Reasonable accommodations policies are often viewed as the forerunner of workplace disability inclusion programming. Yet as corporations are increasingly global, a compliance-centric, “one size fits all” approach to accommodations is becoming antiquated and constraining for the dynamic modern workforce. Companies are taking a myriad of approaches to their accommodations processes as evidenced by just 58% of 2023 Disability Equality Index respondents reporting that they utilize a centralized accommodations fund and/or allow managers a budget margin for accommodation expenses. This session explores contemporary legal considerations impacting workplace accommodations for today’s globalizing marketplace as well as evolving accommodation solutions and best practices for maximizing inclusion and effectiveness.
Learning Objectives:
- Examine legal frameworks that impact workplace accommodations, including significant country- and region-specific policies, and how to ensure compliance with disability and anti-discrimination laws.
- Learn practical strategies for assessing reasonable accommodations/productivity tools requests and implementing effective solutions that take into consideration the diverse needs of employees with disabilities.
- Explore various strategic models for structuring a reasonable accommodations program, including optimum organizational positioning and governance; centralized vs. decentralized; global vs. market-specific; in-house vs. outsourced; blending proactive accessibility with reactive accommodations; and more.
Moderator:
- Christine Vanek – Director, Global Accommodations & Accessibility at Otis
Panelists:
- Nikki Alphonse – Sr. Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Operations at Northrop Grumman Corporation
- Ina Charles – Inclusion & Diversity Partner at Lyft
- Melissa Sape – Digital Accessibility Service Manager at Dow Chemical Company
- Janet Skaalrud – Occupational Health Lead at Johnson & Johnson