The Northeast ADA Center recently unveiled a new resource to help small businesses successfully hire and retain employees with disabilities.
A no-cost, web-based resource, the Small Business at Work Toolkit offers information and essential resources exploring how small businesses can capitalize on the talents of workers and job seekers with disabilities and the bottom line benefits of doing so. It also features easy-to-understand, practical advice on disability employment best practices, along with expert guidance on following Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
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The toolkit was developed based on the findings of a 2019 research study focused on small business and disability employment conducted by the Yang-Tan Institute on Employment and Disability at Cornell University.
“Small businesses are the backbone of America, and finding and keeping qualified employees is crucial to their success,” said Wendy Strobel Gower, Northeast ADA Center Project Director. “We created this Small Business at Work toolkit to help small businesses access a wider range of potential employees and to ensure that they are performing at their best.”
Recognizing that many small businesses operate with small or limited human resources (HR) departments, the toolkit’s creators developed a centralized, easy-to-navigate resource that provides the information small businesses need, when they need it. Guidance is segmented into eight relevant categories including the business case for disability inclusion; the ADA’s implications in a small business; recruiting and hiring people with disabilities; providing workplace accommodations; responding to the COVID-19 pandemic; and more.
Key features of the toolkit are Situation Room scenarios to help small businesses practice the information presented, What to Do mini-guides that summarize key points, and Deeper Dives for additional learning from recommended resources.
The Northeast ADA Center provides information, guidance, and training on implementation of all aspects of the ADA. It strives to educate and empower the diverse range of ADA stakeholders throughout New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands to increase their knowledge of the ADA. The center supports the inclusion of people with disabilities through implementation of the ADA in businesses, workplaces, and other community settings. The Northeast ADA Center is a member of the ADA National Network, funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. It is located at the Yang-Tan Institute at Cornell University’s ILR School.
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