MCIL and Employment: A brief Q and A

MCIL and Employment: A brief Q and A

1. What does MCIL do around employment and employment issues? First is advocacy. MCIL assists and informs individuals about their rights in employment. If the individual is looking to get a job we often refer them to Vocational Rehabilitation. Most of the time the referral is just part of their IL Plan as we assist them with connecting, organizing and communicating with VR. While referral is most common, we also assist with job search, resume and application when it is part of the plan.
   
   When a complaint may be involved, we have some additional advocacy tools. To help someone who is making a complaint of discrimination we encourage them to use our self-advocacy tool and to speak with the EEOC. It is always up to the individual if they disclose that they have a disability in the hiring process, but MCIL councils individuals not to disclose unless it is part of a request for reasonable accommodation for the hiring process.

2. Do you have any specific consumer success stories? First in everyone's mind was a consumer who got a job last week. MCIL has worked a long time with him in connection with VR. We advocated with VR to get the correct services. When VR dropped his case, MCIL worked with the supervisor to get him a new counselor and continue the process. MCIL helped with the application and other details to actually get the job and start to work.
   
   Another consumer came to us to help him look for a job. MCIL helped him to get assistive equipment and is working on training with AT so that he will continue the job-search himself and he will have additional skills for his employer.
   
   MCIL also assisted a consumer with some employment readiness skills. A consumer wished to take the GED to improve employment opportunities in their IL plan. MCIL helped the individual prepare for the placement test and class and because of our intervention and some low-budget AT (a magnifying glass), the consumer did well on the test and was able to skip some parts of the GED class.
   
   Another consumer MCIL has assisted with peer support in their job search. As their personal motivation diminished when they received offers but not an ultimate job, MCIL was able to provide peer counseling to help them continue their job-search.
   
   MCIL also helped to connect a job-seeker with new training for a consumer with vision loss.
   
3. Do you have a story around an employer who is doing a good job with inclusion? The team did not have specifics, but they all had worked with people who had gotten a job with FedEx. They applaud FedEx for treating people with disabilities as other employers and everyone has the same responsibilities. The downside is that the equality had also resulted in termination, just like other employees. Individuals are reticent to share this as a success story.
   
   MCIL worked with one consumer with a significant disability who was advanced to become a manager at Walmart.
   
   The IL team had heard of the “team training” that some of our consumer’s have reported at Kroger. But we are not familiar with the details. MCIL hopes to find out more.
   
4. What is the one change you tink could make the biggest impact? We had a lot of ideas but nothing of a consensus for this question:
   
1. Training and information to our community to be strategic about disclosing a disability during the process.
   
2. Cultural training for employers that would dispel many myths of disability and the cost of accommodation.
   
3. More enforcement of Title I
   
4. An “Accommodations Specialist” at job fairs that would give realistic information about disability accommodations for job applicants.
   
5. Streamlined access to services and equipment, like PAS and screen-readers that will help people start work and keep a job.

Please let me know if you have any other questions.