NEW TIP SHEET HELPS CORPORATIONS IMPLEMENT CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATION

New York, NY: In honor of Martin Luther King Day, the National Jewish Council for the Disabled (NJCD) is offering a free tip sheet to help corporations become more inclusive. The tip sheet offers suggestions and ideas on implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act, the landmark civil rights legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.

"Martin Luther King, Jr. was ahead of his time when he challenged America to remove the barriers of discrimination. Yet despite the remarkable strides society has made, we have yet to ensure that the 54 million Americans who have disabilities are granted equal opportunities, especially in the area of employment," said Dr. Jeff Lichtman, National Director of the NJCD. "Eight years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, there are still thousands of individuals with disabilities who are talented and have tremendous abilities but who are sitting home, with nothing productive to do with their time," Dr. Lichtman lamented.

Geared for large corporations as well as small businesses, the tip sheet, entitled "Strategies for Corporate Inclusion: Suggestions on How To Employ the Disabled," provides helpful tips on recruiting and maintaining employees with disabilities including:

Advertise -- State clearly in job advertisements and on application forms your company’s interest in receiving applications from people with disabilities.

Provide Opportunity -- Develop targeted internships and job programs for people with disabilities.

Educate – Learn more and change attitudes. Conduct sensitivity training and awareness for your staff. Establish a system for educating all levels of your workforce on the value of hiring people with disabilities.

"We must remember our responsibility to enable all Americans to be contributing, productive members of society," said Dr. Lichtman. "Being an inclusive employer is not simply a ‘nice’ thing to do; it is our mandate and our responsibility as American citizens."

Through its Vocational Resources and Job Placement Program, the NJCD helps integrate Jewish individuals with special needs into the workforce through vocational counseling, job placement, job coaching and ongoing job support. For individuals with cognitive challenges, visual, hearing or mobility impairments, the

program provides greater opportunities for independence, dignity and self-worth. For employers with initiative and flexibility, the program provides loyal, hardworking and capable employees.

Dedicated to assisting those with special needs in the Jewish community, the NJCD provides thousands of disabled individuals and their families with innovative, interactive mainstream programs while educating the broader community about the many abilities and contributions their handicapped peers have to offer.

The NJCD is an agency of the Orthodox Union.

The Orthodox Union, celebrating 100 years of service to the Jewish community of the United States and other countries, is a foremost leader in youth work, advocacy for the disabled, synagogue services, adult education and political action. Its kosher supervision label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 200,000 products in 56 countries around the globe.