By Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc

It’s no surprise that when Walmart, our nation’s largest private employer, announced plans to change the People Greeter role in its stores, a move that affects some employees with disabilities serving in that role, there was a hue and cry in the disability community and beyond. It is heartening that Walmart US President & CEO, Greg Foran, immediately stepped forward to reiterate the company’s commitment to its employees with disabilities, stating that Walmart will look at each situation individually “with the goal of offering appropriate accommodations that will enable these associates to continue in other roles with their store.” Foran further explained: “Let me be clear: If any associate in this unique situation wants to continue working at Walmart, we should make every effort to make that happen.”

As a company that prides itself on its “long-standing history of being an employer of choice for people with disabilities,” and on its 100 points score on the Disability Equality Index, these recent events provide an opportunity for Walmart to demonstrate its leadership and commitment to people with disabilities and their families. Certainly, the first order of business is to support employees with disabilities in the People Greeter role who are not able to perform the new additional responsibilities of Customer Host to transition to other jobs in the company and to actively support them in doing so. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires no less.

At a point in time where more than 60% of people with disabilities are not employed, including 65-75% of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, how Walmart manages the current controversy is of vital interest. Walmart’s customers are watching, as are people with disabilities and their families, disability advocacy and services organizations, academics, lawyers, the news media, and many, many other employers. The company has the opportunity to lead our nation by modeling and demonstrating best practices in employment of people with disabilities in the mainstream workforce.

Walmart can demonstrate the importance of rejecting stereotypes and misconceptions about what people with disabilities can do. True, some people with disabilities, as well as some without disabilities, may not be able to perform all of the requirements of the new Customer Host job, such as lifting 25 lbs. Yet, it is also true that many people with disabilities, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, will meet and exceed the minimal job requirements and perform superbly in this new role and others within Walmart stores. Walmart and other employers need be open to and accepting of the reality that an employee with a disability, with appropriate training and accommodation, can be successful in a wide variety of roles. In Walmart, after all, the former People Greeter and new Customer Host roles represent only a tiny fraction of the more than 2 million jobs nationwide.

Walmart can demonstrate that it truly is feasible for any employer to recruit, hire and retain employees with disabilities as part of a company’s overall commitment to diversity, and that the business benefits in many ways by doing so. By working collaboratively with relevant government agencies, educational institutions, and nonprofit developmental disability services, vocational rehabilitation and workforce development agencies, employers can build a robust pipeline of candidates with disabilities for all types of jobs.

Walmart, and other private sector employers that are not currently legally required to do so, could also establish voluntary systems of self-identification for job applicants and employees with disabilities, adopt disability employment goals, and annually reporting that data publicly. Today, both the Federal government, as an employer, and Federal contractors are required to have systems of self-identification and report on progress in meeting defined goals. However, these requirements don’t apply to other private sector employers, nor is the reporting made public.

Many private sector employers assume they are legally prohibited by the ADA from asking about an applicant’s disability status. Yet, as the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has explained:

(T)he ADA does, however, provide an exception to the general rule prohibiting disability-related questions in the interview process. Under the ADA, an employer may invite applicants to voluntarily self-identify as individuals with disabilities for affirmative action purposes.¹

Walmart and other private sector employers could truly be game changers in employment for people with disabilities by adopting self-identification and hiring goals, for affirmative action purposes, and then sharing and holding themselves accountable for the results.

Finally, Walmart should continue the active communication and candid dialogue it has engaged in with advocacy and social services organizations in the disability community over the past years. Walmart should share with the community the results of its efforts to place People Greeters with disabilities in other roles. It should continue and expand its efforts to work collaboratively with disability nonprofits to advance employment opportunities across the company and, as one of our country’s largest employers, across the nation.

¹Recruiting, Hiring, Retaining and Promoting People with Disabilities – A Resource Guide for Employers, https://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/interagency/upload/employing_people_with_disabilities_toolkit_february_3_2015_v4-2.pdf

Washington, DC – Last week, both chambers of Congress passed a bill focusing on criminal justice reform, which President Trump signed into law. The legislation shortens sentences and supports job training and other programs for some prisoners with disabilities.

“We are pleased that Congress has chosen to begin comprehensive reform of our criminal justice system. While this is a step in the right direction, our hope is that future legislation provides support for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) involved in all phases of our criminal justice system, whether as victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants, or prisoners.

“This legislation funds training on de-escalation techniques for federal prison staff; this is particularly important for individuals with IDD who are incarcerated. It is essential that future legislation supports training for law enforcement through all branches of government on recognizing and supporting the needs of individuals with disabilities. This training can ensure that an individual’s rights aren’t compromised and that they are provided the appropriate accommodations ensuring they are treated justly and don’t experience conditions that can be detrimental to their physical or mental health.

“The bipartisan support of this legislation is heartening, and we are grateful to Members of Congress for their work on this important issue. The Arc plans to be at the table as further criminal justice reform is discussed in the 116^th Congress to ensure the interests of people with disabilities are included in future legislation,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.

While people with IDD comprise 2 to 3% of the general population, they represent 4 to 10% of the prison population. Earlier this year, The Arc’s Criminal Justice Advisory Panel was launched. The panel is the latest addition to the organization’s National Center on Criminal Justice and Disability’s® (NCCJD) ongoing advocacy to protect the rights of people with IDD involved in the criminal justice system.

Established in 2013, NCCJD is the only national center of its kind serving as a bridge between the IDD and criminal justice communities that focuses on both victim and suspect/defendant/prisoner issues. The Center provides training and technical assistance; resources for professionals, people with disabilities, and their supporters; as well as educates the public about the intersection of criminal justice reform and the advancement of disability rights. Pathways to Justice®, NCCJD’s signature training tool, is a comprehensive, community-based program facilitated through chapters of The Arc that helps criminal justice professionals understand their legal obligations toward people with disabilities. NCCJD is building the capacity of the criminal justice system to respond appropriately to gaps in existing services for people with disabilities, focusing on people with IDD, who often remain a hidden population within the criminal justice system, with little or no access to advocacy supports or services.

Each November, we observe National Caregiver Month – honoring those who devote their lives to providing care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The daily demands of caregiving for individuals with IDD and elderly adults can be challenging, and the commitment of time and resources that goes into ensuring a loved one’s well-being leaves little time for personal goals, professional duties and planning for the future.

At The Arc Wisconsin, Lisa Pugh is working hard to take a leadership role in the fight to support caregivers throughout the state.  

One of the largest groups that make up the caregiving population are family members and loved ones. What is future planning and why is it important?

Future planning is creating a guide for a person with IDD to lead a good life as independently as possible. A plan is important throughout all stages of life, especially during transitions, and especially in the future after the parent or caregiver is no longer able to provide support.

About 2/3 of the more than 50,000 people with IDD in Wisconsin live with their families, and there are 16,500 vacant paid caregiver positions. In many of these families, the main caregivers are over age 60. When it comes to thinking about the future, Wisconsin families are like everyone else across the country- they don’t have a plan in place, even though they know they should.

Without a plan in place, those families can easily go into crisis. Many families feel overwhelmed, aren’t even aware of future planning options and resources, and need support to navigate the process.

Many families think future planning is mostly about finances – but good future planning is about so much more. It is about daily routines and future plans about where to live and work. It’s about growing people’s independence in their own decision-making. It really is a holistic look at someone’s life and how to secure and plan for their success and happiness.

What are you doing to meet this need?

We are working hard to expand access to future planning information. Trained planners help Wisconsin families work through common and difficult barriers. Since January 2018 we have trained 25 professionals who have supported more than 123 caregivers and families to begin development of a future plan. The Arc Wisconsin’s network of trained planners reached over 33 towns and cities.

We are also conducting outreach to identify systems barriers, advancing recommendations from a recent respite summit, and offering future planning workshops across the state.

You can learn more about our future planning efforts by watching this short video.

You were recently appointed co-chair of the Wisconsin Family and Caregiver Support Alliance. How can other chapters and organizations utilize coalition cooperation to better serve caregivers?

Caregiving as an issue that many populations are struggling with and many people are affected by. In our state, The Arc Wisconsin has chosen to work alongside aging and dementia advocacy groups to find solutions to support families. Our Alliance is tackling challenges in workgroups to address commonalities like lack of respite care, the need for caregiver support, complicated systems navigation, cultural competence and the need for employers to better support their caregiver employees. We are having success on all of these fronts by working together. In 2019, we plan to publish results of several surveys that we hope will lead to policy changes and perhaps redirected or new funding.

We will kick off this year’s Family Caregiver Month celebration with an Alliance press conference in the Governor’s Conference Room of our state capitol with storytelling by caregivers and presentation of a Governor’s proclamation.

What advice do you have for other chapters looking to expand their efforts in supporting caregivers?

Getting out and talking directly to caregivers has brought credibility to our efforts. Over the last year, The Arc Wisconsin has presented on future planning to groups of caregivers and professionals at Aging and Disability Resource Centers and at other events and conferences throughout the state. We have put on webinars, provided in-service training, and are widely distributing The Arc’s excellent future planning resources. Often communities are just starting to become aware of the fragile situations where elderly moms and dads have an adult son or daughter with IDD living at home while they continue providing most or all of the care. Future planning is essential in these situations and chapters of The Arc are poised to lead the way in tackling it.

The Arc of Loudoun and its Executive Director Lisa Kimball sure do know how to get in the Halloween spirit.

SHOCKTOBER, Northern Virginia’s only REAL haunted house experience, has been a destination event for almost a decade. The signature fundraising event has become so successful that last year, it accounted for almost 50% of the chapter’s fundraising budget. SHOCKTOBER is recognized as one of the best haunted houses in the DC/MD/VA area, and has provided an opportunity to build strong community partnerships, give back to the community, and more.

Fundraising is essential for any chapter of The Arc. Can you tell us a little about your chapter’s fundraising success? Do you find more success with individual giving in your region, or signature events like the Shocktober fundraiser?

As is the case for any nonprofit, fundraising is essential to our success, enabling us to fulfill our mission to empower, embrace, and engage adults and children with disabilities and their families. Our signature fundraisers include traditional fare. Our hallmark fundraising event, however, is very much off-the-beaten-path. We have a haunted house on our campus – not just the usual run-of-the-mill haunted house, but a 150-year old historical mansion that’s transformed into a thoroughly professional, PG-13-level haunt that requires guests to sign waivers before beginning their tours!

From a first-year gross revenue of about $40k (which absolutely thrilled us), we’ve grown to 2017’s 12,000 guests and more than $400k in gross revenue – which equated to almost 50% of our fundraising budget for last year. The exponential growth can be attributed to the expertise and detail that goes into each year’s haunt. SHOCKTOBER is recognized as one of the best haunted houses in the D-M-V, and we welcome haunt aficionados from all over the country and, occasionally, from other countries as well.

Can you give us a little history of the success of this event and other fundraising endeavors for your chapter?

SHOCKTOBER, Northern Virginia’s only REAL haunted house experience, has been a destination event for almost a decade.

SHOCKTOBER has matured into a destination event that includes a carnival atmosphere complete with t-shirts, fun merchandise, line entertainment, food and drinks all available on site (“liquid courage” can be found in the beer and wine tent!). New this year, in conjunction with our beloved community partners – 16 of them our ‘top-tier’ supporters – we’ve launched the “Trail of Terror”, a 3-day guide through Loudoun County to experience breweries, wineries, restaurants, and places to stay, all with a haunted twist.

How are you using this fundraiser/other events like it to build awareness and partnerships within your community?

All of this is made successful through our partnerships with multiple state and local tourism-centered organizations. Visit Loudoun, Loudoun County Tourism, and the Commonwealth of Virginia are all committed to supporting The Arc of Loudoun’s mission by granting advertising dollars to support SHOCKTOBER marketing efforts, spreading the word during meetings around the County to increase awareness of The Arc of Loudoun’s service offerings, and by “walking the talk” of embracing our community’s IDD members. Each year the Town of Leesburg and the Loudoun County government eagerly participate in SHOCKTOBER; the Mayor of Leesburg looks forward each season to kicking off the event with an official ribbon ‘slashing’.

How does this particular event highlight the mission of The Arc of Loudoun and involve leaders throughout your network, including people with IDD?

SHOCKTOBER is not just an exceptional fundraising extravaganza; it’s also an opportunity for The Arc of Loudoun to give back to our community. We award five $1k grants to fellow Loudoun County nonprofits whose missions include support for people with IDD through our annual “We Scare Because We Care” campaign. Additionally, just as our supporters bring their money, time and talent to The Arc, The Arc gives back to our volunteers by providing outstanding educational and social opportunities for area high school students, most of whom return year after year to volunteer. Several of our volunteers (actors as well as those in concession and ticket sales positions) are people with intellectual, developmental and/or physical disabilities, and the five weeks of SHOCKTOBER at The Arc of Loudoun offer a unique experience where everyone is accepted and embraced for exactly who they are and honored for what they bring to the event.

The Arc released the following statement in response to Norm Macdonald’s remarks about people with Down syndrome:

“It is disheartening that yet again we need to remind a public figure to show respect for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. What is particularly disturbing about Norm Macdonald’s comment is that in his attempt to explain away his insensitivity to the #MeToo movement, he chose to mock a group of people who have a much greater understanding of victimization than he does.

“People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are seven times more likely to be victims of sexual assault than those without disabilities. Mr. Macdonald’s comment is doubly offensive and shows his ignorance about the disability community. We welcome the opportunity to educate Mr. Macdonald about the disability rights movement and hope that in the future he will show more respect for millions of people with disabilities, their families, and all victims of sexual assault,” said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc.