October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month! DRAZ joins agencies and organizations across the country in celebrating the many contributions that people with disabilities bring to the workforce. Below we highlight some of the legal services that DRAZ provides to people with disabilities on employment-related legal issues.
Through DRAZ’s Client Assistance Program, applicants and clients of Arizona’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Program can obtain assistance advocating for their rights relating to VR services. The VR Program can help people with disabilities prepare for, enter into, and retain employment. For example, VR can provide funding for additional training, a college degree, or starting your own business. Here are some helpful resources concerning VR services and ACDL’s Client Assistance Program:
- To learn more about and apply for VR services, visit the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s Vocational Rehabilitation Program
- To learn more about DRAZ’s Client Assistance Program, you can watch a short informational video (English, Spanish), or review DRAZ’s CAP brochure (English, Spanish)
- More information about various VR services and rights issues can be found in ACDL’s Fact Sheets and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- DRAZ’s Client Assistance Program has developed several letter samples for VR clients to use, to address some common issues about VR services. DRAZ’s online letter generator can assist with creating a letter to request the following:
- Change of VR Counselor
- Denial in Writing
- Change of Service Provider
- Assistance for Trial Work Experience
- Review of Administrative Law Judge’s Decision
- DRAZ’s Client Assistance Program is publishing a Weekly Work Tip every week during 2023, which are short self-advocacy videos with work-related tips. You can follow DRAZ’s YouTube channel to view past tips, and be sure to catch future tips as they are posted.
- Other DRAZ resources that might be helpful to VR applicants and clients are available on our Vocational Rehabilitation self-advocacy resources webpage
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to many employers, and prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of disability. DRAZ can also help qualified applicants and employees with disabilities get reasonable accommodations in applying for jobs and in the workplace, and can assist with addressing disability-based workplace discrimination. Here are some helpful resources related these topics:
- DRAZ Infographic on Reasonable Accommodations in the Workplace
- DRAZ Infographic on Reasonable Accommodations and the Interactive Process
- U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network (JAN), which has many examples of and resources about workplace reasonable accommodations
- DRAZ’s Self-Help guide – Getting a Job When You Have a Disability: Things to Know When you Apply
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) information for job applicants and employees about employment discrimination
- Other DRAZ resources that might be helpful to employees with disabilities are available on our Employment self-advocacy resources webpage
DRAZ can also assist recipients of Social Security Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) to address a legal issue that is posing a barrier to employment. Barriers to employment can include:
- disability-related employment discrimination
- provision or implementation of appropriate VR services
- discrimination in housing, transportation, post-secondary education
- denial of necessary Assistive Technology or medically necessary services through AHCCCS, ALTCS, or Medicare
Here are some helpful resources from the Social Security Administration on working while receiving SSI and SSDI:
- Social Security Red Book – A Guide To Work Incentives and Employment Supports for People Who Have a Disability Under the SSDI and SSI Programs
- Working While Disabled: How We Can Help
- What You Need to Know About Your SSI When You Turn 18
- Information About Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA) Amounts
If you are looking for a job, the DREAM Job Fair returns on October 26, 2023 in Tucson. The fair connects job seekers with disabilities to many of Arizona’s top employers. Visit the DREAM Job Fair website for details and additional information about upcoming job fairs in other Arizona cities.
