Friday, April 18, 2014

Employment Equality through Accommodation and Self-Advocacy

What do we need to know about employment equality and ADA accommodations when it comes to mental health?

2014 Mental Health Symposium, April 26, 2014, 8:30 am SLT/PDT
The Sojourner Auditorium in Second Life®

Join us at Virtual Ability’s third annual Mental Health Symposium for an introduction to reasonable accommodations in the workplace. Learn how to request and provide workplace changes to meet mental health and other disability-related needs. 

Teresa Goddard, a Senior Consultant from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN) at West Virginia University, will discuss workplace accommodations and methods for advocating for oneself and others using the protections afforded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  Ms. Goddard will explain the stages of the accommodation process and will provide tips for navigating important steps, including making or recognizing a request, exploring options, and obtaining medical documentation in support of requests.  Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about real life examples of employees who successfully requested workplace changes and employers who provided effective accommodations. 

As a Consultant on JAN’s motor team, Ms. Goddard fields questions from employees and employers regarding their rights and responsibilities under the Americans with Disabilities Act and assists in identifying accommodation solutions for employees with disabilities. Her professional experience includes work as an Educational Speech-Language Pathologist and as an English as a Foreign Language instructor in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, where in addition to classroom teaching, she led continuing education workshops on collaborative instructional techniques and cross-cultural understanding.

Ms. Goddard holds a bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a master’s degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology from West Virginia University’s College of Human Resources and Education. She has earned 45 hours above the master’s level with elective course work in augmentative and alternative communication, behavior disorders, and reading. Her research interests include assistive technology and cross-cultural perspectives on disability services.


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