Disability Belongs™ customizes sessions to meet your unique needs, issues and audiences. All of our trainers have disabilities and offer specific relatable stories and easy solutions. We are happy to customize a session for you! We also offer a variety of specific topics, including:
- Disability Fundamentals
- Workplace Accommodations
- Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention
- Creating a Welcoming, Inclusive and Accessible Organization
- Ensuring Accessible In-Person and Virtual Events
- Ensuring Accessible Websites and Social Media
- Ensuring a Welcoming Language and Inclusive Storytelling
- Mental Health & Wellness in the Workplace
- Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy
Topic Descriptions
Disability Fundamentals
What is disability? Who does it impact and how can you be welcoming, respectful, and inclusive of people with disabilities? In this practical and easy to follow session, you will learn about the disability community, as well as disability inclusion and etiquette. Through humor and insights, learn about best practices and how to avoid common mistakes. After the session, you will be better able to recognize, respect and interact with people with disabilities, as consumers, colleagues, family and friends. Sessions start with 20-30 minutes of foundational ideas and tips, and then open up for questions. This topic is extremely popular as a virtual “lunch and learn” for nonprofits, governmental, equity and other organizations as well as disability employee resource groups.
Workplace Accommodations
In this informative and actionable session, participants learn strategies, resources, and procedures around workplace accommodations and meeting employer obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Learn from experts in disability inclusion and reasonable accommodations who understand your questions regarding workplace accommodations. We will demonstrate how accommodations are simpler and less expensive than you might think. Accommodations can maximize both productivity and employee retention. After this session, you will be able to accommodate the 25% of working-aged adults with disabilities and implement accommodations that allow your employees and organization to thrive. This session is popular with HR teams and managers. Studies show that companies that include staff with disabilities are more productive and profitable. Employees with disabilities bring innovation, positive morale, and loyalty.
Best Practices in Recruitment and Retention
Some of the most talented people in the world have disabilities. In this session, you will gain key skills and contacts that will help you recruit and retain employees with disabilities – the largest pool of untapped labor in the nation. We will walk your team through building an environment of inclusion. After the session, you will be able to recruit and hire disabled employees. They will become an integral and valued part of your organization. This session is popular with HR teams and managers who want to maximize employee productivity and innovation, minimize risks, and expand diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Creating a Welcoming, Inclusive and Accessible Organization
Studies show the vast majority of organizations want to be inclusive of people with disabilities – but they don’t know how. This practical session will provide tips to make your organization more inclusive. You will learn about small, easy-to-implement disability inclusion initiatives that will make your organization accessible to millions of people with disabilities. Larger-scale inclusion initiatives will also be discussed and explained. After the session, participants will be able to include people with disabilities in all facets of your organization. This session is ideal for organizations that care about diversity, equity, and inclusion, but that have not focused on access for people with disabilities.
Ensuring Accessible In-Person and Virtual Events
Seventy-two percent of nonprofit organizations say they have a policy of nondiscrimination against people with disabilities. But few know how to take the simple steps to make their programming truly accessible. In this practical session, you will learn how to use an accessibility checklist that will help you assess a building’s accessibility and learn how to offer accommodations such as sign language interpreters, live captioning, or food allergy alternatives. As many organizations continue to host virtual events, learn how to ensure they are fully accessible to all as well. This session is designed to train organizations to ensure that their practices match their principles of inclusion. This session is perfect for staff or organizations hosting events, either virtually or in person.
Ensuring Accessible Websites and Social Media
Websites are now the front lobbies of our organizations, and social media is fast replacing the traditional ways our organizations connect with the public. Research shows organizations are not yet meeting basic requirements for accessibility, such as captioned videos, screen reader-friendly designs, and image descriptions/alt-text. Additionally, this session will explore accessibility specifics on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. This online workshop gives organizations key tips to open their digital doors.
Ensuring A Welcoming Lexicon and Inclusive Storytelling
Regardless of intent, words or phrases can express bias. Using the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s (NCDJ) disability language style guide and other practical information, you will receive tools on how to communicate in an effective and inclusive way. This session is ideal for journalists, communication professionals and members of the public seeking appropriate and accurate language when writing or talking about people with disabilities. The session covers general terms and words on physical disabilities, hearing and visual disabilities, mental and cognitive disabilities, and seizure disorders. Beyond specific language, learn from communications experts on how to ensure overall storytelling is inclusive of disabled people.
Mental Health & Wellness in the Workplace
In this session, you will learn implementable strategies to prioritize your employees’ wellbeing in the workplace. This workshop is popular among organizations looking to increase mental health wellness in their workforce and reduce stigmas. This session is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a substitute for proper mental health supports.
Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy
One in five people live with a physical, sensory, cognitive, learning, mental health, or other disability. Learn from experts with disabilities themselves how to welcome, respect, and include those with disabilities in your efforts. Our team will provide strategies regarding how to include people with disabilities internally, in all departments and at all levels of your foundation, and externally, through creating a disability lens among grantees and partners. Inclusion will enhance the impact and efficiency of your foundation and your nonprofit partners. We will also share additional free resources so you can continue to deepen your knowledge and explore ongoing inclusion strategies for your foundation.
