Career Development Staff Presentation

This section provides a several presentation options followed by one more detailed outline for delivering presentations on including students with disabilities in work-based learning programs to career development staff.

Purpose

To help career development staff become more aware of:

the rights, responsibilities and potential contributions of students with disabilities;
how to recruit students with disabilities into their programs;
how to ensure equal access into their programs for students with disabilities;
how to encourage employers to hire interns with disabilities;
strategies for discussing disclosure of disability and determining appropriate accommodations;
adaptive technology that provides access to computers; and
who the key players are on a typical college campus.

Length

The following presentation examples are designed to accommodate a wide variety of participant needs. You may choose to deliver a presentation in a staff meeting, as a conference session, or as a pre-conference workshop.

Develop a 15-30 minute presentation on how to recruit students with disabilities into campus career development programs. Distribute the It's Your Career: Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities handout and share the It's Your Career videotape presentation.
Develop a 30 minute to one-hour presentation for a conference, regional consortium or staff meeting on recruiting students with disabilities. Use the overhead transparencies provided in the Tools section of this notebook. Show the It's Your Career videotape presentation and distribute the It's Your Career: Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities handout. Share information on tactics for creating accessible and inclusive work-based learning programs from the Strategies section.
Develop a one and one-half to two-hour presentation on creating an inclusive work-based learning program. Share the It's Your Career, Equal Access: Computer Labs, and World Wide Access videotape presentations. Distribute the handouts titled It's Your Career: Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities, Equal Access: Computer Labs, World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design, and Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design. Use the overhead transparency templates and information provided in the Strategies, Access to Computing for People with Disabilities, and Tools sections as appropriate.
Develop a 15-minute presentation on encouraging employers to hire students with disabilities. Share the Finding Gold: Hiring the Best and the Brightest videotape presentation and distribute the handout with the same name.
Develop a 15-30 minute presentation on adaptive technology that provides access to computers. Show the Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology videotape presentation. Copy and share the handouts titled Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, and Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology.
Develop a one and one-half hour presentation on accessible computer workstations and electronic resources. Share the Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Equal Access: Computer Labs, and World Wide Access videotape presentations. Distribute the handouts titled Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Equal Access: Computer Labs, World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design, and Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design.
Deliver a full-day workshop on recruiting, placing, and accommodating students with disabilities in campus work-based learning programs. Use the It's Your Career, Finding Gold: Hiring the Best and the Brightest, Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Equal Access: Computer Labs, and World Wide Access videotape presentations. Distribute the handouts titled It's Your Career: Work-Based Learning Opportunities for Students with Disabilities, Finding Gold: Hiring the Best and the Brightest, Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- Working Together: People with Disabilities and Computer Technology, Equal Access: Computer Labs, World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design, and Meet the Speakers in the Videotape -- World Wide Access: Accessible Web Design. Use the overhead transparency templates, and information provided in the Tools, Strategies, and Access to Computing for People with Disabilities sections as appropriate.

Presenter

A Career Counselor, Cooperative Education Coordinator, or Disabled Student Services Officer can deliver this presentation. Little experience working with students with disabilities is required to give a short presentation; longer presentations require more specialized expertise.

Preparation

Select presenter(s).
Develop handouts and overhead transparencies of resources available on your campus and in your community.
Photocopy handout templates:
Prepare overhead transparencies.
Advertise presentation well in advance.
Send presentation reminder to participants.

Sample Presentation Outline

The following sample outline can be tailored to your audience, and can vary from a brief 10-minute overview to a full-day workshop.

Logistics

Introduce presenter(s).
Introduce participants.
Identify accessible restrooms, telephones, and provide other site logistics.
Discuss presentation agenda and schedule.
Describe and distribute handouts.

Introduction

Provide background and overview.
Describe why students with disabilities should participate in work-based learning experiences.

Legal Issues

Provide an overview of legal issues.
Describe the content of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Discuss issues such as who is covered by the legislation, what is a reasonable accommodation, and what is an undue hardship.

Access Issues

Discuss how to recruit students with disabilities.
Discuss how to provide access to computers.
- Computer facility access
- Adaptive technology
- Access to electronic resources

Placing Students with Disabilities

Explain issues and strategies involved in disclosing disability.
Describe accommodation strategies.
Identify "key players" on campus and in your community. Provide examples.
Share Four-Step Accommodation Model and Abilities Profiles.
Describe ways to work effectively with employers when placing students with disabilities.