To Our CNMI Business Partners in the Private and Public Sectors

In collaboration with our national partners, The Vocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE), we are very pleased to provide the following additional resources that we hope you will find helpful in your efforts to promote the hiring of qualified individuals with disabilities as well as to make your organizations more diverse and inclusive.

Job Accommodation Network (JAN): “Effective Accommodation Practices (EAP) Series: Educating the Workforce about the ADA and Accommodations”

  • Get ahead of the game by educating yourself and your company about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
  • Learn how to reduce the potential of disability-related discrimination in employment. Learn proven strategies to support all types of workers (accommodations).
  • Success can be achieved if there is a solid commitment from top management.
  • The ADA was signed into law in 1990. Fast forward to today. What is your company doing to promote disability employment in the CNMI?

This resource contains valuable information for both employer representatives and workers with disabilities. Numerous training topics for HR professionals, supervisors, and managers are presented to benefit any management team.

Please download Effective Accommodation Practices resource material for more information. 

 

Technical Assistance Center for Quality Employment (VRTAC-QE): “Employer Guide to Hiring Persons with Disabilities: Facts about Hiring People with Disabilities, etc.”

There are still a lot of myths out there about people with disabilities. If you are serious about arming yourself with facts instead, this resource is definitely for you. In this day and age, diversity and inclusion are not brand-new concepts. They have been around for a long time. Isn’t it time companies incorporate these concepts to promote innovation and opportunity? Remember, customers or members of our community react positively when we have workers with disabilities on our staff. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Please download Employer Guide to Hiring People with Disabilities for more information.

 Please download the following resource materials to further assist you in your hiring endeavors.

 

Description of Employer Resource Materials

 

The following Employer Resource Materials continue to provide a wealth of information for employers seeking to increase their understanding and awareness about disability employment matters. If you are an Employer and are seeking to become a champion of diversity, equity, and inclusion in your organization, then you’ve come to the right place. Feel free to browse through these resources, and should you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) at 322-6537/8/9 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

ADA Access Guidelines

This resource was compiled by Thomas Thornburgh, formerly a Program Manager with the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc. (NMPASI). This presentation takes us back to the mid-1960s when “accessibility” became a buzzword due to the increasing number of architectural barriers being reported. Learn about the Federal government’s accessibility initiatives, which began in 1965 with the National Commission on Architectural Barriers to Rehabilitation of the Handicapped. And over the years, the Architectural Barriers Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act saw their way to enactment in 1968 and 1990, respectively. Furthermore, learn about the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines, better known as ADAAG, as they pertain to public and private (commercial) construction and renovation.

Please download Employer ADA Access Guidelines for more information.

Disability Awareness and Etiquette

Again, from our friends at the Northern Marianas Protection and Advocacy Systems, Inc. (NMPASI), we present to you another valuable resource to help you effectively communicate and interact with people with disabilities with respect and dignity. Disability etiquette promotes language that puts the person first. Many tips are presented in this resource material that will help you to feel more comfortable and confident in various encounters. Lastly, the programs and services of NMPASI, whose mission is to protect the human, civil, and legal rights of individuals with disabilities in the CNMI, are outlined toward the end of the presentation.

Please download Employer Disability Awareness Etiquette for more information.

 

 Employers' Dos and Don’ts

As an Employer, are you familiar with some of the dos and don’ts when it comes to disability employment? If not, no worries. This checklist will outline some of the important things that will help to get you started on your learning journey. Remember, this checklist is only the beginning. For example, this resource recommends training supervisors on reasonable accommodation. At this juncture, a Google search may lead you to the Job Accommodation Network (JAN), a free online service of the U.S. Department of Labor that offers extensive information on reasonable accommodation. Or, if you search locally, you may find your way to the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR). You can learn more about reasonable accommodation by visiting the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at their Navy Hill location in Saipan. Other ways to contact OVR is by calling 322-6537/8/9 or sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Please download Employer Dos and Donts for more information.

Reasonable Accommodations and Assistive Technology in the Workplace

Did you know that employers must invest their time and resources (absent undue hardship) into ensuring that their workplaces are accessible to both workers and customers with disabilities? This resource also helps to address concerns by some employers who believe that accommodations are costly. Other topics presented in this resource, which you might find interesting, include:

  • Findings of a Lou Harris Survey
  • Assistive Technology in the Workplace
  • How Do I Make a Job Accessible
  • Universal Design
  • Americans with Disabilities Act, etc.

The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) wishes to acknowledge the CNMI Assistive Technology Program for locally producing this fantastic presentation that is a benefit not only to employers but to a wider audience comprised of professionals, paraprofessionals, service providers, individuals with disabilities, and family members.

Please download Employer Reasonable Accommodations and Assistive Technology in the Workplace for more information.

Resource Guide for Employers

Produced by the Curb Cuts to the Middle-Class Initiative, whose goal is to increase employment opportunities and promote financial freedom, this resource is divided into four (4) sections:

  • Best practices for recruiting candidates with disabilities,
  • Best practices on respecting, retaining, and promoting employees with disabilities,
  • Best practices for providing reasonable accommodations, and
  • The legal framework: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

At the end of this guidebook is an appendix listing the various Federal agencies and Federally-funded agency partners that support the disability employment efforts and initiatives of employers, businesses, and organizations.

Please download Employer Resource Guide for more information.

Tax Benefits for Businesses Who Have Employees with Disabilities

A few years ago, the CNMI Department of Finance’s Division of Revenue and Taxation (DOF-DRT) presented at a conference sponsored by the Disability Network Partners. They presented to various audiences including employers on the benefits of hiring individuals with disabilities. These Federal tax incentives include the Disabled Access Credit, Barrier Removal Tax Deduction, and the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, of which businesses may get a tax credit if they hire from certain “targeted” groups including Vocational Rehabilitation Referrals. The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) recommends that the company’s accountants work directly with the local DRT for more information and guidance with regard to any one of the aforementioned tax incentives.

Please download Employer Tax Presentation for more information.

Ten Commandments of Etiquette

This “Ten Commandments” resource offers practical tips on effective communication with individuals with disabilities. Learning these tips will help to put anyone who is engaged in a conversation with a person with a disability at ease. Overall, remember to be yourself around people with disabilities. Remember the golden rule: treat others as how you yourself would like to be treated. Remember that respect and dignity go a long way. Furthermore, remember that people with disabilities are, first and foremost, people who, like everyone else, expect to be treated with respect and dignity.

Please download Employer Ten Commandments of Etiquette for more information.

Workforce Ready Presentation

Our partners at the Northern Marianas College’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (NMC-UCEDD) shared this resource with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) as part of its ongoing public awareness to educate community members including employers on the positive impact that workers with disabilities bring to the workplace, such as: greater innovation and increased productivity. This resource is also beneficial for individuals with disabilities looking for work as other covered topics include career pathways, job-seeking skills, etc.

Please download Employer Workforce Ready for more information.