With the =
unemployment=20
rate hovering in double-digit territory, it=E2=80=99s =
difficult for=20
many people to find a job. It=E2=80=99s an even bigger =
challenge for=20
Mark Karner, a polio survivor who uses a wheelchair =
and=20
ventilator.
His disa=
bility=20
limits the kinds of jobs he can perform. Wheelchair =
access is=20
often the first stumbling block when he inquires about =
an=20
opening.
=E2=80=9CHalf of them don=E2=80=99t even know what =
that means,=E2=80=9D said=20
Karner, who has been job hunting since September. =
=E2=80=9CThat=E2=80=99s=20
really held me back. There=E2=80=99s still a lot of =
discrimination out=20
there.=E2=80=9D
Karner knows the situation better than most people =
because=20
he previously was disability advocacy director at the =
Progress=20
Center for Independent Living in Forest Park, =
Illinois.
Health & Disability Advocates, a Chicago-based =
group,=20
is trying to change the perception of hiring people =
with=20
disabilities through an advertising campaign that =
launched=20
February 1.
The national effort will total $4 million initially =
for=20
television, radio, print and Internet ads.
It is designed to change the perception of hiri=
ng=20
disabled employees. Print ads poke fun at the =
foibles of=20
typical employees. For instance, =
=E2=80=9CTina=E2=80=9D is portrayed as being=20
=E2=80=9Cpattern deficient=E2=80=9D because her =
clothes don=E2=80=99t match.
=E2=80=9CJust because someone looks a little =
different doesn=E2=80=99t mean=20
they can=E2=80=99t make your organization look =
great,=E2=80=9D the ad says.=20
=E2=80=9CThe same goes for people with =
disabilities.=E2=80=9D
Barbara Otto, executive director of Health & =
Disability=20
Advocates in Chicago, said the campaign, a =
collaborative=20
effort between states and human services agencies, =
strives to=20
be edgy and creative rather than staid government =
public=20
service announcements.
=E2=80=9CWhat we=E2=80=99re trying to do is turn =
the notion of labels on=20
its ear and get decision-makers to go beyond their own =
bias=20
and look at what a person can contribute to their =
business=20
instead of looking at their disability,=E2=80=9D Otto =
said.
The target audience, Otto said, is executives at =
small and=20
medium-size companies that may not have an HR =
department. The=20
ads will direct them to a Web =
site that=20
outlines state-level resources to help them iden=
tify=20
disabled job candidates and modify their =
workplaces for=20
them.
Small and large employers alike will have to pay =
closer=20
attention to the needs of disabled employees in the =
wake of=20
legislation approved by Congress in 2008 that expands =
the=20
Americans with Disabilities Act.
Regulations are being drafted that would impleme=
nt=20
the law, which went into effect in January 2009. =
It=20
broadens the definition of disability in response to =
Supreme=20
Court rulings that limited the ADA=E2=80=99s =
scope.
Instead of looking at case history to determine =
whether an=20
employee qualifies as disabled, companies must now be =
more=20
inclined to accommodate him or her.
=E2=80=9CDealing with sick, injured, disabled =
employees is much=20
more of a high-stakes process,=E2=80=9D said Gerald =
Maatman Jr., a=20
partner at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago. =E2=80=9CThe law =
puts a much=20
higher premium on decision-making. It=E2=80=99s a very =
employee-friendly set of amendments.=E2=80=9D
Despite the ADA, hiring obstacles =
remain=E2=80=94even in a good=20
economy.
=E2=80=9CIt=E2=80=99s the last frontier for =
employers looking to build a=20
diverse workplace,=E2=80=9D Otto said.
=E2=80=94Mark Schoeff =
Jr.
Stay informed and =
connected.=20
Get human resources news and HR features via =
Workforce Management's Twitter feed or=20
RSS =
feeds for=20
mobile devices and news=20
readers.=20
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/ads/ads_ban_lft.gif")
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/stretch/wf_logo.gif"){kind=logo}
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/ads/ads_ban_rght.gif")
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/glo_site_contents-1.gif"=20)
![3D"Network](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/community_off.gif"=20)
![3D"Access](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/commerce_off.gif"=20)
![3D"The](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/hotlist_off.gif"=20)
![3D"Post](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/postjob_off.gif"=20)
![3D"Subscriber](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/subhelp_off.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/nav_space.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/enews.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/wfw_off.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/access.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/aboutwf.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/contact_off.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/advertise.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/wfo_nav_new/media_off.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/glo_corner.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/glo_yel_line_311.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/glo_yel_line_177.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/glo_sp.gif")
![3D""](3D"http://s9.addthis.com/button1-share.gif")
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/printver.gif"=20)
![](3D"http://www.workforce.com/images/glo/pastissues_sm.gif"=20)
![3D"CrownPeak](3D"http://webanalytics.crownpeak.com.re.getclicky.com/35224-db5.gif")
![3DQuantcast=20](3D"http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-30T9SJdZc5S1U.gif")