The RESPECT of Florida e-Newsletter
October 2018


RESPECT of Florida is the central non-profit agency for the State of Florida that helps employ about 1,200 Floridians with disabilities through the production of commodities and contractual services that are sold to government entities. If you would like to learn more about us or browse our catalog, visit us at:  respectofflorida.org. 
A Message from RESPECT of Florida
 
October is National Disability Awareness Month. Celebrating employment for people with disabilities dates back to a 1945 Congressional Declaration.  
 
What is National Disability Awareness Month about? It is about raising awareness about disability employment issues and demonstrating a commitment to an inclusive workplace.
 
The theme this year is: American Workforce: Empowering All. Beyond October, employers can keep moving the dial forward for disability issues. Suggestions include: 
  • Review company policies
  • Provide training for employees
  • Participate in Disability Mentoring Day
  • Create a Workforce Recruitment Program
  • Review resources on the Jobs Accommodation Network (JAN)
  • Foster inclusive internship programs
  • Proactively recruit people with disabilities
At RESPECT, our work is always focused on finding new and exciting job opportunities for Floridians with disabilities. As a valued customer, we ask that in the coming year you use RESPECT as part of your strategy to create inclusive and important jobs for our fellow Floridians. 
Spotlight on Success:
 
RESPECT would like to congratulate Ed Nichols who was recently named the 2018 Employee of the Year for Commodities.  
 
Ed works at RESPECT partner Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) and when people say "Superman!" or "He's in Beast Mode!" you know that they are talking about Ed.  
 
Ed is an excellent employee whose work ethic, focus, and can-do attitude have set him apart this year. Ed is a role-model for others on the team as he continually strives for improvements in his productivity and always has patience when working with others.  
 
Ed's nurturing nature is always present, and he is the person who is ready with a pat on the back for anyone who may have been having a hard day.  
 
In the past year, Ed has taught staff and friends some American Sign Language so he can interact with more people and improve overall communication between the team.
 
What more can be said except..."Superman!"
 
"Dreams save us. Dreams lift us up and transform us" -Superman
Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month This November
        
By Dorian M. Burr
Government Analyst I, Division of Consumer Services

We all give and receive care at some time in our lives. The most common example is a child receiving care from a parent. There are times when an adult child needs to care for a disabled sibling or elderly parents. Spouses often care for each other through the aging process.
 
Additionally, there are people who consider a neighbor a member of their family and will help tend to their daily needs. The variations are endless but family members who provide physical, emotional and financial support to other family members epitomize caregiving.

November is National Family Caregivers Month. Since 1997, United States presidents have proclaimed November as a month to celebrate family caregivers. Informal caregivers are often unpaid, and sacrifice time and resources with devotion to those they care for. Services and tasks provided include everything from meal preparation; bathing and dressing; shopping; transportation; finance management and more.

How many caregivers are there in the United States? The National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP report the following statistics:
  • Close to 43.5 million caregivers have provided unpaid care to an adult or child in the last 12 months.
  • About 34.2 million Americans have provided unpaid care to an adult age 50 or older in the last 12 months.
  • The majority of caregivers (82%) care for one other adult, while 15% care for 2 adults, and 3% for 3 or more adults.

Other findings report:

  • Approximately 39.8 million caregivers (16.6% of Americans) provide care to adults (aged 18+) with a disability or illness

These caregivers need our support. The Florida Department of Financial Services has over 10 free online and in-person Financial Literacy Programs to help caregivers who oversee the finances of the loved ones they care for. A few that stand out are My Money, On Guard for Seniors and Operation S.A.F.E.

The My Money program provides educational lessons for individuals with developmental disabilities on the topic of finances. My Money has important information for parents, guardians and support providers on teaching financial skills, government programs and on various ways to save and invest money. The website includes lessons, interactive games, educational videos and resources.

On Guard for Seniors provides information on financial and insurance products and how to prevent identify theft for seniors, their families and caregivers. Visit the On Guard for Seniors website to access the video library, personal stories, resources and more.

The Department offers free Operation S.A.F.E. (Stop Adult Financial Exploitation) Be Scam Smart workshops throughout the state to help inform, empower and protect Florida's most valuable yet vulnerable citizens from financial exploitation. If you are aware of a senior organization that can benefit from receiving this information, please contact the Department at 1-877-693-5236 or visit the Operation S.A.F.E. website.
Family caregivers are a valuable resource to everyone. Celebrate National Family Caregivers Month with someone you know who cares, and gives. To see a short video celebrating National Family Caregivers Month, click here. 
Arc Big Bend
        
The Arc Big Bend was created in 1974 when a group of local advocates wanted to make a change in the lives of individuals with  intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. 
 
Over time, the service area expanded even further and the organization found it necessary to change their name to encompass all of the services provided over a multi-county region - The Big Bend of Florida.
The Arc Big Bend has always been open to providing the services to meet the needs of the community.
 
Throughout the years, Arc Big Bend has provided services through Adult Day Training, Supported Living, In-Home Supports, Supported Employment, and Rest Area Jobs. 
 
Today, services have transitioned into Life Skills Development, Employment Services, Supported Employment, Discovery, Youth Transition Services, Advocacy Services, and RESPECT Rest Area Jobs. 
 
Arc Big Bend continually looks for additional services and programs they can offer individuals in the local region that will help them lead a more meaningful and independent lives.
 
Arc Big Bend has produced a variety of screen printed commodities for RESPECT customers. Typical screen printed items include: shirts, hats, and tote bags. RESPECT customers have been delighted with customized items that can be given to the public at events.
Commodity of the Month
          
 
RESPECT has a variety of mop heads and handles to meet your needs. Customers can choose from fiberglass or wooden handles and cotton or rayon mop heads.
 
Mops are produced by Floridians with disabilities who live in the Jacksonville area. Employees completely transform the raw material components by measuring, cutting, and assembling to the finished product.
 
We are currently having an overstock sale on one of our mop heads. If you need some quality mops at a good price, consider these in lieu of your usual mop heads. 


  APD Hosts Exceptional Employer Event
On October 4, the Agency for Persons with Disabilities (APD), Blind Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation recognized 12 businesses that hire and retain people with disabilities with an Exceptional Employer Award. The businesses from around the state were honored with a plaque made by people with disabilities. The 13th annual celebration was held at Tallahassee City Hall as part of recognizing October as Disability Employment Awareness Month.The Exceptional Employer Awards are presented to companies that have a strong commitment to employing people with disabilities. Event sponsors were the City of Tallahassee, Blind Services Foundation, and RESPECT of Florida.The 12 award-winning businesses were:
  • Edibles by Ethel of Tampa
  • Firehouse Subs (Statewide)
  • Florida Department of Law Enforcement
  • Hilton Ocala
  • Lucky's Market (Statewide)
  • Paisley Cafe of Tallahassee
  • Rising Tide Car Wash of Parkland and Margate
  • SolarTech Universal of Riviera Beach
  • The Village at Gainesville
  • Treasure Bay Resort & Marina of Treasure Island
  • Vinny & Bay's Coffee and Eatery of Panama City
  • World Golf Village Renaissance St. Augustine Resort
APD Director Barbara Palmer said, "We are thrilled to be honoring these deserving businesses from all over Florida for their important commitment to employing a diverse workforce. These company leaders know that individuals with disabilities are some of the most dedicated and reliable employees any business could want."
 
Cissy Proctor, Executive Director of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said, "We applaud all of Florida's employers who hire individuals with disabilities. We appreciate their recognition of the unique talents these Floridians bring to the workplace and their dedication to strengthening their communities."
 
Director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Allison Flanagan said, "We are honored to recognize these employers who are leading the way in building an inclusive workforce and looking beyond the disability. Individuals with disabilities offer a broad pool of talents and tend to stay on the job longer than employees without disabilities. Given the opportunity, individuals with disabilities are able to show their skills, loyalty, and determination, and become successful members of the community. Hiring people with disabilities is a win-win for everyone!"
 
Speakers at the event included W. T. Moore Elementary School employee Titus Williams, Cayer Behavioral Group employee Connor Yeatts, and Goodwill Industries employee Brantley Goodson who shared what having a job means to them. 
  RESPECT Welcomes New Service Contracts Director
RESPECT is happy to announce the newest member of the team, Keith Bettcher.  
 
Keith joined the RESPECT team as Service Contracts Director in late September.  
 
He has previously worked in contract management at Florida state agencies including, Fish and Wildlife Commission, Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Environmental Protection.
 
We are confident that his previous experience in contract management will serve him well in this role.
 
If you have any questions about RESPECT services or just want to introduce yourself, you can contact Keith by email at [email protected] or by phone at 850-942-3550.
  BAC Recognizes Local Business Community
Celebrating 50 years as the first Brevard-based nonprofit founded to help people with disabilities achieve personal success, the Brevard Achievement Center (BAC) presented its second annual E2A (Employ, Empower: Achieve) community awards on Wednesday, October 17 at the Hilton Rialto as part of the agency's National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM) activities. The E2A awards celebrate those individuals and organizations across Brevard that have created opportunities for persons with disabilities to achieve.
 
In addition to the breakfast award ceremony, the event featured keynote speaker Rachel Simon, a nationally recognized public speaker and bestselling author on issues related to diversity and disability. Simon's book Riding the Bus with My Sister was adapted for theater, National Public Radio and television for both Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel. Its critically acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame feature was directed by Anjelica Huston and starred Rosie O'Donnell and Andie McDowell.
 
"Throughout the year many in the Brevard community empower individuals with disabilities by giving them a chance to work, enhance their job skills or offer inspiration," said BAC President and CEO, Amar Patel. "These awards are just a small way we can acknowledge the major impact these organizations and individuals have made on our community."
 
The following awards were given at this year's ceremony:
 
* Employ, Empower Award - The United States Specialty Sports Association (USSSA) recognizes organizations that create work opportunities in the community for people with disabilities. Presented to the Brevard County Clerk of Court in 2017.
 
* Moving Forward Award - Disability Awareness and Action Working Group (DAAWG) at Kennedy Space Center Recognizes individuals and/or organizations that have made special efforts to assist people with disabilities in gaining new skills or improving access to employment opportunities. Presented to the Brevard Zoo in 2017.
 
* Believe and Achieve Award - Jennifer Cleveland Recognizes individuals with disabilities who have made significant personal strides in achieving success in work and/or life. Presented to Karen Kirkland of Carr, Riggs & Ingram in 2017.
  Annual Award Highlights, Continued
 

Last month, RESPECT held its annual award ceremony. In the September issue of Respectfully Yours, we gave an overview of the awards and included a few pictures. We had so many great moments, we felt we needed to share more photos this month, too.

 
 


The Louise Graham Regeneration Center was founded in 1949, by Louise Graham, a volunteer at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, met a man with a developmental disability who had been abandoned by his family. Because of his disability, hospital personnel treated him as if he were helpless. Graham felt the best way to help him was to teach him self-sufficiency.  
 
She took him home, set up shelving in her garage, and taught him how to stock the shelves. She worked with him until he could stock and arrange the shelves on his own. She then arranged an interview for him at a local grocery store where he was hired as a stock clerk. As the years went on, she continued helping others with developmental disabilities, and because of her dedication, friends throughout St. Petersburg joined her by volunteering their time and donating resources.From 1952 to 1980, the group was known as the Florence Nightingale Circle and an environmentally responsible paper recycling business became the vehicle for job training.
 
When Louise Graham died in the 1980s, her friends renamed the organization in her honor. Today, the Louise Graham Regeneration Center continues to meet the needs of adults with developmental disabilities who deserve to be recognized for their ability to contribute meaningfully to our community.  
 
Through the RESPECT program, Louise Graham Regeneration Center provides customers with both Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) toners as well as remanufactured toners. To minimize waste and to keep with the original spirit of Louise Graham, recycling continues to be an integral aspect of this operation.  
 
Used toners can be returned to be remanufactured. Returned toners are sorted, reassembled, and filled by Louise Graham Regeneration employees and sent back out to new customers. Additionally, Louise Graham Regeneration Center provides both desk calendars and wall calendars. The 2019 desk calendars are currently available for purchase and the wall calendars will be online in November. 
Disability Etiquette 101 in the Workplace
     
 
 
HR & Compliance Director, Dayna Lenk
Employers need to hire people in an increasingly tight job market and the disability community wants to work. It sounds like a perfect solution is right at our fingertips if only we had the know how to reach out and grab it. For the individual who has a disability, a job gives a sense of purpose and self-esteem. It often defines who they are and is a source of understandable pride. A job helps individuals with disabilities and their families pay the bills, and it enables them to be a real part of the whole community, in an environment where they can hold a job, get an education, have fun and interact with the entire population not just the disability community.
 
Employers know that it is increasingly difficult to find and retain qualified employees. Many companies report their number one problem is locating talented workers. Corporate success depends on attracting the best minds and that means focusing on ability. Hiring employees with diverse abilities strengthens their business, increases competition and drives innovation. However, many people are nervous around people with disabilities and therefore avoid interacting or considering them for open positions. Some are afraid they will say or do the wrong thing. In working with or being with adults who have a disability, you may come across situations that are uncomfortable or awkward, especially if you have not had many interactions with persons with disabilities. Shown below is a list of tips to help you in knowing how to handle situations so that the individual who is disabled can work and the employer can hire and maintain a good employee.   
 
Employment
  • It is important to have written job descriptions identifying all the essential functions of the job.
  • Learning where to find and recruit individuals with disabilities is critical. Many employment websites are dedicated to this purpose and are free to use.
  • Train your supervisors on how to make reasonable accommodations. The Job Accommodation Network website is free and will walk you through the process with many easy to use tools.
  • Do not forget that those protected by the ADA include individuals who have AIDS, cancer, brain-injured, deaf, blind, developmental delays and learning disabilities.
  • Always remember that that you cannot ask if a person has a disability during an employment interview. What you can ask is if they can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Check to see if your workplace is accessible.
  • Reasonable accommodations are often easy to perform and often cost less than $500.
  • Never make assumptions that a person with a disability will be better suited for some jobs more than others.
Conversation
  • When speaking about people with disabilities, emphasize achievements, abilities and individual qualities. Portray individuals as they are in real life: parents, employees, business owners, etc.
  • When talking to a person who has a physical disability or a developmental disability, speak directly to that person. Do not speak to that person through a companion or refer to him or her in the third person while in his or her presence. For people who communicate through sign language, speak to them, not to the interpreter.
  • Relax. Do not be embarrassed if you use common expressions such as "see you later" or "gotta run."
  • To get the attention of a person who has a hearing loss, tap them on the shoulder or wave. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, slowly and expressively to establish if they read lips. Not all people with hearing loss can read lips.
  • When communicating with those who do rely on facial expressions and body language for understanding, stay in the light and keep food, hands, and other objects away from your mouth. Shouting will not help; written notes will. Use an interpreter if possible.
  • When talking to a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, place yourself at eye level with that person. This will spare both of you a sore neck.
  • When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision, always identify yourself and others. For example, say, "On my right is John Smith." Remember to identify persons to whom you are speaking. Speak in a normal tone of voice and indicate when the conversation is over. Let them know when you move from one place to another.
Common Courtesies
  • Do not feel obligated to act as a caregiver to people with disabilities. Ask if help is needed, but always wait until your offer is accepted. Listen to any instructions the person may have.
  • Leaning on a person's wheelchair is similar to leaning or hanging on a person. It is considered annoying and rude. The chair is part of a person's personal body space. Do not hang on it.
  • Share the same social courtesies with people with disabilities that you would share with someone else. If you shake hands with people you meet, offer your hand to everyone you meet, regardless of disability. If the person is unable to shake your hand, he or she will tell you.
  • When offering assistance to a person with a visual impairment, allow that person to take your arm. This will enable you to guide, rather than propel or lead the person. Use specific directions, such as "left in 100 feet" or "right in two yards" when directing a person with a visual impairment.
  • When planning events that involve persons with disabilities, consider their needs before choosing a location. Even if people with disabilities will not attend, select an accessible spot. You would not think of holding an event where other minorities could not attend, so do not exclude people with disabilities.
  • Be considerate of the extra time it might take a person with a disability to get things done or said. Let the person set the pace in walking and talking. 
  • Adjust posture to be eye-level. The height difference between people in wheelchairs or of short stature and able-bodies can create an unspoken feeling of superiority and inferiority. To be safe, sit or stand at eye-level with the person who has a disability when it is appropriate and possible.
Basic Guidelines
  • Refer to the person first, then the disability. Say "a person with a disability" rather than "a disabled person."
  • Avoid the word "handicapped" in any use. The word comes from the image of a person standing on the corner with a cap in hand begging for money. People with disabilities do not want to be the recipients of charity or pity. They want to participate equally with the rest of the community. A disability is a functional limitation that interferes with a person's ability to walk, hear, talk, learn, etc.
  • If the disability is not relevant to the story or conversation, do not mention it.
  • Remember a person who has a disability is not necessarily chronically sick or unhealthy. He or she often just has a disability.
  • A person is not a condition, so avoid describing a person as such. Do not present someone as "an epileptic" or "a post-polio." Instead, say "a person with epilepsy" or "a person who has had polio."
The number one thing to remember is to treat anyone with a disability the same way you would want to be treated. Everyone appreciates respect and etiquette!
 
To find out more about the etiquette of interacting with people with disabilities, please consult the following sources:
 
 
 
      
The information contained in this article is intended to provide useful information on the topic covered, but should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion.
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