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Lab Animal Sci Prof. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 January 04. Published in final edited form as: Lab Animal Sci Prof. 2015 December ; 3(4): 12–20.
Untapped Potential: Animal care and use programs adopt alternative training and recruitment strategies for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robert H. Weichbrod, RLATG, MBA, PhD, Chief, Animal Program Administration at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
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Stephen Blanks, MA, Director of Workforce Development at Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC) Theodore Plemons, MBA, CMAR, RLATG, Chief, Operations Management at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services David Mallon, BS, RLATG, CMAR, Building 49 Central Animal Facility Manager at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Jose Chinchilla, AAS, RLATG, LVT, CMAR, Project Manager for the Building 49 Central Animal Facility with Priority One Services, Inc
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N. Seth Linde, RLATG, 91T10, Assistant Project Manager for the Building 49 Central Animal Facility with Priority One Services, Inc Julia B. Drake, MS, CPIA, CMAR, RLATG, and Animal Care and Use Committee Coordinator at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services James M. Raber, DVM, PhD Animal Program Director at the National Eye Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
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Laboratory animal carc and use programs share the challenge of keeping talented and trained staff while adapting to a constant level of staff turnover. A 2005 study by the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute13 found that two-thirds of surveyed programs reported “hiring difficulties” for most of their positions. The same study noted that the majority of organizations reported hiring candidates with “less than the desired minimum qualifications,” in order to meet business needs. On top of this, according to the Society for Human Resource Management9, the average cost to hire can be as high as $5,822 per new employee. These are costly and troubling trends. Through our own personal experiences, we found that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a viable, often untapped resource of prospective candidates to help meet some of these challenges.
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Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Abscena Hunter highlights important data on a printout, while Abdul Doucoure enters the data into an online tracking system.
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Isabel Grinker (in scrubs) prepares syringes for TB testing while job coach Stefanie Binion (right) and Dr. Joyce Chung watch. Team leaders Melissa Krefski and Nakita Charles process blood samples in the background.
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Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Jibril Ahmed (left) and Andrew Butler show Andrew’s job coach Vicky Geiger a new water bottle filling station.
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Parents of children with disabilities, and resource groups that help support them, often struggle with the future of these individuals and what their lives would or could become as they get older and age out of the security of school and into the realities of adulthood. Ten years ago, the National Eye Institute’s (NEI) Veterinary Research and Resources Section established a program to recruit and retain individuals with IDD into our workplace. Meeting young people with IDD opened our eyes to the possibilities of employment of some of these dynamic individuals in the animal care and use arena. Through participation in community-based activities such as Special Olympics and Best Buddies events, as well as special programs designed to facilitate the placement of individuals with IDD, we have had the good fortune of meeting many individuals whose energy and drive demonstrated tenacity whether on the athletic field or in the work environment. These individuals often possess personal drive, perseverance, and positive charisma that are second to none. In fact, at a holiday event, one young individual had the self-confidence to ask a member of our program where they worked and went on to boldly ask, “Can you give me a job?” From that day on, our program has worked to establish some real and meaningful opportunities for under/ unemployed individuals with disabilities. We have had the great fortune of seeing these individuals grow and develop into incredibly valued and valuable members of our workforce. In addition, various local organizations are working with our public and private area schools to better prepare students with disabilities for challenging, meaningful employment in the workforce.
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Just a generation ago, young men and women with significant IDD would have been segregated and separated from home, family, and community, and placed in massive staterun institutions where their only hope was not to be abused or neglected. It was the only choice for many of them at the time. Some of us may remember the 1972 exposé7 by Geraldo Rivera about the Willowbrook State School, a New York state institution, which highlighted the deplorable conditions and lack of opportunities for such individuals.
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This year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).11 The ADA, as amended, gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA also ensures equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities for access to businesses, employment, transportation, state and local government programs and services, and telecommunications. The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions, and allowing for full participation in community life.
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It is fitting to remember that in our field in the early 1980s, Clayton F. Cisar, Chief of the Animal Husbandry Division in the Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland created an important program and opportunity for a group of disabled workers to work in the USUHS animal care and use program. Additionally, in November 1993, the Laboratory Animal Management Association (LAMA) sponsored an influential seminar entitled “Management, Challenged Employees, and the ADA”. The seminar was presented in conjunction with the 44th AALAS National Meeting in Nashville, TN. The seminar provided poignant presentations on the management of employees with disabilities. The topics covered included sessions on managing physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally, hearing-impaired, and immunologically challenged employees, as well as facility and legal concerns. These presentations were then published as case studies3 in AALAS’ journal, Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science. Finally, on July 30, 2010, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 1354812 mandating major increases in the hiring of individuals with targeted disabilities at both the federal level and, by way of stricter enforcement of Section 503 of 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the federal contracting field.6 Despite the astounding progress for integration, the overall employment outlook for individuals with IDD still remains bleak, with a mere 15–20% being employed, many of them vastly under-employed and making minimum wage. For those who are under-employed there should be an opportunity or path for advancement.
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What We Did Don’t try this alone. Although you may feel compelled to “just do it,” the journey is challenging and is best tackled with partners. We connected with local professional agencies; finding an agency that can offer guidance and support is a key component of a successful program. Fortunately, throughout the country there is a widespread vocational rehabilitation system operated at the state level. Here in Maryland it is called the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)5 and across the state line in Washington, D.C. it is
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known as the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).1 These organizations provide resources to help in establishing the necessary supports for your program to be successful. More recently, we have benefited from the incredibly well-organized nationwide program known as Project Search (www.projectsearch.us) that provides a well-proven template for internship programs for people with IDD.
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In 2005, the NEI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), worked with a contract organization, Priority One Services, Inc., to create a few entry-level internship positions which could support individuals with IDD. Working closely with management and several other senior leaders across our program, we initially assessed and reviewed the entry-level positions and tasks in our program and identified several facility support tasks, including working on the loading dock and in the cage wash area, that might lend themselves to this type of internship. We decided the person with IDD should complete an unpaid volunteer “trial period” to assess if it was a good fit for both the individual and worksite. Our goal was to create a strong work support system where the individual could develop the necessary vocational skills and fully integrate with the existing employees so that he/she could be successful and ultimately be hired.
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The individuals identified to work in the program were interviewed and screened. They were monitored and guided by a job coach who was employed by a local community rehabilitation provider (CRP). CRPs work directly with persons with IDD and receive state funding to provide these free resources to employers, the individual, and his/her family. A job coach familiar with the individual learns the job duties and can be invaluable in the initial training and onboarding, as well as provide training for the worksite, to help maximize the chances for success. Ideally the active participation from the legal guardian and/or family of the chosen individual is needed, as well as from the human resources team and facility management. The interns began as part-time volunteers, working in their assigned area of our facility, alongside both contractors and government personnel. They were often responsible for receiving and processing materials and equipment. Some worked in our main administrative office and others worked alongside our veterinary technicians. Their non-disabled peers became very familiar with the strengths and contributions that these individuals brought to the work environment.
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It is important to emphasize that when developing a program to accommodate a person with IDD, buy-in must be obtained from all levels of the program, from facility management to the staff who will be working directly with the individuals. A dynamic program to accommodate the individual with IDD is truly a team effort and failure to ensure a complete buy-in by each team member can yield unpredictable results and even the failure of the program. Training is a key factor to ensure the successful integration of the individual into your facility. There is an investment in both time and resources associated with training the person with IDD; in the training of the existing staff, and on a management level, with regard to the individual’s placement and management. However, this cost can be offset by evaluating the time spent on filling and training for the positions in question. Additional training for the existing staff must be provided with regard to interactions with the person with IDD. The management and HR staff should also receive
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training about how to effectively interact with the IDD individual and in some cases with their specific disability. Training resources are easy to obtain through the CRPs and our current animal care and technical services contractor has included this additional training as a part of their initial onboarding of employees for our program.
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According to a 2005 study from the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, over 90% of the respondents to a biomedical research industry survey believed a customized skills training program, such as the one we developed, would be beneficial to improving workforce retention. Although there can be a “feel good” element to hiring persons with disabilities, this should never be the only goal, as charity hiring can only last so long. Businesses still need to meet bottom-line performance measures and outcomes. However, rather than focusing on some misperceptions, hiring managers need to rethink the abilities and benefits of training and hiring people with disabilities. Many studies and extensive business experiences highlight the fallacies of the “myths of hiring someone with a disability.4 In fact, a new Disability Equality Index (DEI) survey14 was recently created, as a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network. The DEI is a national benchmarking tool that helps businesses receive an objective assessment of their overall disability inclusion policies and practices. The tool helps companies identify opportunities for continued improvement, while building a reputation for diversity and inclusion.
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Dr. Robert Weichbrod (in tie) with current and former members of the loading dock team: Joe Wu (left). Owen White, and Daniel Owusu (right). A DuPont study2 from over 30 years ago highlighted that when workers with disabilities were compared to their non-disabled peers, they had the same or higher job performance ratings, lower absentee rates, and identical safety records. We have seen firsthand that some individuals with IDD are so committed and devoted to their jobs that they come to work even when they are so sick they can’t hold their heads up. This unquestioning loyalty and Lab Animal Sci Prof. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 January 04.
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dedication to the job (even taken to this extreme) is something that their non-disabled coworkers have come to admire. A good job fit for individuals with IDD will benefit all involved. Managers unused to working with disabled individuals may need to think outside of the box to help maximize the potential of some individuals. Take a minute to imagine if you had Raymond from the movie Rain Man performing your inventories. Remember how quickly he counted the matches that fell on the floor or how well he could remember dates? We have seen the positive impact such individuals can have in the right environment. In most cases, once the individual learns the SOPs of the workplace, they know them, can repeat them, and most importantly follow them, which isn’t always the case for other employees.
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How do you start? Where do you go for assistance? Fortunately, in addition to your human resources office, the world of hiring and training people with disabilities is filled with guides and resources to assist those with limited experience. Statewide agencies establish funding programs and services to encourage increased work and life opportunities. These funds get translated into real, hands-on guidance from local CRPs, such as the organization Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC).8 A local example is the active public-private partnership with SEEC and the Ivymount School,10 which specializes in education of people with IDD. This partnership has teamed with the NIH to create a Project Search internship program which has enabled close to 100 individuals with IDD to complete a 10-month intensive work readiness internship program, and close to 75% have found rewarding and meaningful employment as a result. Many of these young people have worked in animal care and use programs, handling such tasks as cage wash and housing assembly, facility administration and maintenance, as well as more complex data entry and digital archiving of critical data.
Benefits Observed For the IDD individual:
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The ability to actively participate in a variety of work activities within an organization.
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An opportunity to acquire competitive, transferable, and marketable job skills with a chance to increase their independence, confidence, and self-esteem.
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An environment to obtain work-based individualized coaching, instruction, and feedback.
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An opportunity to develop linkages to vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and other services.
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A step towards independence, self-sufficiency, and self-determination.
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Opportunities to be gainfully employed, earn a paycheck, accrue vacation and sick leave, and have health care benefits! Adults with IDD are often not covered by their parents’ healthcare policies and are left with just Medicaid.
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For the organization:
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Access to a new, diverse, talent stream with skills that march labor needs.
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Employees who are loyal, reliable, and hardworking, and serve as role models for others.
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Increased diversification of the workforce leading to an overall positive work environment and recognition of the program both within and outside the group.
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Increased performance and retention in high-turnover, entry-level positions.
Lessons Learned
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The program requires a continuing commitment at all levels with all staff members embracing the responsibility for supporting the hiring and retention of people with IDD. We have found that the likelihood for a successful placement can be helped markedly by ensuring that there are “IDD champions” who advocate for the hiring of people with disabilities. Key lessons learned:
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Build organizational support for the initiative in collaboration and partnership with other staff, such as the program’s animal care and use management staff, human resources, and other senior institutional officials.
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Have the program approved by and under the close supervision and support of senior-level organizational officials and other members of the leadership group. This group can be leaders (i.e., champions) for enhancing employment opportunities for individuals with IDD while improving the receptivity of workplaces to their employment.
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Identify an individual and/or a small group of people who enthusiastically embrace the accountability for overseeing the day-to-day placement of individuals with IDD.
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Work with credible CRPs and their job coaches to ensure potential interns have a good match for the position. The job coach will break down job tasks for the individual with IDD until full mastery of each task is achieved. Open lines of communication with feedback from all parties is a key component for developing this.
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Conduct regular IDD employment awareness training for all members of the organization to help promote an inclusive workplace atmosphere.
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Provide individualized job coaching to develop each individual’s job readiness skills and ongoing work performance.
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Seek collaborative recruiting relationships with community and governmental groups to improve outreach and access to employment opportunities for individuals with IDD.
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Continually review and monitor the program to ensure that you have the necessary ongoing supports for the individuals with IDD. Avoid becoming complacent with a successful employment placement.
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Share successful approaches for recruitment and hiring of people with IDD throughout your organization, your community and professional societies.
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Encourage and participate in events that publicize your efforts to recruit and hire people with IDD. Often it is the families of individuals with IDD who can raise your program’s visibility in the community—use that to your advantage. Families are well connected with local school systems, parent support groups, recreational and media circles. Good news travels fast!
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Keep the individual’s legal guardian and family members informed and involved at all stages of the process.
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Our experience has demonstrated that the federal government and contractors can develop access to a previously untapped source of labor for positions that have historically been somewhat difficult to fill. Individuals with IDD have an opportunity to explore progressive work experience and a potential full-time paid position working in an animal care and use program. This is a model which has shown that programs of animal care and use can be creative in adapting practices to make their workplace more accessible, thereby creating an environment where employees with IDD can thrive. Tips on Supervising Employees with IDD DO
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Respect the employee with IDD as a person. Talk on a person-to-person level as you would with anyone else. Be aware of a person’s disabilities, but don’t define the person by them. Also, recognize that having a disability does not excuse unacceptable performance or behavior.
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Learn about the person with a disability and determine the best way to accommodate his or her limitations. It’s important to know that every person with a disability is a unique individual and may possess characteristics of their disability to different degrees or not at all. Include the job coach as an aid to the training of all individuals and solicit help on how to best accommodate an individual’s limitations.
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Introduce the IDD worker to fellow employees. The IDD person may seem withdrawn at first, but that will change over time. At first, it is helpful for the IDD worker to have one go-to coworker with whom they can feel comfortable and who can answer questions and listen to problems.
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Let IDD workers know that they are part of the work family. They may need to learn to mix with others at work and, at first, may tend to be alone during breaks. They maybe vocationally prepared but not socially ready for the work place environment.
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Expect the same work quality of work from workers with IDD as you would from others.
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Give honest feedback to the employee who has a disability. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone wants feedback to improve his or her performance. Be ready to give a guiding hand should new situations and problems arise with which the IDD worker needs help coping. Recognize them for their strengths, not just their weaknesses and don’t jump in too soon to solve their problems for them. Depending on the circumstances, give them an opportunity to learn to solve the problem on their own.
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Be sure to encourage the IDD employees to participate in all activities, including staff meetings and social gatherings.
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Get to know all coworkers as individuals, just like you would with anyone else. Expect the IDD employee to have the same ambitions, individual likes and dislikes just as any other person on your team.
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Establish regular meetings with the job coach, human resource manager, and/or family member/designee and the person with IDD to provide feedback.
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Monitor how new working conditions will impact the job performance of an individual with IDD. The concept of “newness” is important. We found that most people with IDD take more time to react to and accept change.
DON’T
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Underestimate someone because they aren’t able to verbally communicate with you in a way in which you are accustomed. Try using alternate forms of communication (e.g., printed materials or pictures, videos, etc.).
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Underestimate someone because they take a little bit longer to respond or to be trained.
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Talk down to the employees with disabilities or treat them differently.
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Feel sorry for the disabled person. Do get to know the person by discovering his/her abilities. Cognitive or physical differences are not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses.
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Assume the person can’t perform a certain task. Do ask how he or she will perform the task. Help the person figure it out. Make sure there is no health or physical reason the person can’t do the task.
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Expect to make sudden changes in the job duties of a person with IDD.
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Effective outreach into the community of people with disabilities is a great way to tap into the enormous potential offered by this segment of society. It will help provide people with IDD the opportunity to obtain gainful employment, and help to break down attitudinal barriers held by employers and coworkers by demonstrating that people with disabilities can work very successfully in a variety of employment settings.
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We encourage others to look seriously at how they can take an active role and seek out opportunities to include persons with disabilities in the workforce, using similar models to establish additional pathways for the employment of people with disabilities. The CRPs have the pool of candidates. It’s just a matter of developing the knowledge of how to tap into them. To recruit, select, accommodate, and retain people with IDD, you will need a strong commitment within your program and from leadership. This will make your organization stronger and it is the right thing to do. There are a number of employment agencies for IDD individuals and other resources that can help organizations tap into the great potential of employing people with IDD. By partnering with these agencies, you will enhance your ability to successfully recruit potential applicants with disabilities. These groups can help provide counseling, evaluation, training and other services to individuals with disabilities. They can also assist with information regarding accommodations, effective retention strategies, legal compliance, and training for the organization.
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Refer to Web version on PubMed Central for supplementary material.
Acknowledgments With sincere appreciation we thank members of the National Eye Institute’s Veterinary Research & Resources Section, the Building 49 Central Animal Facility, Priority One Services, Inc,. and the Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities organization for their extraordinary support of our program to provide vocational opportunities for people with IDD in animal care and use settings. This ongoing partnership and strong support continues to be vital to the program’s success. Secondly, we thank those who reviewed this article, provided us their sage advice and strongly encouraged us to move forward with writing the paper. Finally and most importantly we thank the number of people with IDD whose work ethic,
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perseverance and successful contributions have a profoundly positive effect on our team and our program of animal care and use.
References
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1. DC Rehabilitation Services Administration. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://dds.dc.gov/service/vocational-rehabilitation-services-rsa 2. DuPont de Nemours and Company. Equal to the task: 1980 DuPont survey of employment of people with disabilities. Wilmington (DE): DuPont de Nemours and Company; 1981. 3. Heidbrink GA, Ingraham AS, Yansha BA, Warren FM, Winthrop S, Duktig J, Sidelsky MG, Weichbrod RH, Manetta S, Boardman JP, Bailey JW, Boerschinger T. Management, challenged employees and the ADA. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci. 1994; 33(6):37–54. [PubMed: 16466214] 4. Kessler Foundation. [Internet]. Changing the Lives of People With Disabilities. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: https://kesslerfoundation.org/kfsurvey15 5. Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://dors.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx 6. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. [Internet]. US Department of Labor Fact SheetNew Regulations on Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 2014. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/factsheets/ NewRegsFactSheet_QA_508c.pdf 7. Rivera, G. Willowbrook-The Last Great Disgrace. 1972. Internet[Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.geraldo.com/page/willowbrook 8. SEEC. [Internet]. Seeking, Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: www.seeconline.org 9. Society for Human Resource Management. SHRM 2011–2012 Human Capital Benchmarking Report. Alexandria (VA): SHRM; 2011. 10. The Ivymount School. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: www.ivymount.org 11. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. [Internet]. 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.eeoc.gov/ eeoc/history/ada25th/ada.cfm 12. U.S. Government Publishing Office. [Internet]. Federal Register. 2010 Jul 30.75(146) Presidential Documents- Executive Order 13548[Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-07-30/pdf/2010-18988.pdf. 13. UMASS Donahue Institute- For the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research. [Internet]. Laboratory Animal Care Workforce Study. 2008. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http:// www.massbenchmarks.org/development/publications/studies/pdf/labanimal08.pdf 14. US Business Leadership Network. [Internet]. Disability Equality Index (DEI) Survey. 2014. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.usbln.org/programs-dei.html 15. Cisar CF, Subit LR, Robinson J. The Hearing-impaired animal technician. Compendium Continuing Education Animal Health Technician. 1981 Sep-Oct;:234–238. 16. Fagan MM, Bullinger J, Cisar CF, et al. Handicapped Animal Technicians: a Vast Untapped Resource. Lab Anim. 1983; 12(4):16–23.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/ 2. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm 3. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–336) (ADA) 4. Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 5. Office of Disability Employment Policy; www.dol.gov/odep 6. Association of Person’s with Supported Employment; www.apse.org 7. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; www.aaidd.org
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8. Matt, Susan B. Nurses with disabilities: Self-reported experiences as hospital employees. Qualitative Health Research. 2008; 18:1524–1535. [PubMed: 18849513] 9. Hernandez, Brigida, McDonald, Katherine, Divilbiss, Marielle, Horin, Elizabeth, Velcoff, Jessica, Donoso. Oscar: Reflections from employers on the disabled work force: Focus groups with healthcare, hospitality and retail administrators. Employer Responsibility Rights Journal. 2008; 20:157–164.10.1007/s10672-008-9063-5 10. Don’t Judge Employees by Their Cover (Chief Learning Officer Media magazine-article about Project Search). http://www.clomedia.com/articles/6215-dont-judge-employees-by-their-cover 11. Disability: Dispelling the Myths-How People with Disabilities Can Meet Employer Needs-Center for Workforce Preparation. http://askjan.org/landingpage/NILG2014/Chamber%20of %20Commerce%20Disability%20Business%20Case%202003.pdf 12. The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, Inc. (MCIE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the inclusion of students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools. 13. Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education 14. Institute for Human Development/University of Missouri-Kansas City and Institute on Disability and Human Development/University of Illinois at Chicago. Advising Through Self-Determination —An Information Guide for Advisors. 2012. 15. http://www.nasddds.org/resource-library/self-advocacy/advising-through-self_determination-aninformation-guide-for-advisors/
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Untapped Potential: Animal care and use programs adopt alternative training and recruitment strategies for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Robert H. Weichbrod, RLATG, MBA, PhD, Chief, Animal Program Administration at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
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Stephen Blanks, MA, Director of Workforce Development at Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC) Theodore Plemons, MBA, CMAR, RLATG, Chief, Operations Management at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services David Mallon, BS, RLATG, CMAR, Building 49 Central Animal Facility Manager at the National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services Jose Chinchilla, AAS, RLATG, LVT, CMAR, Project Manager for the Building 49 Central Animal Facility with Priority One Services, Inc
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N. Seth Linde, RLATG, 91T10, Assistant Project Manager for the Building 49 Central Animal Facility with Priority One Services, Inc Julia B. Drake, MS, CPIA, CMAR, RLATG, and Animal Care and Use Committee Coordinator at the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services James M. Raber, DVM, PhD Animal Program Director at the National Eye Institute and the National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services
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Laboratory animal carc and use programs share the challenge of keeping talented and trained staff while adapting to a constant level of staff turnover. A 2005 study by the University of Massachusetts’ Donahue Institute13 found that two-thirds of surveyed programs reported “hiring difficulties” for most of their positions. The same study noted that the majority of organizations reported hiring candidates with “less than the desired minimum qualifications,” in order to meet business needs. On top of this, according to the Society for Human Resource Management9, the average cost to hire can be as high as $5,822 per new employee. These are costly and troubling trends. Through our own personal experiences, we found that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are a viable, often untapped resource of prospective candidates to help meet some of these challenges.
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Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Abscena Hunter highlights important data on a printout, while Abdul Doucoure enters the data into an online tracking system.
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Isabel Grinker (in scrubs) prepares syringes for TB testing while job coach Stefanie Binion (right) and Dr. Joyce Chung watch. Team leaders Melissa Krefski and Nakita Charles process blood samples in the background.
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Author Manuscript Author Manuscript Jibril Ahmed (left) and Andrew Butler show Andrew’s job coach Vicky Geiger a new water bottle filling station.
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Parents of children with disabilities, and resource groups that help support them, often struggle with the future of these individuals and what their lives would or could become as they get older and age out of the security of school and into the realities of adulthood. Ten years ago, the National Eye Institute’s (NEI) Veterinary Research and Resources Section established a program to recruit and retain individuals with IDD into our workplace. Meeting young people with IDD opened our eyes to the possibilities of employment of some of these dynamic individuals in the animal care and use arena. Through participation in community-based activities such as Special Olympics and Best Buddies events, as well as special programs designed to facilitate the placement of individuals with IDD, we have had the good fortune of meeting many individuals whose energy and drive demonstrated tenacity whether on the athletic field or in the work environment. These individuals often possess personal drive, perseverance, and positive charisma that are second to none. In fact, at a holiday event, one young individual had the self-confidence to ask a member of our program where they worked and went on to boldly ask, “Can you give me a job?” From that day on, our program has worked to establish some real and meaningful opportunities for under/ unemployed individuals with disabilities. We have had the great fortune of seeing these individuals grow and develop into incredibly valued and valuable members of our workforce. In addition, various local organizations are working with our public and private area schools to better prepare students with disabilities for challenging, meaningful employment in the workforce.
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Just a generation ago, young men and women with significant IDD would have been segregated and separated from home, family, and community, and placed in massive staterun institutions where their only hope was not to be abused or neglected. It was the only choice for many of them at the time. Some of us may remember the 1972 exposé7 by Geraldo Rivera about the Willowbrook State School, a New York state institution, which highlighted the deplorable conditions and lack of opportunities for such individuals.
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This year, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).11 The ADA, as amended, gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. The ADA also ensures equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities for access to businesses, employment, transportation, state and local government programs and services, and telecommunications. The ADA has expanded opportunities for Americans with disabilities by reducing barriers, changing perceptions, and allowing for full participation in community life.
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It is fitting to remember that in our field in the early 1980s, Clayton F. Cisar, Chief of the Animal Husbandry Division in the Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland created an important program and opportunity for a group of disabled workers to work in the USUHS animal care and use program. Additionally, in November 1993, the Laboratory Animal Management Association (LAMA) sponsored an influential seminar entitled “Management, Challenged Employees, and the ADA”. The seminar was presented in conjunction with the 44th AALAS National Meeting in Nashville, TN. The seminar provided poignant presentations on the management of employees with disabilities. The topics covered included sessions on managing physically, mentally, emotionally, developmentally, hearing-impaired, and immunologically challenged employees, as well as facility and legal concerns. These presentations were then published as case studies3 in AALAS’ journal, Contemporary Topics in Laboratory Animal Science. Finally, on July 30, 2010, President Barack Obama issued Executive Order 1354812 mandating major increases in the hiring of individuals with targeted disabilities at both the federal level and, by way of stricter enforcement of Section 503 of 1973 Rehabilitation Act, the federal contracting field.6 Despite the astounding progress for integration, the overall employment outlook for individuals with IDD still remains bleak, with a mere 15–20% being employed, many of them vastly under-employed and making minimum wage. For those who are under-employed there should be an opportunity or path for advancement.
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What We Did Don’t try this alone. Although you may feel compelled to “just do it,” the journey is challenging and is best tackled with partners. We connected with local professional agencies; finding an agency that can offer guidance and support is a key component of a successful program. Fortunately, throughout the country there is a widespread vocational rehabilitation system operated at the state level. Here in Maryland it is called the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS)5 and across the state line in Washington, D.C. it is
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known as the DC Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).1 These organizations provide resources to help in establishing the necessary supports for your program to be successful. More recently, we have benefited from the incredibly well-organized nationwide program known as Project Search (www.projectsearch.us) that provides a well-proven template for internship programs for people with IDD.
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In 2005, the NEI, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), worked with a contract organization, Priority One Services, Inc., to create a few entry-level internship positions which could support individuals with IDD. Working closely with management and several other senior leaders across our program, we initially assessed and reviewed the entry-level positions and tasks in our program and identified several facility support tasks, including working on the loading dock and in the cage wash area, that might lend themselves to this type of internship. We decided the person with IDD should complete an unpaid volunteer “trial period” to assess if it was a good fit for both the individual and worksite. Our goal was to create a strong work support system where the individual could develop the necessary vocational skills and fully integrate with the existing employees so that he/she could be successful and ultimately be hired.
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The individuals identified to work in the program were interviewed and screened. They were monitored and guided by a job coach who was employed by a local community rehabilitation provider (CRP). CRPs work directly with persons with IDD and receive state funding to provide these free resources to employers, the individual, and his/her family. A job coach familiar with the individual learns the job duties and can be invaluable in the initial training and onboarding, as well as provide training for the worksite, to help maximize the chances for success. Ideally the active participation from the legal guardian and/or family of the chosen individual is needed, as well as from the human resources team and facility management. The interns began as part-time volunteers, working in their assigned area of our facility, alongside both contractors and government personnel. They were often responsible for receiving and processing materials and equipment. Some worked in our main administrative office and others worked alongside our veterinary technicians. Their non-disabled peers became very familiar with the strengths and contributions that these individuals brought to the work environment.
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It is important to emphasize that when developing a program to accommodate a person with IDD, buy-in must be obtained from all levels of the program, from facility management to the staff who will be working directly with the individuals. A dynamic program to accommodate the individual with IDD is truly a team effort and failure to ensure a complete buy-in by each team member can yield unpredictable results and even the failure of the program. Training is a key factor to ensure the successful integration of the individual into your facility. There is an investment in both time and resources associated with training the person with IDD; in the training of the existing staff, and on a management level, with regard to the individual’s placement and management. However, this cost can be offset by evaluating the time spent on filling and training for the positions in question. Additional training for the existing staff must be provided with regard to interactions with the person with IDD. The management and HR staff should also receive
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training about how to effectively interact with the IDD individual and in some cases with their specific disability. Training resources are easy to obtain through the CRPs and our current animal care and technical services contractor has included this additional training as a part of their initial onboarding of employees for our program.
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According to a 2005 study from the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute, over 90% of the respondents to a biomedical research industry survey believed a customized skills training program, such as the one we developed, would be beneficial to improving workforce retention. Although there can be a “feel good” element to hiring persons with disabilities, this should never be the only goal, as charity hiring can only last so long. Businesses still need to meet bottom-line performance measures and outcomes. However, rather than focusing on some misperceptions, hiring managers need to rethink the abilities and benefits of training and hiring people with disabilities. Many studies and extensive business experiences highlight the fallacies of the “myths of hiring someone with a disability.4 In fact, a new Disability Equality Index (DEI) survey14 was recently created, as a joint initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities and the U.S. Business Leadership Network. The DEI is a national benchmarking tool that helps businesses receive an objective assessment of their overall disability inclusion policies and practices. The tool helps companies identify opportunities for continued improvement, while building a reputation for diversity and inclusion.
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Dr. Robert Weichbrod (in tie) with current and former members of the loading dock team: Joe Wu (left). Owen White, and Daniel Owusu (right). A DuPont study2 from over 30 years ago highlighted that when workers with disabilities were compared to their non-disabled peers, they had the same or higher job performance ratings, lower absentee rates, and identical safety records. We have seen firsthand that some individuals with IDD are so committed and devoted to their jobs that they come to work even when they are so sick they can’t hold their heads up. This unquestioning loyalty and Lab Animal Sci Prof. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2016 January 04.
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dedication to the job (even taken to this extreme) is something that their non-disabled coworkers have come to admire. A good job fit for individuals with IDD will benefit all involved. Managers unused to working with disabled individuals may need to think outside of the box to help maximize the potential of some individuals. Take a minute to imagine if you had Raymond from the movie Rain Man performing your inventories. Remember how quickly he counted the matches that fell on the floor or how well he could remember dates? We have seen the positive impact such individuals can have in the right environment. In most cases, once the individual learns the SOPs of the workplace, they know them, can repeat them, and most importantly follow them, which isn’t always the case for other employees.
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How do you start? Where do you go for assistance? Fortunately, in addition to your human resources office, the world of hiring and training people with disabilities is filled with guides and resources to assist those with limited experience. Statewide agencies establish funding programs and services to encourage increased work and life opportunities. These funds get translated into real, hands-on guidance from local CRPs, such as the organization Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC).8 A local example is the active public-private partnership with SEEC and the Ivymount School,10 which specializes in education of people with IDD. This partnership has teamed with the NIH to create a Project Search internship program which has enabled close to 100 individuals with IDD to complete a 10-month intensive work readiness internship program, and close to 75% have found rewarding and meaningful employment as a result. Many of these young people have worked in animal care and use programs, handling such tasks as cage wash and housing assembly, facility administration and maintenance, as well as more complex data entry and digital archiving of critical data.
Benefits Observed For the IDD individual:
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The ability to actively participate in a variety of work activities within an organization.
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An opportunity to acquire competitive, transferable, and marketable job skills with a chance to increase their independence, confidence, and self-esteem.
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An environment to obtain work-based individualized coaching, instruction, and feedback.
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An opportunity to develop linkages to vocational rehabilitation (VR) services and other services.
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A step towards independence, self-sufficiency, and self-determination.
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Opportunities to be gainfully employed, earn a paycheck, accrue vacation and sick leave, and have health care benefits! Adults with IDD are often not covered by their parents’ healthcare policies and are left with just Medicaid.
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For the organization:
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Access to a new, diverse, talent stream with skills that march labor needs.
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Employees who are loyal, reliable, and hardworking, and serve as role models for others.
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Increased diversification of the workforce leading to an overall positive work environment and recognition of the program both within and outside the group.
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Increased performance and retention in high-turnover, entry-level positions.
Lessons Learned
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The program requires a continuing commitment at all levels with all staff members embracing the responsibility for supporting the hiring and retention of people with IDD. We have found that the likelihood for a successful placement can be helped markedly by ensuring that there are “IDD champions” who advocate for the hiring of people with disabilities. Key lessons learned:
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Build organizational support for the initiative in collaboration and partnership with other staff, such as the program’s animal care and use management staff, human resources, and other senior institutional officials.
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Have the program approved by and under the close supervision and support of senior-level organizational officials and other members of the leadership group. This group can be leaders (i.e., champions) for enhancing employment opportunities for individuals with IDD while improving the receptivity of workplaces to their employment.
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Identify an individual and/or a small group of people who enthusiastically embrace the accountability for overseeing the day-to-day placement of individuals with IDD.
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Work with credible CRPs and their job coaches to ensure potential interns have a good match for the position. The job coach will break down job tasks for the individual with IDD until full mastery of each task is achieved. Open lines of communication with feedback from all parties is a key component for developing this.
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Conduct regular IDD employment awareness training for all members of the organization to help promote an inclusive workplace atmosphere.
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Provide individualized job coaching to develop each individual’s job readiness skills and ongoing work performance.
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Seek collaborative recruiting relationships with community and governmental groups to improve outreach and access to employment opportunities for individuals with IDD.
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Continually review and monitor the program to ensure that you have the necessary ongoing supports for the individuals with IDD. Avoid becoming complacent with a successful employment placement.
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Share successful approaches for recruitment and hiring of people with IDD throughout your organization, your community and professional societies.
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Encourage and participate in events that publicize your efforts to recruit and hire people with IDD. Often it is the families of individuals with IDD who can raise your program’s visibility in the community—use that to your advantage. Families are well connected with local school systems, parent support groups, recreational and media circles. Good news travels fast!
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Keep the individual’s legal guardian and family members informed and involved at all stages of the process.
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Our experience has demonstrated that the federal government and contractors can develop access to a previously untapped source of labor for positions that have historically been somewhat difficult to fill. Individuals with IDD have an opportunity to explore progressive work experience and a potential full-time paid position working in an animal care and use program. This is a model which has shown that programs of animal care and use can be creative in adapting practices to make their workplace more accessible, thereby creating an environment where employees with IDD can thrive. Tips on Supervising Employees with IDD DO
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Respect the employee with IDD as a person. Talk on a person-to-person level as you would with anyone else. Be aware of a person’s disabilities, but don’t define the person by them. Also, recognize that having a disability does not excuse unacceptable performance or behavior.
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Learn about the person with a disability and determine the best way to accommodate his or her limitations. It’s important to know that every person with a disability is a unique individual and may possess characteristics of their disability to different degrees or not at all. Include the job coach as an aid to the training of all individuals and solicit help on how to best accommodate an individual’s limitations.
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Introduce the IDD worker to fellow employees. The IDD person may seem withdrawn at first, but that will change over time. At first, it is helpful for the IDD worker to have one go-to coworker with whom they can feel comfortable and who can answer questions and listen to problems.
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Let IDD workers know that they are part of the work family. They may need to learn to mix with others at work and, at first, may tend to be alone during breaks. They maybe vocationally prepared but not socially ready for the work place environment.
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Expect the same work quality of work from workers with IDD as you would from others.
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Give honest feedback to the employee who has a disability. Everyone makes mistakes and everyone wants feedback to improve his or her performance. Be ready to give a guiding hand should new situations and problems arise with which the IDD worker needs help coping. Recognize them for their strengths, not just their weaknesses and don’t jump in too soon to solve their problems for them. Depending on the circumstances, give them an opportunity to learn to solve the problem on their own.
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Be sure to encourage the IDD employees to participate in all activities, including staff meetings and social gatherings.
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Get to know all coworkers as individuals, just like you would with anyone else. Expect the IDD employee to have the same ambitions, individual likes and dislikes just as any other person on your team.
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Establish regular meetings with the job coach, human resource manager, and/or family member/designee and the person with IDD to provide feedback.
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Monitor how new working conditions will impact the job performance of an individual with IDD. The concept of “newness” is important. We found that most people with IDD take more time to react to and accept change.
DON’T
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Underestimate someone because they aren’t able to verbally communicate with you in a way in which you are accustomed. Try using alternate forms of communication (e.g., printed materials or pictures, videos, etc.).
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Underestimate someone because they take a little bit longer to respond or to be trained.
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Talk down to the employees with disabilities or treat them differently.
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Feel sorry for the disabled person. Do get to know the person by discovering his/her abilities. Cognitive or physical differences are not indicative of the many strengths and talents that each individual possesses.
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Assume the person can’t perform a certain task. Do ask how he or she will perform the task. Help the person figure it out. Make sure there is no health or physical reason the person can’t do the task.
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Expect to make sudden changes in the job duties of a person with IDD.
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Effective outreach into the community of people with disabilities is a great way to tap into the enormous potential offered by this segment of society. It will help provide people with IDD the opportunity to obtain gainful employment, and help to break down attitudinal barriers held by employers and coworkers by demonstrating that people with disabilities can work very successfully in a variety of employment settings.
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We encourage others to look seriously at how they can take an active role and seek out opportunities to include persons with disabilities in the workforce, using similar models to establish additional pathways for the employment of people with disabilities. The CRPs have the pool of candidates. It’s just a matter of developing the knowledge of how to tap into them. To recruit, select, accommodate, and retain people with IDD, you will need a strong commitment within your program and from leadership. This will make your organization stronger and it is the right thing to do. There are a number of employment agencies for IDD individuals and other resources that can help organizations tap into the great potential of employing people with IDD. By partnering with these agencies, you will enhance your ability to successfully recruit potential applicants with disabilities. These groups can help provide counseling, evaluation, training and other services to individuals with disabilities. They can also assist with information regarding accommodations, effective retention strategies, legal compliance, and training for the organization.
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Refer to Web version on PubMed Central for supplementary material.
Acknowledgments With sincere appreciation we thank members of the National Eye Institute’s Veterinary Research & Resources Section, the Building 49 Central Animal Facility, Priority One Services, Inc,. and the Seeking Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities organization for their extraordinary support of our program to provide vocational opportunities for people with IDD in animal care and use settings. This ongoing partnership and strong support continues to be vital to the program’s success. Secondly, we thank those who reviewed this article, provided us their sage advice and strongly encouraged us to move forward with writing the paper. Finally and most importantly we thank the number of people with IDD whose work ethic,
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perseverance and successful contributions have a profoundly positive effect on our team and our program of animal care and use.
References
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1. DC Rehabilitation Services Administration. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://dds.dc.gov/service/vocational-rehabilitation-services-rsa 2. DuPont de Nemours and Company. Equal to the task: 1980 DuPont survey of employment of people with disabilities. Wilmington (DE): DuPont de Nemours and Company; 1981. 3. Heidbrink GA, Ingraham AS, Yansha BA, Warren FM, Winthrop S, Duktig J, Sidelsky MG, Weichbrod RH, Manetta S, Boardman JP, Bailey JW, Boerschinger T. Management, challenged employees and the ADA. Contemp Top Lab Anim Sci. 1994; 33(6):37–54. [PubMed: 16466214] 4. Kessler Foundation. [Internet]. Changing the Lives of People With Disabilities. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: https://kesslerfoundation.org/kfsurvey15 5. Maryland Department of Rehabilitation Services. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://dors.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx 6. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. [Internet]. US Department of Labor Fact SheetNew Regulations on Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. 2014. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/factsheets/ NewRegsFactSheet_QA_508c.pdf 7. Rivera, G. Willowbrook-The Last Great Disgrace. 1972. Internet[Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.geraldo.com/page/willowbrook 8. SEEC. [Internet]. Seeking, Equality, Empowerment, and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: www.seeconline.org 9. Society for Human Resource Management. SHRM 2011–2012 Human Capital Benchmarking Report. Alexandria (VA): SHRM; 2011. 10. The Ivymount School. [Internet]. 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: www.ivymount.org 11. U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. [Internet]. 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). 2015. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.eeoc.gov/ eeoc/history/ada25th/ada.cfm 12. U.S. Government Publishing Office. [Internet]. Federal Register. 2010 Jul 30.75(146) Presidential Documents- Executive Order 13548[Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.gpo.gov/ fdsys/pkg/FR-2010-07-30/pdf/2010-18988.pdf. 13. UMASS Donahue Institute- For the Massachusetts Society for Medical Research. [Internet]. Laboratory Animal Care Workforce Study. 2008. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http:// www.massbenchmarks.org/development/publications/studies/pdf/labanimal08.pdf 14. US Business Leadership Network. [Internet]. Disability Equality Index (DEI) Survey. 2014. [Cited 2 September 2015]. Available at: http://www.usbln.org/programs-dei.html 15. Cisar CF, Subit LR, Robinson J. The Hearing-impaired animal technician. Compendium Continuing Education Animal Health Technician. 1981 Sep-Oct;:234–238. 16. Fagan MM, Bullinger J, Cisar CF, et al. Handicapped Animal Technicians: a Vast Untapped Resource. Lab Anim. 1983; 12(4):16–23.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 1. http://www.eeoc.gov/ 2. http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm 3. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101–336) (ADA) 4. Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 5. Office of Disability Employment Policy; www.dol.gov/odep 6. Association of Person’s with Supported Employment; www.apse.org 7. American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities; www.aaidd.org
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8. Matt, Susan B. Nurses with disabilities: Self-reported experiences as hospital employees. Qualitative Health Research. 2008; 18:1524–1535. [PubMed: 18849513] 9. Hernandez, Brigida, McDonald, Katherine, Divilbiss, Marielle, Horin, Elizabeth, Velcoff, Jessica, Donoso. Oscar: Reflections from employers on the disabled work force: Focus groups with healthcare, hospitality and retail administrators. Employer Responsibility Rights Journal. 2008; 20:157–164.10.1007/s10672-008-9063-5 10. Don’t Judge Employees by Their Cover (Chief Learning Officer Media magazine-article about Project Search). http://www.clomedia.com/articles/6215-dont-judge-employees-by-their-cover 11. Disability: Dispelling the Myths-How People with Disabilities Can Meet Employer Needs-Center for Workforce Preparation. http://askjan.org/landingpage/NILG2014/Chamber%20of %20Commerce%20Disability%20Business%20Case%202003.pdf 12. The Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education, Inc. (MCIE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the inclusion of students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools. 13. Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education 14. Institute for Human Development/University of Missouri-Kansas City and Institute on Disability and Human Development/University of Illinois at Chicago. Advising Through Self-Determination —An Information Guide for Advisors. 2012. 15. http://www.nasddds.org/resource-library/self-advocacy/advising-through-self_determination-aninformation-guide-for-advisors/
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