliance_Series_Dos_and-donts-final.pdf (mdtransitions.org)
• The JAN Workplace Accommodation Toolkit (askjan.org)
• Costs and Benefits of Accommodation (askjan.org) 

Disability Etiquette

• Disability Etiquette (askjan.org)
• Disability Etiquette - A Starting Guide - Disability:IN (disabilityin.org)

Additional

• 5 Myths and the Real Facts for Employers - Think Beyond the Label - Think Beyond the Label
• Understanding equality versus equity | Canadian HR Reporter
• How to define dihttps://www.cultureamp.com/blog/how-to-define-diversity-equity-and-inclusion-at-work/versity, equity, and inclusion at work - Culture Amp Blog
• Unpacking the debate over person-first vs. identity-first language in the autism community - News @ Northeastern

Our employer services team publishes a newsletter about disability inclusion in Maine’s workforce.

• Volume 1: Disability Inclusion Newsletter (constantcontact.com)
• Volume 2: Disability Inclusion Newsletter (constantcontact.com)
• Volume 3: Disability Inclusion Newsletter (constantcontact.com)

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