The information below is from Rocky about the Allied Global report on disability employment. 

  • Promote other key recommendations from the report 
        • Significant gaps were discovered in how Kansas recruits and hires 
        • Kansas should set a target that 7% of new hires (this is the same as the Federal gov goal) 
        • Talent Sourcing: Need to actively and intentionally recruit individuals with disabilities into state government 
        • Tax clearance process should be later on in the process and closer to the hire. 
        • Require disability service providers to regularly review the openings and to promote them with people with disabilities 
        • Move away from bureaucratic job postings. Make it more about marketing and promoting the position. Including text about a job posting to make it easier for groups to share the opening with others. 
        • Present job opportunities as a career path within the State of Kansas 
    • Eliminate barriers for PWD to apply for jobs 
          • Abbreviated application 
          • Many people indicated their journey to get hired took 8-10 weeks. 
          • Alternative methods to apply for state jobs 
          • Paper format 
          • Removing the timeout function in the application 
          • Have a helpline for PWD to help them apply for jobs 
          • Change the verbiage for requesting a reasonable accommodations on the application (current language makes it less likely someone would request an accommodation) 
          • Have a short-form application to allow someone to quickly express interest a job. 
          • Interviewing people with disabilities even if they do not fully complete the application (and/or get them connected to the helpdesk prior to the interview). This will help keep the recruitment process going. 
          • Allow PWD the opportunity to identify themselves as a PWD in a non-threatening way. 
          • Consider adding a diversity coordinator to help hire more PWD across State Government. 
          • Enforce standard interview practices across state agencies and they provide effective accommodations for disability 
          • Implement consistent disability accommodation policies across all agencies 
      • Change accommodation requests to work aids and job aids. Disability accommodation has become taboo for many managers.  
      • Ergonomic evaluations need to be treated seriously and consistently statewide, not as an optional or elective service 

 

Martha

 

Martha K. Gabehart | Executive Director
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns (KCDC)
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly
900 SW Jackson, Suite 100 | Topeka, Kansas 66612
(785) 296-6525 (direct) | (785) 260-4027 (cell)

[email protected] | www.kcdcinfo.ks.gov
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